THE  STORY 


OF 


OUR  REGIMENT 


A  HISTORY 


OF  THE 


148th  PENNSYLVANIA   VOLS 


WRITTEN  BY  THE  COMRADES 


ADJT.  J.  W.  MUFFLY,   EDITOK. 


1904 

THE  KENYON  PRINTING  6-  MFG.  CO 
DES  MOINES,  IOWA 


COPYRIGHTED  AUGUST  18,  1904, 

BY   THE  REGIMENTAL  ASSOCIATION  OF  THE 

148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PAGES 

PREFACE.    .    .    .    , 9-12 

J.  W.  Muffly. 

WHY? 13-14 

James  A.  Beaver. 

THE  ITINERARY 15-22 

J.  W.  Muffly  and  T.  P.  Meyer. 

ASSIGNMENTS 23-26 

J.  W.  Muffly. 

BATTLES    AND    SKIRMISHES 27-28 

J.  W.  Muffly. 

INTRODUCTION   TO   THE    CITIZEN'S   STORY 29-30 

Gen.  Beaver. 

THE  CITIZEN'S  STORY 31-38 

Hon.  H.  N.  McAllister. 

THE  SISTER'S  STORY 39-45 

Mrs.  Sophie  Keller  Hall 

THE  BRIGADE  COMMANDER'S  STORY — Part  I 46-47 

General    Brooke. 

THE  BRIGADE  COMMANDER'S  STORY — Part  II 48-57 

General  Mulholland. 

THE  COLONEL'S  STORY 58-140 

James  A.  Beaver. 

CHAPTER  I.  From  organization  of  the  regiment  to  the 

front 58-69 

CHAPTER  II.  Winter  Quarters  1  862.  1  863,  to  return  from 

Chancellorsville 70-90 

CHAPTER  III.     The  Campaigns  of    1863  and  1864      •    .        91-115 
CHAPTER  IV.     The  Campaign  of    1864 115-140 

LIEUTENANT  COLONEL  FAIRLAMB .  141 

Sketch  by  Frank  E.  Bible. 

THE  LIEUTENANT  COLONEL'S   STORY  AND  STORY  OF  COM 
PANY   B 143-164 

By  James  F.  Weaver. 

SKETCH  OF  DAVID   H.  SWYERS  OF  COMPANY   B    .    .    .    .  165 

By  Mrs.  McMullan. 

THE  SURGEON'S  STORY— Part  I 166-180 

Dr.  A.  T.  Hamilton. 

THE  SURGEON'S  STORY — Part  II 181-190 

Dr.  C.  P.  W.    Fisher. 

STORY  OF  THE  CHAPLAIN 191-227 

Emory  M.  Stevens. 


1 88230 


THE  ADJUTANT'S  STORY 228-281 

J.  W.  Muffly 

THE  QUARTERMASTER'S  STORY 282-286 

S.   D.    Musser. 

THE  AMBULANCE  OFFICER'S  STORY 287-301 

Capt.  J.   H.  Harpster 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  DRUM  CORPS — Part  1 308-313 

R.  A.  Cassidy. 

THE  DRUM  CORPS  — Part  II 314-322 

Wm.  P.  Harpster. 

THE  DRUM  CORPS— Part  III 322-328 

Nathaniel  Beerly. 

THE  DRUM  CORPS- -Part  IV 329-334 

J.  B.  Holloway. 

STORY    OF    THE    HEADQUARTER    CLERK     AND    SERGEANT 

MAJOR 335-356 

Adjutant  Charles  A.  Ramsey. 

THE  PRISONER'S  STORY — Part  I. .    360-365 

George  A.  Bayard. 

THE  PRISONER'S  STORY  —  Part  II 366-414 

T.  P.  Meyer. 

THE  PRISONER'S  STORY— Part  III 415-420 

H.  K.  Miller. 

THE  PRISONER'S  STORY— Part  IV. 421-424 

John  W.  Biddle. 

THE  PRISONER'S  STORY — Part  V 425-433 

James  F.  McNoldy. 

THE  CORPORAL'S  STORY 434-450 

G.  G.  Walters. 

THE  PIONEER'S  STORY 451-481 

Sergeant  Thos.  P.  Meyer. 

THE  TEAMSTER'S  STORY.     . 482-492 

(Data  by  Comrades  Bryan,  Billet,  Garrett  and  Flack.) 

THE  PRIVATE'S  STORY   AND  STORY  OF  COMPANY  A.  .    .     493-564 

Henry  Meyer. 

THE  STORY  OF  Go.  A— SUPPLEMENT 565-567 

T.  P.  Meyer. 

SKETCH  OF  LIEUTENANT  S.   M.  SPANGLER 568 

THE  STORY  OF  Co.  C— Part  I 569-579 

THE  STORY  OF  Co.  G -Part  II 580-581 

Martin   Funk. 

THE  STORY  OF  Co.  G.— Part  III 582-585 

A.  L.  Whitehill. 

THE  STORY  OF  Co.  G— Part  IV 596-597 

E.  B.  Walter. 


THE  STORY  OF  Go.  C     Part  V 598-608 

Lemuel  Osman. 

THE  STORY  OF  Co.  G     Supplement 609 

James  Knox. 

SKETCH  OF   LIEUTENANT   W.   H.  BIBLE 610-614 

Frank  E.  Bible 

SKETCH  OF  LIEUTENANT  F.  STEVENSON  ........  615 

THE  STORY  OF  Go.  D— Part  I 616-638 

Wm.   Gemmill. 

THE  STORY  OF  Go.  D     Part  II     . 639-643 

L.  D.   Kurtz. 

THE  STORY  OF  Go.   D     Part  III 644-649 

H.  C.  Campbell. 

THE  STORY  OF  Go.   D-Part  IV 650-655 

D.  H.  Young. 

THE  STORY  OF  Go.   E 656-669 

Compiled. 

THE  STORY  OF  Go.   F 670-690 

Compiled. 

SKETCH  OF  CAPTAIN   W.   P.  WILSON 691-692 

THE  STORY  OF  Go.  G  —  Introduction •    -  693 

The  Editor. 

THE  STORY  OF  Co.  G— Part  I 694-711 

James  J.  Patterson. 

SKETCH  OF  LIEUTENANT  JOHN  W.   STUART 712-714 

THE  STORY  OF  Go.  G  — Part  III 715-722 

D.   W.  Miller. 

THE  STORY  OF  Go.  H  . 723-745 

T.  W.  Myton  and  D.  W.  Woodring. 

THE  STORY   OF  THE  DRAFTED  MEN   AND  SUBSTITUTES    .     746-754 
T.  W.  Myton  and  D.  W.  Woodring. 

THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  I — Part  I .    755-765 

Adjutant  J.  E.  Hall. 

THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY   I — Part  II 766-769 

Corporal  J.  B.  Rumbaugh. 

THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY   I— Part  III 770-775 

I.  J.  Grenoble. 

THE  STORY  OF  Go.  I  — Part  IV 776-787 

R.  M.  Wadding. 

THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  I— Part  V 788-794 

R.  B.  Lyle. 

THE  YOUNGEST  MAN —Supplement  to  Company  I  story  .  795-796 

THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  K— Part  I .    797-799 

Brevet  Major  J.  Z.  Brown. 


THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  K-  Part  II  .    .    .    ._ 800-808 

Compiled. 

THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  K -Part  III 809-810 

Dennis  Conner. 

SUPPLEMENT — SKETCH  OF  THE    SLOAN   BOYS    AND    SER 
GEANT  SLOAN'S  LAST  LETTER 811-813 

TRIBUTE  TO  CAPTAIN  GORE     ...        814-815 

R.  H.  Forster. 

IN  THE  HOSPITAL— Part  1 816-818 

D.  W.  Woodring. 

IN  THE  HOSPITAL— Part  II.   ...........     819-834 

Henry    Meyer. 

THE  STORY   OF  A   ONE-ARMED    MAN 835-842 

T.  W.  Myton. 

Po  RIVER  AND  SPOTSYLVANIA — Part  1 843-845 

R.  H.  Forster. 

Po  RIVER  AND  SPOTSYLVANIA  —  Part  II 846-853 

J.  W.  Muffly. 

Po  RIVER   AND  SPOTSYLVANIA-  Part  III 864-865 

I.  N.  Sloan. 

Po  RIVER  AND  SPOTSYLVANIA — Part  IV 866 

J.   W.  Allen. 

Po  RIVER   AND  SPOTSYLVANIA  -Part  V .  867 

J.  E.  McCartney. 

SKETCH  OF  MAJOR   R.  H.   FORSTER 868-870 

PENNSYLVANIA  DAYS  AT  GETTYSBURG 870-885 

Address  by  Major  R.  H.  Forster  at  Dedication  of  148th 
Monument. 

GAMP  FIRE -Part  I 886-887 

J.   K.  P.  Ward. 

GAMP  FIRE— Part  II 887-890 

T.  W.  Myton. 

GAMP  FIRE -Part  III 890 

John  M.  English. 

GAMP  FIRE     Part  IV 891-892 

J.   B.  Holloway. 

GAMP  FIRE— Part  V 893 

Lemuel  H.  Osman. 

GAMP  FIRE-PART  VI 893-896 

John  Craig. 

GAMP  FIRE -Part  VII 895 

Daniel  G.  Farley. 

GAMP  FIRE  -Part  VIII 896-889 

John   C.  Sowers. 

OFFICIAL  REPORTS  AND  ORDERS 899-918 

THREE  HUNDRED  FIGHTING  REGIMENTS 919-920 

From  Col.  Wm.  F.  Fox's  "Regimental  Losses" 


STATISTICS. 

ROSTER  OF  FIELD  AND  STAFF 921-925 

ROSTER  OF  GOMRANY   A  . 925-938 

ROSTER  OF  GOMBANY   B 939-948 

ROSTER  OF  COMPANY   C  •        949-959 

ROSTER  OF  COMPANY   D 959-969 

ROSTER  OF  COMPANY  E 970-980 

ROSTER  OF  COMPANY  F 980-988 

ROSTER  OF  COMPANY  G 988-1002 

ROSTER  OF  COMPANY  H  .    .    '. 1003-1017 

ROSTER  OF  COMPANY  1 .  1018-1026 

ROSTER  OF  COMPANY  K 1029-1037 

CASUALTIES 1038-1087 

Killed  in  Battle ...  1038-1049 

Wounded 1049-1066 

Prisoners 1066-1071 

Died 1071-1087 

LIST  OF  SURVIVORS      1087-1096 


INDEX  TO  ENGRAVINGS. 

James  A.  Beaver Frontispiece  Beaver.      Major   Silas   J.    Marlin. 

The  Vaughn  Family,  great  grand  A  ^aya^"'  F°rSter'  M&J°r  Ge°' 

children   of    Comrade    Edward  occ 

D.  Jones,  of  H  Co  12        )fficers  and  Men  of  Co.  B      .    .       1 52 

.      _     _      ,.  __  Lieut.   James   E.  McCartney.  Lieut. 

A.  G.  Curtm       26  David   H.   Swyers,  Capt.  James  F. 

LJ    M    MrAllict-or  ^n  Weaver.    Lieut.    Wm.     D.     Harper. 

H.  IN.  McAllister       50  Sergt.  Constance  Barger.J.  W.  Sun- 

General     Officers    of   the    Army.  day. 

Corps.  Division  and  Brigade  .  48       staff  Officers  148th  Pa.  Vols.  .      168 
Maj.-Oen.Winfleld  S^  Hancock,  Gen.  Lieut   John  G  Kurtz>  Rev  Wm  H 

John   C.  Caldwell   Gen.   Francis  C.  Stevens.  Chaplain.  Lieut.  S.  D.  Mus- 

Barlow      Gen       Nelson    A      Mi  es,  ser,  Lieut  c    P    w    Fisher_   Major 

?6nMJ(?Knn  '  Brooke'  Gen'  St  C!air  U.  Q.  Davis,  Lieut.   A.  T.  Hamilton. 

A.    Mulhulland.  Lieut  j    w   Muffly,  Adjutant.  Lieut. 

Maj.-Gen.  A.  E.  Burnside     ...  56  C.  A.  Ramsay.  Adjutant. 

Maj.-Gen.  Joseph  Hooker      ...  56       Adjutant  Joseph  W.  Muffly.    .    .      228 

Maj.-Gen.  G.  K.  Warren        ...  56       Rev   John    H.  Harpster.   D.  D.    .    288 

Field  Officers  148th  Pa.  Vols  .    .  72 

Lieut-Col.  Robt.  McFarlane,  Lieut.-  The  Non-Commissioned  Staff  .   .     304 

Col.   James  F.   Weaver.    Lieut.-Col.  Wm.   H.  Mayes.  Joseph  W.  Muffly. 

Geo.    A.   Fairlamb.    Col.    James   A.  Wm.  G.  Devinney.  Joseph  E.  Hall. 


The  Drum  Corps 312 

Wm.  P.  Harpster,  Samuel  D.  Otto 
R.  A.  Cassidy,  L.  B.  Bathurst,  J.  H. 
Law. 

The  Drum  Corps  320 

S.  Mottarn,  Joseph  A.  Arthers,  D.  N. 
Henry,  A.  R.  Courson,  T.  C.  Rum- 
barger,  Frank  G.  Mattern.  Nathaniel 
Bierly. 

J.  B.   Holloway       328 

Hon.  C   A.  Ramsay      .        ...  336 
T.  P.  Meyer.  Sergt.  Co.  A       .    .  368 
"Castle  Thunder"   Prison.    Rich 
mond,  Va 370 

Libby  Prison.  Richmond.  Va.  .    .  372 

Washington   Watson      456 

Henry  Meyer .  492 

Commissioned  Officers  of  Co.  A..  496 

Lieut.  S.  S.  Wolf,  Lieut.  S.  M.  Spang- 
ler,  Lieut.  W.  W.  Bierly,  Capt.  R    H 
Forster,    Capt.    John     L.  Johnston, 
Lieut.  E.  J.  Burkert,  Lieut.  Daniel  E. 
Shaffer,  Lieut.  J.  I.  Jones. 

Six  Men  of  Co.  A  ...     504 

Thomas  E.  Royer,  Jesse  Long,  Corp. 
Benjamin  Beck,  Corp.  Henry  Meyer, 
John  Clapham.  Henry  J.  Grouse. 

William  Otto 550 

Men  of  Co.  A 552 

Charles  Beirly,  Solomon  Bierly,  Levi 
Boob,  Solomon  Dale,  William  Meyer 
Thomas  G.  Weirick,  Sergt.  John  A. 
Miller,  Samuel  R.  Gettig. 

The  Seven  Martyrs  of  Co.  C  580 

Lieut.  William  Bible,  Lieut.  Francis 
Stevenson,  Capt.  Jacob  B.  Edmonds. 
Capt.  Robert  M.  Forster.  Capt  Sam 
uel  Everhart,  Lieut.  J.  S.  Lander. 
Lieut.  D.  G.  Ralston. 

Officers  and  Men  of  Co    C  584 

Capt.  W.  E.  Graham,  Sergt  E  B 
Walter.  Corp.  James  K.  P.  Ward. 
Lemuel  Osman. 

Officers  of  Co    D  .616 

Capt.  A.  A.  Rhinehart,  Lieut.  Wm. 
Gemmill,  Lieut.  John  A.  Burchfield, 
Capt.  A.  Musser,  Lieut.  L.  D.  Kurtz, 
Lieut.  L.  C.  Edmunds. 

J.  J.  Fleming-       632 

Three  Men  of  Co    D  .    638 

Henry  C.  Campbell,  D.  H.  Young 
Allen  B.  Cross. 

Brothers,  all  of  Co    D  and  G  648 

Samuel  Holloway,  Corp.  D.  C.  Hol 
loway,  William  P.  Holloway. 
John  H.  Fortney,  David  F.  Fortney. 

John     E.    Reed,     Reuben     Reed 

(Co.  G). 

Lieut  J.  E.  Thomas.  Co.  D.         .    648 


Major-Gen.  George  G   Meade  .    .      48 

The  Law  Brothers  of  Co 


E.  656 

D  C.  Law,  Joseph  H.  Law.  Chas 
M  Law. 

Joseph   H    Morehead.  Co    E.  664 

Officers  and  Men  of  Co    F  .     680 

Sergt.  Wm.  1.  Mackey,  Sergt  David 
Burrell,  Sergt.  M.  H.  Mackey,  Capt. 
Martin  Dolan,  Lieut.  D.  C-  Freeman. 
Henry  S.  Nolder,  Corp.  Henry  Heat- 
on.  John  D.  Lucas. 

Lieut  -Col.  Wm.  P.  Wilson      .    .     690 
Officers  and  Men  of  Co   G    ...    696 
Corp.  Joseph  Fox,   Geo.  K.  Baker 
Daniel  S.  Keller,  Lieut.  Isaac  Lytle, 
Capt    James  J.  Patterson,  Sergt   R.' 
H.  Patterson,   D.  W.  Miller,   Wm.  A. 
Jacobs,  Adams  T.  Murphy,  Matthias 
Rider. 

William  S    Van  Dyke.    .  .     704 

John  W.  Stuart.  Lieut.  Co   G  712 

Dr.  James  A.  Thompson      .    .    .     722 

Officers  and  Men  of  Co.  H  .  .  728 
Lieut.  Alexander  Gibb,  Capt.  H  H 
Montgomery.  Lieut.  John  A.  Bayard, 
Lieut.  James  B.  Cook,  Herman  K' 
Miller,  Geo.  W.  Constable  Geo  A 
Wilson. 

Sergt.  D.  H.  Baumgardner  .    .    .     744 
I    J    Grenoble  and  John  M.  Davis.   760 

J.  B.  Rumbaugh      775 

Officers  of  Co    K 


796 

800 

808 
810 


Capt.  Jerry  Z.  Brown,  Lieut.  A.  C, 
Sloan,  Capt.  Thomas  Core. 

Men  of  Co    K 

David  Polliard,  Corp.  Dennis  Con 
ner,  S.W  Herrington,  Uriah  Willson. 

Brevet-Maj    J.  Z    Brown  . 
The  Sloan  Boys  of  Co.  K. 

Lieut.  A.  C.  Sloan,  Sergt.  I  N 
Sloan,  Sergt.  W.  C.  Sloan,  Corp.  S. 
H.  Sloan,  W.  J.  M.  Sloan. 

Six  Men  of  Co  H  who  lost  each 
an  arm  at  Chancellorsville  .  840 
Michael  Lebkecker,  Corp.  Richard 
Miles.  Frank  J.  Hunter,  Thos.  W. 
Myton,  Adoniram  J.  Yothers,  Daniel 
W.  Woodring. 

J.  W.  Muffly 856 

Lieut  James  E    McCartney.    .    .  866 

The  Monument 872 

The  Marker  .  880 


G.  G.  Walters,  J   F.  McNoldy  .    .    424 


PREFACE 

A  book,  like  everything  else,  should  have  a  good,  substantial 
and  evident  reason  for  its  existence. 

This  book  will  bo  read  mainly  by  the  survivors  of  the  148th  Regi 
ment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  who  know  its  history  and  who  now 
record  its  achievements.  It  will  be  read,  also,  by  very  many  of  the 
descendants  of  comrades,  who  are  eager  to  know  all  that  may  be 
known  of  the  splendid  regiment  in  which  fathers  and  brothers  and 
sons  served  the  cause  of  the  Union.  It  may  chance  to  meet  the  eye 
of  some  who  have  no  individual  interest  in  its  personnel.  Possibly, 
indeed,  it  may  serve  a  useful  purpose  in  the  hands  of  some  great 
soul  whose  high  mission  it  shall  be  to  write  the  history  of  the  great 
rebellion — the  time  for  which  is  not  yet  When  the  smoke  shall  have 
been  lifted ;  the  mists  cleared  away ;  the  ephemera  of  the  newspaper 
reporter ;  the  selfishness  of  the  politician,  and  the  glamour  of  the 
poet,  shall  have  been  relegated  to  the  limbo  of  oblivion,  then  in  the 
cool  retrospect  of  a  century,  impartial  history  will  set  out  the  great 
events  and  the  men  of  the  sixties  in  their  just  relations,  and  some 
great  names  may  change  places  on  the  Nation's  roll  of  honor. 

As  an  act  of  justice  to  every  individual  patriot  who  served  in 
any  Union  regiment  in  the  rebellion,  the  history  of  every  regiment 
should  be  written  and  a  copy  placed  in  every  library  in  the  land. 
Besides  this,  there  are  especial  reasons  why  our  Regiment  should  be 
so  put  upon  record.  Of  the  2,047  regiments  in  the  Union  Army, 
the  148th  Pennsylvania  was  one  of  the  three  hundred  fighting  regi 
ments  listed  in  Fox's  "Regimental  Losses."  It  stands  number  thirty 
in  the  list  of  forty-five  regiments  that  lost  200  and  upward  killed  in 
battle,  with  the  record  of  210  men  killed  out  of  a  total  enroll 
ment  of  1339.  It  stands  (notwithstanding  the  fact  that  it 
went  out  a  year  later  than  many  of  the  regiments  contained 
therein)  number  fourteen  in  that  splendid  "sifted"  list  of  twentv 
three  regiments  which  gave  fifteen  per  cent  and  upwards  of 
their  blood  for  the  flag,  and  which  are  here  set  out  as  given  by  Colonel 


10 


THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


Fox  (page  8)  with  his  introductory  words:  "The  regiments  in  the 
following  list  can  fairly  claim  the  honor  of  having  encountered  the 
hardest  fighting  in  the  War.  They  may  not  have  done  the  most 
effective  fighting;  but  they  evidently  stood  where  the  danger  was 
thickest,  and  were  the  ones  which  faced  the  hottest  musketry.  They 
were  all  well  known,  reliable  commands,  and  served  with  unblemished 
records.  The  maximum  of  loss  is  reached  in  this  table: 

KILLED  AND  DIED  OF  WOUNDS 

Maximum  Percentage  of  Enrollment 

Corps. 

First 
Second 
Ninth 
Second 
Eleventh 
First 
Second 
Fifth 
First 
Third 
First 
Sixth 
Second 
Second 
Fifth 
Fifth 
Second 
Twelfth 
Fourth 
Ninth 
Seventh 
Third 
Second 

Kegiment  was  present  in  every  battle  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  from  Chancellorsville  to  the  surrender  at  Appomattox  and 
was  in  the  hottest  of  the  fighting  in  all  of  them  except  the  Wilderness. 


Regiment 

Enrolled. 

Killed. 

Per  Cent. 

2d  Wisconsin   

1,203 

238 

19.7 

1st  Maine  Heavy  Artillery. 

2,202 

423 

19.2 

57th  Massachusetts  

1,052 

201 

19.1 

140th  Pennsylvania  

1,132 

198 

17.4 

26th  Wisconsin    

1,089 

188 

17.2 

7th  Wisconsin    

1,630 

281 

17.2 

69th  New  York  

1,513 

259 

17.1 

llth  Pennsylvania  Reserves. 

1,179 

196 

16.6 

142d  Pennsylvania  

935 

155 

16.5 

141st  Pennsylvania  

1,037 

167 

16.1 

19th  Indiana   

1,246 

199 

15.9 

121st  New  York  

1,426 

226 

15.8 

7th  Michigan   

1,315 

208 

15.8 

148th   Pennsylvania    

1,339 

210 

15.6 

83d  Pennsylvania  

1,808 

282 

15.5 

22d  Massachusetts   

1,393 

216 

15.5 

36th  Wisconsin  

1,014 

157 

15.4 

27th    Indiana    

1,101 

169 

15.3 

5th  Kentucky  

1,020 

157 

15.3 

27th  Michigan   

1,485 

225 

15.1 

79th  U.  S.  Colored  

1,249 

188 

15.0 

17th  Maine  

1,371 

207 

15.0 

1st  Minnesota  

1,242 

187 

15.0 

THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  11 

At  Spotsylvania  it  lost  301  killed,  wounded  and  missing,  the  great 
est  loss  of  any  infantry  regiment  on  that  field. 

In  the  personnel  of  its  officers  and  men — in  their  character 
for  sobriety,  morality,  courage  and  patriotism,  in  their  soldierly 
habits  of  order,  obedience  and  personal  cleanliness,  in  the  perfec 
tion  of  the  regimental  organization,  drill  and  discipline,  in  its  ap 
pearance  on  dress  parade  and  review,  in  the  order,  regularity  and 
cleanliness  of  its  camps,  in  its  prompt  and  cheerful  response  to  every 
call  for  duty,  in  its  endurance  in  the  toilsome  march  and  the  hard 
ships  of  exposure  and  privation,  and  in  the  supreme  test  of  battle, 
where  its  courage  and  dash,  its  daring  and  its  staying  qualities  were 
proved  on  more  than  twenty  bloody  fields — the  148th  Pennsylvania 
had  no  superior  and  few  equals. 

In  the  matter  of  returns  and  reports  the  record  was  altogether 
exceptional.  From  the  very  first,  every  officer  was  trained  to  forward 
promptly  and  fully,  every  report  required.  The  result  was  that 
our  officers,  on  their  discharge  from  service,  were  able  to  settle  their 
accounts  with  the  Government  in  a  day  and  draw  their  final  pay, 
without  an  hour's  delay. 

The  book,  as  now  completed,  is  the  fruition  of  a  hope  cherished 
for  years  by  many  of  our  comrades — a  hope  that  ripened  into  a 
purpose  and  took  definite  form  at  the  reunion  of  the  Eegiment  held 
at  Belief  on  te,  Pennsylvania,  February  19  and  20,  1902.  Indeed  the 
expectation  of  that  result  was  a  main  factor  leading  to  the  holding 
of  the  reunion,  and  the  proposed  History  formed  the  chief  topic  of 
discussion  and  action  at  the  meeting. 

The  plan  of  the  work,  as  suggested  from  the  start  (and  faith 
fully  followed)  was,  that  it  should  be  made  up  of  stories  by  repre 
sentatives  of  all  the  ranks,  grades  and  departments  of  the  Regiment's 
service.  In  pursuance  of  this  idea,  quite  a  number  of  papers  were 
prepared  and  read  at  the  reunion,  all  indicating  a  deep  interest  and 
eliciting  profound  attention  and  altogether  giving  a  sure  promise, 
now  happily  fulfilled,  of  a  regimental  history  of  intense  personal 
interest,  and  in  form  entirely  unique  among  books  of  the  kind. 

With  so  much  of  encouragement,  the  Regimental  Association 
took  action  for  the  prosecution  of  the  work.  Committees  were  ap- 


12 


THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


painted  and  a  general  invitation  was  given  to  every  comrade  to 
contribute  his  personal  recollections.  So,  without  apology,  we  give 
to  our  children  and  to  the  Nation,  the  history  of  our  service,  written 
by  the  comrades  who  helped  to  make  it.  It  is  the  record  of  an  honor 
able  service,  the  highest  achievement  of  our  lives,  accomplished  in  the 
dawn  of  our  early  manhood.  We  can  not  hope  ever  to  do  any  greater 
act,  or  win  any  higher  honor  than  that  which  gathers  about  our 
deeds  in  the  early  sixties.  Meade  was  never  greater  than  at  Gettys 
burg.  Grant  never  rose  higher  than  at  Vicksburg.  Sherman  reached 
his  zenith  when  he  reached  the  "Sea." 


Des  Moines,  July  11,  1904. 


The  half  tone  illustrations  in  this  work — made  by  the  Star 
Engraving  Company,  of  Des  Moines — are  mostly  from  war  time 
photographs,  and  it  is  matter  of  gratification  that  we  have  been  able 
to  procure  so  many  of  them  at  this  late  day. 


WHY 

Never  since  the  wise  man  uttered  it  has  it  been  more  true  than 
today  that  "of  the  making  of  books  there  is  no  end."  In  the  whole 
range  of  literature  to  no  class  of  books  does  this  more  truly  apply  than 
to  that  relating  to  the  Civil  War.  Every  phase  of  that  great  crisis  in 
our  national  history  is  being  portrayed  with  a  fullness  and  vividness 
never  equaled.  Why  add  another  to  the  apparently  endless  list  of 
books  upon  this  subject?  The  picture  on  the  opposite  page  helps  to 
answer  this  question. 

Coming  from  Scranton  a  few  weeks  ago,  the  writer  met  an  old 
comrade  from  the  northern  part  of  Pennsylvania,  apparently  not 
much  over  sixty  years  of  age,  who  was  coming  with  his  wife  from 
a  Christmas  visit  to  a  married  daughter  in  another  part  of  the  state. 
Commenting  upon  the  pleasure  of  the  visit,  the  comrade  added,  as  a 
climax  to  what  he  was  saying,  "I  have  two  of  the  nicest  great-grand 
children  you  ever  saw.'7  This  immediately  started  the  inquiry,  Have 
we  any  great-grandfathers  among  the  survivors  of  the  148th  Penn 
sylvania  Volunteer  Regiment  ?  Upon  inquiry  several  were  found. 

Among  those  who  attended  the  reunion  of  the  survivors  of  the 
Regiment  at  Bellefonte  in  February  of  this  year  (1904)  was  Sergt. 
Daniel  H.  Baumgardner,  of  H  Company,  now  of  Brookville,  Penn 
sylvania,  who  rejoices  in  being  not  only  a  great-grandfather,  but  the 
father  of  a  very  interesting  baby  not  yet  two  years  old. 

On  the  last  day  of  our  reunion  Edward  P.  Jones,  also  of  H 
Company,  who  resided  at  Port  Matilda,  in  Centre  County,  and  who 
was  wounded  at  Gettysburg  and  is  believed  to  have  been  one  of  the 
one  hundred  who  made  the  celebrated  dash  with  Captain  Brown,  Oc 
tober  27,  1864,  on  Fort  Crater  in  front  of  Petersburg,  died  leaving 
to  survive  him,  in  addition  to  children  and  grandchildren,  twenty- 
four  out  of  thirty-two  great-grandchildren  born  during  his  lifetime. 
Ihe  picture  referred  to  shows  the  seven  children  of  Elmer  E.  Vaughn 
and  Theresa,  his  wife,  who  is  a  daughter  of  Johnson  C.  Jones,  the  son 
of  our  deceased  comrade. 

Anyone  who  is  at  all  familiar  with  the  character  of  the  number 
less  inquiries  made  by  the  widows  and  orphaned  children  of  those 


14         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

who  were  killed  or  died  of  wounds  or  of  disease  during  the  War,  who 
cannot  tell  even  the  company  and  regiment  to  which  husband  and 
father  belonged,  will  appreciate  the  importance  of  preserving  for  the 
present  and  future  generations  the  record  of  the  service  rendered  by 
the  men  who  served  their  country  faithfully  and  well  during  the 
period  to  which  reference  has  been  made. 

In  order  to  preserve  the  record  of  the  individual  soldier  and  to 
tell  as  fully  as  may  be,  for  the  benefit  of  the  first,  second,  third  and 
all  succeeding  generations,  just  what  father,  grandfather  or  great 
grandfather  did  in  that  great  struggle,  is  the  object  of  this  volume. 
The  story  is  to  be  told  as  largely  as  possible  by  those  who  were  per 
sonally  engaged  in  making  it. 

The  book  does  not  aim  to  be,  and  will  as  far  as  possible  avoid 
being  a  history  of  the  War.  It  will  tell  what  each  writer  saw  or  heard 
or  experienced  in  the  place  where,  for  the  time  being,  he  had  his  lot 
cast.  The  man  with  the  gun  rather  than  the  officer  with  the  sword  is 
the  hero,  as  he  ought  to  be,  of  this  story.  To  tell  what  he  did  in 
camp,  on  the  march,  on  the  picket  line  or  in  battle,  or  how,  by 
cheerfulness,  good  nature  and  love  of  fun,  he  helped  at  the  camp  fire 
or  on  the  march  to  revive  the  spirits  of  his  companions,  or  by  sym 
pathy  and  helpfulness  on  the  march,  or  in  battle,  or  on  the  ghastly 
field  after  battles  were  lost  or  won,  he  gave  assistance,  relief  and 
succor  to  those  more  unfortunate  than  himself;  or  on  the  firing  lino, 
in  skirmish  or  battle,  he  carried  himself  bravely  and  established  his 
record  for  coolness,  courage  and  endurance,  and  so  added  to  the  en 
viable  record  of  the  Regiment  which  was  proud  to  claim  him,  will  be 
its  object. 

If  in  the  present  and  the  generations  to  come  the  descendants  of 
the  men  who  composed  the  148th  Regiment  shall  find  herein  the 
proud  record  of  those  whom  they  claim  as  their  ancestors  and  shall 
have  their  pride  in  that  ancestry  increased  by  what  they  shall  herein 
read,  and  shall  be  led  to  "highly  resolve"  that  they  will  emulate  the 
life  arid  follow  the  example  of  the  fathers  as  herein  written,  the  ob 
ject  of  our  book  will  be  accomplished  and  the  wisdom  of  its  publica 
tion  vindicated.  J.  A.  B. 


THE  ITINERARY 


Compiled  by  the  Editor,  assisted  by  Comrade  Sergeant  T.  P.  Meyer,  Lock  Haven, 

Pennsylvania. 


1862. 

July  and  Aug. 
August  28. 
September  8. 

9. 
10. 


October 
December 


30. 


10. 
11. 
11. 
12. 
15. 
16. 

17. 


Companies  recruited,  and  men  "sworn  in." 
Company  and  regimental  muster. 
Organized   at  Camp  Curtin,   Harrisburg,   Pennsyl 
vania,  and  named  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers. 
Left  by  rail  for  Cockeysville,  Maryland. 
Arrived  at  Cockeysville,  guarding  N.  C,  R.  R.  com 
munication     with     the     North.      Four     companies 
move  to  Gunpowder  River  under  Major  Fairlamb. 
Company  A  moved  to  Lutherville,  Maryland,  under 
Capt,  R.  H.  Forster.    Company  B  moved  to  Glencoe, 
Maryland,  under  Capt.  Jas.  F.  Weaver.     Four  com 
panies  encamped   at.  headquarters,   Colonel  Beaver. 
First  general  inspection. 
Field  and  staff  mustered. 
Left  Cockeysville  by  rail,  2  :00  p.  M. 
Arrived   in  Baltimore,   evening.      Xight  in   Union 
Relief  Association  Building. 
Left  Baltimore  by  rail,  6 :00  p.  M. 
At  Washington,  3 :00  A.  M.    To  Soldiers'  Retreat. 
Marched  for  the  front,  2  :00  p.  :\r. 
Resumed  march  at  9  :00  A.  M. 
Reached  Liverpool  Point. 

Crossed  Potomac  River  by  transports  to  Acquia 
Creek,  Virginia. 

Marched  to  headquarters  Army  of  the  Potomac 
at  Falmouth,  Virginia.  Assigned  to  First  Brigade, 
First  Division,  Second  Corps. 


16 


THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


19. 

25. 
1863. 

January     17. 
February 


March 
April 


May 


June 


27. 
7. 

9. 
16. 


18. 

27. 

28. 

30. 

1. 


2,3. 

4,  5. 

6. 

12. 
16. 

14. 
15. 

16. 
17. 


Located  our  camp.     Very  cold,  but  had  no  tents. 
Built  winter  camp.     Received  tents  today. 

Review  of  Corps. 

Equipped    with    Springfield    rifles    in    lieu    of  con 
demned  Vincennes. 
Epidemic  of  fever.     Many  deaths. 
Visit  of  Governor  Curtin. 

Visit  of  President  Lincoln.  Lincoln  reviewed  Army. 
75,000  men  on  review. 
General  inspection  of  Army. 

First  payment.     The  boys  of  the  Regiment  send  to 
their  homes  over   $75,000,   carried   and   delivered, 
largely  in  person,  by  Chaplain  Stevens. 
Regiment  drilled  in  volley  firing,  with  blank  car 
tridges. 

Marching  orders. 
Marched  up  the  Rappahannock. 
Crossed  the  river. 

Marched  to  battlefield  of  Chancellorsville.  Skirmish 
ing  begins. 

First  man  in  Regiment  killed,   Samuel  H.  Hollo- 
way  of  "D." 

Battle  of  Chancellorsville.    Beaver  wounded. 
Cannonade  and  skirmishing  continues. 
Recrossed   river  and   reoccupied   old   camp   toward 
evening. 

Governor  Curtin  visited  the  Regiment. 
Last  of  the  wounded  brought  from  the  Chancellors 
ville  battlefield  and  the  remaining  dead  buried. 
Broke  camp  and  started  on  the  march  to  Gettysburg. 
At  Stafford  Court  House.     Court  House  and  jail, 
with  all  their  contents,  burned. 

Dumfries.  Camped  at  Occoquan  River  for  the  night. 
Fairfax  Court  House. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  17 

19.  Centerville. 

20.  Bull  Run  battlefield  to  Thoroughfare  Gap. 
21-25.     At  Thoroughfare  Gap.    Bull  Run  Mountains. 

25.  Haymarket  skirmish. 

26.  Edwards  Ferry  via  Gum  Springs.   Crossed  Potomac 
River  into  Maryland  to  Poolsville. 

26.  Poolsville. 

27.  Sugar  Loaf  Mountain. 

28.  Frederick  City.     Arrived  at  noon. 

29.  Reached  Union  town  (thirty  mile  march)   at  night. 
Lay  there  the  30th. 

July  1.      Into  Pennsylvania  at  6  :00  P.  M. 

1,  2,  3.     Battle  of  Gettysburg. 

4.  Skirmishing  and  burying  the  dead. 

5.  Left  Gettysburg,  moved  to  Two  Taverns,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

7.  Two  Taverns,  Pennsylvania,  to    Jonesville,    Mary 
land. 

8.  Jonesville,  Maryland,  to  Frederick,  Maryland. 

9.  Frederick,  Burkittsville,  across  South  Mountain  and 
South  Mountain  battlefield. 

10.  Antietam  battlefield. 
Burkittsville. 

11.  Hagerstown  to  Williamsport. 
15.     Harper's  Ferry. 

18.  Back  to  Harper's  Ferry.     Crossed  Potomac  into  Vir 
ginia. 

19.  Colonel  Beaver  rejoined  Regiment.    Moved  south  six 
miles  and  camped. 

20.  Bloomfield,  Virginia. 

23.     Ashby's  Gap,  to  and    through    Manassas    Gap,    to 
Wapping  Heights  after  night. 

23.  Battle  Wapping  Heights.     Supported  Third  Corp?. 

24.  Wapping  Heights,  near  Front  Royal,  through  Ma 
nassas  Gap,  Blue  Mountains  to  the  East. 


18 


THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


25. 

26. 
30, 
31. 

August  4. 
August  31. 
September  4. 

1. 

4. 
12. 

13. 
14. 
17. 
24. 

28. 

October        6. 
10. 

11. 
12. 


13. 

14. 
14. 
30. 

November  7. 
19. 
25, 


Ashby's   Gap  via   Salem   to  White   Plains,   twenty 

miles. 

White  Plains  to  Warrenton. 

Warrenton  to  Elktown. 

Elktown  to  Morrisville,  Virginia,  and  camped. 

In  camp,  Morrisville. 

Port  Conway  Expedition. 

Skirmish  Richardson's  Ford,  at  midnight. 
Return  to  camp  at  Morrisville. 
On  Orange  &  Alexandria  R.  R.  to  Rappaliannock 
Station. 

Crossed  Rappahannock  to  Brandy  Station. 
To  Culpeper  Court  House. 
To  Cedar  mountain. 

Regiment  transferred  from  First  to  Third  Brigade, 
and  changed  camp  accordingly. 
Camp  near  Cedar  Mountain. 
Back  to  Culpeper  and  camped. 

Back  to  Rapidan.  Skirmish.  Covered  retreat  of 
Third  Corps. 

Rapidan  via  Culpeper,  Rappahannock  Station, 
twenty-five  miles. 

Rappahannock  Station,  recrossed  Rappahannock 
River,  skirmished  and  drove  Rebels  four  miles  south 
ward. 

To  the  rear  twenty-five  miles.  Bivouac  in  timber 
on  Cedar  Run. 

Battle  of  Auburn  Mills.      ("Coffee  Hill.") 
Battle  Bristoe  Station. 
Received  115  recruits. 
Demonstration  across  river. 
Received  158  recruits. 

Marched  on  Mine  Run  campaign.  Crossed  Rapidan 
River. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS 


19 


December    2. 
7. 

1864. 

March  10. 
25. 
26. 


April 
May 


22. 

4. 
4,  5,  6. 

7. 
8. 
9. 

10. 
12. 
15. 
17. 

18. 
18. 
20. 
21. 

22. 
23. 

24. 
26. 


28. 
29. 
30. 


Recrossed  Rapidan  to  the  north. 

Go  into  winter  quarters  near  Stevensburg. 

Lieutenant  General  Grant  visited  the  Army. 
Assigned  to  Fourth  Brigade. 

Grant's  headquarters  established  at  Culpeper  Court 
House. 

Grand  review  of  the  Army  by  General  Grant. 
General  reviews  Second  Corps. 

March  to  Wilderness.     Second  Corps  crossed  river. 
Battle  of  Wilderness. 
Marched  for  Todd's  Tavern  at  night. 
At  Todd's  Tavern  at  9  :00  A.  M. 
Crossed  the  Po  River  in  evening.     Drove  enemy's 
battery. 

Battle  of  Po  River.    Later  recrossed  Po  River. 
Charged  and  took  the  Salient,  Spotsylvania. 
Moved  to  Fredericksburg  road  near  Xy  River. 
Moved  back  to  the  works  captured  on  the  12th. 
Assaulted  enemy's  new  line. 
Xight  movement  towards  Anderson's  Mill. 
Marched  toward  Guinea  Station  at  night. 
At  Guinea  at  day  break.     To  Milford  and  crossed 
river  and  intrenched. 
Moved  to  Milford. 

To  Old  Chesterfield.  Advanced  to  North  Anna 
River. 

Crossed  Xorth  Anna  River.  Advanced  and  in 
trenched. 

Recrossed  Xorth  Anna  River. 

Marched  toward  the  Pamunkey.  Camped  at  10  :00 
p.  M. 

Crossed  the  Pamunkey  River. 

Reconnaissance  to  the  front.  Skirmish  Swift  Creek. 
Skirmish  all  day  and  battle  of  Totopotomoy  River  in 
evening. 


20         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

June  1.     March  toward  Cold  Harbor. 

2.  At  Cold  Harbor  at  6 :30. 

3.  Battle  of  Cold  Harbor. 

3-12.      In  intrenched  line  close  to  enemy.    Truce  to  bury  the 
dead. 

12.  Withdrew  at  night  and  marched  toward  the  James. 

13.  Crossed  Jones   Bridge.      Reached   Wilcox   Landing 
at  5  :30  p.  M. 

14.  Crossed  James  River  in  boats  from  Wilcox  Landing 
during  the  night. 

15.  All  across.    Marched  at  10:00  A.  M.  without  rations. 

16.  Assaulted   enemy's   works   before  Petersburg,    Vir 
ginia.     Beaver  wounded. 

18.     Battle  at  the  Hare  House,  afterward  Fort  Stedman, 
Lee's  second  line. 

21.  Skirmish  near  Williams  House. 

22.  Reconnaissance  in  woods    to    front.     Were    flanked 
and  retired. 

July         l-2(>.      In  reserve  front  of  Petersburg. 

26.  To  City  Point. 

27.  Crossed  James  River.    Battle  at  Deep  Bottom.    Cap 
tured  battery. 

29.  Recrossed  James  River  to  south  side  before  Peters 
burg.     Returned  to  old  camp. 

30.  Burnside's  mine  exploded. 

August  12-13.      Cross  James  River  on  transports,  and  move  to  Deep 

Bottom.     Second  expedition. 
14.     Battle  Deep  Bottom. 

20.  Recrossed  James  to  south  side. 

21.  Arrived  at  old  camp  before  Petersburg. 

21.  After  short  rest,  march  toward  Weldon  Railroad. 

22.  Destroying  Weldon  Railroad. 

25.  Battle  of  Reams  Station.  Colonel  Beaver  rejoined 
Regiment  and  was  wounded. 

27.  Return  and  camp  at  Avery  House,  front  of  Peters 
burg. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS 


21 


September   5.     Camp  at  Jones  House. 

24.     Eelieved  Abbott's  Brigade  on  front  line. 

26.     Moved  to  right,  extending  from  Fort  Stedman   to 

Fort  Haskell. 

October  15.  In  rear  Fort  Stedman.  Colonel  Mnlholland  com 
manding  Brigade.  Reports  at  this  date  show  a  loss  in 
the  148th  of  over  1,100  men  in  two  years,  leaving 
182  muskets  in  the  Regiment. 

24.  Changed  position  from  Fort  Stedman  to  Fort  Rice, 
three  miles  to  the  left 

25.  Skirmish  near  Fort  Rice. 

26.  Changed   position   from   Fort  Rice   to   the  left  of 
Fort  Morton. 

27.  Capt.   Jerry  Z.   Brown,   of  Company   K,   and   100 
men  of  the  148th,  charged  and  capture  the  Confeder 
ate  "Crater  Fort"  and  lose  one-third  of  their  number. 

29.  Moved  forward  and  skirmished  heavily  all  day. 

30.  Relieved  after  night,  and  moved  into  Fort  Meikle. 

31.  Advanced  early ;  were  relieved  at  9  :00  A.  M.,  and 
moved  to  Fort  Sedgwick,  three  miles    to   the    left. 

November  5.  General  Humphreys  relieves  General  Hancock  of 
command  Second  Corps. 

8.  Presidential    election.      Return    of    the    Regiment 
showed    127   votes   for   Lincoln,    72   votes   for   Me 
dian. 

December     1.     Truce  to  bury  the  dead. 

1.     Captain  Rhinehart,with  seventy-five  men,  in  garrison 

at  Fort  Sampson,  Companies  A,  C,  F,  G  and  K. 
1.     Captain  Weaver,  with  seventy-five  men,  in  garrison 

Fort  Gregg.    Companies  B,  D7  E,  I  and  H. 

9.  Reconnaissance  to  Hatcher's  Run. 
10.     Return  to  line. 

24.     Regiment  united  and  in  garrison  Fort  Cummings. 
29.     March  at  midnight  twelve  miles  west 
1865. 
February  In  winter  quarters  front  of  Petersburg. 


22         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

5.     Formed  line  near  Tucker  House,  advanced  and  cap 
tured  enemy's  works. 

7.     Ordered  back  to  garrison,  Fort  Cummings. 
March        25.     Advanced  a  mile  and  became  engaged. 

29.  •   Moved  to  near  the  Boydton  Road. 

30.  In  line  front  of  enemy's  works  supporting  Brigade. 

31.  Moved  to  position  at  Gravelly   Run    and    attacked, 
driving  the  enemy  two  miles.     Captain  Rhinehart 
wounded.     Button  took  command. 

April  1.     Marched  to  join  Sheridan. 

2.  Joined  Sheridan.    Action  near  South  Side  Railroad. 
3,  4,  5.     Pursuit  of  enemy. 

7.  Action  near  Farmville.     Regiment  on  foraging  duty 
for  the  Division.     Joseph  H.  Law,  bugler,  killed. 

8.  On  the  march. 

9.  Surrender  of  Lee. 

10.  Corps  ordered  to  march  10  :00  A.  M.  on  the  llth. 

11.  Marched  toward'  Burkeville. 
13.     Encamped  at  Burkeville. 

May  2.     Broke  camp  and  marched  toward  Richmond. 

5.  At  Manchester,  opposite  Richmond. 

6.  Crossed    James    River    on    pontoon    bridges,    and 
marched  through  Richmond. 

13.     Encamped  near  Four  Mile  Run,  near  Alexandria. 

23.      Grand  review  in  Washington  of  Army  of  the  Po 
tomac. 

30.     Corps   reviewed    at   Bailey's   Cross   Roads.      Great 

crowd  of  civilians  in  attendance. 
June  1.     Mustered  out  in  camp  near  Alexandria,  Virginia. 

3.  Broke  camp  for  the  last  time  and  marched  to  Wash 
ington. 

4.  To  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  by  rail. 

7.  Regiment  disbanded  in  Camp  Curtin,  Harrisburg, 
Pennsylvania. 

(The  Second  Army  Corps  was  discontinued  as  an  organiza 
tion  by  General  Orders  No.  130  A.  G.  O.,  June  28,  1865  J 


ASSIGNMENTS. 

1862,  December  17— First  Brigade,  Col.  G.  W.  Von  Schaack,  5th 
New  Hampshire,  7th  New  York,  61st  New  York,  64th 
New  York,  81st  Pennsylvania,  145th  Pennsylvania, 
148th  Pennsylvania,  Beaver  commanding. 
First  Division,  Brig.  Gen.  W.  S.  Hancock;  Second  Corps. 
Maj.  Gen.  D.  N.  Couch ;  Army  Potomac,  Gen.  A.  E. 
Burnside. 

1862,  December  31 — First  Brigade,  Colonel  Von  Shaack.      (Same 

regiments  as  above.) 

First  Division,  Hancock;  Second  Corps,  Gen.  John  Sedg- 
wick,  temporarily ;  Army  Potomac,  General  Burnside. 

1863,  January  31 — First  Brigade,  Colonel  Von  Schaack.      (Same 

regiments. 

First  Division,  Col.  S.  K.  Zook  (Hancock  on  leave)  ;  Second 
Corps,  Gen.  O.  O.  Howard ;  Army  Potomac,  Gen.  Joseph 
Hooker. 

1863,  May  1— First  Brigade,  Gen.    John    C.    Caldwell,    5th    New 
Hampshire,  61st  New  York,  81st  Pennsylvania,  148th 
Pennsylvania,  Beaver  and  Fairlamb  commanding. 
First  Division,  General  Hancock ;   Second    Corps,    General 

Couch ;  Army  Potomac,  General  Hooker. 
1863,  May  31— First  Brigade,  Col.  E.  E.  Cross.     (Same  regiments 

as  last.) 
First  Division,  Gen.  J.  C.  Caldwell;  Second  Corps,  General 

Hancock ;  Army  Potomac,  General  Hooker. 
1863,  July  1— First  Brigade,  Colonel  Cross,  Col.  H.  B.  McKeen. 

(Same  regiments.) 

First  Division,  General  Caldwell ;  Second  Corps,  General 
Hancock,  Gen.  John  Gibbon ;  Army  Potomac,  Gen. 
George  G.  Meade  from  June  28th  to  the  end. 

1863,  July  31— First  Brigade,  Col.  Nelson  A.  Miles,  61st  New 
York,  81st  Pennsylvania,  148th  Pennsylvania,  Beaver 
commanding. 

First  Division,  General  Caldwell;  Second  Corps,  Gen.  Wm. 
Hayes. 


24         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

1863,  August  31 — First  Brigade,  Colonel  Miles.     (Same  regiments 

as  last.) 
First  Division,  General  Caldwell ;  Second  Corps,  Gen.  G.  K. 

Warren. 

1863,  October  10 — Third  Brigade,  Col.  James  A.  Beaver,  52d  New 
York,  57th  New  York,  66th  New  York,   148th  Penn 
sylvania,  Major  Fairlaonb  commanding. 
First  Division,    Col.    Paul   Frank;    Second   Corps,    General 

Caldwell,  General  Warren. 

1863,  November  20 — Third  Brigade,  Colonel  Beaver.     (Same  regi 
ments  as  last,  Major  Fairlamb  commanding  148th.) 
First  Division,    General   Caldwell ;    Second    Corps,    General 
Warren. 

1863,  December  31— Third  Brigade,  Col.  Paul  Frank.     (Same  regi 

ments,  Major  Fairlamb  commanding  148th.) 
First   Division,   General   Caldwell ;    Second   Corps,    General 
Hancock. 

1864,  January  31 — Third  Brigade,  Colonel  Beaver,  7th  New  York, 

52d  New  York,  57th  New  York,  66th  New  York,  148th 
Pennsylvania,  Major  Fairlamb. 

First  Division,  General  Caldwell. 

1864,  March  25 — Fourth  Brigade,  Col.  John  R,  Brooke,  53d  Penn 
sylvania,  145th  Pennsylvania,  148th  Pennsylvania,  Col 
onel  Beaver;  64th  New  York,  66th  New  York,  2d  Dela 
ware.  General  Caldwell  relieved  and  ordered  to  report 
to  the  Adjutant  General,  U.  S.  A. 

First  Division,  Gen.  F.  C.  Barlow ;  Second  Corps,  General 

Hancock. 

1864,  May  31 — Fourth  Brigade,  Col.  John  R.  Brooke,  2d  Delaware, 
7th  New  York  Heavy  Artillery,  64th  New  York,  66th 
New  York,  53d  Pennsylvania,  145th  Pennsylvania, 
148th  Pennsylvania,  Beaver  commanding. 

First  Division,  Gen.  F.  C.  Barlow;  Second  Corps,  General 
Hancock. 

During  the  period  between  June  2d  and  June  15,  1864,  the  Fourth  Brigade 
was  commanded  successively  by  Beaver,  Hastings,  and  Fraser,  General  Brooke 
having  been  disabled  for  further  service  by  reason  of  wound  at  Cold  Harbor. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  25 

1864,  June  30 — Fourth  Brigade,  Lieut.  Col.  John  Hastings,  2d 
Delaware,  64th  New  York,  66th  New  York,  53d  Penn 
sylvania,  116th  Pennsylvania,  145th  Pennsylvania, 
148th  Pennsylvania,  Ca.pt.  J.  F.  Weaver;  7th  New  York 
Heavy  Artillery. 

First  Division,  General  Barlow ;  Second  Corps,  General  Han 
cock. 

1864,  July  31— Fourth  Brigade,  Lieut.  Col.  K  O.  Broady,  64th 
New  York,  66th  New  York,  53d  Pennsylvania,  116th 
Pennsylvania,  145th  Pennsylvania,  148th  Pennsylvania, 
Captain  Weaver ;  7th  New  York  Heavy  Artillery. 
First  Division,  Gen.  Nelson  A.  Miles ;  Second  Corps,  General 
Hancock. 

1864,  August  31 — Fourth  Brigade,  Col.  Win.  Glenny.  (Same  regi 
ments,  Weaver  commanding  148th.) 

First  Division,  General  Miles ;  Second  Corps,  General  Han 
cock. 

1864,  October  15— Fourth  Brigade,  Col.  St.  Clair  A.  Mulholland. 

1864,  October  31— Fourth  Brigade,  Colonel  Mulholland.  (Same 
regiments,  Capt.  James  J.  Patterson  commanding 
148th.) 

First  Division,  General  Miles ;  Second  Corps,  General  Han 
cock. 

1864,  December  31 — Fourth  Brigade,   Colonel   Glenny,   64th  New 

York,  66th  New  York,  4th  New  York  Heavy  Artillery. 
53d  Pennsylvania,  116th  Pennsylvania,  145th  Pennsyl 
vania,  148th  Pennsylvania,  Weaver  commanding. 
First  Division,  General  Miles;   Second   Corps,   Gen.   A.   A. 
Humphreys. 

1865,  January  31 — Fourth  Brigade,   Gen.   John  Ramsey.      (Same. 

regiments,  Weaver  commanding  148th. 
First    Division,     General    Miles;     Second    Corps,     General 

Humphreys. 

1865,  February  28 — Same  as  last, 
1865,  March — Fourth  Brigade,  General  Ramsey,  64th  New  York, 

66th  New  York,  53d  Pennsylvania,  116th  Pennsylvania, 

145th  Pennsylvania,   148th  Pennsylvania,   183d  Penn- 


26         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

sylvania,     Capt  A.   A.  Rhinehart  commanding  148th, 
wounded,  Oapt.  J.  F.  Button  succeeded. 
First    Division,    General    Miles;    Second    Corps,    General 

Humphreys. 

1865,  April  30 — Fourth  Brigade,  General  Ramsey,  64th  New  York, 
53d  Pennsylvania,  116th  Pennsylvania,  145th  Pennsyl 
vania,  148th  Pennsylvania,  183d  Pennsylvania.  Captain 
Sutton  commanding  148th. 

First    Division,     General    Miles;     Second    Corps,    General 
Humphreys. 


OF  THf 

Y 


{UNIVERSIT 

\.  *>f 

V£AUFO*N£ 

*  •   -  — -•     -**' 


BATTLES  AND  SKIRMISHES 

PARTICIPATED   IN   BY   THE    148TH   REGIMENT   PENNSYLVANIA   VOLUNTEERS, 

FIRST,  THIRD  AND  FOURTH  BRIGADES,  FIRST  DIVISION, 

SECOND   CORPS,  ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC 

1863. 

1.  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  1st  to  5th. 

2.  Hay  Market,  June  25th. 

3.  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  1st,  2d,  3d. 

4.  Wapping  Heights,  Virginia,  July  23d. 

5.  Richardson's  Ford,  Virginia,  September  1st. 

6.  South  Side  Rappahannock,  October  12th. 

7.  Auburn  Mills,  Virginia,  October  14th. 

8.  Bristoe  Station,  October  14th. 

9.  Kelly's  Ford,  Virginia,  November  7th. 

10.  Mine  Run,  November  27th  and  30th,  December  1st. 

1864. 

11.  Morton's  Ford,  Virginia,  February  6th,  7th. 

12.  Wilderness,  Virginia,  May  5th,  6th,  7th. 

13.  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  9th,  10th. 

14.  Spotsylvania,  Virginia,  May  12th  to  20th. 

15.  Assault  at  Salient,  May  12th. 

16.  Milford  Station,  Virginia,  May  20th. 

17.  Reconnaissance  by  Regiment,  May  22d. 

18.  North  Anna  River,  May  23d  to  27th. 

19.  Totopotomoy  Creek,  Virginia,  May  28th  and  31st. 

20.  Cold  Harbor,  June  2d  to  12th. 

21.  Cold  Harbor  Assault,  June  3d. 

22.  Siege  of  Petersburg,  Virginia,  June  16,  1864,  to  April  2,  1865. 

23.  Assault  on  Petersburg,  Virginia,  June  16th. 

24.  Assault  Petersburg,  June  17th. 

25.  Assault  Petersburg,  June  18th. 

26.  Jerusalem  Plank  Road,  June  21st,  23d. 

27.  Strawberry  Plains  (Deep  Bottom),  Virginia,  north  of  Jaine? 
River,  July  27th,  29th. 


28         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

28.  Deep  Bottom,   Virginia,  north  of  James  River,  August  14th. 
15th,  16th. 

29.  Ream's  Station,  Virginia,  Wcldon  Railroad,  August  25th. 

30.  Fort  Crater,  October  27th. 

31.  Fort  Morton,  October  29th. 

1865. 

32.  Attack  and  capture  of  picket  line,  March  25th. 

33.  Gravelly  Run,  March  29th. 

34.  Hatcher's  Run,  Virginia,  March  30th. 

35.  White  Oak  Road,  Virginia,  March  31st, 

36.  Sutherland  Station,  April  2d. 

37.  Deatonsville  (Amelia  Springs),  Virginia,  April  6th. 

38.  Farmville,  Virginia,  north  of  Appomattox  River,  April  7th. 
Surrender  of  Lee's  Army,  April  9,  1865. 


CITIZEN'S  STORY. 

Introductory  by  General  Beaver. 

The  President's  call  of  July  7,  1862,  for  300,000  volunteers  met 
with  a  ready  response  in  Centre  County.  A  movement  was  imme 
diately  started  to  raise  a  Centre  County  regiment  which  was  so  far 
successful  as  to  make  the  Centre  County  element  dominant  in  the 
organization  and  to  give  that  name  to  what  was  known  numerically 
as  the  148th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  \7olunteers.  The  county  had 
not  been  derelict  in  its  duty  previous  to  that  time.  In  the  three 
months  service  in  the  Pennsylvania  Reserves,  and  in  the  three  years 
regiment  raised  in  1861,  she  had  her  full  share  of  representation. 

Immediately  after  the  President's  call  the  efforts  to  raise  the 
regiment  began  and  were  prosecuted  with  enthusiasm  and  success. 
Stimulus  was  given  to  the  movement  by  an  executive  order  issued 
by  the  War  Department,  August  4,  1862,  in  which  it  was  ordered  : 

"(1)  That  a  draft  of  300,000  militia  be  immediately  called 
into  the  service  of  the  United  States  to  serve  for  nine  months,  unless 
sooner  discharged.  The  Secretary  of  War  will  assign  the  quota  to 
the  states  and  establish  regulations  for  the  draft. 

"(2)  That  if  any  state  shall  not  by  the  15th  of  August  fur 
nish  its  quota  of  the  additional  300,000  volunteers  authorized  by  law, 
the  deficiency  of  volunteers  in  that  state  will  also  be  made  up  by 
special  draft  from  the  militia.  The  Secretary  of  War  will  establish 
regulations  for  this  purpose." 

In  addition  to  the  stimulus  afforded  by  this  order  for  a  draft,  it 
became  apparent  that  an  active  campaign  northward  was  to  be  made 
by  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  and  in  order  to  meet  that  move 
ment  on  the  part  of  Lee  the  organization  of  troops  then  under  way 
was  hurried  so  that  they  might  be  put  into  the  field  as  soon  as  pos 
sible. 

These  conditions  hastened  the  organization  of  the  148th  Regi 
ment  and  prevented  the  full  realization  of  the  plan  for  securing  a 
Centre  County  regiment.  The  final  result  was  seven  companies  from 
Centre  County,  one  from  Clarion,  one  from  Indiana  and  one  from 
Jefferson,  although  several  of  these  companies  had  detachments  or 
individual  enlistments  from  other  counties.  Two  of  the  companies 


30         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

from  Centre  County  were  made  up  largely  from  the  boys  who  were 
attending  the  Academies  at  Pine  Grove  (D),  and  Boalsburg  (G), 
and  as  many  of  these  were  not  from  Centre  County,  the  companies 
included  representatives  from  a  number  of  other  counties,  although 
enlisted  and  regarded  as  Centre  County  men.  E  Company  was  com 
posed  of  detachments  from  Armstrong,  Indiana  and  Jefferson  Coun 
ties,  but  was  always  counted  as  an  Indiana  County  company.  F  con 
tained  detachments  from  Huntingdon,  Cameron  and  Elk  Counties. 
I  was  almost  wholly  from  Jefferson  County ;  and  K,  although  from 
Clarion  County  in  the  main,  had  a  considerable  detachment  from 
Montgomery  County.  A  somewhat  careful  analysis  of  the  enlist 
ments  make  it  certain  that  at  least  thirteen  counties  were  represented 
in  the  Kegiment;  namely,  Armstrong,  Blair,  Cameron,  Centre, 
Clarion,  Elk,  Huntingdon,  Indiana,  Jefferson,  Juniata,  Mifflin, 
Montgomery  and  Perry. 

An  account  of  the  movement  in  Centre  County  was  very  fortu 
nately  written  during  his  lifetime  by  the  Hon.  H.  N.  McAllister,  of 
Bellefonte,  who  was  one  of  the  foremost  promoters  of  the  movement, 
and  canvassed  the  county  making  numerous  addresses  in  its  behalf. 
This  was  written  in  response  to  the  request  of  Hon.  Samuel  P.  Bates, 
who  prepared  the  History  of  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  1861-1865,  but 
was  too  voluminous  for  his  purpose.  The  manuscript  was,  however, 
preserved  and  very  appropriately  constitutes  the  next  chapter. 


OP"   TVr      ] 


THE  CITIZEN'S  STORY. 

By  Hon.  H.  N.  McAllister 

Seven  companies  of  the  148th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers,  known  as  Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  F,  G  and  H,  were  recruited 
in  and  afterwards  severally  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United 
States  as  from  Centre  County  between  the  4th  and  16th  days  of  Aug 
ust,  1862. 

In  pursuance  of  a  call  signed  "Many  Citizens/'  published  by 
hand  bills  posted  throughout  the  county  and  by  publication  in  the 
Central  Press,  a  large  public  meeting  was  convened  at  the  court  house 
in  Belief onte  on  Saturday,  August  2,  1862,  to  promote  enlistments 
and  enable  Centre  County  to  fill  her  quota  of  men  called  for  by  the 
Government,  without  the  necessity  of  a  draft  Hon.  S.  T.  Shugert, 
was  appointed  president;  Moses  Thompson  and  twelve  other  promi 
nent  citizens,  vice-presidents ;  D.  J.  McCann  and  John  T.  Hoover, 
secretaries.  The  object  of  the  meeting  having  been  stated  by  the 
president,  a  committee  of  nine,  of  which  Hon.  Samuel  Linn  was 
chairman,  was  appointed  to  draft  resolutions  for  the  consideration  of 
the  meeting.  During  the  absence  of  the  committee,  Hon.  James  T. 
Hale  being  called  upon  addressed  the  meeting.  The  committee  re 
ported  a  preamble  and  nine  several  resolutions,  among  which  were 
the  following : 

"Resolved,  That  we  will  furnish  our  full  quota  of  men  to  meet 
the  late  requisition  and  that  we  will  raise  the  amount  of  funds  neces 
sary  for  that  purpose. 

"Resolved,  That  the  commissioners  of  Centre  County  be  re 
quested  to  pay  each  volunteer  who  may  be  enrolled  in  the  service  of 
the  United  States  from  this  county  the  sum  of  Fifty  ($50.00)  Dol 
lars  bounty  by  way  of  relief  to  such  volunteers,  and  that  for  that  pur 
pose  they  be  requested  to  borrow  the  sum  of  Ten  Thousand  ($10,- 
000.00)  Dollars  for  the  period  of  five  years,  paying  the  usual  rate  of 
interest  therefor." 

All  of  which  were  unanimously  adopted. 

H.  ^.  McAllister,  Esq.,  being  then  called  upon  addressed  the 
meeting,  after  which  Dr.  J.  B.  Mitchell  said  that  he  had  been  author- 


52         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

ized  by  his  friend,  Dr.  George  A.  Fairlamb,  who  was  necessarily  ab 
sent  on  professional  business,  to  announce  that  if  encouraged  to  do 
so  he  would  undertake  to  raise  a  company.  This  announcement  was 
received  with  applause. 

The  action  of  the  meeting  upon  the  resolutions  previously  re 
ferred  to  having  been  communicated  to  Messrs.  Ira  Fisher,  John  Mc- 
Calmont  and  Amos  Alexander,  the  county  commissioners  then  in  ses 
sion,  resolved  to  offer  a.  bounty  as  requested  and  to  issue  the  obliga 
tions  of  the  county  for  $10,000,  payable  in  five  years  with  interest, 
on  condition  that  the  same  should  be  taken  at  par,  and  the  commis 
sioners  in  no  event  to  be  held  responsible.  The  resolution  of  the 
commissioners  was  reported  to  the  meeting,  whereupon  bonds  were 
immediately  taken  by  subscription  and  within  a  few  days  afterwards 
cashed  and  the  $10,000  required  placed  in  the  treasury. 

Dr.  George  A.  Fairlamb  being  informed  on  his  return  of  what 
had  taken  place  at  the  meeting,  commenced  on  Monday  morning,  the 
4th  of  August,  at  the  sacrifice  of  a  good  and  growing  practice,  to  re 
cruit  his  company,  which,  with  the  aid  of  George  A.  Bayard,  John  L. 
Johnston  and  John  A.  Bayard,  he  accomplished  within  twelve  days. 

A  further  requisition  for  300,000  men  having  been  made  by  the 
National  Government  shortly  after  this  meeting,  the  quota  of  Centre 
County  was,  of  course,  correspondingly  increased.  Commissions  to 
recruit  were  issued  by  the  Adjutant  General  of  Pennsylvania  to  Rob 
ert  MeFarlane  and  Robert  M.  Forster  of  Harris  Township;  William 
H.  Bible,  of  Belief onte;  Frank  Stevenson,  of  Patton  Township; 
James  F.  Weaver,  of  Milesburg,  and  Martin  Dolan,  of  Boggs  Town 
ship.  Public  meetings  were  called  at  Milesburg,  Eagle  Iron  Works, 
Hublersburg,  TJnionville,  Ilalfmoon,  Pine  Grove,  Boalsburg,  Potters 
Mills  and  Spring  Mills.  These  meetings  were,  at  the  instance  of 
those  engaged  in  recruiting  in  the  respective  localities,  addressed  by 
Hon.  James  T.  Hale,  H.  K  McAllister,  Esq.,  Capt,  William  H. 
Blair,  John  G.  Kurtz,  Esq.,  and  others  disposed  to  aid  in  the  vigorous 
prosecution  of  the  War. 

Robert  McFarlane  resided  in  the  same  vicinity  with  Rob 
ert  M.  Forster,  and  possessing  the  advantage  of  having  been  a 
Captain  in  the  three  months  service,  recruited  his  company 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  33 

between  the  4th  and  18th  days  of  August.  James  F.  Weaver,  who 
resided  in  the  same  vicinity  with  Martin  Dolan,  recruited  his  com 
pany  between  the  5th  and  22d  days  of  August.  Martin  Dolan,  with 
the  aid  of  William  P.  Wilson,  of  Potters  Mills,  recruited  his  company 
between  the  8th  and  25th  days  of  August. 

It  having  become  manifest  that  Robert  M.  Forster,  Wil 
liam  H.  Bible  and  Frank  Stevenson  could  not  succeed  in  each 
raising  a  company,  they  met  by  appointment  at  the  office  of  IT. 
X.  McAllister  and  entered  into  an  arrangement  under  which 
they  were  severally  to  recruit  for  the  same  company,  Mc 
Allister  agreeing  to  aid  them  in  their  work.  They  were  to 
report  their  recruits  at  a  time  specified,  when  the  organiza 
tion  of  the  company  was  to  be  decided  upon.  This  agreement 
was  carried  out  with  the  utmost  good  faith,  the  reports  made  at  the 
time  appointed  and  the  company  organized  by  the  election  of  Robert 
M.  Forster,  Captain  ;  William  H.  Bible,  First  Lieutenant ;  and  Frank 
Stevenson,  Second  Lieutenant.  This  company  was  recruited  between 
the  4th  and  27th  days  of  August. 

All  sections  of  Centre  County  had  freely,  from  the  commence 
ment  of  the  War,  responded  to  the  several  calls  of  the  President  for 
men,  not  only  promptly  but  enthusiastically,  and  were  still  respond 
ing,  except  the  townships  of  Penn,  Haines,  Gregg  and  Miles, 
and  it  was  thought  that  something  should  be  done  to  arouse 
them  from  their  lethargy.  Meetings  were,  therefore,  called  by  hand 
bills  at  Millheim  in  Penn  Township  on  the  evening  of  August  18th, 
at  Rebersburg  on  the  afternoon  of  the  19th,  and  at  Aaronsburg  on 
the  evening  of  the  same  day.  Capt  William  H.  Blair,  of  the  51st 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  then  at  home  on  sick  leave  suffer 
ing  from  ophthalmia,  and  H.  X.  McAllister,  Esq.,  were  sent  to  ad 
dress  the  meeting  at  Millheim,  with  an  understanding  that  Hons. 
James  T.  Hale  and  S.  T.  Shiigert  would  meet  them  on  the  19th  at 
Rebersburg  and  accompany  them  to  Aaronsburg  that  evening.  The 
meeting  at  Millheim  was  addressed  at  considerable  length  by  both 
McAllister  and  Blair.  They  argued  that  it  was  most  manifestly  the 
interest  of  Penn  Township  that  their  quota  of  the  600,000  men 
should  be  filled  by  volunteers,  as  the  draft  must  fall  more  heavilv 


34         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

upon  them  than  upon  those  townships  which  had  filled  previous  calls. 
A  very  respectable  citizen  of  Penn  Township,  at  one  time  a  commis 
sioner  of  the  county,  accompanied  the  speakers  to  their  lodging  from 
the  meeting,  and  in  answer  to  the  argument  in  reference  to  the  ap 
proaching  draft,  suggested  that  their  men  could  evade  it  by  taking 
refuge  in  the  neighboring  mountains. 

Captain  Blair's  sufferings  from  his  eyes  having  increased, 
McAllister  left  him  at  Millheim  and  went  with  James  P.  Coburn,  of 
Aaronsburg,  to  Rebersburg,  where  they  met  Hons.  James  T. 
Hale,  S.  T.  Shugert  and  J.  G.  Laurimore,  and  quite  a  large  and  re 
spectable  assemblage  of  citizens  of  Miles  Township.  The  meet 
ing  being  organized  by  the  appointment  of  Hon.  Samuel  Stro- 
hecker  president,  and  -  —  secretary,  was  addressed  by  Judge 

Hale,  H.  E".  McAllister,  S.  T.  Shugert  and  others.  The  speakers 
stated  to  the  audience  that  they  came  not  to  ask  favors  themselves,  for 
their  friends  or  for  their  country,  but  to  do  the  citizens  of  Miles  Town 
ship  a  favor  in  making  known  to  them  their  true  situation ;  that  the 
Government,  whilst  they  preferred  a  voluntary  offer  of  service,  were 
strong  enough  to  take  all  they  required,  whether  of  money  or  of  men. 
In  the  course  of  his  remarks  McAllister  alluded  to  the  conversation 
he  had  had  the  evening  before  with  his  Penn  Township  friend  and  to 
the  spectacle  the  inhabitants  of  Penn,  Miles,  Gregg  and  Haines  Town 
ships  would  present  whilst  skulking  in  the  adjacent  mountains  to 
evade  the  draft,  a  skulking  which  to  be  effective  must  continue  not 
for  days  nor  months,  but  for  years.  He  suggested  that  they  would 
most  likely  be  compelled  to  live  on  fish,  venison  and  the  other  reli 
ances  of  savage  life.  The  speakers  dwelt  upon  the  fact  that  they  came 
in  the  interest  of  no  particular  recruiting  officer.  All  they  asked  was 
that  the  citizens  of  Miles  Township  should  raise  a  company  and  select 
their  own  officers,  either  from  among  or  from  outside  themselves. 
Several  names  were  mentioned.  The  president  of  the  meeting  then 
said  that  Robert  H.  Forster  was  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  War.  If 
he  would  agree  to  act,  he  can  raise  a  company  in  Miles  Township. 
Forster  being  called  for  soon  appeared,  and  after  some  conference 
and  consultation  agreed  to  make  the  effort,  to  raise  a  company. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  35 

On  the  22d  of  August,  three  days  afterwards,  his  company  num 
bered  ninety-four  men ;  seventy-one  of  them  were  from  Miles  Town 
ship,  twenty-one  from  Penn  and  one  from  Harris.  The  speakers  all 
left,  Hale  and  Shugert  for  the  meeting  at  Aaronsburg,  McAllister  to 
fill  an  appointment  elsewhere,  greatly  encouraged  and  with  high 
hopes  of  success  in  all  the  German  Townships.  Blair  joining  Hale 
and  Shugert  at  Millheim,  they  proceeded  to  Aaronsburg  where  they 
met  a  still  larger  meeting  than  at  Rebersburg,  which  was  addressed 
by  Hale,  Blair  and  others.  The  announcement  that  R.  H.  Forster 
was  recruiting  a  company  in  Miles  Township  received  enthusiastic 
applause.  The  meeting  resulted  in  an  arrangement  under  which 
Andrew  Musser  was  to  raise  a  company,  which  was  commenced  before 
the  meeting  adjourned  and  which,  with  the  assistance  of  Prof.  John 
E.  Thomas,  of  Pine  Grove,  was  completed  before  the  28th  of  August. 
The  proceeds  of  the  $10,000  issue  of  Centre  County  bonds  having 
been  well  nigh  exhausted  in  the  payment  of  the  companies  recruited 
by  Fairlamb  and  McFarlane,  the  commissioners,  on  the  18th  day  of 
August,  passed  the  following  resolution  : 

"Resolved,  That  the  commissioners  of  Centre  County  will  issue 
coupon  bonds  of  $50.00  each,  payable  with  6  per  cent,  interest,  in 
five  years,  to  each  volunteer  who  is  accepted  and  mustered  into  the 
service  of  the  United  States  from  Centre  County  under  the  two  calls 
for  300,000  men  each  made  by  the  President  of  the  United  States." 

At  the  meeting  in  Rebersburg  and  Aaronsburg  a  resolution,  of 
which  the  following  is  a  copy,  was  unanimously  adopted : 

"Resolved,  That  this  meeting  tenders  its  hearty  thanks  to  the 
board  of  commissioners  of  Centre  County  for  their  noble  and  gener 
ous  determination  to  pay  each  volunteer  of  Centre  County  a  bounty 
of  $50.00." 

And  a  notice,  of  which  the  following  is  a  copy,  appeared  in  the 
Central  Press  on  the  22d  of  August,  1862 : 

WAR  MEETING. 

"A  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Centre  County  will  be  held  at  the 
court  house  in  Bellefonte  on  Monday  evening,  August  25th  (court 
week),  to  raise  money  for  bounty  to  volunteers  to  fill  our  quota  of 


36         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

600,000  men  called  for  by  the  President  of  the  United  States  and 
thus  save  the  disagreeable  necessity  of  a  draft, 
"By  order  of  the  commissioners. 

"S.  M.  TRVIN,  Clerk." 

A  meeting  convened  in  pursuance  of  the  above  call  was  organized 
by  the  selection  of  Gen.  George  Buchanan  as  president;  George  Boal, 
S.  T.  Shugert,  A.  R.  Barlow  and  William  Foresman,  vice-presidents, 
and  John  T.  Johnson  and  J.  S.  Barnhart,  secretaries.  H.  N.  Mc 
Allister,  William  II  Blair,  I").  J.  McCann,  Jacob  Houser  and  J.  B. 
Mitchell  were  appointed  a  committee  to  draft  resolutions  expressive 
of  the  sense  of  the  meeting,  which  presented  a  report,  patriotic  in 
sentiment,  pledging  the  people  to  stand  by  the  commissioners  of  the 
county  in  issuing  bonds  for  the  payment  of  a  bounty  to  all  volunteers 
who  should  be  credited  to  the  county. 

Capt.  William  IT.  Blair  and  H.  N.  McAllister,  Esq.,  being  sev 
erally  called  upon,  addressed  the  meeting,  after  which  the  resolutions 
were  unanimously  adopted. 

The  companies  recruited  and  enlisted  as  above  stated  left  Centre 
County  for  Harrisburg  in  conveyances  furnished  by  the  citizens, 
without  charge,  as  follows: 

George  A.  Fairlamb's  company,  from  Bellefonte  via  Lewistown, 
August  14,  1862. 

Robert  McFarlane's  company,  from  Boalsburg  via  Lewistown, 
August  13,  1862. 

R,  Henry  Forstcr's  company,  from  Rebersburg  via  Lewistown, 
August  27,  1862. 

A.  Musser's  company,  from  Aaronsburg  and  Pine  Grove,  ren 
dezvousing  at  Centre  Hall  and  leaving  via  Lewistown,  August  27, 
1862. 

R.  M.  Forster's  company,  from  Bellefonte  via  Lewistown,  Aug 
ust  27,  1862. 

J.  F.  Weaver's  company  from  Milesburg  via  Lock  Haven,  Aug 
ust  21,  1862. 

Martin  Dolan's  company,  from  Milesburg  via  Lock  Haven,  Aug 
ust  28,  1862. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  37 

The  citizens  of  Centre  County  having  with  great  unanimity 
fixed  upon  Lieut.  Col.  James  A.  Beaver,  of  the  45th  Regiment  of 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  as  the  most  suitable  person  to  whom  the 
Colonelcy  of  the  Regiment  could  be  committed,  a  letter,  of  which  the 
following  is  a  copy,  was,  on  the  15th  of  August,  1802,  addressed  to 
Governor  Curtin: 

BELLEFONTE,  15  August,  1862. 
His  EXCELLENCY,  A.  G.  CURTIN, 

Governor  of  Pennsylvania, 

DEAR  SIR  :  We  take  great  pleasure  in  recommending  our  friend 
and  fellow  citizen,  Lieut.  Col.  James  A.  Beaver,  of  the  45th  Penn 
sylvania  Regiment  for  a  colonelcy  in  one  of  the  regiments  now  being 
formed.  He  is  a  young  man  of  undoubted  courage,  indomitable 
energy  and  high  military  capacity.  He  had  for  several  months  an 
independent  command  and  received  for  his  conduct  the  high  com 
mendation  of  his  superior  officers.  We,  therefore,  not  only  desire 
his  promotion  to  a  colonelcy,  but  we  most  respectfully  urge  his  ap 
pointment  to  the  colonelcy  of  the  regiment  in  which  we  now  feel  the 
deepest  interest — that  in  which  the  companies  raised  in  Centre 
County  by  Messrs.  McFarlane,  Fairlanib,  Weaver  and  others,  to 
serve  for  the  term  of  the  War,  shall  be  placed. 

Yours  truly, 

GEO.  A.  FAIRLAMB, 

ROBT.    MC.FARLAXE, 

JAMES  F.  WEAVER, 
SAMUEL  Lixx, 

S.    T.    SlIUGERT, 

R.  H.  DUXCAX, 
W.  II.  BLAIR, 
GEORGE  BOAL, 
II.  X.   MCALLISTER. 

Governor  Curtin  returned  in  reply  to  this  letter  that  the  War 
Department  had  refused  to  discharge  any  officer  in  active  service  to 
take  charge  of  any  unorganized  regiment,  and  that,  therefore,  the 
Centre  County  companies  would  have  to  look  elsewhere  for  a  colonel. 
Colonel  Beaver  being  informed  of  this,  wrote  II.  X.  McAllister  that 
if  the  captains  of  the  several  companies  desired  his  services  and 
should  unite  in  a  letter  to  him  to  that  effect,  stating  the  readiness  of 
the  Regiment,  for  immediate  organization,  he  could  procure  his  own 
discharge  to  assume  immediately  a  higher  command.  This  letter  hav- 


38         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

ing  been  handed  to  Captain  Fairlamb,  resulted  in  a  letter,  of  which 
the  following  is  a  copy: 

CAMP  CURTIN,  August  30,  1862. 
LIEUT.  COL.  JAMES  A.  BEAVER, 

SIR  :  We,  the  undersigned,  Captains  of  companies  from  Centre 
County,  being  desirous  of  forming  a  regiment  to  be  called  the  Centre 
County  Regiment,  and,  if  possible,  to  be  commanded  by  a  Centre 
County  man,  take  this  means  of  offering  the  said  command  to  you, 
believing  that  under  your  care  the  Regiment  will  become  efficient 
and  realize  the  hopes  of  our  friends  at  home.  And  we  desire  that 
you  will  endeavor  to  be  detached  from  your  present  duties  and  as  soon 
as  possible  assume  the  position  of  Colonel  of  this  Regiment.  Gov 
ernor  Curtin  is  aware  of  our  wishes  and  is  anxious  to  further  them 
by  every  means. 

[Signed]  GEORGE  A.  FAIRLAMB, 

ROBERT  MCFARLANE, 
MARTIN  DOLAN, 
JAMES  F.  WEAVER, 
R.  M.  FORSTER, 
ANDREW  MUSSER, 

Captains. 

The  letter  was  transmitted  with  the  following  endorsement: 

"This  request  is  made  with  my  approbation  and  for  reasons  set 
forth.  I  unite  in  the  petition.  A.  G.  CURTIN, 

" Governor  Pennsylvania. 
"HoN.  E.  M.  STANTON." 

Lieutenant  Colonel  Beaver  procured  his  discharge  on  the  4th 
of  September,  1862,  appeared  in  Harrisburg  on  the  6th  of  Septem 
ber  ;  the  Regiment  was  organized  by  the  addition  of  additional  com 
panies  from  the  counties  of  Clarion,  Indiana  and  Jefferson,  and  was 
organized  and  equipped  on  the  8th  and  left  Harrisburg  for  Cockeys- 
ville,  Maryland,  on  the  evening  of  the  9th  of  September,  1862,  and 
was  thus  introduced  into  active  service. 


THE  SISTER'S  STORY. 

PREFATORY  NOTE. 

In  making  inquiries  in  regard  to  war  time  photographs  for  illus 
trating  the  "History  of  our  Regiment,"  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting 
Mrs.  Sophie  C.  Hall,  nee  Keller,  the  sister  of  our  comrade  Corporal 
Daniel  S.  Keller  of  G  Company,  who,  after  being  wounded  at  Chan- 
cellorsville  and  transferred  to  the  \7eteran  Reserve  Corps,  became  an 
efficient  and  trusted  clerk  in  the  War  Department  and  was  subse 
quently  my  close  friend  and  devoted  staff  officer  as  Lieutenant  Col 
onel  and  Assistant  Adjutant  General  in  the  National  Guard  service. 

In  discussing  the  enlistment  and  organization  of  G  Company, 
Mrs.  Hall  gave  some  account  of  the  manner  in  which  the  company 
was  enlisted  and  of  the  scenes  which  attended  that  enlistment.  I 
immediately  asked  her  to  put  what  she  said  in  writing,  so  that  it 
would  give,  in  some  measure  at  least,  an  insight  into  the  life  of  the 
mothers  and  sisters  who  remained  at  home  during  our  Civil  War. 
The  result  of  her  kind  compliance  with  my  request  is  found  in  the 
following  pages  which  will,  I  am  sure,  add  interest  and  zest  not  only 
to  the  story  of  G  Company,  but  will  give  a  realistic  glimpse  of  home 
life  in  the  quiet  villages  of  our  country,  of  which  Boalsburg  is  a  fine 
type,  while  sons  and  brothers  were  absent  doing  valiant  service 
for  their  country.  JAMES  A.  BEAVER. 


THE  SISTER'S  STORY. 

By  Mrs.  Sophie  Keller  Hall 

The  5th  of  August,  1862,  dawned  bright  and  fair.  The  day, 
rare  as  it  was  beautiful,  was  destined  to  become  memorable  in  the 
annals  of  the  quaint  old  town  of  Boalsburg.  There  was  unusual  stir 
in  the  village.  The  "Boalsburg  Academy,"  then  a  noted  classical 
school,  had  reopened.  Many  students  who  had  spent  the  short  sum 
mer  vacation  in  their  own  homes  had  returned  and  the  streets  re 
sounded  to  the  buoyant  tread  and  joyous  voices  of  "young  men  and 
maidens." 


40         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

It  was  the  close  of  the  noontide  hour.  Seated  on  the  porch  and 
steps  of  the  old  Academy  were  groups  of  students,  but  where  was  the 
bright  repartee,  merry  laughter  and  song  that  were  wont  to  greet  the 
ear  of  the  "late  arrivals  ?"  These  on  this  occasion  were  two  little  girls 
(the  youngest  members  of  the  school),,  who  with  arms  interlaced  and 
heads  bent  close  together  exchanging  confidences,  came  slowly  up  the 
walk.  As  they  neared  the  hall,  the  quiet  that  prevailed  was  so  in 
tense  that  instinctively  the  young  girls  felt  something  had  occurred, 
and  hastening  up  anxiously  asked : 

"What  is  the  matter?  Any  bad  news  from  the  front?"  For 
since  the  "Dark  Days  of  '61,"  the  war  news  was  ever  the  first  and 
most  absorbing  topic  in  that  patriotic  little  town. 

"President  Lincoln  has  called  for  more  volunteers  and  Professor 
Patterson  is  going,"  was  the  answer. 

The  pale,  startled  faces  of  the  children  turned  toward  their 
teacher.  In  their  eyes  he  read  the  question  their  lips  refused  to 
frame,  "Is  it  true  ?"  and  he  answered  gently  : 

"Yes,  I  am  going  and  not  alone,  for  I  shall  take  as  many  of  my 
brave  boys  as  can  and  will  go  with  me." 

No  lessons  were  recited  that  afternoon,  but  many  were  the  les 
sons  learned.  Lessons  of  courage,  faith,  hope  and  love  for  home  and 
country. 

Professor  Patterson  spoke  of  the  obligation  that  rested  individ 
ually  upon  every  loyal  able-bodied  man  who  could,  to  protect  his 
country's  flag  in  the  hour  of  peril.  He  felt  that  the  time  had  come 
when  he  must  go,  if  he  would  be  true  to  his  manhood. 

His  words  fell  into  hearts  responsive  and  true.  For  some  the 
decision  their  beloved  teacher  had  made  involved  for  them  also  infin 
itely  more  than  the  mere  closing  of  the  school.  Among  these  was  a 
boy  whose  natural  ability  and  studious  habits,  had  won  for  him  honor 
and  preferment.  His  career  in  life  seemed  full  of  promise.  For 
several  years  he  had  pursued  a  prescribed  course  of  study,  and  he  had 
bright  expectations  of  being  entered  the  coming  month  a  Sophomore 
in  a  celebrated  college.  But  the  words  of  his  teacher  changed  for  him 
the  whole  current  of  his  life.  He  was  descended  from  a  long  line  of 
patriots — men  who  had  given  up  country,  home  and  friends  for  their 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  41 

civil  and  religious  liberties  and  who,  when  they  became  citizens  of 
their  adopted  country,  loved  her  well  enough  to  uphold  her  in  her 
great  struggle  for  independence. 

The  great-grandson  could  do  no  less  than  strive  to  preserve  the 
flag  his  Revolution  sires  had  sought  to  win.  He  felt  that  he  must 
abandon  the  idea  of  college  life  dear  as  it  was  to  him.  He  confided 
to  his  sister  (one  of  the  little  girls  mentioned)  his  determination  to 
enlist  Looking  into  his  eyes,  her  own  shining  with  unshed  tears,  she 
exclaimed : 

"Oh,  I  am  so  proud  and  so  glad.  I  only  wish  I  were  a  boy  and 
old  enough  to  go  with  you." 

Upon  reaching  home  they  found  their  mother  greatly  distressed 
over  the  rumors  now  rife  throughout  the  town.  Her  son  told  her  of 
the  call  for  volunteers ;  of  the  meeting  to  be  held  for  that  purpose  that 
evening,  and  of  his  decision  to  be  one  of  them.  He  was  his  mother's 
first  born  son  and  dearly  beloved  as  such.  She  besought  him  not  to 
do  anything  decisive  until  his  father,  who  was  absent  from  home, 
should  return.  He  loved  and  revered  his  mother  as  only  a  good  son 
can  look  up  to  and  revere  a  godly  mother,  but  he  felt  it  his  duty  to 
respond  to  his  country's  call.  So  he  could  not  give  her  the  promise 
she  asked,  much  as  it  grieved  him  to  refuse. 

Seeing  her  mother's  anguish,  his  sister  was  alternately  swayed  by 
emotions  of  love  and  patriotism,  but  she  had  promised  to  stand  by  her 
brother  in  all  he  would  do,  and  she  would — yes,  she  would. 

As  the  sun  went  down  and  the  trees  cast  long  lingering  shadows 
across  the  greensward,  the  clear  notes  of  a  sweet-toned  bell  rang  out 
on  the  soft  evening  air.  It  was  the  bell  in  the  tower  of  the  "Old 
Stone  Church,"  and  to  it  were  soon  hastening  men,  women  and  chil 
dren.  Mere  friendship  drew  some ;  idle  curiosity  none.  Connoisseurs, 
in  art  and  architecture  would  glory  in  that  "Old  Stone  Church,"  as 
it  stood  that  day,  with  its  graceful  spire,  its  arched  ceiling,  its  mas 
sive  hand-carved  and  fluted  columns  and  galleries,  its  high-backed 
pews,  its  spacious  chancel,  and  dear  old-fashioned  pulpit  with  its 
spiral  stairway  and  its  sounding  board  whose  "golden  rays"  symbol 
ized  the  "sun  of  righteousness."  No  uncertain  truths  of  faith  and 


42         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

doctrine  ever  fell  from  the  lips  of  the  men  who  stood  within  that 
sacred  precinct. 

Dear  old  church  !  So  firm  were  her  walls  that  the  hand  of  man 
could  scarcely  lay  her  in  the  dust.  Was  not  her  resistance  a  silent 
protest,  crying  out  to  be  left  intact,  as  a  monument  of  that  memorable 
evening,  where  within  her  gates  occurred  events  that  consecrated  her 
forever  with  tenderest  memories  that  time  cannot  obliterate  ?  No 
service  since  has  been  like  unto  that  service,  where  with  prayer  and 
praise,  were  offered  up  young  heroes,  willing  sacrifices  upon  their 
country's  altar.  What  were  the  sacrifices  of  old  in  the  temple  com 
pared  unto  these  sacrifices  ?  And  as  the  gift  on  the  altar  sanctified 
the  altar  of  the  temple,  so  the  free  gift  of  these  brave  young  hearts 
sanctified  anew  the  dear  old  church  of  their  childhood  days,  and  hal 
lowed  the  ground  on  which  she  stood ! 

"Brave  boys  are  they, 

Gone  at  their  country's  call ; 

And  yet,  and  yet, 
We  cannot  forget, 

That  many  'brave  boys'  must  fall." 

Thus  sang  or  tried  to  sing  the  wives,  mothers,  sweethearts  and 
sisters  of  the  men  and  boys  ready  to  respond  to  their  country's  call. 
Inside  the  chancel  stood  a  tall,  majestic  figure — a  man  born  to  be  a 
leader  of  men.  He  made  a  strong,  stirring,  patriotic  appeal.  The 
man  who  had  doubted  where  his  duty  lay  doubted  no  more  when 
Hon.  H.  N".  McAllister,  of  Belief  on  te,  had  finished  speaking.  Then 
followed  a  scene  never  to  be  forgotten  by  those  present,  James  J. 
Patterson,  principal  of  the  Boalsburg  Academy,  arose.  In  his  hand 
he  held  the  roster  of  the  school.  The  boy's  sister  recognized  it,  knew 
what  was  coming  and  drew  her  breath  sharply,  while  her  small  hands 
were  clasped  convulsively  together.  Stepping  to  the  chancel  rail, 
Professor  Patterson  told  of  his  own  decision  to  enlist  in  the  service 
of  his  country,  and  then  added  he  would  call  the  roll  of  the  school  for 
the  last  time  and  as  many  of  his  boys  as  had  determined  to  go  with 
him  should  respond,  "Ready!"  The  roll  was  called  alphabetically 
and  the  young  girl  heard,  as  in  a  dream  the  names  of  "Andrews — 
ready,"  "Baker — ready,"  and  so  on  down  the  roll.  Will  they  never 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  43 

reach  the  name  she  longs  yet  dreads  to  hear  (     And,  "Oh,  will  he 
go,"  she  inwardly  moans.     Hush  !     There  it  is — "Keller — ready"- 
responds  a  brave  young  voice,  and  the  little  sister  wonders  why  she 
cannot  breathe. 

The  next  she  remembers  the  band  is  playing,  "The  Star-Spangled 
Banner,"  and  then  she  slips  out  of  the  church  and  runs  into  her 
mother's  arms  (that  mother  who  could  not  enter  that  "Temple  of 
Sacrifice,"  and  yet  could  not  remain  far  away  from  it).  There  in 
those  tender,  sheltering  arms  the  child  sobs  out  her  grief  and  is  com 
forted. 

The  boy  who  had  enlisted  could  not  be  accepted  on  account  of 
his  youth  without  the  consent  of  his  father,  but  when  that  father  re 
turned  home  and  heard  his  son's  earnest  pleading  he  could  no  longer 
resist  him.  He  had  planned  such  a  different  career  for  his  gifted  son  ; 
it  was  hard  to  abandon  it  when,  as  he  thought,  this  call  could  be 
answered  by  men  older  and  abler  to  endure  the  hardships  of  war.  But 
when  his  boy,  standing  before  him  in  all  his  youthful,  manly  beauty, 
said: 

"Father,  let  me  go !  My  country  needs  me,  and  I  could  never 
hold  a  book  while  the  other  boys  were  holding  guns." 

The  man,  and  the  father,  answered : 

"Then  go,  my  son,  and  may  God  be  with  you." 

And  God  was  with  him ;  for  though  the  brave  young  life  almost 
ebbed  away  on  the  blood-stained  field  of  Chancellorsville,  yet  he 
lived,  lived  to  return  to  be  an  honor  to  his  country  and  to  fight  man 
fully  in  halls  of  justice,  many  other  battles  of  right  against  wrong, 
unto  his  life's  end. 

During  the  fall  and  winter  of  1862  the  old  Academy  in  Boals- 
burg  continued  to  play  an  important  part  in  the  history  of  the  town. 
Within  her  walls  gathered  the  mothers,  wives,  sisters  and  friends  of 
the  men  who  had  enlisted  in  Company  G  of  the  148th  Regiment. 
With  our  boy's  mother  as  leader  they  organized  the  "Soldiers'  Aid 
Society,"  which  became  so  well  known  for  its  efficiency.  Soon  the 
old  hall  of  learning  was  a  great  work  shop,  where  the  hum  of  sewing 
machines  was  heard,  helping  busy  hands  make  clothing  for  sick  and 
wounded  in  hospitals  and  barracks.  In  this  work  even  the  children 


44         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

of  the  town  had  a  share,  and  proud,  indeed,  were  they  when  per 
mitted  to  scrape  lint  and  make  bandages  and  slippers  for  the  soldiers 
— a  name  that  to  them  signified  everything  that  was  brave  and  loyal, 
and  true  and  good.  Here  were  given  concerts,  the  proceeds  of  which 
were  sent  to  the  Sanitary  Commission ;  and  here  were  packed  huge 
boxes  filled  with  dainty  work  done  by  fair  hands  for  the  "Great 
Fair,"  given  in  Philadelphia  under  the  auspices  of  that  same  com 
mission,  whose  chief  executive  was  George  H.  Stuart,  and  from  whom 
came  many  letters  of  acknowledgment  and  commendation.  Some  of 
these  letters  are  still  kept  and  prized  by  the  secretary  of  the  Soldiers' 
Aid  Society.  Here,  too,  were  packed  many  other  boxes,  still  larger 
arid  more  precious ;  boxes  that  found  their  way  to  Gunpowder  Bridge, 
Cockeysville  and  elsewhere,  bringing  comfort  and  cheer  to  their  own 
"boys  in  blue,"  stationed  there.  Many  a  fond  mother,  as  she  lovingly 
placed  into  the  box  some  special  delicacy  for  her  own  darling  boy, 
added  one  for  the  "stranger"  who  had  gone  from  their  midst,  so  that 
not  infrequently  his  proved  to  be  the  "Benjamin's  portion."  Here 
were  rehearsed  the  latest  war  news.  As  theirs  was  a  common  inter 
est,  so  here  were  read  letters  from  camp  and  field  and  hospital,  telling 
of  the  noble  daring  and  unflinching  bravery  of  heroes  in  the  naval 
and  military  arms  of  their  country  in  its  great  Civil  War — a  war 
over  which  not  only  their  own  nation  stood  appalled,  but  the  whole 
civilized  world  was  stirred  to  its  center.  And  here,  too,  when  the 
skies  grew  darker  and  the  war  clouds  gathered  deeper  and  still  deeper 
and  darker,  these  "heroes  at  home"  worked  steadfastly  on.  Yea, 
worked  while  they  wept,  and  fasted,  and  prayed,  and  waited.  Waited 
from  the  going  down  of  the  sun  at  Chancellorsville  until  the  rising 
at  Gettysburg.  And  when  at  last  that  great  day  came  when  the  Angel 
of  Peace  spread  her  wings  over  a  bleeding  yet  undivided  country, 
while  giving  thanks  to  Almighty  God  who  had  given  them  the  vic 
tory,  their  hearts  were  stilled  with  holy  awe  at  the  thought  that  it 
was  only  won  at  the  sacrifice  of  so  many  brave  men  and  true  who  had 
fallen  heroes  and  martyrs  in  the  struggle. 

"The  air  was  full  of  farewells  to  the  dying, 
And  mournings  for  the  dead." 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  45 

So  many  "Rachels"  mourning  for  their  children,  for  among  the 
many  "silent  tents,"  spread  on  "fame's  eternal  camping  ground," 
not  a  few  were  of  their  own,  who  had  gone  forth  in  the  glory  and 
strength  and  beauty  of  youth  and  manhood. 

As  we  strew  their  graves  amid  tears  with  flowers  let  us  not  for 
get  that  in  every  age  the  Master  of  Life  and  Death,  who  is  kinder  a» 
well  as  wiser  than  we,  has  transplated  to  Heaven  in  their  springtime, 
earth's  sweetest  flowers,  and  there  they  may  rise  on  stepping  stones  of 
their  own  dead  selves  to  higher  things.  Death  cometh  to  every  man 
soon  or  late,  but  death  on  the  battlefield  to  the  hero  is  a  more  glorious 
death  than  any  other.  Even  in  his  dying  moments  it  comforts*  him 
to  know  "his  sword  has  won  the  battle  for  the  free,"  and  that  "the 
thanks  of  millions  yet  to  be"  are  his  and  so  well  content,  he  rests  with 
the  "storied  brave."  "Greater  love  hath  no  man  shown."  One  of  our 
best  loved  poets  has  said : 

"There  is  no  death, 

What  seems  so  is  transition ; 

This  life  of  mortal  breath 

Is  but  a  suburb  of  the  life  Elysian 

Whose  portal  we  call  death." 
"Safe  from  temptation,  safe  from  sin's  pollution, 
Thev  live:  whom  we  call  dead." 


NOTE  BY  THE  EDITOR. — In  Mrs.  Hall's  letter  enclosing  the  manuscript 
of  the  little  gem  called  the  "Sister's  Story,"  I  find  a  very  interesting  con- 
triliution  to  the  literature  relating  to  incidents  which  preceded  and  led  up 
to  the  establishment  of  the  Grand  Army  Memorial  Day.  Mrs.  Hall  says: 
"On  the  4th  of  July,  1864  (I  think  that  was  the  first  4th  of  July  following 
the  death  of  Dr.  Reuben  Hunter,  of  Boalsburg),  Emma  Hunter,  now  Mrs. 
James  T.  Stuart,  and  I  went  to  the  Boalsburg  Cemetery  to  decorate  her 
father's  grave.  While  making  a  cross  of  flowers  and  wreath  of  same,  the 
idea  suggested  itself  to  us  that  it  would  be  appropriate,  considering  the 
day,  to  decorate  all  the  graves  of  the  soldiers  buried  there.  Going  home, 
we  soon  procured  more  flowers  and  laurel  and  made  a  wreath  for  every 
grave  of  a  soldier,  and  as  some  of  your  boys  of  the  148th  lie  there,  I  think 
it  can  be  said  that  the  148th  was  the  first  regiment  to  have  its  graves  dec 
orated.  This  date  of  decoration  was  at  least  four  or  five  years  prior  to  the 
ordinance  passed  by  the  United  States  setting  the  30th  of  May  as  the  time, 
and  several  years  before  the  claimants  for  the  honor  of  first  decorating 
graves  performed  that  ceremony  in  the  Georgetown  Cemetery." 

Death's  History  of  the  Grand  Army  states  that  soldiers'  graves  were 
decorated  at  Waterloo,  New  York,  May  27,  1866,  and  at  Cincinnati  in  1867. 
The  formal  order  of  Commander-in-Chief  Logan  of  the  Grand  Army,  estab 
lishing  the  Memorial  Day  was  dated  May  5,  1868.  So  far,  therefore,  as  I 
am  now  advised,  Mrs.  Hall's  claim  is  well  founded  and  I  am  sure  that  we 
are  all  glad  to  know  that  the  graves  of  our  own  regimental  comrades  were 
thus  early  honored.  J.  W.  M. 


THE  BRIGADE  COMMANDER'S  STORY. 


PART  I. 

By  Major  General  John  R.  Brooke. 

The  men  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania  played  no  small  part  in 
those  years  of  war  which  will  always  be  counted  as  the  greatest  years 
of  the  Republic,  It  had  been  but  a  few  months  in  the  field  before  the 
names  of  battles  which  it  was  authorized  to  inscribe  on  its  flag  began 
to  appear  in  orders.  These  followed  each  other  in  rapid  succession. 
The  list  runs  thus,  beginning  with  the  first  battle  after  it  reached  the 
front:  Chancellorsville,  May,  1863;  Gettysburg,  July;  Bristoe  Sta 
tion,  October ;  Mine  Run,  November-December ;  Wilderness  ;Po  River ; 
Spotsylvania ;  North  Anna;  Totopotomoy ;  Cold  Harbor,  May,  1864; 
Petersburg,  June ;  Strawberry  Plain ;  Deep  Bottom,  July ;  Ream's 
Station,  August,  1864,  and  so  on  in  the  closing  campaign  to  the  end. 

So  the  148th  marched  along  the  highways  of  battle  winning 
honors  whenever  and  wherever  the  bugles  sounded  the  advance.  What 
can  anyone  say  in  eulogy  that  shall  surpass  what  the  mere  catalogue 
of  those  names  and  dates  bestows?  He  would  be  a  fortunate  soldier 
if  no  other  honor  had  come  to  him  in  the  War  than  to  have  com 
manded  men  who  were  authorized  by  the  Government  which  they 
served  to  thus  glorify  their  battle  flag. 

In  the  dreary  winter  after  Fredericksburg  the  148th  attracted 
general  attention  in  the  Army  for  the  excellence  of  its  field  quarters 
and  its  attention  to  all  details  which  contribute  to  the  perfection  of 
military  organization.  Its  Colonel  had  attained  high  standing  with 
his  brigade  and  division  officers  before  the  Regiment  had  been  bap 
tized  in  battle.  It  began  its  notable  fighting  experience  at  Chancel- 
lorsville,  where  we  first  became  associated,  my  own  brigade  and  that 
in  which  the  148th  served  being  both  in  Hancock's  Division.  Thi? 
organization  continued  through  Gettysburg,  Bristoe  Station  and  Mine 
Run,  and  then  the  148th  was  assigned  to  my  own  brigade  on  the 
threshold  of  that  desperate  campaign  from  the  Rapidan  to  the  James. 
From  that  moment  the  ties  which  bound  us  together  were  stronger 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  47 

than  hooks  of  steel.  We  went  through  the  Wilderness  together.  It 
was  as  the  Valley  of  the  Shadow  of  Death,  but  glorified  by  such  deeds 
as  the  148th  and  their  fellows  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  performed. 
At  Po  River  it  crossed  with  unsurpassed  gallantry,  fighting  the 
enemy  in  front  with  the  forests  blazing  in  its  rear.  The  world  knows 
of  the  bloody  angle  at  Spotsylvania,  and  of  the  charge  of  Hancock's 
First  Division  on  the  12th  of  May,  a  day  that  the  living  of  our  brigade 
will  ever  hold  in  proud  remembrance.  And  so  we  went  on  together, 
down  through  Cold  Harbor,  and  many  minor  engagements,  to  the 
James — across  to  Petersburg — and  beyond  the  Appomattox  and  the 
glorious  close  of  the  War  wherever  the  blare  of  bugle  called  to  combat 
or  the  roar  of  battle  told  of  the  fiercest  of  the  fight. 


THE  BRIGADE  COMMANDER'S  STORY. 


PART  IT. 

By  Brevet  Major  General  St.  Clair  A.  Muf Holland. 

Haying  commanded  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  even  for 
the  short  time  I  had  that  honor,  will  ever  be  a  happy  and  most  pleas 
ing  memory  of  that  titanic  struggle,  the  great  War  of  Secession. 
Truly  the  148th  was  a  noble  regiment.  There  may  have  been  a  better 
one,  but  if  so  I  have  not  seen  it.  Pennsylvania  sent  many  splendid 
organizations  to  the  front  but  I  question  if  there  was  one  that  could  be 
claimed  as  superior  in  any  respect.  In  fighting  qualities,  in  the  per 
sonnel  of  officers  and  men,  in  the  admirable  discipline  that  ever 
marked  the  command,  in  every  characteristic  that  made  a  really  fine 
regiment,  the  148th  had  few  equals  and  no  superiors.  How  vividly 
the  memories  of  Chancellorsville  and  Gettysburg,  the  Wilderness 
and  Spotsylvania,  Cold  Harbor  and  Petersburg  all  come  crowding 
back  after  the  years  that  have  passed,  and  the  glorious  fighting  line 
of  the  148th  is  recalled  as  of  yesterday.  From  the  very  first  shot 
fired  by  the  command  until  the  torn  and  blood-stained,  victorious 
flags  waved  in  the  sunlight  of  Appomattox  morn,  the  command  was 
ever  in  the  very  front  gathering  laurels  of  victory  and  making  a  record 
of  duty  well  done.  No  position  so  strong  that  would  not  be  charged 
with  unfaltering  courage.  No  line  ordered  to  be  maintained  but  was 
held  with  the  highest  bravery.  And  how  I  recall  the  devotion  to 
every  duty,  and  the  cheerfulness  and  alacrity  with  which  the  most 
toilsome  and  disagreeable  duty  was  performed.  At  no  hour  of  iho 
night,  even  after  the  most  laborious  day's  march  and  suffering,  but 
the  detail  that  might  be  called  for  would  report  promptly,  ready  and 
willing  for  any  task,  no  matter  how  severe.  It  has  always  been  a 
subject  of  astonishment  to  me  that  the  members  of  the  Regiment 
could  maintain,  under  all  circumstances,  such  perfection  of  the  per 
sonal  qualities  that  marks  the  true  soldier.  It  was  difficult  to  imagine 
how  they  kept  themselves  so  neat  and  presentable,  their  muskets  so 
shining,  their  equipments  so  polished  and  clothing  so  seemingly  un- 
soiled,  so  that  when  ordered  on  "inspection,"  no  matter  how  dusty 


OFFICE 

OF  THE 


- 
- 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  49 

the  roads,  or  how  long  and  tiresome  the  march,  the  men  would  turn 
out  in  such  remarkable  shape.  And  on  these  occasions,  even  in  the 
midst  of  an  active  campaign,  yes,  even  on  the  day  of  a  battle,  where 
those  immaculate  white  gloves  came  from  was  a  wonder.  It  is  one 
thing  to  be  an  excellent  fighting  regiment,  to  cheerfully  accept  all  the 
trials  and  sufferings  of  a  severe  campaign,  to  leave  long  lines  of  com 
rades'  graves  on  every  battlefield,  and  meet  day  by  day  the  vicissi 
tudes  of  active  warfare,  but  to  do  this,  and  still  preserve  the  corps 
d'esprit,  as  well  as  its  high  standing,  requires  and  calls  for  much  more 
than  a  mere  fighting  spirit 

The  148th  was  the  ideal  regiment.  In  battle,  on  the  march,  for 
picket  duty,  on  the  skirmish  line,  for  inspection,  for  any  and  every 
duty,  the  motto  of  the  command  was  "ready,''  always  '"ready,"  and 
because  of  this,  I  now  feel  after  all  these  years  (thirty-six  years  it  is 
since  I  looked  at  the  "dress  parade"  of  the  148th  Regiment  for  the 
last  time)  that  I  owe  an  apology  to  its  officers  and  men  in  the  fear 
that  perhaps  on  many  an  occasion  I  assigned  to  them  more  duty  than 
was  their  just  share.  Night  or  day,  no  matter  when,  or  for  what  duty 
called  for,  I  knew  that  the  148th  was  always  "ready,"  cheerfully 
"ready,"  and  hence,  when  time  was  a  factor  and  the  enemy  pressing, 
I  knew  where  to  look  for  a  prompt  response  and  willing  hearts ;  and 
so,  in  offering  at  this  late  day  to  make  amends  for  seeming  imposition 
on  those  who  are  now  my  veteran  friends,  I  can,  and  do,  plead  justi 
fication  in  view  of  the  excellent  qualities  of  the  "Regiment-Always- 
Heady"  and  so  often  called  upon,  although  not  always  "next  for 
duty." 

I  would  love  to  tell  in  detail  the  story  of  the  Regiment  during 
the  last  year  of  the  War ;  of  the  siege  of  Petersburg ;  of  that  glorious 
fight  at  Sutherland's  Station,  when  the  Regiment  captured  cannon, 
colors  and  prisoners;  of  Farmville  and  Appomattox,  but  others  will 
tell  the  story  better  than  I  can  do.  One  splendid  deed  of  the  148th 
I  can  never  forget  or  fail  to  record,  one  that  can  properly  be  a  part 
of  the  "Brigade  Commander's  Story,"  a  deed  of  valor,  audacious  in 
conception  and  brilliant  in  execution.  It  took  place  October  27,  1864, 
during  the  siege  of  Petersburg.  As  the  end  of  October  approached 
General  Grant,  wishing  to  make  a  vigorous  effort  to  capture  Peters- 


50         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

burg  or,  at  least,  to  seize  the  Boydton  Plank  Road  and  South  Side 
Railroad  before  the  bad  weather  set  in  and  compelled  the  suspension 
of  active  field  operations,  sent  the  larger  part  of  the  Second,  Fifth 
and  Ninth.  Corps  to  find  and  strike  the  right  of  the  Confederate  line. 

The  expeditionary  party  inarched  during  the  night  of  October 
26th,  and  fought  the  battle  of  Boydton  Plank  Road  on  the  27th.  The 
withdrawal  of  so  large  a  force  from  the  works  in  front  of  Petersburg 
necessarily  left  but  a.  very  thin  line  in  the  intrenchments.  The  First 
Division,  Second  Corps,  commanded  by  Gen.  Nelson  A.  Miles,  then 
numbering  about  six  thousand  men,  was  spread  out  so  as  to  occupy  the 
whole  line  from  the  Appomattox  River  on  the  right  to  Battery  24, 
halfway  between  the  Jerusalem  Pla.nk  Road  and  the  Weldon  Rail 
road. 

The  Fourth  Brigade  of  the  Division,  then  commanded  by  the 
writer,  occupied  the  line  immediately  opposite  the  Crater,  where  the 
mine  explosion  of  July  30th  had  taken  place,  the  left  of  the  Brigade 
occupying  Fort  Rice  and  the  right  extending  toward  Fort  Stedman. 
The  picket  firing  was  brisk  during  the  day,  and  rumors  of  the  battle, 
which  was  then  in  progress  on  the  left,  were  flying,  and  an  anxious 
spirit  was  manifest  among  the  men  in  the  works.  Towards  evening 
General  Miles,  wishing  to  deceive  the  enemy  as  to  the  force  then 
holding  the  Union  line,  ordered  an  attack  on  the  works  in  front  to 
be  made  by  a  small  party  from  each  of  the  two  brigades  commanded 
by  Colonel  McDougal  and  the  writer  respectively. 

About  5  :30  p.  M.  I  received  an  order  from  General  Miles  to  take 
one  hundred  men  and  make  a  demonstration  on  the  enemy's  works. 
Believing  it  quite  possible  to  capture  one  of  the  forts  in  my  front,  I 
selected  for  the  attempt  one  hundred  men  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania 
Regiment.  1.  took  the  men  from  this  organization  because  I  knew 
them  to  be  excellent  and  reliable,  and  a  big  consideration  was  that 
they  were  armed  with  the  Spencer  magazine  rifle,  capable  of  firing 
seven  shots  without  reloading.  The  storming  party  was  under  com 
mand  of  (1aj)t.  J.  /.  Brown,  Lieut.  P.  I).  Sprankle  and  Lieuts.  Alex 
Gibb  and  John  F.  Benner. 

Addressing  the  men,  I  told  them  of  the  desperate  nature  of  the 
duty  required,  and  F  said  that  no  one  need  go  unless  willingly.  Every 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  51 

man  was  not  only  willing,  but  anxious  to  go.  As  it  was  impossible 
to  reach  the  picket  line  (from  which  the  attack  was  to  be  made)  in  a 
body,  since  the  sharpshooters  were  vigilant,  and  covered  the  ground 
between  our  main  line  and  the  picket,  I  ordered  the  party  to  break 
ranks  and  go  out  individually,  taking  different  routes  and  creeping, 
through  the  low  brush,  be  able  to  assemble  at  a  point  indicated  with 
out  being  seen  by  the  enemy.  In  fifteen  minutes  every  man  of  the 
party  met  me  as  ordered.  We  were  within  fifty  yards  of  the  object 
of  attack,  and,  so  far,  all  had  gone  well.  Forming  the  party  into  two 
sections,  I  ordered  one,  under  Captain  Brown,  to  run  around  the 
right  of  the  fort  and  enter  the  sally  port,  while  the  second  section 
was  to  charge  up  the  face  of  the  banquette  slope  and  gaining  the 
crest,  pour  their  fire  down  into  the  works. 

Ten  of  the  men  were  given  axes  instead  of  rifles,  and  were  to 
run  ahead,  cut  the  wires  that  joined  the  chevaux-de-frise,  and  open 
a  section  for  the  storming  party  to  get  through.  The  twilight  was 
gathering  by  the  time  that  all  was  in  readiness,  and  the  orders  were 
to  "make  the  demonstration  at  six  o'clock.''  As  1  was  about  to  give  the 
order  to  charge  I  looked  back  and  saw  a  horseman  galloping  rapidly 
towards  me.  He  was  coming  from  the  direction  of  division  head 
quarters,  and  thinking  that  he  might  be  bringing  some  last  order,  I 
paused  until  he  came  up.  It  was  Capt.  Henry  D.  Price,  my  Adju 
tant  General.  He  threw  himself  from  his  horse  and  said : 

"Colonel,  what's  up  ?  I  have  been  at  division  headquarters, 
and  heard  that  you  were  going  to  make  an  attack.  I  am  going  along." 

I  did  not  wish  him  to  go,  but  he  insisted  upon  it,  and  knowing 
his  value,  I  finally  consented  with  much  reluctance.  He  drew  his 
sword,  unbuckled  the  belt,  and  handed  it,  together  with  the  scabbard, 
to  Lieut.  Tom  Lee,  one  of  my  Aides.  He  said : 

"Tom,  if  I  am  killed  send  these  to  my  mother." 

I  gave  the  order,  and  the  gallant  little  band,  leaping  over  the 
slight  earthworks  of  the  picket  line,  ran  direct  for  the  enemy's  fort, 
not  fifty  yards  distant.  With  a  few  blows  the  axemen  cut  the  fasten 
ings  that  lashed  the  chevaux-de-frise  together,  dragged  out  a  section, 
and  the  party  ran  through.  The  attack  was  a  complete  success,  Brown 
entering  the  fort,  from  the  rear,  and  Price  mounting1  the  slope  from 


52  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

the  front.  The  defenders  for  a  few  moments  made  a  gallant  defense, 
but  in  vain.  In  ten  minutes  from  the  starting  of  the  charge  the  fort 
was  carried,  and  all  in  it  were  in  our  possession.  It  was  getting  quite 
dark  when  the  rush  was  made,  and  Captain  Price  had  disappeared 
from  my  view.  I  could  not  see  him  after  he  reached  the  crest,  but  I 
heard  his  voice  as  he  called  to  the  men  to  follow  him,  and  then  I 
heard  him  directing  their  fire.  Suddenly  his  voice  ceased,  and  I  felt 
sure  that  he  had  fallen. 

As  soon  as  the  fort  was  won,  the  prisoners  were  sent  into  our 
lines  and  an  effort  made  to  bring  in  or  destroy  the  artillery,  but  little 
oould  be  accomplished  with  the  latter  as  the  noble  band  that  had  done 
so  well  were  now  few  in  number.  There  was  no  possibility  of  getting 
re-enforcements.  None  could  be  spared  from  the  thin  line  that 
held  the  Union  works,  and  after  holding  the  Confederate  fort  for 
twenty  minutes,  I  very  reluctantly  gave  the  order  to  abandon  it,  and 
return  to  our  own  line,  and  not  a  moment  too  soon,  for  the  enemy  had 
begun  concentrating  a  force  to  re-capture  the  works  and  their  forts, 
and  from  the  right  and  the  left  of  the  one  captured  there  poured  a 
terrible  fire  on  the  little  band  of  Union  men  then  in  possession.  The 
following  account  of  the  action  is  from  the  Philadelphia  Press  of  No 
vember  1,  1864: 

Special  Correspondence  to  the  Press. 

"From  General  Grant's  Army — Brilliant  affair  on  the  centre — 
Capture  of  a  Rebel  fort  and  fifty  prisoners — The  garrison  was  com 
pletely  surprised — A  Confederate  Colonel  in  our  hands — Important 
information  gained — The  enemy's  line  very  weak — Their  picket  line 
cut  into  for  several  hours." — (Mr.  C.  Edmund's  Dispatches.) 

BEFORE  PETERSBURG,,  OCTOBER  28,  1864,  9  :00  P.  M. 

"The  tremendous  artillery  firing  which  took  place  last  evening, 
cojnmencing  about  9  o'clock  and  continuing  until  past  midnight, 
turns  out  not  to  have  been  altogether  without  cause.  One  of  the  most 
brilliant  affairs  in  which  the  Second  Corps  has  participated  has  just 
been  enacted  by  a  portion  of  the  Fourth  Brigade  of  the  First  Division. 
About  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  beyond  our  picket  line,  and 
scarcely  a  fourth  of  a  mile  from  the  famous  mine  which  was  exploded 
by  the  Ninth  Corps  under  Burnside  some  months  ago,  stands  one  of 
the  strongest  and  best  constructed  fortifications  in  the  enemy's  outer 
line.  It  is  an  earthwork  with  bomb  proofs,  and  is  environed  with 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  53 

abatis  of  novel  construction.  Between  this  fort  and  Fort  Rice,  held 
by  one  brigade,  is  a  ravine  which  the  adjacent  enemy's  forts  may 
sweep.  The  order  for  the  assault  was  issued  by  General  Miles,  who 
intended  the  affair  mainly  as  a  reconnaissance,  having  no  idea  that 
the  enemy  could  be  so  easily  caught  napping.  To  General  Mulhol- 
land,  116th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  the  general  management  of  the 
works  was  entrusted  and  a  detachment  of  one  hundred  men  from  the 
148th  Pennsylvania  Regiment  volunteered.  Shortly  after  5  :45  p.  M. 
the  brave  little  band  passed  out  from  the  defences  and  silently  formed 
inside  our  picket  lines.  Colonel  Mulholland  instructed  the  men  as 
to  the  method  of  removing  the  abatis,  and  directed  them  not  to  fire  a 
shot  but  to  use  the  bayonet.  They  were  likewise  ordered  not  to  cheer 
unless  they  should  succeed  in  entering  the  fort,  when  a  single  cheer 
would  be  a  sufficient  signal  for  sending  forward  re-enforcements. 
About  six  o'clock  the  men  started  forward  on  the  double-quick.  It  was 
raining  at  the  time.  The  evening  was  dark,  and  they  had  almost 
reached  the  fort  before  the  enemy  perceived  them.  Still  no  shot  was 
fired.  They  sprang  over  the  earthworks,  and  before  the  garrison 
could  recover  from  its  surprise  the  victory  was  ours.  The  Confeder 
ates  made  some  little  resistance,  but  they  had  been  taken  completely 
by  surprise  and,  save  a  few  who  effected  their  escape,  the  garrison, 
numbering  about  fifty  men,  were  taken  prisoners.  We  succeeded  in 
taking  the  following  officers:  Colonel  Harrison,  46th  Virginia  Regi 
ment,  commanding  the  fort ;  Lieutenant  Colonel  Wise,  46th  Virginia 
Regiment;  Lieutenant  Bylen,  34th  Virginia  Regiment;  Lieutenant 
Coxe,  46th  Virginia  Regiment,  and  about  forty  private  soldiers. 
Colonel  Harrison  could  not  at  first  be  induced  to  believe  that  he  was 
a  prisoner,  so  astonished  was  he  at  the  audacity  of  the  enterprise, 
and  pronounced  the  affair  a  'd — d  Yankee  trick.' 

"We  learned  from  the  prisoners  that  Wise's  Brigade,  Bushrod 
Johnson's  Division  of  General  Anderson's  Corps,  together  with  Ran 
som's  and  Finnegan's  Brigades,  held  the  line  opposite  us.  In  addi 
tion  to  the  prisoners  taken,  numbers  of  the  enemy  were  killed  and 
wounded  in  the  trenches,  refusing  to  surrender.  Colonel  Harrison 
admits  that  if  our  assailing  party  had  been  supported  by  two  hundred 
men  they  could  have  maintained  their  position  in  the  fort,  But  this 
was  not  to  be.  As  soon  as  we  took  the  fort  our  men  gave  a  cheer  as  a 
signal,  and  Colonel  Mulholland  dispatched  his  Aides  to  the  adjacent 
fortifications  for  re-enforcements.  It  was  in  the  plan  of  arrange 
ments  that  the  26th  Michigan  should  be  held  in  reserve.  But  this 
regiment  did  not  arrive  upon  the  grounds  in  time  and  no  available 
troops  could  be  gotten  ready  to  send  forward  for  half  an  hour.  Tn 
the  meantime  the  enemy  rallied  about  seven  hundred  strong  and 
drove  out  our  men.  About  fifty  men  out  of  the  hundred  are  missing, 
the  majority  being  wounded.  Captain  Price  was  the  only  officer 


54         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

killed.  His  body  is  still  in  the  enemy's  possession.  A  complete  list 
of  the  casualties  is  subjoined.  During  the  fighting  which  this  re- 
eontre  led  to  neither  side  used  artillery,  each  fearing  that  it  might  in 
flict  more  damage  upon  its  own  men  than  on  the  enemy.  But  im 
mediately  upon  the  return  of  our  assaulting  party  with  their  pris 
oners  all  our  forts  in  this  vicinity  opened  upon  the  Confederate  forts 
a  terrific  cannonade,  to  which  they  responded  with  equal  vigor.  The 
firing  commenced  about  nine  o'clock,  as  I  have  stated,  and  lasted  until 
one  o'clock  in  the  morning.  During  the  whole  time  the  rain  was  fall 
ing." 

From  the  Philadelphia  Press  of  November  2,  1864. 

"The  body  of  Captain  Price  has  been  recovered.  A  flag  of  truce 
will  be  sent  for  it  in  a  day  or  two.  A  couple  of  deserters  who  came 
in  last  night  state  that  they  saw  the  body  of  a  Captain  lying  in  a 
trench  fronting  the  fort,  and  from  their  description  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  it  was  the  body  of  the  lamented  officer  referred  to. 

"The  Colonel  Wise  captured  turns  out  to  be  a  nephew  of  ex-Gov 
ernor  Wise.  He  was  in  Philadelphia  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  War 
and  was  a  student  in  the  office  of  one  of  the  most  eminent  members  of 
the  bar.  At  the  time  of  his  capture  Governor  Wise  was  in  the  fort 
but  escaped  by  concealing  himself  in  one  of  the  bomb  proofs.  He  had 
just  dispatched  a  courier  to  one  of  the  adjacent  regiments  with  a  cir 
cular.  The  courier  was  taken  but  chewed  up  the  missive  in  such  a 
hurry  that  its  contents  are  unknown.  All  the  prisoners  admit  that 
their  line  was  weaker  than  it  had  ever  been  since  the  campaign 
commenced.  They  say  that  if  we  had  had  one  regiment  in  reserve  t» 
re-enforce  the  storming  party  we  could  have  held  the  fort  permanently, 
and  with  this  fort  we  could  have  swept  the  whole  outer  line  of  their 
works.  Xo  better  evidence  of  the  weakness  of  Lee's  Army  is  needed 
than  this  fact.  As  soon  as  the  storming  party  returned  to  our  own  line 
all  the  forts  on  both  sides  opened  a  terrific  fire  that  continued  until 
midnight.  Lieut.  P.  I).  Spraukle,  of  the  148th  Regiment,  was  severely 
wounded  and  left  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  as  were  nearly  all  the 
wounded  of  that  Regiment.  Tn  the  darkness  and  confusion  it  was 
impossible  to  remove  them.  The  attack  was  led  by  Capt.  J.  Z. 
Brown,  and  Captain  Price  was  with  the  party  as  a  staff  officer,  but 
took  a  very  active  part  until  he  fell." 

I  had  the  very  great  pleasure  of  recommending  Captain  Brown 
for  the  brevet  rank  of  Major,  and  also  a  Congress  Medal  of  Honor 
for  his  distinguished  bravery  and  excellent  conduct  on  this  occasion, 
and  T  rejoice  that  the  well-deserved  honors  were  accorded  him. 

A  few  days  after  the  fight  a  flag  of  truce  went  out,  and  the  body 
of  Captain  Price  was  recovered.  We  learned  that  on  the  morning 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  55 

after  the  assault,  an  Irishman  of  a  Georgia  regiment  had  seen  the 
body  and  recognized  it  by  the  number  of  the  regiment  as  a  former 
member  of  the  Irish  Brigade.  He  had  tenderly  wrapped  him  in  a 
blanket  and  carefully  buried  him.  When  the  body  was  brought  into 
our  lines  it  was  embalmed  and  sent  home.  The  ball  that  killed  him 
had  entered  his  forehead  just  above  the  eye.  When  he  was  embalmed 
he  looked  smiling  and  natural,  his  lips  partly  open,  showing  his 
beautiful  teeth.  And  so  died  one  whom  we  all  loved  and  knew  as 
"Little  Pricey."  Only  a  boy  just  from  school,  but  a  hero  and  a  vet 
eran  gentle  and  unassuming,  but  brave  as  the  bravest.  How  his  boy 
ish  laughter  would  ring  through  camp !  Even  in  battle  his  face  would 
wear  a  smile.  He  sleeps  by  the  Schuylkill  on  whose  banks  Meade  and 
Hancock  and  a  host  of  his  comrades  rest,  and  among  the  thousands 
who  fell  in  the  great  struggle,  none  are  more  worthy  of  honor  than 
the  noble  boy  who  died  so  bravely,  and  whose  memory  will  ever  be 
cherished. 

The  captured  work  was  known  as  Davidson's  Salient,  and  stood 
about  fifty  yards  to  the  left  (the  Union  left)  of  the  Crater.  A  dark, 
rainy  night  followed  the  fight,  and  when  morning  broke,  the  men  of 
the  148th  eagerly  scanned  the  fort  that  they  had  so  gallantly  cap 
tured  the  evening  before,  now  again  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and 
saw  some  bodies  lying  around  the  work.  One  with  upturned  face  to 
the  falling  rain  was  recognized  as  that  of  Captain  Price.  The  men 
composing  the  storming  party  of  the  148th  were  heartily  congratu 
lated  by  their  comrades,  and  the  following  order  was  issued  from 
brigade  headquarters : 

(GENERAL  ORDER  Xo.  31.) 

HEADQUARTERS  FOURTH  BRIGADE,  FIRST  DIVISION,  SECOND  CORPS. 

October  28,  186-1. 

The  Colonel  commanding  the  Brigade  takes  pleasure  in  congrat 
ulating  the  detail  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  for  the  gal 
lantry  displayed  in  the  assault  and  capture  of  the  enemy's  fort  on  the 
evening  of  October  27,  1864.  Capt.  Jerry  Brown,  Lieutenants 
Sprankle,  Gibb,  and  Benner  deserve  special  mention  for  their  bravery 
and  skill  in  leading  the  charge. 

He  deeply  regrets  the  loss  of  Capt.  Henry  D.  Price,  116th  Penn 
sylvania  Volunteers,  Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General,  Fourth 
Brigade,  who  fell  nobly  sustaining  the  proud  name  he  had  won  by 


56         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

his  valor  in  the  field,  and  sympathizes  with  the  brave  men  who  were 
wounded. 

By  order  of  COLONEL  MULHOLLAND, 

J.  WBNDBL  MUFFLY, 
Lieutenant  and  Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General. 

The  Confederate  account  <,f  the  affair  is  given  by  Gen.  B.  R. 
Johnson,  and  is  most  interesting.  He  states  that  the  Confederates  took 
fifteen  prisoners,  including  one  Lieutenant.  He  also  accounts  for 
Captain  Price,  whom  he  mentions.  As  thirty-three  of  the  148th 
were  missing,  it  would  seem  that  seventeen  of  them  must  have  been 
killed  or  left  between  the  lines,  too  severely  wounded  to  get  away. 

HEADQUARTERS  JOHNSON'S  DIVISION 

PETERSBURG,  VIRGINIA,  October  28,  1864. 

LIEUTENANT  :  About  ten  o'clock  on  yesterday  morning,  I  moved 
Wallace's  Brigade  to  the  right,  and  relieved  Saunder's  and  Han-is' 
Brigades  in  the  trenches.  Wise's  Brigade  was  moved  from  reserve 
into  the  position  on  the  front  line  vacated  by  Wallace's  Brigade. 
My  right  now  rests  at  Battery  No.  30. 

About  dark  last  evening  a  force  from  the  148th  Pennsylvania 
Regiment,  Fourth  Brigade,  First  Division,  Second  Corps,  perhaps 
one  hundred  strong,  advanced  without  support  upon  the  battery  on 
the  front  line  to  the  right  of  the  Baxter  Road  known  as  Davidson's 
Battery.  It  was  the  usual  hour  for  relieving  pickets,  and  the  di 
vision  officer  of  the  day,  who  happened  to  be  passing  at  that  point, 
mistook  the  force  for  pickets  returning  to  the  line,  and  gave  orders 
to  sentinels  not  to  fire.  By  others  this  force  was  regarded  as  deserters 
coming  to  our  lines.  This  impression  was  communicated  by  the 
orders  on  the  infantry  line  to  the  gun  in  rear  of  the  Crater,  which 
bore  on  the  ground  over  which  the  force  advanced.  A  light  fire  was, 
however,  opened  by  our  infantry  to  the  right  and  left  of  Davidson's 
Battery.  With  axes  the  little  force  opened  a  passage  through  our 
chevaux-de-frise,  and  entered  Davidson's  Battery  and  mingled  with 
our  men.  Their  hostile  character  having  been  ascertained,  troops  of 
Wise's  Brigade  charged  and  drove  them  out,  capturing  one  Lieuten 
ant  arid  fourteen  men,  who  report  that  a  number  of  their  men  were 
wounded  and  killed  in  the  advance,  among  the  latter  a  Captain  of 
the  116th  Pennsylvania  Regiment. 

About  10  :00  P.  M.  the  enemy  advanced  upon  and  drove  our  men 
from  a  portion  of  the  picket  line  on  the  right  of  Rive's  House,  occu 
pied  by  troops  of  Wallace's  Brigade.  General  Wallace  promptly 
threw  out  a  force  and  reoccupied  the  line.  During  these  events  the 
mortar  and  cannon  firing  were  heavy,  especially  from  Colquitt's 


Of   THi 

UNIVERSITY 

Of 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  57 

Salient  to  my  right.  Later  in  the  night  there  was  considerable  artil 
lery  firing  on  my  right.  During  the  latter  part  of  the  night,  Brig 
adier  General  Ransom,  whose  brigade  is  on  my  left,  and  extends  to  the 
river,  reported  that  the  enemy's  troops  were  seen  to  be  moving  to  our 
left.  It  was  thought  they  might  be  massing  in  his  front. 
Respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

B.  R.  JOHNSON,  Major  General. 
LIEUTENANT  Me  WILLIE,  A.  A.  A.  G. 

FOOT  NOTE  FROM  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS,  "BATES* 
PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS." 

"When  the  party  was  forced  to  retire,  Private  William  H.  Kel- 
lerman  was  cut  off  and  was  unable  to  regain  the  Union  lines.  Deter 
mined  not  to  be  captured  he  concealed  himself  in  some  low  bushes, 
and  the  enemy  advanced  his  videttes  inclosing  him  and  completely 
shutting  him  off  from  all  hopes  of  escape.  For  eight  days  he  re 
mained  concealed,  subsisting  on  roots  and  barks  within  his  reach. 
The  cold  was  so  intense  that  his  feet  were  badly  frozen  and  his  limbs 
were  almost  paralyzed ;  but  still  he  would  not  surrender.  On  the 
evening  of  the  eighth  day  the  enemy  was  late  in  posting  his  videttes, 
and  Kellerman,  taking  advantage  of  the  growing  darkness,  succeeded 
in  crawling  and  rolling  himself  outside  of  the  rebel  line,  and  was 
rescued.  By  careful  nursing  and  medical  treatment  he  was  revived 
and  restored.  General  Meade,  admiring  his  fortitude,  gave  him  a 
thirty  days'  furlough." 


THE  COLONEL'S  STORY. 
By  Gen.  James  A.  Beaver. 


CHAPTER  I. 

ORGANIZATION  TO   ARMY  OF   THE   POTOMAC. 

For  the  men  of  the  l-tStli  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
which  shall  hereafter  be  called  "our  Regiment7'  or  "the  Regiment," 
and  for  their  children  and  descendants  to  the  latest  generation,  this 
story  is  written.  Tt  will  contain  little  or  nothing  of  what  may  be 
called  general  history.  The  life  of  the  Regiment  was  identified  with 
that  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  The  history  of  that  Army  from 
the  time  the  Regiment  joined  it,  after  the  first  battle  of  Fredericks- 
burg,  December  17,  1862,  is  its  history.  Little  will  be  said,  there 
fore,  of  marches,  battles  and  campaigns,  except  as  there  may  be  some 
thing  in  them  which  is  peculiar  to  our  Regiment  and  may  tend  to 
emphasize  or  illustrate  its  inner  life  and  come  within  my  personal 
observation. 

The  "Citizen's  Story"  gives  the  details  of  the  manner  in  which 
the  Colonel  and  the  Regiment  were  brought  together.  I  had  no  knowl 
edge  whatever  of  the  letter  written  by  the  citizens  of  Centre  County 
to  the  Governor,  asking  for  my  appointment  as  Colonel,  until  a  copy 
of  it  was  sent  me  by  Mr.  McAllister.  Promotion  to  a  soldier  is  always 
attractive  and  often  devsirable  but  there  are  some  things  better  than 
promotion.  When  the  letter  reached  me,  1  was  serving  as  Lieutenant 
Colonel  of  the  45th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  with  which 
T  had  been  associated  for  more  than  a  year.  Three  companies  and 
part  of  a  fourth  were  from  Centre  County.  I  had  exercised  an  inde 
pendent  command  after  going  to  South  Carolina  from  December, 
IS 01,  until  July,  1862,  when  the  Regiment  was  reunited  and  trans 
ferred  from  the  department  of  the  South  to  Newport  News,  Virginia, 
where  troops  from  that  department  were  united  with  Burnside's  Expe 
ditionary  Corps  which  had  been  operating  in  North  Carolina  and 
which  were  to  constitute  thereafter  the  Ninth  Army  Corps.  Leaving 
Newport  News,  without  being  brigaded,  our  Regiment  was  stationed 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  59 

atAcquia  Creek.  Colonel  Welch  was  placed  in  command  of  the  post  and 
kept  two  companies  with  him.  The  balance  of  the  Regiment,  with 
headquarters  at  Brooke's  Station,  was  guarding  the  railroad  from 
that  point  to  Fredericksburg,  Virginia,  and  this  was  my  command. 
Not  having  been  brigaded  as  yet,  the  Regiment  reported  directly  to 
General  Burnside,  who  was  then  organizing  his  corps.  I  was  in  a 
quandary.  I  was  serving  with  a  regiment  which  I  regarded  as  equal 
to  any  in  the  service.  Its  morale  and  discipline  were  excellent  and 
I  had  no  doubt  as  to  the  account  which  it  would  give  of  itself  in  any 
position  in  which  it  might  be  placed.  T  was  much  attached  to  many 
of  the  officers  with  whom  I  had  been  brought  into  specially  intimate 
relations  in  South  Carolina.  As  already  intimated,  many  of  the  men 
were  from  my  home  neighborhood  and  1  felt  under  personal  obliga 
tions  to  remain  with  them.  Tn  addition  to  these  personal  considera 
tions,  there  was  difficulty  in  securing  a  discharge  for  the  purpose  of 
accepting  increased  rank  in  new  regiments  then  being  formed.  These 
considerations  had  about  determined  me  to  decline  the  offer  of  the 
command  of  the  new  Centre  County  Regiment,  even  if  it  were  mado 
to  me.  In  my  perplexity,  upon  the  receipt  of  a  letter  from  the  ma 
jority  of  the  Captains  of  the  Regiment,  which  is  one  of  my  valuable 
and  valued  war  relics,  I  consulted  General  Burnside,  gave  him  all  the 
facts  and  determined  to  abide  by  his  decision.  I  represented  to  him 
that  the  Regiment  was  organized  and  practically  ready  to  take  tho 
field.  The  military  exigency  which  seemed  to  make  the  order  refus 
ing  a  discharge  to  officers  to  accept  higher  rank  in  new  regiments, 
seemed  to  have  passed,  as  Pope's  campaign  was  about  finished,  the 
Army  was  back  in  the  defenses  of  Washington  and  there  was  no  pros 
pect,  of  immediate  hostilities.  T  had  exercised  an  independent  com 
mand  for  nearly  a  year  and  thought  T  might  be  more  useful  at  the 
head  of  a  new  regiment,  where  my  ideas  of  training  and  discipline 
could  be  carried  out,  than  in  an  old  regiment  which  was  already 
trained,  which  had  good  officers  and  would,  therefore,  not  miss  me. 
All  of  the  Captains,  who  had  been  under  my  command  on  the  outposts 
of  Skull  Creek  and  Callibogue  Sound  on  the  southern  side  of  Hilton 
Head  Island  had  exercised  somewhat  independent  commands  and 
were,  by  their  experience  and  training,  much  better  qualified  for 


60         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

field  officers  than  usual.  My  promotion  meant  promotion  for  some  of 
them.  Finally  I  did  not  expect  to  be  out  of  the  service  more  than 
about  three  days.  The  result  was  that  General  Burnside,  in  a  quiet, 
confidential  way,  informed  me  that,  as  he  exercised  an  independent 
command,  his  corps  not  then  having  been  consolidated  with  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac,  and  as  I  reported  directly  to  him,  if  I  would  bring 
him  my  resignation,  he  could  accept  it  and  no  one  else  would  have 
anything  to  say  about  it  or  be  in  any  way  the  wiser.  I,  therefore,  on 
the  3d  of  September,  1862,  wrote  a  letter  addressed  to  him  personally 
as  follows : 

"Having  been  tendered  the  command  of  a  regiment  now  formed 
in  Pennsylvania  for  during  the  War  and  believing  that  I  can  be  of 
more  service  to  the  cause  of  my  country  in  the  position  tendered  me 
than  the  one  which  I  now  occupy,  I  respectfully  tender  my  resigna 
tion  as  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  45th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Vol 
unteers." 

On  the  following  day,  in  Special  Orders  iSTo.  36,  issued  from 
the  headquarters  of  the  Ninth  Army  Corps,  Acquia  Creek,  Virginia, 
occurs  this  extract: 

"The  following  named  officer,  having  tendered  his  resignation, 
is  hereby  honorably  discharged  from  the  military  service  of  the 
United  States,  being  offered  the  command  of  a  regiment  now  forming 
in  Pennsylvania, — Lieut.  Col.  James  A.  Beaver,  45th  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers.  By  command  of  Major  General  Burnside.  Louis  Rich 
mond,  Assistant  Adjutant  General. " 

On  receipt  of  this  order,  I  hastily  broke  camp,  sent  my  horses 
overland  by  my  colored  servant  "Ike,"  whom  many  of  the  men  of  our 
Regiment  will  remember,  and  left  for  Washington  the  same  day. 
Having  exercised  an  independent  command,  it  was,  of  course,  neces 
sary  to  settle  my  accounts  for  quartermaster's  and  ordnance  and  ord 
nance  stores  in  Washington,  which  was  done  on  Friday,  the  5th.  I 
also  found  time  to  make  a  short  visit  to  my  brother,  Lieut  J.  Gilbert 
Beaver,  who  in  command  of  his  company  in  the  51st  Pennsylvania 
(Hartranft's  Regiment)  was  then  en  route  for  Antietam.  This  was 
the  last  time  I  was  to  see  him,  as  he  lost  his  life  in  the  gallant  but 
useless  charge  across  the  stone  bridge  on  the  left  of  our  Army  Septem 
ber  17,  1862. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  61 

Leaving  Washington  that  evening,  I  arrived  in  Harrisburg  on 
the  morning  of  Saturday,  the  6th.  The  companies  which  composed 
the  Regiment  were  all  in  camp,  the  most  of  them  mustered  into  the 
service  and  ready  for  regimental  organization.  K  Company,  however, 
had  not  sufficient  men  to  secure  a  complete  organization,  but  the  in 
vasion  of  Maryland  by  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  had  then  com 
menced  and  the  railroad  connections  between  Harrisburg  and  Balti 
more  were  threatened.  It  was,  therefore,  necessary  to  dispatch 
troops  to  guard  the  Northern  Central  Railway  and  the  organization 
of  our  Regiment  was  hastened,  so  that  it  might  be  dispatched  for  this 
service.  Sunday,  the  7th,  and  Monday,  the  8th  of  September,  were 
occupied  in  perfecting  the  details  of  organization  and  in  securing 
quartermasters'  supplies  and  ordnance  and  ordnance  stores.  On  the 
8th,  field  officers  were  elected  and  staff  officers  appointed  and  the 
Regiment  officially  numbered  148. 

The  slate,  as  we  would  call  it  in  modern  parlance,  was  arranged 
when  I  reached  Harrisburg.  Coming  to  the  Regiment  as  I  did,  it 
was  not  politic  nor  did  I,  when  the  details  were  given  me,  think  it 
desirable  to  interfere  in  any  way.  Capt.  Robert  McFarlane,  who 
had  been  Captain  of  H  Company  of  the  7th  Regiment  in  the  three 
months  service,  and  was  Captain  of  G  Company  of  our  Regiment, 
was  elected  Lieutenant  Colonel.  Capt.  George  A.  Fairlamb,  who  had 
been  largely  instrumental  in  recruiting  H  Company,  was  elected 
Major.  Robert  Lipton,  who  had  been  Captain  of  E  Company  of  the 
1st  Pennsylvania  Cavalry  but  had  resigned  on  account  of  his  health 
in  March,  1862,  had  been  agreed  upon  as  Adjutant,  and  John  George 
Kurtz,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Central  Press,  of  Belief onte,  as 
Quartermaster.  Doctors  IT.  Q.  Davis,  of  Milton,  Pennsylvania,  and 
C.  P.  W.  Fisher,  of  Boalsburg,  Centre  County,  were  assigned  to  the 
Regiment  as  Assistant  Surgeons,  Dr.  Davis  being  subsequently  pro 
moted  to  Surgeon  December  9,  1862.  Rev.  W.  H.  Stevens,  who  had 
assisted  in  recruiting  H  Company,  and  was  its  Second  Lieutenant, 
was  appointed  Chaplain.  Members  of  the  non-commissioned  staff 
were  appointed  because  of  their  special  qualifications  for  the  several 
places  to  be  filled.  Joseph  W.  Muffly,  a  private  of  B  Company,  who 
had  been  a  student  at  Dickinson  Seminary  and  had  enlisted  during 


62         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

his  vacation,  was,  after  what  would  now  be  termed  a  civil  service 
examination,  appointed  Sergeant  Major.  Samuel  D.  Musser,  First 
Sergeant  of  D  Company,  who  had  been  a  merchant  at  Pine  Grove 
Mills  and  had  considerable  business  experience,  was  appointed  Quar 
termaster  Sergeant.  Lewis  W.  Ingram,  of  H  Company,  who  had  also 
considerable  business  experience,  was  appointed  Commissary  Sergeant. 
Jacob  B.  Kreider,  on  the  recommendation  of  the  Surgeons,  was  ap 
pointed  Hospital  Steward,  and  Robert  A.  Cassidy,  a  private  of  H 
Company,  who  was  an  experienced  drummer  and  had  special  qualifica 
tions  of  temperament  and  disposition,  was  apointed  Principal  Musi 
cian.  These  appointments  were  all  justified  by  the  subsequent  faith 
ful  and  intelligent  service  of  the  several  appointees. 

I  do  not  now  recall,  with  sufficient  clearness  to  indicate  it,  what 
led  to  the  assignment  of  the  several  companies  in  line.  Capt.  Robert 
M.  Forster  and  Capt.  Andrew  Musser  were  the  senior  Captains  and 
would  have  been  entitled  to  the  right  and  left  of  the  line  respectively, 
but  for  some  reason  an  arrangement  to  which  I  was  not  a  party,  except 
merely  to  carry  it  out,  had  been  made  by  which  Capt,  Robert  H. 
Forster' s  company  was  to  have  the  right,  Capt,  James  F.  Weaver's  the 
left  and  Capt,  Robert  M.  Forster's  the  center  as  color  company,  Cap 
tain  Musser  being  given  I)  and  taking  his  place  in  line  as  fourth  in 
rank.  The  arrangement,  whatever  it  was,  was  made  by  the  Captains 
themselves,  was  faithfully  carried  out  and  proved  to  be,  on  the  whole, 
advantageous  and  entirely  satisfactory.  The  other  companies  were  as 
signed  according  to  the  rank  of  the  Captains.  Captain  Core's  not  hav 
ing  been  filled  to  the  minimum  before  we  left  Harrisburg,  took  the 
letter  K,  the  Captain  not  being  mustered  until  after  we  reached 
Cockeysville.  With  this  organization  and  assignment  of  companies  in 
line  on  the  9th  of  September,  under  verbal  orders  from  Governor  Cur- 
tin,  the  Regiment  left  Harrisburg  in  company  with  the  140th  Penn 
sylvania,  a  regiment  of  which  Lieutenant  Colonel  Fraser,  who  had 
been  professor  of  mathematics  in  Jefferson  College,  when  T  was  a 
student  there,  was  then  in  command. 

Being  charged  with  the  duty  of  distributing  the  two  regiments 
along  the  line  of  railroad,  I  posted  the  140th  first  and  reserved  the 
more  important  bridges  and  what  was  regarded  as  the  most  dangerous 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  65 

locality  for  our  own  Regiment.  Our  field  and  staff  officers  had  not  been 
mustered  into  the  service  and  were  not  mustered  until  Company  K 
completed  its  complement  of  men,  when  our  muster  took  place,  Octo 
ber  8,  1862. 

The  headquarters  of  our  Regiment  were  fixed  at  Cockeysville, 
and  those  of  the  140th  at  Parkton.  We  guarded  some  fifteen  miles  of 
the  railroad,  extending  from  a  point  above  the  bridge  across  Gunpow 
der  Creek  to  a  point  below  Lutherville.  We  reached  Cockeysville  about 
six  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  10th  and  I  reported  personally  to 
Major  General  John  E.  Wool,  commanding  the  Eighth  Army  Corps, 
whose  headquarters  were  at  Baltimore,  the  same  day.  He  confided  to 
me,  under  very  general  directions,  the  distribution  and  location  of  the 
troops.  The  scattered  condition  of  the  Regiment  and  the  heavy  de 
tails  required  for  outpost  and  picket  duty  made  it  practically  impos 
sible  to  bring  the  several  companies  together  for  battalion  drill,  which 
was  one  of  my  "fads,"  and  the  prospect  of  exercising  which  had  been 
one  of  the  inducing  causes  for  my  accepting  a  new  command,  which 
1  supposed  would  give  me  opportunity  for  such  exercise. 

Our  first  general  inspection  was  on  Tuesday,  the  30th  of  Sep 
tember,  when  all  the  companies  were  brought  together  at  Cockeysville, 
except  B  and  K  which  were  at  such  a  distance  and  had  such  heavy 
details  that  it  was  impossible  to  have  them  join  the  Regiment.  They 
were  inspected  separately  on  the  days  immediately  following.  Xone 
of  you  probably  remember  that  inspection  as  well  as  I  do.  It  re 
quired  most  of  the  day  and  clearly  revealed  the  task  which  was  before 
us  all.  The  result  was  that,  when  1  finished  the  inspection  of  Com 
pany  K,  on  the  2d  of  October,  I  was  about  as  nearly  discouraged  as 
at  any  time  during  my  whole  military  service.  The  command  of  a 
regiment  was  not  nearly  so  attractive  and  desirable  as  it  had  appeared 
to  me,  when  I  left  the  45th,  with  its  year  of  service  and  consequent 
cleanliness,  training  and  discipline.  Some  of  you  were  not  only  much 
surprised,  when  the  Colonel  at  that  inspection  unbuttoned  your  coats 
and  showed  your  dirty  shirts  and  tore  up  your  knapsacks  from  the 
bottom  and  displayed  the  soiled  clothing  which  had  been  hidden  by  a 
carefully  prepared  "top  dressing,"  but  were  mad — in  fact,  very  mad 
— and  did  not  hesitate  to  express  your  opinion  of  such  a  Colonel.  The 


64         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

vigorous  way  in  which  the  Colonel  was  cursed  "from  Dan  to  Beer 
sheba"  came  to  me  in  many  ways ;  and,  although  not  specially  pleas 
ing  at  the  time,  it  indicated  that  your  pride  had  been  touched  and  in 
this  there  was  hope  for  the  future — a  hope  which  was  grandly  real 
ized  as  we  came  into  closer  relations  as  the  weeks  and  months  went 
by  and  you  responded  in  such  an  intelligent  and  soldierly  way  to  the 
demands  of  a  discipline  new  to  you  but  absolutely  essential  to  the 
highest  success  in  a  military  organization. 

Life  about  this  time  was  a.  more  serious  problem  to  me  than  it 
has  ever  been  since.  To  prepare  our  Regiment  for  all  that  might  be 
required  of  it  by  the  stern  realities  of  War  was  the  dominant  thought 
in  my  mind  day  and  night.  In  addition  to  regular  inspections  and 
the  routine  of  camp  duty,  I  made  many  informal  rounds  of  camp, 
guards  and  outposts  a,nd  informal  inspections  of  camps  and  quarters. 
In  doing  so,  I  came  into  more  or  less  personal  relations  with  the  men 
of  the  Regiment  and,  although  the  serious  side  was  with  me  always 
uppermost,  many  things  happened  which  tended  to  relieve  the  serious 
ness  of  the  situation.  Many  incidents  not  provided  for  by  regulation 
have  found  their  way  into  the  traditions  of  the  Regiment,  I  could 
recall  many  but  there  is  one  which  perhaps  has  never  been  mentioned. 
In  making  the  rounds  of  the  quarters  of  one  of  the  companies,  I  heard 
considerable  profanity  which  I  had  been  making  a  strenuous  effort 
to  check,  both  by  orders  and  personal  reprimands.  Coming  suddenly 
upon  the  soldier  who  was  indulging  in  the  profanity,  I  said  to  him : 

"Do  you  know  that  under  the  Articles  of  War  you  would  be 
fined  (an  amount  which  I  do  not  now  recall)  for  the  profanity  which 
you  have  uttered  in  my  hearing  ?" 

Without  a  word,  he  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket  and  handed  me  a 
dollar  bill.  I,  of  course,  did  not  expect  to  take  his  money  and,  so  in 
order  to  avoid  the  necessity  for  it,  I  said  something  about  not  having 
any  change.  He  immediately  replied : 

"Never  mind  the  change,  Colonel,  I  expect  I'll  swear  it  out." 

It  is  needless  to  siay  that  the  money  was  not  taken  and  that  I 
retreated  in  the  best  order  possible. 

The  first  death  in  the  Regiment  occurred  Sunday,  the  21st  of 
September,  when  Condo,  of  G  Company,  was  drowned  in  the  Gun- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  65 

powder.  During  the  month  of  October,  C rider,  of  F ;  Fisher,  of  E ; 
Orr,  of  I ;  and  Saylor,  of  B  Companies  all  died  in  the  hospital.  The 
death  of  these  men,  due  largely  to  the  complete  revolution  in  their 
habits  and  the  lack  of  proper  care  of  themselves  in  the  matter  of  diet 
and  exposure,  made  a  profound  impression  upon  the  Regiment  and 
led  to  more  or  less  of  depression  of  spirits  and  of  homesickness,  which 
is  one  of  the  most  difficult  things  to  deal  with  in  the  experience  of 
new  regiments.  In  order  to  counteract  the  evil  effects  of  these  un 
happy  influences,  as  many  of  the  companies  of  the  Regiment  as  could 
be  conveniently  assembled  were  brought  together  a  number  of  times  at 
Gunpowder  Bridge,  which  afforded  in  the  vicinity  excellent  ground 
for  battalion  drill.  These  drills  were  helpful  in  themselves  and  gave 
most  of  the  companies  practice  in  marching  which  was  very  useful. 

On  the  14th  of  November,  Hon.  Samuel  B.  Thomas,  Deputy 
Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth,  came,  with  a  party  of  ladies  and 
gentlemen  from  Harrisburg,  to  present  our  state  colors  to  the  Regi 
ment  on  behalf  of  the  Governor.  It  was  an  interesting  occasion  in 
many  ways  and  especially  so  to  me,  because  the  Regiment  had  never 
presented  a  better  appearance  and  had  never  before  that  exhibited 
in  such  marked  degree  the  beneficial  effects  of  our  Sunday  morning 
and  monthly  inspections  and  occasional  battalion  drills.  The  Regi 
ment  was  proud  of  itself  that  day,  as  I  certainly  was  of  it,  and  the 
officers  and  men  alike  enjoyed  the  favorable  comments  which  were 
made  by  our  visitors  and  the  people  of  the  neighborhood  upon  its 
soldierly  appearance  and  die  precision  and  ease  of  all  its  movements 
in  battalion  drill  and  review. 

In  a  letter  to  my  mother,  written  the  28th  of  November,  I  spoke 
of  our  Thanksgiving  Day  on  the  24th  and  said : 

UI  spent  most  of  the  day  superintending  my  new  hospital  which 
is  now  almost  finished  and  which  will  be  ready  to  be  occupied  early  in 
the  coming  week.  We  have  bedsteads,  plenty  of  bed  clothes  now,  and 
a  party  of  ladies  from  Harrisburg — Mrs.  Burnside,  Mrs.  Curtin,  the 
Misses  Cameron  and  some  others — are  coming  down  to  fix  it  up  for 
us,  so  I  hope  to  see  my  poor,  sick  boys  comfortable  and  cheerful  in  a 
few  days.  The  Ladies'  Aid  Society,  of  Philadelphia,  have  sent  us 
four  large  boxes  and  two  barrels  of  hospital  supplies — pillows  and 
cases,  sheets,  bed  ticks,  shirts,  slippers,  handkerchiefs,  drawers — in 


66         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

fact  everything  we  need.  There  are  some  boxes  on  the  way  from 
Centre  County  also  and,  when  the  ladies  come  from  Harrisburg,  they 
will  bring  us  whatever  we  want,  The  new  hospital  is  fifty  feet  long 
and  eighteen  feet  wide,  with  kitchen,  etc.,  attached.  I  will  have  it 
papered  on  the  inside  with  bright,  cheerful  paper,  which  will  answer 
the  double  purpose  of  making  it  look  and  feel  much  more  comfort 
able." 

in  the  same  letter : 

"Our  barracks  at  this  place  are  almost  finished  and  if  next  week 
is  favorable,  I  hope  to  see  all  my  family  comfortably  fixed  for  the 
winter.  The  boys  are  becoming  soldiers  very  fast  and  I  expect  to 
morrow's  inspection  to  show  me  a  neater,  cleaner  set  of  soldiers  than 
T  ever  saw  before." 

These  extracts  call  vividly  to  mind  the  efforts  which  we  had 
made  and  were  making  to  provide  comfortable  quarters  for  sick 
and  well  alike  and  the  various  sources  from  which  help  came  to  pro 
vide  for  the  comfort  of  the  sick.  The  latter  extract  indicates  how 
rapidly  the  men  were  learning  to  take  care  of  themselves  and  to  appre 
ciate  for  their  own  sakes  the  importance  of  neatness  and  cleanliness 
in  a  soldier. 

The  most  of  the  letters  written  by  me  during  the  War  were  pre 
served  by  my  mother  and  furnish  me  with  much  reliable  'data  as  to 
the  things  which  interested  me  most  in  the  internal  life  and  discipline 
of  the  Regiment.  I  wrote  very  little  of  such  news  as  she  could  get 
from  the  newspapers  for,  as  you  will  well  remember,  we  scarcely  ever 
knew  what  we  ourselves  had  done,  so  far  as  general  results  were  con 
cerned,  until  the  newspapers  were  received. 

The  monthly  inspection  of  Saturday,  November  29th,  showed  all 
that  I  expected  as  to  appearance  and  cleanliness.  It  was  very  thor 
ough  and  occupied  most  of  the  day.  The  disorder  in  one  of  the  com 
panies  was  very  great  which  was  not  only  not  checked  but  seemed  to 
be  connived  at  by  the  officers.  The  company  was  marched  off  the 
ground  during  the  inspection  and  the  officers  placed  in  arrest.  This 
inspection  in  all  of  its  results  was  most  salutary  and  helpful  in  many 
respects  and  I  do  not  recall  one  subsequently,  under  like  favorable 
conditions,  which  fell  below  the  standard  which  was  there  made  for 
tidiness  and  cleanliness,  and  the  severe  measures  resorted  to  for  re- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  67 

pressing  disorder  were  never  repeated,  because  never  necessary.  The 
men  had  grasped  the  idea  and  were  giving-  practical  effect  to  it.  In 
my  next  letter  to  my  mother  I  spoke  of  a  compliment  paid  the  Regi 
ment,  which  many  of  you  will  recall,  for  it  was  widely  noised  about 
at  the  time: 

"The  regiments  which  were  taken  prisoners  at  Harper's  Ferry 
were  sent  to  Chicago  and,  having  been  exchanged,  are  now  on  their 
way  to  Washington.  They  have  been  some  time  in  service  and  would 
be  likely  to  know  a  neat  soldier,  if  they  saw  one.  They  stopped  here 
on  their  way  down  and,  seeing  our  pickets  go  by  and  the  guard  in 
front  of  my  door  with  their  clean,  white  gloves,  burnished  brasses 
and  blackened  shoes,  several  of  the  officers  called  up  some  of  our  men 
who  were  standing  about  and  asked  them  whether  we  were  not  regu 
lars.  T,  of  course,  cannot  judge  very  impartially  but  I  think  I  never 
saw  such  improvement  in  so  short  a  time.  Tn  fact,  T  never  saw  an 
inspection  as  creditable  as  that  of  today." 

In  the  midst  of  all  our  planning  and  building,  with  engagements 
of  various  sorts  extending  several  weeks  into  the  future,  came,  as  is 
always  to  be  expected  by  a  soldier,  marching  orders,  on  December 
7th.  These  orders  directed  us  to  proceed  to  Washington  by  rail  and 
to  report  to  General  Casey,  who  assumed  command  of  troops  as  they 
arrived  in  Washington,  assigned  them  to  brigades,  etc.,  and  so  our 
hospital  was  never  papered,  our  friends  from  Harrisburg,  who  had 
promised  and  planned  to  arrange  the  details  of  it  and  look  out  for 
the  comfort  of  our  sick  ones,  never  came,  the  erection  of  our  winter 
quarters  was  stopped  and,  on  the  9th  of  December,  we  went  by  rail 
to  Baltimore,  where  we  were  obliged  to  remain  more  than  twenty-four 
hours,  because  of  the  lack  of  transportation.  We  were  compelled  to 
leave  behind  us  about  eighty  who  were  unable  to  march  or 
bear  the  fatigue  of  transportation.  They  were  afterwards  sent  to 
the  hospital  at  York  and  elsewhere,  where  a  number  of  them  died 
There  was  no  connection  between  the  Northern  Central  and  the  Balti 
more  &  Ohio,  which  was  the  only  railroad  from  Baltimore  to  Wash 
ington,  so  we  marched  across  the  city,  meeting  nothing  but  apparent 
good  will  and  many  friendly  manifestations,  being  fed  during  our 
stay  at  the  Union  Relief  Association  quarters.  Upon  reaching  Wash 
ington  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morninp-  after  reporting  to  General 


68         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Casey,' I  found  that  there  could  be  no  transportation  for  many  days, 
inasmuch  as  all  the  steamers  were  employed  in  carrying  stores  to  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  then  supposed  to  be  engaged  or  about  to  be 
engaged  in  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg.  We  were  ordered  to  march 
down  the  Maryland  side  of  the  Potomac  to  Liverpool  Point  opposite 
Acquia  Creek.  Other  troops,  among  them  the  140th  Pennsylvania 
Regiment,  made  the  same  march,  but  we  marched  independently  and 
were  not  brought,  during  the  march,  into  intimate  relations  with 
them. 

We  marched  out  of  Washington  about  five  miles  on  the  evening 
of  the  llth  reaching  Liverpool  at  1 :00  p.  M.  on  the  15th,  and  crossed 
to  Acquia  Creek  on  the  16th,  having  occupied  parts  of  five  days  in  the 
march.  I  recall  no  special  incidents  of  the  march,  except  the  ride 
back  to  Washington,  after  we  started  on  our  journey,  to  insure  a  plen 
tiful  supply  of  commissary  and  quartermasters'  supplies  and  secure 
the  assignment  to  the  Regiment  of  an  additional  Assistant  Surgeon, 
and  the  effort  to  prevent  a  raid  upon  an  inviting  turnip  patch  along 
the  road,  which  was  only  partially  successful.  The  weather  was  rather 
pleasant,  viewed  from  a  Centre  County  standpoint,  except  the  first 
night  out,  which  was  very  uncomfortable  because  of  rain,  mud  and 
frost,  but  the  roads  were  in  bad  condition  which  made  marching  heavy 
and  progress  slow.  I  am  gratified  to  find  in  my  diary,  however,  under 
date  of  December  12th:  "Regiment  marched  well;  little  or  no 
straggling." 

I  recall  with  great  distinctness  the  scene  which  presented 
itself  as  we  reached  the  Potomac  at  Liverpool  Point.  Steamers 
with  supplies  from  Washington  and  those  carrying  the  wounded 
north  were  numerous.  Our  boys  from  the  country,  who  had  never 
witnessed  such  a  scene,  were  excited  and  jubilant.  The  scene  was  in 
itself  intensely  interesting  but  I  was  divided  between  my  interest  in 
the  extravagant  demonstrations  of  enjoyment  on  the  part  of  the  men 
and  the  sorrowf  ul  tidings  which  awaited  us  as  we  reached  there  of  the 
crushing  defeat  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  at  Fredericksburg.  Cross 
ing  the  river,  in  a  drenching  rain,  we  reached  Acquia  Creek,  remain 
ing  on  board  the  steamer  until  our  clothing  and  personal  belonging* 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  69 

were  sufficiently  dried,  and  marched  thence  to  the  headquarters  of  th<} 
Army  December  ITrli. 

General  Burnsicle,  then  at  the  head  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
directed  me  to  report  to  General  Sumner,  the  commander  of  the  right 
grand  division.  He  in  turn  referred  me  to  General  Couch,  command 
ing  the  Second  Corps,  who  sent  me  to  General  Hancock,  commanding 
the  First  Division,  and  by  him  we  were  ordered  to  report  to  Colonel 
Von  Schaack,  who  commanded  the  First  Brigade  in  the  absence  of 
General  Caldwell  who  had  been  wounded  in  the  assault  upon  Fre<l- 
ericksbnrg.  William  G.  Mitchell,  who  had  been  on  the  corps  of  en 
gineers  of  the  Bellefonte  and  Snow  Shoe  Railroad  and  had  gone  out 
as  Lieutenant  in  the  49th  Pennsylvania  Regiment,  was  an  Aide  upon 
General  Hancock's  staff.  I  think  he  must  have  prepared  the  General 
for  my  reception.  He  was  cordial  and  pleasant  and  made  many  in 
quiries  in  regard  to  the  Regiment,  its  strength,  where  raised,  etc., 
and,  in  giving  him  my  views  of  discipline  and  the  desire  to  be  placed 
in  a  brigade  where  what  I  expected  of  my  Regiment  would  be  expected, 
of  me,  I  evidently  made  a  favorable  impression,  which,  being 
strengthened  by  subsequent  fortunate  experiences,  established  the 
most  pleasant  relations  between  us  which  continued  to  the  end  of  the 
War  and  thereafter. 

We  found  our  place  on  the  19th  of  December  and  on  the  21st 
I  wrote  home : 

"'Our  bearings  have  been  ascertained  and  we  find  ourselves  in 
the  First  Brigade,  First  Division,  Second  Army  Corps,  Right  Grand 
Division,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  Our  division  commander,  General 
Hancock,  is  one  of  the  best  officers  of  this  Army  and,  as  we  are  directhj, 
but  little  interested  in  those  who  are  beyond  our  own  Division,  I  feel 
very  much  disposed  to  rejoice  that  we  have  found  a  man  of  so  large 
experience,  nerve  and  decision." 

And  thus  we  were  brought  into  relationships,  so  far  at  least  as 
the  Division  was  concerned,  which  were  to  continue  until  the  end  of 
the  War,  and,  as  this  seems  to  be  an  appropriate  place  for  ending  a 
chapter,  I  will  preserve  for  another  the  story  of  our  further  prepara 
tion  for  and  participation  in  the  serious  work  which  confronted  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac. 


70  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

THE  COLOXEL'S  STORY. 

By  Gen.  James  A.  Beaver. 


CHAPTER  II. 

WINTER    QUARTERS    OF     1862-1863     TO    RETURN     FROM     Oil AXCELLORS- 

VILLE. 

Upon  joining  the  First  Brigade,  the  ground  for  our  camp  was 
pointed  out  and,  upon  examining  it,  was  found  to  have  within  itself 
much  of  what  was  needed  not  only  for  camping  but  for  building  our 
winter  quarters.  It  was  evidently  an  old  tobacco  field  which  had 
grown  up  with  a  second  growth  of  pine  just  about  the  right  size  for 
building  huts.  Our  regimental  front  was  larger  than  that  of  most 
brigades  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  at  that  time.  We  formed  a 
line  in  front  of  our  camp  .and  took  all  the  ground  covered  by  our  regi 
mental  front.  This  gave  us  a  generous  allowance  for  streets  and  quar 
ters.  We  were  on  the  right  flank  of  the  division  immediately  adjoining 
the  Irish  Briga.de,  which  was  the  Second  Brigade  of  our  Division.  The 
topography  of  the  ground,  as  well  as  the  fact  that  we  were  upon  the 
flank,  led  us  to  face  up  the  river.  A  public  road  led  through  the 
camp  parallel  with  the  company  streets.  This  gave  us  fine  facil 
ities  for  receiving  our  stores  and  also  gave  us  command  of  the  road. 
Our  camp  was  laid  out  according  to  regulations  and  then  came  a 
period  of  waiting  for  our  tents. 

All  our  wagon  transportation  had  been  turned  in  before  leaving 
Oockeysidlle  and  we  were,  therefore,  compelled  to  rely  upon  public 
transportation  for  our  camp  and  garrison  equipage,  Xo  tents  could 
be  taken  with,  us  and,  as  no  shelter  tents  had  been  issued  to  us  at  that 
time,  we  bivouacked  from  the  time  we  left  Washington  until  our  tents 
arrived  several  days  after  we  reached  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  On 
the  march,  with  the  exception  of  one  night,  the  weather  was  not  in 
tensely  cold,  but  was  wet  and  in  many  respects  disagreeable.  After 
joining  the  Army,  however,  the  temperature  changed  materially  and 
I  find  in  one  of  my  letters  a  remark  in  regard  to  it: 

"The  weather  has  been  extremely  cold  and,  as  our  boys  are  with 
out  their  tents,  it  has  required  some  considerable  ingenuity  to  make 
themselves  comfortable.  This  has  been  exercised  in  various  ways, 
however,  and  I  have  been  surprised  to  find  how  comfortable  men  can 
make  themselves  without  shelter,  when  necessity  requires  it," 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  71 

In  due  time,  however,  our  tents  arrived  and  the  destruction  of 
the  pine  timber  began.  Here  came  into  play  in  a  splendid  way  the  skill 
of  our  woodsmen  from  Centre,  Cameron  and  Clarion  Counties.  Com 
pany  F  had  a  detachment  from  about  Snow  Shoe,  and  in  it  were 
two  specially  fine  woodsmen  who  were  much  over  age — Wash  Watson 
and  Bill  Perry.  We  organized  our  pioneer  corps  and  they  were,  in 
a  measure,  the  leaders  of  it,  both  as  to  size  and  efficiency  with  axes. 
As  I  think  of  them  now,  they  must  have  been  well  onto  sixty  years 
of  age.  Watson  had  a  long  white  beard  and  Perry,  although  close 
shaven,  seemed  to  be  of  equal  age.  They  rendered  splendid  service 
as  woodsmen  and  kept  their  axes  almost  continuously  employed  dur 
ing  our  entire  term  of  service. 

Dear  old  Wash  Watson !  He  was  as  solicitous  as  a  father  for 
my  comfort  and  welfare  and  was  generally  on  the  detail  for  putting 
up  my  quarters,  whether  consisting  of  a  tent  fly  for  the  night  or  an 
elaborate  hut  of  matched  and  dressed  logs  for  permanent  winter  quar 
ters.  On  the  march,  he  habitually  fixed  my  office,  without  any  inti 
mation  on  the  subject,  which  consisted  of  driving  four  stakes  in  the 
ground,  upon  which  my  field  desk  was  set,  and  a  fifth  one  in  front, 
upon  which  the  lid  rested.  When  this  was  done,  I  was  ready  for  busi 
ness  at  all  times.  He  also  provided  for  my  comfort  and  cleanliness 
in  making  a  washstand  outside  of  my  tent  by  driving  a  stake  in  the 
ground  and  nailing  the  end  of  a  cracker  box  on  it.  It  is  astonishing 
how  easily  one's  comfort  is  provided  for  under  the  stress  of  necessity. 
In  the  winter  of  1863-1864,  after  my  winter  quarters  were  finished, 
I  secured  a  furlough  for  Wash  outside  the  quota  allowed  his  company. 
When  he  returned,  he  brought  me,  with  much  pride  and  satisfaction, 
an  ambroty}>e  enclosed  in  a  case,  in  Avhich  an  unsuspected  strain  of 
vanity  appeared,  the  old  fellow  having  tied  a  red  woolen  sash  around 
his  waist,  before  the  picture  was  taken.  How  vividly  the  old  times 
come  back,  when  little  incidents  like  this  flash  across  the  memory. 

Our  lints  for  winter  quarters  were  planned  so  as  to  be  double  the 
size  of  an  A  tent.  They  were  built  of  pine  logs — say  three  or  four 
feet  high — and  upon  them  were  securely  fastened  two  A  tents,  fac 
ing  each  other,  with  the  flaps  crossed,  so  as  to  make  a  room  inside 
about  7x14.  The  older  troops,  who  had  been  through  the  campaigns 


72         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

of  the  summer  and  fall  of  1862,  had  turned  in  their  A  tents  at  the 
opening  of  the  spring  campaign  and  had  received  shelter  tents  in  place 
of  them.  These  were  used  by  them  for  roofs  of  their  winter  quarters 
and  the  fact  that  we  had  regular  tents,  as  well  as  the  size  of  our  camp, 
indicated  that  we  were  a  "new  regiment." 

The  completion  of  the  camp  was  speedily  accomplished  and  we 
settled  down  to  a  winter's  hard  work.  Even  before  our  tents  arrived, 
we  had  been  out  upon  battalion  drill  several  times,  an  exercise  which 
was  hardly  considered  worth  the  while  by  the  regiments  which  had 
been  decimated  by  the  campaigns  through  which  they  had  passed, 
some  of  which  were  less,  in  number  of  effective  men,  than  some  of  our 
companies.  It  was  not  remarkable,  therefore,  that,  as  we  marched 
through  the  Irish  Brigade  to  our  splendid  drill  ground,  the  road  was 
lined  with  veterans  who  had  not  seen  for  many  months  a  regiment  with 
full  ranks,  and,  as  we  went  by  from  day  to  day,  with  our  large  drum 
corps,  our  full  ranks  and  our  new  flags  flying,  it  was  not  surprising 
that  many  remarks  half  jest,  half  earnest,  were  made  at  our  expense. 
I  did  not  know  certainly  how  to  interpret  a  remark  of  one  of  the  mem 
bers  of  the  Irish  Brigade,  as  we  went  out  one  day  for  battalion  drill. 
"Och,  Colonel,  it's  loike  the  Fourth  of  July  to  see  yez  goin'  out," 
may  have  meant  that  we  were  simply  holiday  soldiers  or  it  may  have 
impressed  him  as  a  sight  that  recalled  the  display  and  parade  usually 
attending  the  celebration  of  our  nation's -birthday.  Our  white  gloves 
were  the  target  of  many  jocose  remarks,  but  the  use  of  them  was  in 
sisted  upon  during  our  entire  term  of  service — not  so  much  for  the 
show — although  that  was  a  consideration  from  the  military  stand 
point — but  the  cost  and  care  of  them  was  very  much  less  than  the 
extra  care  and  labor  required  upon  the  arms,  when  they  were  not  in 
use. 

Very  soon  after  our  arrival,  being  upon  battalion  drill,  I  noticed 
a  General  and  his  staff  in  our  neighborhood.  Lieutenant  Mitchell 
rode  up  and  informed  me  that  General  Hancock  was  near  and  I  in 
quired  whether  it  would  be  his  pleasure  to  review  the  Regiment.  The 
word  came  that  he  would  be  glad  to  do  SQ  and,  being  then  marching 
in  column  and  having  in  the  meantime  cautioned  the  company  com 
manders  as  to  their  distances,  we  wheeled  into  line  as  beautifully  as 


THE  ijSTH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  73 

we  ever  did  it  and  immediately  opened  ranks  for  the  review.  I  pre 
sented  the  battalion,  the  General  rode  along  its  front  and  rear  and, 
without  waiting  for  us  to  pass  in  review,  went  to  his  camp.  The 
Regiment  made  a  good  impression  and  assisted  me  thereby  in  securing 
what  was  just  then  a  result  for  which  I  was  laboring  most  earnestly. 
When  the  Regiment  was  armed  and  equipped  at  Harrisburg,  no 
arms  were  available,  except  a  heavy,  cumbrous,  awkward  piece,  with 
a  large  sword  bayonet  called  the  Yiiicennes  rifle,  caliber  .09.  I  com 
menced  very  early  a  vigorous  campaign  for  a  change  of  these  arms 
and,  in  response  to  the  requirements  of  General  Orders  No.  167,  War 
Department,  Adjutant  General's  office,  October  24,  1862,  requiring 
"Every  commanding  officer  of  a  detachment,  company,  regiment  or 
post  who  has  arms  in  his  possession  or  under  his  control,  to  make 
within  ten  days  after  the  receipt  of  the  order,  if  in  camp,  or  twenty 
days,  if  on  the  march,  an  inventory  stating  the  number,  caliber,  etc., 
of  all  the  arms  in  his  possession,"  made  an  inventory  and  report 
which  was  intended  to  be  a  protest  against  the  unserviceable  condition 
of  our  arms.  I  retained  a  copy  of  this  report  for  future  use  and  have 
it  by  me  now.  We  had  882  of  these  rifles,  of  which  forty-seven  were 
unserviceable ;  and,  in  the  column  of  "Remarks,"  occurs  this  descrip 
tion  of  them : 

"General  Orders  No.  167,  the  24th  of  October,  1862,  received 
7th  November,  1862.  The  arms  in  use  are  less  in  number  than  the 
number  of  men  in  the  Regiment,  hence  not  only  those  serviceable  but 
also  the  unserviceable  .are  required  to  be  kept  in  use.  The  caliber  of 
the  piece  may  be  reckoned  as  .69,  although  the  bore  is  so  irregular 
that,  whilst  in  some  instances,  .69  caliber  ammunition  fits  the  bore 
tightly,  in  others  it  falls  from  the  muzzle  to  the  breech.  In  many  in 
stances  in  firing  at  a  target  at  two  hundred  and  fifty  yards  the  balls 
fall  short,  without  even  penetrating  the  ground.  The  locks  are  of 
soft  iron  and  many  of  them  are  already  unserviceable  from  wear.  The 
workmanship,  both  in  the  wood  and  iron,  is  extremely  rough  and  the 
piece  very  heavy.  The  bayonet  is  a  formidable  sword  bayonet  The 
rifling  of  the  piece  is  very  shallow  and  adds  nothing  to  the  accuracy  or 
effectiveness  of  the  weafxms.  Altogether,  the  weapon  is  very  ineffi 
cient  and  unreliable." 

After  joining  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  I  soon  asked  for  an  in 
spection,  with  a  view  to  thfe  condemnation  of  these  arms.  The  inspec- 


74         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

tion  was  made,  the  arms  condemned  as  unfit  for  active  service  and  our 
campaign  for  new  ones  began.  As  the  winter  wore  on  and  we  did  not 
seem  to  be  accomplishing  much  in  the  way  of  securing  what  we  de 
sired,  I  called  to  my  aid,  as  I  often  did  subsequently,  Hon.  Jamas  T. 
Hale,  of  Bellefonte,  then  the  member  of  Congress  from  our  district 
He  responded  immediately  promising  all  the  aid  in  his  power.  Tn 
this  as  in  very  many  other  instances,  where  T  endeavored  to  accomp 
lish  results  through  his  assistance,  T  was  rapped  over  the  knuckles 
through  regular  military  channels  for  presuming  to  attempt  to  secure 
help  from  outside  sources,  but  I  was  quite  willing  to  stand  all  raps,  if 
the  results  followed.  Judge  Hale  was  untiring  in  his  efforts  to  serve 
our  Regiment,  Many  of  the  officers  and  men  will  recall  his  special 
interference  in  their  behalf  in  the  matter  of  the  extension  of  leaves  of 
absence  and  furloughs  and  similar  services.  L  never  called  upon  him 
for  any  help  for  the  Regiment  that  it  was  not  cheerfully  and  heartily 
rendered.  Tie  occupied  a  very  influential  position  in  Congress  and 
was  highly  esteemed,  both  by  the  President  and  the  Secretary  of  War. 
When  he  exerted  himself,  therefore,  wo  felt  the  helpful  influence  of 
his  efforts  and,  in  this  vital  matter  of  the  change  of  our  arms,  as  well 
as  in  other  cases,  when  T  appealed  to  him  later  in  bohalf  of  some  of 
our  poor  fellows  who  were  in  my  judgment  wrongfully  condemned, 
he  never  failed  us  and,  in  some  instances,  I  am  quite  sure,  without  his 
help,  results  would  have  been  very  different.  As  a  consequence  of 
following  up  our  inspection  reports  energetically  through  regular 
channels  and  getting  Judge  Hale's  assistance  with  the  authorities  at 
Washington  before  the  campaign  of  1863  opened,  we  were  fortunate, 
prior  to  the  9th  of  February,  in  securing  a  full  supply  of  new  .58 
caliber  Springfield  rifles,  and  1  had  the  satisfaction  of  writing,  on 
the  9th  of  February,  1863  : 

"We  have  received  new  arms  during  the  past  week  and  T  now 
have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  the  Regiment  is  supplied  with 
the  best  arms  in  the  world." 

This  was  regarded  as  important,  not  only  because  of  the  in 
creased  effectiveness  of  the  arm  but,  as  our  Vincennes  rifles  were  of 
.69  caliber,  the  same  as  the  old  Harper's  Ferry  musket,  T  had  greatly 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  75 

feared  that  the  proper  ammunition  might  not  be  available,  in  case  of 
a  scarcity  in  an  emergency. 

After  our  general  camp  was  in  good  condition,  Colonel  McFar- 
lane,  Major  Fairlamb  and  I  pooled  our  issues  and  had  a  large  hut 
built  upon  which  we  erected  our  three  wall  tents,  one  of  them  at  right 
angles  to  the  other  two,  being  used  as  a  bed  room  and  the  two,  cover 
ing  a  huge  hut,  with  a  fire  place  at  the  end,  large  enough  to  contain 
all  the  officers  of  the  Regiment  for  an  officers'  school.  In  this  the 
officers  assembled  sometimes  two  or  three  times  a  week  for  officers' 
school,  in  which  the  school  of  the  soldier,  the  school  of  the  company 
and  the  school  of  the  battalion  were  carefully  taught  and,  in  connec 
tion  with  actual  practice  in  the  manual  of  arms,  soon  made  all  our 
officers,  even  those  who  had  no  previous  military  experience,  proficient 
in  drill  and  capable  of  instructing  their  non-commissioned  officers  and 
of  drilling  their  companies. 

By  the  4th  of  January,  1863,  our  whole  camp  was  in  good  con 
dition,  and  I  was  able  to  write,  so  far  as  personal  quarters  were  con 
cerned  : 

"We  are  quite  comfortable  in  our  new  house;  have  it  carpeted 
with  small  pine  boughs  which  are  a  great  improvement  over  the  dusty 
ground.  To  make  our  domestic  affairs  run  smoothly,  we  only  need  a 
good  cook.  My  boy  Ike,  who  now  acts  as  cook,  has  very  little  capacity 
in  such  things.  Fried  mush  is  the  principal  article  of  diet  now  and 
it's  well  that  we  can  get  it" 

We  joined  in  a  review  of  our  Corps  on  the  17th  of  January, 
which  gave  us  an  opportunity  to  see  a  large  body  of  troops  together. 
This  was  preparatory  to  the  movement  for  which  marching  orders 
came  on  the  morning  of  the  20th,  the  movement  beginning  that  day. 
It  continued  Wednesday,  the  21st,  and  Thursday,  the  22d,  through 
almost  continuous  rain.  The  mud  became  almost  liquid  and  abso 
lutely  precluded  further  movements.  The  movement  was  counter 
manded  on  Friday  the  23d,  and  thus  ended  what  was  known  as 
"Burnside's  Mud  March."  We  did  not  move  from  our  camp  and,  as  all 
the  troo]>s  moving  up  the  river  either  went  through  our  camp  or  imme 
diately  on  its  flank,  we  were  privileged  to  see  the  most  of  the  move 
ment,  without  experiencing  anything  of  its  annoyances  and  discom 
forts. 


76         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

I  find  in  a  letter,  dated  January  23,  1863,  a  reference  to  a  detail 
which  enabled  me  to  witness  some  of  the  incidents  attending  the 
change  in  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  shortly  there 
after  : 

"I  have  been  on  a  court  martial  for  more  than  a  week  and  this 
evening  there  comes  an  order  from  the  headquarters  of  the  Army, 
detailing  me  on  another  court.  As  I  am  the  eleventh  on  the  list,  1 
presume  I  will  meet  some  officers  high  in  rank  on  the  court.  Although 
sorry  to  be  taken  from  my  Regiment  just  at  this  time,  I  am  glad,  be 
cause  it  will  give  me  an  opportunity  of  seeing  and  meeting  more  in 
timately  officers  from  other  parts  of  the  Army." 

In  obedience  to  that  detail,  1  reported  at  army  headquarters  and 
write,  February  1,  1863: 

"On  going  over  to  General  Burnside's  headquarters  last  Mon 
day  morning,  to  attend  a  court  martial,  I  found  everything  in  con 
fusion  consequent  upon  the  change  of  commanders.  The  parting 
scene  was  just  being  enacted  and  T  joined  in  the  performance.  I  was 
really  sorry  to  see  General  Burnsidc  leave.  He  has  been  so  exceed 
ingly  kind  to  me  and  I  do  not  forget  kindness.  I  know  little  of  Gen 
eral  Hooker  and  all  I  need  to  know  is  that  he  is  my  commander.7' 

In  the  same  letter,  reference  is  made  to  the  illness  of  Colonel 
MeFarlane,  "Who  ha.s  the  first  symptoms  of  typhoid  fever  and  goes 
home  in  the  morning  on  twenty  days7  leave  of  absence.77  Dr.  George 
L.  Potter,  of  Bollefonte,  Surgeon  of  the  145th  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers,  accompanied  him  home.  It  may  be  well  to  say  here  that,  after 
reaching  home,  the  ColoneFs  illness  became  a  pronounced  case  of  ty 
phoid  fever,  which  detained  him  at  his  home  for  several  months  and 
from  which  he  returned  too  soon  and  thereby  not  only  endangered  his 
restoration  to  complete  health  but  laid  the  foundation  for  a  condition 
which  compelled  him  to  resign  later. 

About  this  time  we  had  an  epidemic  of  fever  and,  in  a  later  let 
ter,  after  speaking  of  Colonel  McFarlane7s  case,  I  said  : 

"We  have  quite  a  number  of  cases  of  fever  and  have  lost  several 
men  lately.  We  seem  to  have  brought  the  seeds  of  the  disease  with 
us  from  Maryland.77 

This  epidemic  became  verv  serious  and  had  an  un 
favorable  influence  upon  men  who  were  not  stricken  with  the 
disease.  T  spent  considerable  time  going  about  with  Dr.  Davis  in 
visiting  the  sick  and  was  impressed  with  his  view7  that  many  men 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  77 

were  suffering  not  so  much  from  disease  as  from  pure  homesickness 
and,  in  one  case  which  I  well  remember,  the  doctor  spoke  of  one  of 
our  men  who  occupied  a  somewhat  important  position  in  the  com 
missary  department — that  he  was  dying,  because  his  wife  could  not 
write  a  cheerful  letter.  February  27th  I  wrote: 

";Our  hospital  is  full ;  the  quarters  of  the  men  are  full  of  sick ;  we 
are  just  passing  through  our  hardest  trials  as  a  Regiment.  The  whole 
number  of  deaths,  since  we  entered  the  service,  is  twenty-nine.  Of 
these  nine  died  this  month.  This  awful  weather  kills  men  on  picket. 
I  hope  we  are  over  the  worst.  Typhoid  fever  is  the  prevailing  dis 
ease.  It  seems  to  take  one  or  two  companies  at  a"  time.  Some  of 
the  companies  have  little  or  no  sickness ;  others  have  as  many  as 
twenty-five  or  thirty  cases." 

I  find,  in  a  letter  of  March  24th,  a  somewhat  detailed  description 
of  a  punishment  inflicted  upon  some  deserters  which  the  entire  Di 
vision  was  called  upon  to  witness.  1  do  not  now  recall  their  regiment 
but  the  ceremony,  if  it  could  be  called  such,  was  most  impressive. 
March  24,  1863,  I  wrote: 

''One  week  a^o  today  I  wrote  you  at  length  of  the  festivities  ol 
St.  Patrick's  Day,  or,  as  our  boys  say,  of  the  17th  of  Ireland.  Today 
I  witnessed  another  phase  of  army  life — one  which  never  presented 
itself  to  me  before.  We  were  asked  this  morning  to  assemble  on  our. 
division  drill  ground  to  witness  the  punishment  of  some  deserters 
who  were  sentenced  to  be  drummed  out  of  the  service.  Our  whole 
Division  was  present,  drawn  up  in  two  lines,  facing  each  other.  After 
the  lines  were  formed,  a  large  procession  started  at  the  right  of  our 
Brigade  with  a  noise  which  resembled  the  rush  of  mighty  waters.  As 
it  neared  us,  I  could  distinguish  the  notes  of  the  Rogue's  March  above 
the  rolling  of  at  least  fifty  drums.  The  procession  neared  us.  First 
came  three  men  with  downcast  eyes  and  tottering  limbs,  in  soldier's 
garb,  the  buttons  and  facings  cut  from  their  uniforms,  their  hats  in 
their  hands,  the  side  of  their  heads  turned  toward  us  shaved  clean  and 
white.  Behind  them  came  three  soldiers  at  a  charge  bayonet,  the 
bayonets  just  close  enough  to  make  the  culprits  wish  to  keep  out  of 
their  way.  Xext  came  the  huge  army  of  drums,  composed  of  the 
drum  corps  of  all  the  regiments  in  the  Division.  After  the  procession 
passed,  I  noticed  'Coward'  in  large  letters  painted  on  a  board  and 
hung  on  the  back  of  each  of  the  men  being  drummed  out.  As  they 
passed  around  to  march  down  the  front  of  the  line  opposite  us,  their 
heads  looked  natural.  They  had  been  shaved  on  but  one  side.  It  was 
a  hideous  sight,  I  think  no  man  who  witnessed  the  ceremony,  if  it 
can  be  called  a  ceremony,  will  be  inclined  to  imitate  the  gentlemen 
thus  summarily  disposed  of." 


78         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

About  this  time,  at  the  earnest  request  of  officers  of  the  134th 
Pennsylvania  Regiment,  I  became  counsel  for  Gen.  E.  B.  Tyler,  who 
commanded  a  brigade  in  the  Third  Division  of  the  Fifth  Corps.  The 
charges  were  based  upon  technical  disobedience  of  orders :  1st,  in 
refusing  to  draw  dress  coats  for  a  review,  as  directed  by  the  division 
commander;  and,  2d,  in  making  a  report  to  Governor  Curtin,  outside 
of  military  channels,  contrary  to  a  General  Order  from  the  head 
quarters  of  the  Army  commending  Col.  M.  S.  Quay  for  exceptionally 
gallant  conduct  at  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg.  The  facts  were 
against  us  and  indicated  technical  guilt  but  we  endeavored  to  justify, 
on  the  ground  that  the  term  of  the  service  of  the  men  was  about  to 
expire  and  it  was  unfair  to  compel  them  to  purchase  dress  coats,  at 
an  expense  of  about  $9.00,  for  the  sake  of  one  review ;  and  that,  Col 
onel  Quay,  having  resigned  on  account  of  ill  health  before  the  battle 
of  Fredericksburg  and  having  been  out  of  the  service,  the  only  way  in 
which  his  gallantry,  as  a  volunteer  Aide  during  the  battle  could  be 
recognized  was  by  a  report  to  the  Governor  of  the  state.  This  trial 
brought  me  into  contact  with  a  number  of  our  nine  months  regiments 
and  gave  me  a  temporary  unfavorable  impression  of  a  most  gallant, 
and  capable  officer  who  was  then  their  division  commander  and  after 
wards  became  the  chief  of  staff  of  the  commander  of  the  Army  and 
subsequently  the  commander  of  the  Second  Corps,  General  A.  A. 
Humphreys.  The  result  of  the  court  martial  was  a  finding  that  Gen 
eral  Tyler  was  acquitted  of  all  the  charges  preferred  against  him,  ex 
cept  one,  the  facts  in  regard  to  which  he  admitted.  He  was  sentenced 
to  be  reprimanded  in  General  Orders  and  in  carrying  out  the  sentence 
it  was  hard  to  tell  which  was  the  more  culpable,  the  'accuser  or  the 
accused.  Although  this  experience  was  outside  our  regimental  life, 
it  goes  to  show  what  made  up  the  sum  of  army  experience. 

As  illustrating  the  condition  of  the  Army,  which  T  think  it  did 
not  misrepresent,  T  wrote  in  April : 

"General  Hooker  is  enthusiastically  confident  and  intends  or 
expects  to  go  straight  through  to  Richmond  in  about  a  week.  No 
Army  ever  was  in  better  condition — well  fed,  well  clothed,  well 
armed,  well  equipped,  well  disciplined,  well  drilled  and  confident. 
The  country  has  a  right  to  expect  much  from  it  and  will  doubtless 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  79 

have  stirring  news  very  shortly.     The  month  of  April  will  l»e  the 
great  month  in  the  history  of  this  War." 

And  so  I  may  add  it  would  have  been  if  the  Army  could  have  had 
its  own  way. 

During  this  month  Governor  Curtin  paid  a  visit  to  the  Army 
and,  with  General  Hooker  and  staff,  General  Hancock  and  staff  and 
a  number  of  other  general  officers,  made  us  a  visit.  We  were,  of 
course,  enthusiastic  and  the  Regiment  did  its  best  After  dress  pa 
rade  we  formed  column  by  division,  on  the  center  division,  closed  in 
mass,  which  was  beautifully  executed  at  the  double  quick  and  which 
I  can  see  now,  when  I  shut  my  eyes.  It  was  our  usual  formation  for 
divine  service  after  dress  parade  Sunday  evening  and  was  a  beautiful 
movement,  when  well  done.  There  was  no  formal  introduction.  I 
merely  said,  "Boys,  I  needn't  tell  you  who  this  is ;  give  him  three 
cheers."  These  were  given  with  a  heartiness  born  of  personal  affec 
tion  and  esteem  for  the  man,  as  well  as  respect  and  admiration  for 
the  chief  executive  of  our  great  commonwealth.  This,  of  course,  gave 
the  Governor  a  chance  to  make  us  a  little  speech,  which  he  did  in  his 
usual  happy  and  inspiring  way  and  left  us  well  satisfied  with  our 
selves  and  hopeful  for  the  future.  The  Governor  carried  this  little 
scene  in  memory  as  long  as  he  lived  and  often  spoke  of  it  afterwards 
as  being  the  best  introduction  he  ever  had.  This  visit,  followed  by 
that  of  the  President,  was  an  indication  of  active  movements  soon  to 
follow.  On  the  llth  of  April  I  wrote  : 

"The  President  and  his  wife  have  been,  in  the  Army  this  week. 
We  have  had  the  most  magnificent  reviews  of  cavalry,  artillery  and 
infantry  ever  held  on  this  continent.  Four  corps  of  the  Army — ours 
included — were  reviewed  on  Wednesday,  the  cavalry  were  reviewed 
on  Monday  and  the  corps  which  were  too  far  distant  to  participate  in 
the  review  of  Wednesday  were  reviewed  separately.  The  day  of  our 
review  was  not  favorable.  Our  Brigade  was  ordered  to  wear  their 
overcoats  and  the  appearance  of  the  Regiment  was  thus  spoiled.  I  was 
not  satisfied  with  our  part  of  it  at  all  and  it  was  not  the  fault  of  the 
men  either,  for  they  looked  well  and  marched  well,  but  the  overcoat 
hid  their  uniforms  and  brasses." 

On  the  same  date  I  was  glad  to  write : 

"We  are  improving  in  health,  but  few  men  go  to  the  hospital  and 
oiir  convalescents  are  rapidly  becoming  fit  for  duty." 


80         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Colonel  MoFarlane,  however,  was  not  one  of  the  convalescents. 
The  news  from  him  was  extremely  depressing  and  we  had  grave 
doubts  many  times  as  to  his  recovery.  At  the  same  time  Adjutant 
Lipton,  who  had  previously  served  in  the  1st  Pennsylvania  Cavalry, 
was  absent  sick.  I  wrote,  22d  of  April,  1863,  "Our  Adjutant  is,  T 
am  afraid,  on  his  death  bed.  He  has  been  home  on  sick  leave,  started 
for  the  Regiment  and  was  seized  with  another  hemorrhage  and  is  now 
prostrate,7'  a  prediction  which  was  after  the  fact,  for  he  had  died  at 
Milesburg,  April  20th. 

During  the  sickness  and  ^absence  of  the  Adjutant.,  First  Lieuten 
ant  William  P.  Wilson,  of  F  Company,  discharged  the  duties  of  the 
office  with  great  acceptance.  He  was  thoroughly  qualified  for  staff 
duty,  having  been  the  private  secretary  of  Governor  Curtin,  and 
afterwards  was  detailed  for  such  duty  upon  the  Division  and  finally 
the  corps  headquarter  staffs.  On  the  27th  of  April,  1863,  Sergeant 
Major  Joseph  W.  Muffly  was  promoted  to  the  vacancy  caused  by  the 
death  of  Adjutant  Lipton. 

We  also  lost,  by  discharge  or  resignation,  during  the  winter  the 
following  officers :  First  Lieut.  John  E.  Thomas,  D  Company,  1 6th 
January,  1863 ;  Second  Lieut  Lewis  C.  Edmonds,  D  Company,  Feb 
ruary  7,  1863 ;  First  Lieut.  Jabez  C.  P.  Jones,  -B  Company,  February 
16,  1863;  Second  Lieut.  David  C.  Freeman,  F  Company,  March 
2,  1863.  These  changes  gave  deserved  promotions  to  some  of  our 
best  non-commissioned  officers.  Israel  F.  Musser,  First  Sergeant 
of  D  Company,  was  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant  March  1,  1863. 
Sergt.  William  D.  Harper,  of  B  Company,  was  promoted  to  First 
Lieutenant  in  place  of  Lieutenant  Jones,  March  1,  1863.  Sergt. 
George  T.  Curvan,  of  F  Company,  was  promoted  to  Second  Lieuten 
ant  March  2,  1863,  in  place  of  Freeman,  resigned. 

The  Regiment  was  paid  by  Major  George  Marston,  Paymaster 
U.  S.  A.,  Thursday,  April  16th,  the  first  pay  received  since  the  muster 
into  service,  an  event  which  caused  great  rejoicing  and  relieved  the 
necessities  of  both  officers  and  men.  Our  Chaplain,  as  a  consequence, 
received  a  leave  of  absence  and  undertook  to  carry  to  the  families  of 
the  members  of  the  Regiment  the  surplus  not  needed  for  personal  ex 
penses.  This  duty,  as  were  all  others,  was  discharged  by  him  with  the 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  81 

utmost  fidelity,  the  packages,  aggregating  thousands  of  dollars,  being 
delivered  individually  to  the  persons  to  whom  they  were  directed. 

Reviews  and  inspections,  such  as  we  were  having,  indicated  a  gen 
eral  movement  and,  on  Monday,  April  27th,  marching  orders  reached 
us.  We  were  in  line  at  sunrise  on  the  following  morning  and,  after 
a  march  up  the  river  (the  Rappahannock)  of  five  miles,  halted  and 
bivouacked.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  men  were  detailed  for  picket  and 
our  pioneer  corps  and  one  hundred  men  in  addition  for  fatigue 
duty.  The  next  day,  Wednesday,  the  29th,  we  made  additional  de 
tails  for  fatigute  duty  and  Major  Fairlamb  went  in  charge  of  the 
pioneers  and  the  detail.  We  marched  perhaps  four  miles  and  halted 
for  the  night.  It  rained  a  little  both  days.  On  Thursday,  the  30th,  we 
crossed  the  Rappahannook  and  marched  until  about  11 :00  p.  M.  We 
advanced  next  morning,  Friday,  the  1st  of  May,  to  a  beautiful  posi 
tion,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  in  front  of  Chanoellorsville,  looking 
toward  Fredericksburg.  Before  we  went  into  position,  a  little  col 
loquy  occurred  between  General  Couch  and  General  Hancock,  heard 
by  many  of  our  men,  which,  being  speedily  communicated  to  the 
Regiment,  helped  to  inspire  confidence  and  good  cheer.  As  T  rode 
up  at  the  head  of  the  Regiment,  General  Couch  said  to  General  Han 
cock  : 

"That  Regiment  can  counter-march  and  occupy  a  position  on  the 
left  of  the  road." 

I  remarked : 

''General,  if  it  makes  no  difference,  we  can  avoid  the  counter 
march  and  come  in  on  the  right  by  file  into  line." 

General  Couch  looked  at  me  for  a  moment  and,  turning  to  Gen 
eral  Hancock,  said : 

"Can  that  new  Regiment  do  that?" 

General  Hancock  replied,  with  some  spirit  and  in  a  manner 
which  indicated  entire  confidence  in  us: 

"General  Couch,  that  new  Regiment  can  do  anything  in  the 
book." 

It  was  needless  to  say  that  we  went  on  the  right  by  file  into  line 
in  fine  shape  and,  when  in  position,  looked  out  upon  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  scenes  imaginable.  We  were  on  the  top  of  a  high  ridge 


82         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

commanding  the  country  in  our  front  for  at  least  a  couple  of  miles, 
which  were  in  plain  view.  It  seemed  to  be  an  ideal  posi 
tion.  It  was  an  ideal  position  in  itself  considered.  Being  in 
the  road  at  the  right  of  the  Regiment,  I  heard  all  that  oc 
curred,  as  that  point  seemed  to  be  the  headquarters  of  both 
the  Corps  and  the  Division.  An  officer,  who  proved  to  be  an  Aide  of 
General  Hooker,  approached  and,  in  the  ordinary  military  parlance, 
directed  General  Couch,  by  General  Hooker's  order,  to  retire  from 
the  position  to  a  point  in  the  rear.  General  Couch  was  much  sur 
prised  and  disturbed  and  said : 

"That  cannot  be  so,  sir." 

The  Aide  insisted  upon  it  but  the  General  refused  to  retire,  until 
he  had  sent  one  of  his  own  staff  to  ascertain  that  the  order  was  per 
emptory.  When  it  was  definitely  ascertained  that  the  change  was  to 
be  made,  we  retired  to  a  miserable  position  half  a  mile  in  our  rear 
which  commanded  nothing,  in  which  we  remained  during  the  night. 
Before  daylight  we  retired  to  a  good  position  just  in  front  of  the 
Chancellor  House  which  we  made  perfectly  safe  by  felling  trees  and 
converting  them  into  a  sort  of  abatis  in  our  front.  Here  the  Regi 
ment  received  its  first  baptism  of  fire.  We  were  comparatively  safe 
from  any  attack  of  the  enemy  in  our  front,  but  were  vigorously  shelled 
by  their  artillery,  to  which  our  own  guns  replied  with  much 
spirit,  The  day  passed  without  special  incident,  except  that  one  of 
our  men,  Samuel  Holloway,  of  D  Company,  was  killed  by  a  sabot  or 
its  fastening  from  one  of  our  own  guns. 

Our  Regiment  occupied  a  position  across  one  of  the  roads  lead 
ing  into  the  plank  road  to  Fredericksburg.  When  the  break  in  the 
Eleventh  Corps,  which  constituted  the  right  wing  of  our  Army  and 
which  was  directly  in  our  rear,  occurred,  our  troops  being  in  the  form 
of  a  horseshoe  around  the  Chancellor  House,  I  posted  a  strong  guard 
across  this  road,  in  order  to  prevent  the  stragglers  and  skulkers  from 
passing  beyond  our  front  and  being  captured,  their  idea  being  that 
they  were  going  to  the  rear.  A  continuous  stream  of  men  were  turned 
in  the  right  direction,  the  Sergeant  in  charge  of  the  detail,  who  was  a 
resolute  fellow,  easily  turning  aside  the  ordinary  individual  strago-ler. 
sometimes  including  individual  officers,  but  finallv  he  called  me  and 


THE  ijSTH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  83 

I  came  to  find  him  expostulating  with,  an  officer  on  horseback  who 
proved  to  be  a  Colonel  at  the  head  of  his  regiment,  I  addressed  him 
very  sharply  and  received  from  him  the  astonishing  intelligence  that 
his  regiment  had  been  cut  to  pieces  and  that  he  was  taking  the  rem 
nant  to  the  rear.  As  there  seemed  to  be  behind  him  a  regiment  with 
apparently  full  ranks  and  in  marching  order,  with  their  arms,  I  ques 
tioned  the  reliability  of  his  statement.  We  had  some  sharp  words 
but  I  found  it  very  difficult  to  impress  upon  his  demoralized  brain 
that,  instead  of  going  to  the  rear,  he  was  going  immediately  into  the 
enemy's  front.  He  finally  realized  his  position  and,  counter-march 
ing  his  regiment,  joined  the  demoralized  forces  who  were  crowding 
the  road  to  the  river.  The  incident  made  a  very  profound  impres-, 
sion  upon  me  which  was  not  lessened  by  the  fact  that  within  a  year 
this  same  officer  was  made  a  Brigadier  General,  a  promotion  based  in 
part  upon  his  services  at  Chancellorsville. 

On  the  first  of  May  a  detail  of  three,  companies  had  been  made 
from  our  Regiment  for  picket  or  skirmish  duty.  The  following  day 
three  additional  companies  were  sent  to  relieve  them  but  all  were  re 
tained  upon  the  skirmish  line.  On  Sunday  morning,  the  3d  of  May, 
we,  therefore,  had  but  four  companies — C,  D,  G  and  H — with  our 
colors.  After  our  breakfast  and,  while  nothing  specially  urgent 
seemed  to  be  in  hand,  I  heard  an  officer  making  an  earnest  inquiry  as 
to  whether  this  was  a  brigade  of  the  First  Division  of  the  Second 
Corps.  I  directed  him  to  General  Galdwell  who  was  in  the  neigh 
borhood  but,  supposing  that  something  was  up,  called  "attention," 
slung  knapsacks,  took  arms  and  was  in  the  road  before  we  were  di 
rected  what  to  do.  In  this  way  our  Regiment  led  the  Brigade  and 
General  Caldwell  directed  me  to  follow  the  road  and  report  to  Gen 
eral  Hooker.  As  I  came  into  the  main  road  leading  to  the  river,  I 
met  General  Hooker  alone  on  a  small  white  horse.  He  inquired  if 
this  was  a  brigade  of  the  First  Division  of  the  Second  Corps  and,  on 
being  informed  that  it  was,  he  said : 

"I  will  show  you  where  to  go  in." 

As  we  rode  along,  he  informed  me  of  the  importance  of  the 
movement — that  we  must  drive  back  the  enemy  who  were  endeav 
oring  to  reach  the  road  which  was  the  main  avenue  through  which 


84         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

we  received  our  supplies,  etc.,  and  communicated  with  our  bridges 
across  the  river.  He  rode  with  me  to  a,  little  clearing  on  the  left  of 
the  road  as  we  marched  toward  the  river  and  directed  us  to  enter  the 
woods  at  that  point.  We  marched  along  the  clearing  in  front  of  a 
little  white  house,  which  afterwards  became  our  hospital,  and,  as  I 
had  been  directed  not  to  wait  to  throw  out  skirmishers,  we  marched 
by  the  left  flank  and  entered  the  thick  white  oak.  underbrush  which 
abounds  in  the  Wilderness.  It  wa.s  impossible  to  ride  through  it  and 
I,  therefore,  dismounted,  as  did  all  the  field  officers,  and  left  my 
horse  in  charge  of  some  one  at  the  edge  of  the  clearing.  We  moved 
forward  rapidly,  marching  without  a  halt  over  a  line  of  skirmishers 
of  the  enemy  lying  down  in  the  woods  and,  within  a  short  time,  met 
a  most  withering  fire  which  poured  into  our  right  flank.  Finding 
that  our  line  was  not  parallel  to  that  of  the  enemy,  T  ordered  the  men 
to  lie  down  and  to  commence  firing.  Fearing  that  the  other  regi 
ments  on  our  left  might  not  change  their  direction,  if  T  changed  the 
front  of  our  own  Regiment,  I  signaled  to  General  Caldwell,  who  was 
some  distance  in  the  rear,  to  swing  the  brigade  around,  so  that  we 
might  meet  the  front  of  the  enemy  fairly.  I  had  just  succeeded  in 
attracting  his  attention  when  I  fell  violently  upon  my  face,  my 
sword  flying  from  my  hand  and,  when  I  turned  upon  my  back,  found 
a  hole  in  my  clothing  just  beneath  the  two  rows  of  buttons.  With 
out  stopping  to  consider  the  matter,  I  inferred  that  a  ball  had  entered 
there  and  that  my  military  service  was  ended.  A  couple  of  the  boys 
who  had  seen  me  fall  ran  up  to  me  and  one  of  them,  taking  off  his 
blanket  was  preparing  to  roll  me  in  it,  so  as  to  take  me  away,  but  I 
said  to  them  that  it  would  be  time  enough  to  bury  the  dead  after  the 
fight  was  over  and  that  they  had  better  leave  me  alone.  Balls  were 
flying  very  thickly  there,  however,  and  they  concluded  that  they 
would  get  me  out  of  range  at  all  events  and,  in  this  way,  T  was 
dragged  until  we  met  some  stretcher  hearers  who  took  me  to  the  hos 
pital,  where  Dr.  George  L.  Potter,  who  in  some  way  had  learned  of 
my  coming,  had  a  table  ready  for  me.  Lying  upon  my  back,  looking 
into  his  face,  T  could  see  the  deep  concern  which  he  manifested. 
After  opening  my  clothing  and  examining  the  wound,  however,  and 
putting  his  little  fingers  into  the  apertures  of  the  wound — there 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  85 

being  two  of  them — 1  noticed,  before  he  said  a  word,  a  great  change 
in  his  face,  followed  by,  uAli,  Beaver,  that's  all  right,"  The  ball 
had  struck  me  in  the  side,  standing  as  I  was  facing  to  the  rear  to 
attract  General  CaldwelPs  attention,  and  had  evidently  struck  a  little 
gutta  percha  lead  pencil  which  J.  Dunlop  Shugert  had  presented  to 
me,  before  we  left  home.  This  had  been  shattered  into  a  half  dozen 
or  more  pieces  and  had  evidently  turned  the  course  of  the  ball,  so 
that  it  went  through  only  the  fleshy  part  of  the  abdomen  and  did  not 
enter  the  abdominal  cavity. 

Some  of  the  drum  corps  of  the  Regiment  who  were  present  im 
mediately  arranged  a  stretcher  and  carried  me  the  entire  distance  to 
and  across  the  river,  where  we  found  our  wagon  train  and  where  I  had 
a  tents  put  up  and  remained  for  a  day  or  two,  until  the  result  of  the 
movement  was  ascertained.  After  learning  that  the  Army  was  to  re- 
cross  the  river,  1  went  in  an  ambulance  to  Falmouth,  took  a  box  car 
with  a  little  hay  in  the  bottom,  tilled  with  wounded  suffering  from 
all  sorts  of  wounds,  to  Acquia  Creek  and  went  thence  by  boat  to 
Washington,  where  Dr.  William  R.  DeWitt,  whom  I  had  known  in 
boyhood,  as  a  physician  at  my  old  home  in  Belleville,  met  me,  by 
direction  of  Surgeon  Clymer,  and  took  me  to  a  comfortable  boarding 
house,  where  he  faithfully  attended  me,  until  I  was  able  to  travel. 

After  my  return  homo,  I  received  from  Major  Fairlamb  a  report 
of  the  battle,  accompanied  by  a  list  of  the  killed  and  wounded,  which 
tells  its  own  story.  It  has  not,  I  think,  been  heretofore  published. 

HEADQUARTERS  1-1-8  REGIMENT,  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS. 

May  8,  1863. 

COLONEL  :  I  have  die  honor  to  report  to  you  the  part  taken  in 
the  engagement  near  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  by  this  Regiment  and 
subsequent  to  the  time  you  were  wounded  and  removed  from  the  field. 
The  Regiment  continued  to  advance  and  was  soon  exposed — that  is 
the  right  companies  were — to  a  cross-fire  which  in  a  few  minutes  cut 
down  many  of  our  best  men.  Lieutenants  Bible  and  Stevenson  fell 
dead,  Captain  Bayard  and  Lieutenants  Johnston  and  Rhinehart  wore 
wounded  and  left  the  field.  Lieutenant  Bayard  was  slightly  wounded 
but  remained  and  afforded  me  valuable  assistance.  Companies  C  and 
D  were  now  without  officers  and  Company  H  had  but  one  officer. 
After  a  fierce  struggle,  we  drove  them  from  the  rifle  pits  in  our  front 
and,  advancing,  met  them  again  with  the  same  result.  By  this  time 
Company  D  had  a  little  over  twelve  men  remaining  and  Companies 


86         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

C  and  H  not  over  half.  Company  G  being  on  the  left,  suffered  com 
paratively  little,  not  being  exposed  to  the  cross-fire.  The  enemy  then 
getting  guns  into  position  to  rake  us  with  grape  and  canister,  the 
General  ordered  us  to  fall  back,  which  we  did  in  line  of  battle, 
moving  obliquely  to  the  right  and  halting  every  few  paces  to  check 
our  pursuers  with  a  volley  of  musketry.  After  leaving  the  woods,  we 
were  formed  in  line  along  its  margin  for  some  time  and  then, 
according  to  orders,  I  marched  by  the  flank  behind  the  artillery  and 
there  we  threw  up  a  line  of  entrenchments  which,  constituting  the 
front,  we  had  the  honor  to  hold  until  the  night  of  the  5th,  exposed 
to  a  heavy  fire  of  shot  and  shell  and  from  sharpshooters.  On  the 
night  of  the  5th,  the  whole  Army  was  ordered  to  cross  the  river,  which 
we  accomplished  in  the  morning  and  by  noon  of  the  6th  day  of  May 
reached  our  old  camping  ground. 

1  enclose  a  list  of  the  killed,  wounded  and  missing.  T  believe 
that  many  of  those  reported  missing  are  killed. 

Very  respectfully,  Your  obedient  servant, 

GEORGE  A.  FAIRLAMB, 
Major  Commanding. 

List  of  the  killed,  wounded  and  missing  of  the  148th  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers  at  the  Battle  of  Chancellorsville,  Virginia, 
from  May  1  to  5,  1863,  inclusive: 

Col.  James  A.  Beaver  musket  ball  in  side;  severely. 
Maj.  George  A.  Fairlamb,  chin  ;  slightly. 

COMPANY  A. 

Capt.  Robert  IT.  Forster,  throat ;  slightly. 
Jacob  Emerick,  face;  severely. 
Daniel  Long,  shell,  calf  of  leg. 
Nathaniel  Boob,  musket  ball,  face. 

COMPANY  B. 

Sergt.  Michael  F.  Conner,  leg  and  arm ;  severely. 

William  Ammerman,  head ;  slightly. 

John  Biddle,  arm  ;  badly. 

Michael  A.  Brown,  head ;  slightly. 

Joseph  Tddings,  arm. 

Matthias  Walker,  arm. 

Fred  Doughman,  wounded  ;  not  severely. 

COMPANY  C. 

Lieut.  Wm.  H.  Bible,  killed. 

Lieut.  Francis  Stevenson,  killed. 

First  Sergt.  C.  C.  Herman,  right  arm ;  flesh  wound. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  87 

Sergt.  A,  Green  Carter,  killed. 

Sergt.  Jacob  Lander,  calf  of  right  leg. 

Sergt.  J.  F.  Benner,  head ;  slightly. 

Corp.  Christian  Swartz,  arm. 

Corp.  John  Swiler,  mortally. 

Corp.  James  Book,  killed. 

Corp.  Nathan  Yarnell,  killed. 

Albert  Adams,  left  side;  slightly. 

Jacob  Bard,  killed. 

William  Carner,  arm  and  thigh. 

Reuben  Cronemiller,  shoulder  and  arm. 

John  Craig,  arm  and  thigh. 

William  Campbell,  missing. 

Jacob  Dorman,  missing. 

Martin  Funk,  missing. 

Llewellyn  Fulton,  leg;  slightly. 

Robert  Grater,  side  and  shoulder;  badly. 

William  Lambert,  wounded. 

Fabian  Matts,  arm ;  severely. 

Wm.  Musselman,  missing. 

Henry  Markle,  missing;  supposed  killed. 

Thomas  McBath,  slightly  in  face. 

Wm.  McCalmont>  head;  slightly. 

Henry  Pennington,  throat  and  arm. 

Simon  Segner,  missing;  supposed  killed. 

J.  Calvin  Sowers,  breast. 

Henry  Sowers,  abdomen,  mortally. 

William  Smith,  killed. 

John  Thomas,  arm  and  breast;  badly. 

John  Jackson,  abdomen. 

Thomas  Williams,  left  eye  and  left  arm. 

Andrew  Whiteall,  slightly. 

Ezra  Walters,  arm ;  slightly. 

Joseph  Yetters,  mortally. 

Christian  Swiler,  left  arm ;  badly. 

Amos  Garbrick,  missing. 

William  Norris,  killed. 

"Robert  C.  Neil,  head :  slightly. 

Samuel  Bottorf,  right  hand. 

Daniel  Shivery,  wounded. 

James  Ward,  face;  slightly. 

Joseph  Lee,  thigh  and  right  hand ;  badly. 

Frederick  Yocum,  left  hand ;  slightly. 


88  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

COMPANY  D. 

Lieut,  A.  A.  Rhinehart,  left  arm. 

Sergt,  Samuel  Harshberger,  killed. 

Sergt,  John  A.  Burchfield,  left  arm. 

Sergt.  WilJiam  Gemmill,  head;  very  severely. 

Corp.  William  Bible,  head ;  very  severely. 

Corp.  John   I .   Fleming,  thigh ;  severely. 

Corp.  Daniel  Harter,  shoulder. 

Corp.  Wm.  Weaver,  wounded. 

Corp.  John  Bathgate,  abdomen  ;  slightly. 

George  Allen,  wounded. 

Jacob  Kane,  killed. 

Daniel  Osrnan,  killed. 

Samuel  Leitzell,  killed. 

Samuel  Holloway,  killed. 

Charles  Hart,  foot;  amputated. 

Alfred  Rankin,  leg;  flesh  wound. 

S.  P.  Lansbury,  head. 

Thaddeus  Stover,  both  legs ;  severely. 

Benjamin  Bloom,  right  leg;  severely. 

David  Wance,  hip;  slightly. 

William  Reed,  left  arm. 

David  Young,  killed. 

Falser  Imboden,  missing. 

David  Harshberger,  hip;  severely. 

Daniel  Wolf,  hip;  severely. 

Charles  Runkle,  knee;  badly. 

David  Kerr,  head  ;  slightly. 

David  Eters,  head ;  slightly. 

Henry  Campbell,  leg;  slightly. 

John  Murphy,  killed. 

William  Knarr,  thigh  and  right  side;  severely. 

Jacob  Dunkle,  left  arm,  thi^h  and  left,  eye;  severely. 

Franklin  Durst,  missing. 

John  Reed,  missing. 

Corp.  Franklin  Koch,  killed. 

David  Acker,  killed. 

Michael  Bower,  shoulder. 

Alfred  Fraser,  killed. 

COMPANY  E. 

Capt.  Charles  Stewart,  foot;  very  slightly. 
First  Sprat,  Wm.  T.  Clark,  leg;  flesh  wound. 
Corp.  James  Shoppart,  hand. 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  89 

COMPANY  F. 

William  Watkins,  hip;  missing  on  picket. 
James  Dent,  arm. 

COMPANY  G. 

Corp.  George  W.  Ward,  killed. 

Corp.  Wm.  L.  Taylor,  wounded. 

Corp.  Joseph  Fox,  slightly. 

Corp.  Daniel  S.  Keller,  neck  and  back ;  badly. 

Henry  Eckenroth,  arm  amputated. 

Joseph  S.  Harpster,  arm ;  badly. 

George  WT.  Ishler,  wounded ;  since  dead. 

William  McGuire,  throat. 

David  Miller,  hand  ;  slightly. 

Eeuben  Reed,  neck ;  slightly. 

Alexander  Ross,  neck ;  severely. 

Wm.  IT.  Swinehart,  hand:  slightly. 

John  Youts,  arm  ;  severely. 

COMPANY  H. 

Capt.  George  A.  Bayard,  head  and  chest;  not  dangerous. 

Lieut.  John  L.  Johnston,  abdomen ;  slightly. 

Second  Lieutenant  John  A.  Bayard,  side ;  slightly. 

Corp.  Math.  B.  Lucas,  killed. 

Corp.  Richard  Miles,  shoulder ;  amputated. 

Corp.  George  H.  Neiman,  hand ;  badly. 

Wyrman  S^  Miller,  killed. 

Michael  Flynn,  killed. 

William  Ludwig. 

George  T.  Jones,  badly. 

Jacob  Steiner,  breast:  badly. 

James  W.  Test,  killed. 

Ulysses  Wance,  killed. 

Harrison  Yeager,  killed. 

Frederick  Reeder,  killed. 

Benjamin  Zimmernam,  killed  (mistake). 

William  I.  Lucas,  arm ;  severely. 

Michael  Lebkecher,  arm ;  amputated. 

Thomas  My  ton,  arm ;  amputated. 

Samuel  IT.  Orris,  face ;  severely. 

Oscar  L.  Runk,  hip. 

Charles  O.  Whippo,  arm  and  leg:  badly. 

John  D.  Wasrner,  leg:  badly. 

Daniel  Wbodring,  arm :  severely. 


90         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Adoniram  Tethers,  arm;  amputated. 

Daniel  O.  Farley,  abdomen ;  slightly. 

Peter  Frantz,  arm ;  badly. 

John  W.  Gabagan,  arm  and  hip :  severely. 

Francis  J.  Hunter,  arm;  amputated. 

Samuel  B.  Wyland,  hand. 

George  H.  Long,  left  foot;  slightly. 

COMPANY  I. 
Andrew  Craft,  killed. 
John  McManagle,  leg  and  arm ;  severely. 
Reuben  Lyle,  slightly. 
John  M.  Davis,  hand. 

COMPANY  K. 

Captain  Thompson  Core,  shoulder;  severely. 
Corp.  Ross  Kirkpatrick,  elbow ;  severely. 
Corp.  Hugh  S.  Neil,  killed. 
George  Price,  thigh ;  died  later. 
John  !Sr.  Rathbone,  arm  and  side, 
Oliver  Pettit,  left  arm. 
William  Wyant,  shoulder;  severely. 
Andrew  J.  Kifer,  left  hand  and  arm ;  severely. 
Hugh  Cam  ah  an,  missing  on  picket  line. 
John  Fox,  missing  on  picket  line. 
Robert  Huey,  missing  on  picket  line. 
Henry  Hillegas,  missing  on  picket  line. 
Josiah  H.  Jacobs,  missing  on  picket  line. 
James  F.  McNoldy,  missing  on  picket  line. 
Lavinas  Shaffer,  missing  on  picket  line. 
Adam  Wansettler,  missing  on  picket  line. 

NOTE.— It  will  be  remembered  that  Companies  A,  B,  E,  F,  I  and  K  were 
on  the  picket  line  when  Companies  C,  D,  G  and  H,  which  remained  with  the 
colors,  were  engaged  in  the  woods  on  Sunday  morning,  May  3d.  The  list  is 
given  just  as  it  was  sent  by  Colonel  Fair-lamb,  although  one  or  two  reported 
killed  survived  and  some  who  were  marked  as  missing  were  discovered  subse 
quently  to  have  been  killed. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  91 

THE  COLONEL'S  STORY. 

By  Gen.  James  A.  Beaver 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  CAMPAIGNS  OF  1863   AND  WINTER  OF  1863-1864. 

As  already  intimated,  it  is  altogether  foreign  to  my  purpose  to 
discus?  military  campaigns,  much  less  to  criticise  the  action  of  our 
superiors  in  their  management.  It  is  impossible  to  avoid  saying, 
however,  that  the  Army  was  not  beaten  at  Chancellorsville.  The 
strategy  and  grand  tactics  which  preceded  the  battle  were  simply 
superb  and,  if  the  troops  had  been  handled  during  the  battle  with  the 
same  comprehensive  grasp  and  decision,  the  result  must  have  been 
the  destruction  of  Lee's  Army  and  its  withdrawal  from  the  line  of  the- 
Rrippahannock.  With  scarcely  more  than  the  one-half  of  our  Army 
engaged  and  with  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  divided  into  two 
parts  unable  to  co-operate,  it  is  not  difficult  to  see  what  the  result 
would  have  been  if  our  Army  had  been  fought  for  what  was  in  it  and 
what  it  desired.  General  Hooker,  the  commander  of  the  Army,  never 
before  lacked  decision,  dash  and  enterprise  and,  if  they  were  wanting 
during  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  the  explanation  can  probably 
be  found,  at  least  partially,  in  the  story  of  Doctor  Fisher,  who  was 
present,  at  headquarters,  which  is  the  supplement  to  "The  Surgeon's 
Story."  The  country  had  a  right  to  expect,  and  did  expect,  a  differ 
ent  result,  and  never  perhaps  in  the  history  of  our  Civil  War  was 
there  more  dread  uncertainty  and  consuming  anxiety  as  to  "what 
next"  than  between  the  return  of  our  Army  to  the  north  bank  of  the 
Rappahannock  and  Lee's  invasion  of  Pennsylvania,  which  culminated 
so  disastrously  for  the  Confederate  cause  at  Gettysburg. 

I  shared,  during  my  stay  at  home,  in  the  uncertainty  and 
anxiety,  which  must  have  consumed  the  people  who  were  in  the  rear 
of  the  Army  during  the  entire.  War,  to  such  an  extent  that  T  became 
nervous  and  excitable  and  felt  as  if  something  must  be  done.  The 
ball  which  entered  my  body  had  carried  with  it  some  pieces  of  cloth 
ing  and  it  required  time  to  get  my  wound  cleared  out,  so  as  to  enable 
it  to  heal.  When  it  began  to  heal  from  the  center,  however,  and 
there  seemed  to  be  no  danger  of  internal  inflammation,  I  could  not 
restrain  myself,  and,  finding  that  General  Couch  had  been  assigned 


92         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

to  the  command  of  the  Department  of  the  Susquehanna,  with  head 
quarters  at  Harrisburg,  went  there,  on  the  16th  of  June,  thinking 
that,  knowing  the  Governor  and  many  of  the  people  of  Harrisburg 
as  I  did,  I  might  be  useful  to  him  in  some  way  and  could  at  the  same 
time  hear  the  latest  from  the  front.  When  I  reached  Harrisburg  and 
visited  the  General,  he  immediately  appointed  me  an  acting  Aide- 
de-Camp  upon  his  staff,  although  I  was  weak  and  tottery  and  unfit 
for  active  duty  of  any  kind. 

The  militia  had  been  called  out  and  were  pouring  into  Camp 
Curtin  by  the  thousand.  The  next  morning  news  was  brought  to  the 
General  that  Captain  Tarbutton,  who  had  charge  of  the  camp,  had 
unceremoniously  left  and  that  pandemonium  had  broken  loose  among 
the  crowds  of  unorganized  men  who  were  there  assembled.  The  Gen 
eral  in  some  way  discovered  that  1  had  been  in  charge  of  the  outside 
work  of  Camp  Curtin  in  1861,  when  Colonel  Welch  of  the  45th 
Regiment  had  been  in  command  of  the  camp.  He  asked  me  to  go  out 
and  assume  command.  I  felt  utterly  unable  to  do  so  but,  upon  his 
insistent  request,  I  called  a  carriage  and  drove  out.  The  scene  which 
met  me,  as  I  entered  the  gate,  is  indescribable.  The  entire  camp, 
was  a  mass  of  unorganized  men,  without  semblance  of  order.  For 
tunately,  I  encountered  almost  immediately  a  company  from  Gettys 
burg,  composed  almost  entirely  of  students  from  Pennsylvania  Col 
lege.  Tho  headquarters  of  the  camp  were  upstairs  but  I  was  unable 
to  mount  the  stairs  and  seized  a  vacant  building  near  the  gate,  called 
the  boys  of  this  company  around  me,  instructed  them  in  a  very  short 
time  how  to  make  out  requisitions  for  camp  equipage,  wood  and  pro 
visions,  explained  the  difference  between  quartermaster  and  commis 
sary  stores,  pointed  out  the  location  of  each  of  these  departments  and 
sent  them  around  with  blank  requisitions,  directing  them  to  call  upon 
the  Captains  of  companies  and  fill  the  requisitions  for  them  for  what 
they  were  entitled  to  of  camp  equipage  and  also  of  commissary 
stores.  Tn  a  very  short  time  fires  began  to  be  kindled  all  over  the 
camp  and,  as  the  companies  became  supplied  with  camp  kettles,  mess 
pans,  plates,  knives  and  forks  and  with  rations  to  cook,  the  scene  was 
entirely  changed  and,  before  night,  the  camp  assumed  a  military 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  95 

aspect  and,  in  a  few  days,  we  were  sending  organized  regiments  to 
the  front. 

On  the  21st  of  June  I  wrote  to  my  mother : 

"I  feel  so  much  better  now  that  I  shall  ask  to  be  relieved  here  in 
a  few  days  and  will  then  join  my  Regiment,  which  T  am  very  anxious 
to  see." 

On  the  27th  of  the  same  month: 

"I  was  on  horseback  this  morning  for  the  first  time  and  suffered 
very  little  inconvenience  from  my  wound.  The  place  at  which  the 
ball  entered  has  healed  up  entirely  and  the  other  is  very  nearly  so. 
My  locomotion  is  easy  and  comparatively  comfortable.  If  Genera^ 
Couch  will  relieve  me,  I  will  try  to  join  my  Regiment  this  week.  1 
asked  him  to  relieve  me  on  Friday,  so  that  I  could  go  up  home  to 
spend  Sabbath  and  then  go  from  there  to  the  Regiment,  but  he 
thought  I  could  still  be  of  service  here  and  desired  me  to  stay.  A 
few  days  will  clear  our  camp  entirely  I  hope  and  there  can  then  be  no. 
excuse  for  keeping  me  longer/' 

In  the  same  letter : 

aThe  rebels  are  still  advancing  and  are  reported  in  force  near 
Carlisle,  which  is  eighteen  miles  from  here.  I  am  hoping  to  hear  of 
the  Second  Corps  striking  them  in  the  rear  and  compelling  a  retreat. 
If  they  come  here  in  force,  I  am  afraid  our  green  troops  will  make 
but  a  poor  stand.  As  usual,  however,  I  hope  for  the  best," 

On  the  3d  of  July : 

"The  news  from  the  Army  of  General  Meade  is  not  definite  an<' 
by  no  means  assuring.  I  hope  for  the  best,  however.  The  day  and 
the  rain  are  both  advantageous  for  us.  God  help  our  brave  men  !  The 
battle  of  the  War  has  been  or  is  now  being  fought,  I  feel  much  more 
excited  and  nervous  at  this  distance  from  the  scene  of  conflict  than 
if  I  were  in  range  of  the  enemy's  guns.  Our  Division  has  been  en 
gaged  I  think ;  General  Zook,  of  our  Division,  is  among  the  killed  at 
all  events.  I  am  all  anxiety  to  hear  from  my  brave  boys.  If  I  were 
with  them,  I  know  it  would  be  all  right  and  it  is  perhaps  egotistical 
as  well  as  unjust  to  doubt  them  when  I  am  absent." 

There  was  no  reason  for  doubt  or  distrust  but  the  feeling  was  a 
part  of  that  nervous  apprehension  which  was  inevitably  connected 
with  the  life  in  the  rear  of  the  Army  on  the  part  of  everyone  greatly 
interested  for  any  reason  in  what  was  being  enacted  at  the  front. 


94         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

The  rebels  approached  within  a  few  miles  of  Harrisburg,  their 
cannonading  being  distinctly  audible  in  the  city  and  their  picket.? 
visible  from  the  west  side  of  the  river.  There  was  some  consterna 
tion  in  Harrisburg  and  many  persons  who  could  conveniently  do  so 
went  elsewhere.  The  stream  of  fugitives  from  the  Cumberland  Val 
ley  was  almost  continuous  through  the  city  and  kept  up  for  days. 
Some  went  to  Camp  Curtin  to  be  fed  and,  in  this  way,  I  came  in  con 
tact  with  them.  For  the  most  part,  however,  they  continued  through 
the  city  into  the  Lebanon  Valley. 

Although  making  almost  daily  application  to  be  relieved,  my 
request  was  not  granted  until  Wednesday,  the  15th  of  July.  When 
relieved,  General  Couch  issued  a  most  complimentary  order  which  I 
have  preserved  as  a  valuable  part  of  my  war  record.  I  could  learn 
nothing  of 'the  Army  and,  therefore,  determined  to  go  to  Washington 
by  way  of  Philadelphia.  When  I  commenced  my  journey,  however, 
I  soon  discovered  that  I  was  not  quite  so  robust  as  I  had  seemed  in 
Harrisburg  and  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  proceed  quite  leisurely. 
I  went  to  Philadelphia  on  the  16th,  making  needed  purchases  of 
blankets,  saber,  etc.,  thence  to  Washington  by  way  of  Baltimore,  and 
thence  to  the  Re-lay  House  and  up  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  to  Berlin. 
There  Captain  Morris,  of  the  quartermaster's  department,  loaned 
me  a  horse  and  I  found  the  Regiment  near  Wood  Grove,  Virginia. 
Much  to  my  regret,  when  I  joined  the  Army,  I  became  the  senior 
officer  of  our  Brigade  and  instead  of  joining  my  Regiment  was  as 
signed  to  the  command  of  the  Brigade,  which  T  retained  until  the 
28th  of  July,  when  T  was  relieved  by  Colonel  Miles.  Little  of  special 
interest  occurred  between  the  19th  and  28th,  except  our  marche? 
Monday,  20th,  from  Wood  Grove  to  Bloomfield ;  Tuesday,  21st. 
which  is  emphasized  in  my  diary  as  rest;  Wednesday,  22d,  Bloom- 
field  to  Ashby's  Gap,  via  TJpperville;  Thursday,  23d,  marching  at 
5:00  A.  M.,  Ashby's  Gap  to  Manassas  Gap,  in  which  wo  had  quite  a 
little  skirmish ;  Friday,  24th,  Manassas  Gap  to  Markham  Station ; 
Saturday,  25th,  Markham  Station  to  White  Plains;  Sunday,  26th, 
White  Plains  to  Warrenton  Junction,  where  wo  encamped  for  several 
davs. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  95 

On  the  28th  of  July  I  wrote: 

''Wo  are  said  to  be  near  Warrenton  Junction.  Beyond  that  1 
know  nothing.  I  have  had  command  of  the  Brigade  ever  since  I 
came  back  and  today  Colonel  Miles,  who  ranks  me  by  a  few  days, 
returned  and  I  was  glad  to  get  to  my  Regiment.  I  immediately  or 
dered  an  inspection  and  now  the  boys  are  rubbing  and  scrubbing  and 
polishing  at  a  great  rate.  They  seem  to  have  some  recollection  of  our 
old  inspections  and  are  making  an  effort  to  look  as  respectable  as 
possible  under  the  circumstances.  Poor  fellows!  They  have  had  a 
hard  time  of  it.  My  health  has  been  good  as  usual  since  T  returned 
but  I  have  not  felt  as  cheerful  as  is  customary  until  I  today  got  back 
to  the  Regiment  and  mingled  among  the  old  familiar  faces.  Alas ! 
How  many  are  wanting  to  complete  the  picture." 

Among  those  whom  T  specially  missed  were  Lieut.  William  H. 
Bible  and  Lieut.  Frank  Stevenson  of  C  Company,  both  killed  at  the 
battle  of  Chancellorsville ;  Capt.  Andrew  Musser  and  Lieut.  Israel 
F.  Musser,  both  of  D  Company,  who  had  died  at  the  Potomac  Creek 
Hospital,  the  former  May  14,  1863,  and  the  latter  May  26,  1863, 
shortly  after  his  promotion  ;  Capt.  Robert  M.  Forster,  of  C  Company, 
killed  at  Gettysburg,  and  Lieut.  John  A.  Bayard,  of  H  Company, 
who  died  from  wounds  received  there.  Other  officers,  who  had  re 
signed  or  been  discharged  for  disability,  were  Lieut,  George  Hamil 
ton,  E  Company,  1st  of  June,  1863;  Lieut,  E.  J.  Burkert,  A  Com 
pany,  26th  of  June,  1863,  and  Assistant  Surgeon  C.  P.  W.  Fisher, 
13th  of  June,  1863.  Many  of  our  most  reliable  and  promising  non 
commissioned  officers  were  likewise  missing.  1  recall  especially  First 
Sergt.  C.  C.  Herman  and  Sergt,  A.  Green  Carter  of  C  Company,  both 
killed  at  Chancellorsville.  Herman  was  especially  promising  and  1 
had  marked  him  for  promotion  for  one  of  the  first  vacancies  in  his 
company.  Sergt.  Samuel  Harshberger,  of  D  Company,  was  also  killed 
at  Chancellorsville.  The  serious  losses  at  both  Chancellorsville  and 
Gettysburg  and  the  fatiguing  campaign  through  which  the  Army 
had  passed  seemed  to  me  to  very  seriously  affect,  tor  the  time,  the 
spirit  and  elan  of  the  Regiment. 

Captain  Forster's  death  made  a  profound  impression  upon  me, 
not  only  because  he  was  a  most  reliable  officer  and  valued  friend,  but, 
in  March  prior  to  our  Chancellorsville  campaign,  he  had  been  serious 
ly  impressed  with  the  premonition  of  being  killed  in  the  first  battle 


96         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

in  which  he  engaged.  He  came  to  me  to  write  his  will.  I  endeavored 
to  make  light  of  the  premonition  but  prepared  his  will  for  him,  as  he 
requested,  and  he  then  went  about  his  duty  as  usual.  He  was  very 
seriously  indisposed  at  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville  but  I  think  re 
mained  with  the  wagon  train,  unwilling  to  go  to  the  Hospital.  Gettys 
burg  was,  therefore,  his  first  fight  and  there  he  met  his  fate,  as  de 
tailed  by  Osman  in  a  portion  of  C  Company's  story.  The  loss  of  the 
Regiment  at  Gettysburg  had  been  very  considerable.  It  fought  under 
discouraging  circumstances  by  no  means  calculated  to  promote  effi 
ciency,  but  the  men  were  loyal  to  their  temporary  commander,  not 
withstanding  the  injustice  done  their  own  commanding  officer  (see 
Major  Forster's  Story  of  Gettysburg)  and  in  a  later  letter  I  wrote: 

"I  hear  the  most  flattering  accounts  of  the  behavior  of  our  Regi 
ment  on  all  sides  and  begin  to  think  that  it  is  a  little  more  than  a 
common  one." 

One  of  these,  most  enthusiastic  in  its  praise,  was  Col.  H.  Boyc* 
McKeen,  of  the  81st  Pennsylvania,  a  most  gallant  officer  who  com 
manded  the  Regiment  in  the  first  day  of  its  fighting  at  Gettysburg. 

I  find,  in  a  letter  of  July  28th,  an  allusion  to  a  detail  for  bring 
ing  drafted  men  to  the  Regiment,  and  here  it  may  be  well  to  remark 
that  we  were  extremely  fortunate  in  having  our  Regiment  filled  above 
the  minimum  whenever  we  became  depleted  by  the  ravages  of  battlo 
and  disease.  Recruits  were  sent  us  by  our  recruiting  details  and  the 
drafted  men  assigned  to  us  filled  our  ranks  on  several  occasions  so 
that,  until  the  last  campaign,  we  had  comparatively  full  ranks. 

On  the  31st  of  July,  I  wrote: 

"We  are  on  the  direct  road  to  Fredericksburg,  or  rather  Fal- 
mouth.  The  general  impression,  however,  among  officers  with  whom 
1  have  conversed  is  that  we  will  assume  the  defensive  along  the  line 
of  the  Rappahannock  and  hold  it  until  a  re-organization  of  the  Army 
is  effected  and  our  thinned  ranks  are  filled  up  by  the  conscription. 
Thero  is  one  regiment  in  our  Brigade  which  has  only  thirty  men  fit 
for  duty  and  out  of  almost  a  thousand,  with  which  we  started  in  not 
a  year  ago,  we  have  but  three  hundred  and  ten  here  with  us  for  active 
duty.  The  balance  have  either  died,  been  killed  or  discharged  or  are 
in  the  hospital  or  detailed  on  extra  duty  as  teamsters,  etc.  We  still 
bear  about  seven  hundred  and  fifty  on  our  rolls.  Colonel  McFarlane 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  97 

is  sick  again  and  will  be  obliged  to  leave  the  Army  for  the  present: 
He  has  never  fully  recovered  from  the  effects  of  his  attack  of  fever 
and  is  completely  prostrated  by  the  fatigues  of  these  rapid  marches." 

One  of  our  summer  camj>s,  at  which  we  dug  a  well  of  our  own 
and  tried  to  make  ourselves  comfortable,  is  impressed  upon  me,  as  T 
read  what  I  wrote  in  regard  to  it: 

"My  quarters  are  particularly  pleasant.  In  front  of  my  tent  is 
an  arbor  covered  and  enclosed  by  branches  of  trees.  I  am  writing  in 
it  now.  I  have  a  bed  in  it  and  when  there  is  no  danger  of  rain,  sleep 
in  it.  It  is  very  pleasant  to  sit  in  in  the  day  time,  as  well  as  for  sleep 
ing  at  night." 

In  the  same  letter: 

"The  Regiment  is  small — so  painfully  small  that  T  can  find  little 
or  nothing  to  do.  I  can't  endure  this  idle  life  long.  If  we  get  con 
scripts  to  fill  us  up,  I  will  have  plenty  to  occupy  my  time." 

In  the  next  letter,  however,  I  mentioned  the  fact  that  "I  was 
officer  of  the  day  yesterday  and  rode,  in  the  twenty  hours  of  my  tour, 
at  least  forty  miles.  Our  picket  line  is  some  twenty  miles  long.  It 
was  warm — very  warm — and,  with  two  woolen  shirts  and  a  heavy 
dress  coat  buttoned  up  to  the  neck,  I  felt  it  considerably.  Today, 
however,  it  is  cool  and  pleasant  and,  not  being  required  to  move  about, 
I  have  remained  in  my  tent,  or  rather  in  the  arbor  in  front  of  the 
tent,  nearly  all  day." 

In  the  same  letter : 

"General  Warren,  the  new  Major  General,  has  just  assumed 
command  of  our  corps  temporarily.  He  is  said  to  be  an  accomplished 
officer  and  has  been  for  some  time  on  tthe  staff  of  the  commander  of 
the  Army.  General  Hancock's  wound  does  not  heal  very  rapidly  and 
he  may  not  be  back  for  some  months.  We  miss  him  very  much." 

General  Warren  commanded  our  Corps  for  several  months  and 
endeared  himself  to  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him,  as  a  most  con 
siderate  gentleman  as  well  as  capable  officer.  I  became  personally 
much  attached  to  him  and  continued  the  intimacy  after  the  War.  I 
have  always  felt  that  he  was  most  unjustly  treated  and  think  that  has 
been  the  general  feeling  of  all  who  knew  his  thorough  training  and 
absolute  reliability.  He  remained  in  command  of  the  Corps  until 


98         THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

General  Hancock  returned  the  winter  preceding  the  Wilderness 
campaign,  and  handled  it  with  consummate  ability  in  the  retrograde 
movement  from  the  Rapidan  to  Bull  Run,  which  I  shall  speak  of 
later. 

As  showing  the  manner  in  which  the  different  parts  of  the  Army 
communicated  with  headquarters,  a  paragraph  from  my  letter  of  Aug 
ust  18,  1863,  is  pertinent.  I  wrote: 

"Xearly  the  whole  of  our  Regiment  is  out  now,  with  Major 
Fairlamb,  putting  up  a  telegraph  line  to  communicate  with  General 
Kilpatrick  who  is  on  our  left  flank  with  his.  cavalry.  They  left  yes 
terday  with  three  days'  rations  and  will  be  back  I  hope  tomorrow. 
Our  line  is  some  fifteen  miles  long  and  our  corps  headquarters  is  con 
nected  with  army  headquarters  by  a  line  of  telegraph.  In  fact,  we 
are  in  telegraphic  communication  with  the.  North.  I  telegraphed  to 
a  gentleman  in  Washington  the  other  day  from  our  corps  head 
quarter?.'' 

The  first  military  execution  which  T  recall  occurred  while  we 
were  in  camp  near  Morrisville.  1  wrote,  on  the  24th  of  August: 

"Wo  had  a  military  execution  in  the  Second  Division  _of  our 
Corps  on  Friday  last.  1  did  not  go  to  see  it  and,  even  at  this  distance^ 
from  it,  I  shuddered  when  1  heard  the  discharge  of  musketry  which 
hurried  a  fellow-being  into  eternity.  He  was  shot  for  desertion,  his 
eyes  bandaged  and  sitting  on  his  coffin.  I  felt  more  over  the  death 
of  this  poor  fellow  than  if  ten  thousand  had  been  slain  in  battle,  and 
yet  his  punishment  was  just  and,  at  this  time  when  conscripts  are 
arriving  so  rapidly  and  making  all  sorts  of  efforts  to  desert,  it  seemed 
necessary  to  make  an  example.  I  hope  it  will  be  the  warning  which 
the  poor  fellow  wanted  it  to  be." 

Monday,  August  31st,  I  was  ordered  to  the  command  of  the 
Fourth  Brigade,  during  Colonel  Brooke's  absence  on  sick  leave,  and 
remained  in  command  of  it  until  he  returned,  on  the  20th  of  Sep 
tember.  The  Colonel  was  undoubtedly  worn  out  with  the  exhaustive 
duties  of  the  campaigns  of  Chancellorsville  and  Gettysburg,  in  which 
he  played  a  conspicuous  and  gallant  part,  but  he  was  also  suffering 
from  another  malady  which  T  suppose  influenced  him  somewhat  in 
seeking  a  leave  of  absence  and  which  found  its  appropriate  culmina 
tion  in  Decemoer  of  the  same  year,  when  T  acted  as  his  groomsman  in 
Philadelphia. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  99 

While  in  command  of  the  Fourth  Brigade,  our  entire  Division 
broke  camp  near  Morrisville  on  the  12th  of  September,  marching  to 
Rappahannock  Station  by  way  of  Bealton,  and  on  Sunday,  the  13th, 
crossed  the  Rappahannock  and  marched  to  Culpeper  Court  House, 
the  cavalry  in  the  advance  capturing  a  number  of  guns  and  several 
hundred  prisoners.  On  Tuesday,  the  15th,  we  occupied  a  position  on 
the  Madison  Court  House  road  ten  miles  southwest  of  Culpeper. 
On  Thursday,  the  17th,  marched  in  the  early  morning,  reaching  the 
Rapidan,  having  marched  around  Cedar  Mountain.  There  was  a 
reconnaissance  in  force,  the  position  in  front  being  held  by  our  Corps 
until  the  5th  of  October,  when  we  were  relieved  by  the  Sixth. 

On  the  23d  of  September,  a  rearrangement  of  the  brigades  of 
the  First  Division  was  made,  which  sent  us  to  the  Third  Brigade, 
then  commanded  by  Col.  Paul  Frank  of  the  52d  New  York  Regiment. 
Although  the  assignment  to  the  Third  Brigade — arising  from  condi 
tions  which  need  not  be  discussed  here — was  not  asked  for  by  me,  the 
new  relation  thereby  created  was  pleasing  to  our  men,  inasmuch  as  it 
relieved  to  some  extent  the  friction  which  had  been  created  during 
the  Gettysburg  campaign  and  from  which  they  were  slow  to  recover. 
On  the  same  day  we  were  paid  by  Major  Freeman,  for  the  months  of 
July  and  August. 

On  the  morning  of  the  10th  of  October,  I  left  camp  in  accord 
ance  with  an  order  detailing  me  to  sit  upon  a  general  court  martial 
at  the  artillery  reserve.  O*ur  court  organized  and  adjourned  and,  on 
returning  to  our  camp,  I  found  the  Brigade  moving.  General  Warren 
being  absent,  General  Caldwell  temporarily  commanded  the  Corps, 
Colonel  Frank  the  Division  and  I  was,  therefore,  left  in  command 
of  the  Brigade.  We  were  awakened  Sunday  morning  about  half  past 
twelve  o'clock,  took  breakfast  at  1 :00  A.  M.  and  moved  at  2  :30  A.  M. 
We  kept  west  of  Culpeper,  reached  the  Rappahannock  about  ten 
o'clock  and  crossed  about  twelve,  reaching  Bealton  Station  at  three 
and  bivouacked  for  the  night.  On  Monday,  the  12th,  orders  came  sud 
denly,  we  recrossed  the  Rappahannock  and  formed  a  line  of  battle, 
advancing  in  line  for  several  miles  on  the  great  plain  south  of  the 
river.  It  was  one  of  the  most  magnificent  military  pageants  I  have 
ever  seen.  It  was  a  challenge  to  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  to 


100  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

meet  us  on  that  field — a  challenge  which  they  peremptorily  declined, 
having  already  turned  our  right  flank  and  moving  evidently  to  inter 
pose  between  our  Army  and  Washington.  As  soon  as  this  became 
evident,  our  Army  marched  rapidly  for  the  rear.  We  commenced 
this  movement  about  11 :00  P.  M.,  October  12th.  On  the  evening  of 
the  13th  we  bivouacked  on  Kettle  Run.  General  Warren  had  returned 
in  the  meantime  and  I  was  that  night  detailed  as  field  officer  of  the 
day  for  the  Division.  Our  picket  line  .was  posted  advantageously  on 
a  hill  to  our  left  as  we  marched  north wiard  and  in  the  morning,  after 
the  troops  had  gone,  I  met  General  Warren  in  the  road  and  was 
asked  by  him  to  hold  the  crest  of  the  hill  until  our  wagon  trains  had 
passed.  In  fact  he  was  quite  insistent  and  said  we  must  hold  it  if 
we  lost  every  man.  Hearing  some  firing  on  the  line,  I  rode  to  the 
front,  and  being  able  to  see  nothing,  I  scolded  the  pickets  for  firing 
and  rode  out  in  front  of  them  to  show  them  there  was  nobody  there. 
I  soon  discovered  my  mistake,  however,  and,  with  the  bullets 
whistling  around  me,  I  made  to  the  rear  on  old  Frank  at  his  liveliest 
pace.  I  there  met  Col.  John  P.  Taylor,  of  the  1st  Pennsylvania  Cav 
alry,  in  command  of  the  skirmish  line  of  Gregg's  Division  who  joined 
us  on  our  left,  As  I  rode  along  our  line,  encouraging  the  men,  ono 
of  them  pointed  out  to  me  a  number  of  men  advancing  along  a  stone 
fence  some  distance  to  our  right.  I  soon  discovered  that  they  were 
the  enemy  and  inferred  that  they  were  seeking  to  secure  the  crossing 
of  Kettle  Run,  by  which  our  troops  and  wagons  had  passed  and  were 
passing.  I  had  already  given  the  order  to  assemble  on  the  right  which 
would  have  brought  us  near  the  crossing.  Discovering  this  movement 
on  the  part  of  the  enemy,  however,  I  countermanded  the  order  and 
sent  it  along  the  line  by  a  young  Lieutenant  of  the  116th  Regiment. 
Instead  of  assembling  on  the  right,  we  assembled  on  the  left  and, 
crossing  the  run  a  half  mile  or  more  below  the  ford,  we  escaped  the 
trap  laid  for  us,  escaped  the  shelling  at  Auburn  Mills  (otherwise  called 
Coffee  Hill,  by  our  men)  and  joined  the  rear  of  our  Corps  in  good 
shape.  Lieutenant  Sacriste,  the  young  officer  who  aided  me  in  this 
movement,  was  afterwards  awarded  a  medal  of  honor  for  his  services 
and,  in  endorsing  my  statement  of  the  matter  written  in  after 
years,  General  Warren  said : 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  101 

"NEWPORT,  R.  L,  October  8,  1881. 

"Colonel  Beaver's  statements  of  events  are  in  accordance  with  my 
recollections,  which  are  very  fresh.  I  witnessed  the  withdrawal  of  his 
pickets,  after  covering  the  crossings  of  both  trains  and  the  cavalry 
(which  had  also  defended  the  crossing  with  much  gallantry),  hard 
pressed  by  an  overwhelming  force  of  the  enemy,  which  had  been  held 
in  check  by  the  First  Division  pickets  of  the  Second  Army  Corps, 
until  we  had  completed  the  dispositions  of  a  new  line  of  battle, 
which  the  enemy  dared  not  attack.  It  was  one  of  the  finest  instances 
of  effective  picket  and  skirmish  work  I  have  ever  witnessed,  and  I 
should  accord  you  all  the  credit  that  General  (then  Colonel)  Beaver 
accords. 

"Very  respectfully, 

"G.  K  WARREN." 

Our  Corps  in  this  movement  was  the  rear  guard  of  the  Army 
and  our  Division  the  rear  of  the  Corps.  We  were,  therefore,  too 
late  for  the  splendid  little  affair  at  Bristoe  Station  in  which  Gen. 
Alex.  Hayes,  with  the  Second  Division,  made  such  a  gallant  charge, 
capturing  guns,  flags  and  prisoners.  As  we  were  moving,  however, 
in  the  direction  of  the  sound  of  his  guns,  a  line  of  battle,  with  flags 
flying  and  officers  mounted,  came  out  of  the  woods  on  our  left.  I 
took  it  for  granted  that  we  would  go  for  them,  just  as  General  Hayes 
had,  when  he  discovered  the  enemy  on  his  flank.  The  division  and 
brigade  commanders  being  in  advance  of  us,  I  moved  immediately, 
by  the  left  flank,  across  the  railroad,  expecting,  of  course,  that  we 
would  attack  the  enemy.  We  had  not  gone  far,  however,  till  we  had 
orders  to  return  and  our  artillery  opened  on  the  advancing  line  and 
soon  drove  it  back.  The  only  casualty  which  occurred  was  to  Sersrt. 
Samuel  L.  Barr,  of  B  Company,  who  lost  his  arm  by  something  which 
dropped  from  one  of  the  projectiles  fired  by  one  of  our  batteries  in 
our  rear.  I  was  very  indignant  and,  not  stopping  to  consider  that  the 
officer  was  not  responsible  for  it,  I  made  for  him  in  a  way  which  thti 
boys  told  me  afterwards  was  interesting  both  to  see  and  hear. 

Our  retrograde  movement  continued  until  we  crossed  the  Bull 
Run,  about  three  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  15th,  clearly  out 
marching  the  Confederates  and  getting  our  Army  well  posted,  so  as 
to  cover  Washington  and  at  the  same  time  ready  to  assume  offensive 
operations  against  the  enemy.  Skirmishing  commenced  about  2  :30 
p.  M.  of  that  day,  but  the  enemy  made  no  impression  upon  our  line 


102  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

which,  when  they  discovered,  their  campaign  was  ended  and  they  re 
tired,  we  following  them  slowly  in  due  time. 

On  Monday,  the  19th,  we  began  the  advance,  passing  Bristoe 
that  day.  On  the  20th,  our  Regiment  was  the  advance  guard  of  the 
Corps.  We  went  to  Gainesville,  turned  and  marched  thence  to 
Auburn  Mills.  My  diary  says:  "Beautiful  skirmish  line  but  met 
no  enemy."  On  the  21st  we  occupied  the  position  held  by  our  picket 
line  on  the  14th. 

These  movements  brought  the  two  Armies  into  about  the  same 
relative  position  which  they  had  occupied  before  the  retrograde  move 
ment.  There  was  marching  and  counter-marching,  numerous  changes 
of  carnp,  reconnaissances  in  force  and  the  methods  usually  employed 
to  develop  the  enemy's  position,  and  it  was  found  finally  that  he  had 
retired  and  seemed  to  be  preparing  to  go  into  winter  quarters  south 
of  the  Rapidan.  The  Rappahannock  River,  it  will  be  remembered, 
forks  a  little  north  and  west  of  Chancellorsville  and  becomes  two 
branches,  the  Rappahannock  being  the  northern  and  the  Rapidan  the 
southern. 

Although  moving  every  few  days,  we  laid  out  several  camps  and, 
on  the  23d  of  October,  finding  that  the  Quartermaster  pitched  his  tent 
in  camp  instead  of  with  the  wagon  train,  we  inferred  that  it  looked 
like  a  regular  camp  and  so  made  arrangements  for  being  comfort 
able.  Our  stoves  had  been  sent  to  Washington  at  the  opening  of  the 
spring  campaign  and,  finding  that  the  nights  became  cool  and  not 
being  able  to  secure  stoves,  we  resorted  to  the  plan  of  a  furnace,  con 
sisting  of  a  trench  in  the  tent  underground  with  the  flue  outside, 
which  enabled  us  to  keep  very  comfortable.  This  was  easily  done, 
required  no  elaborate  preparation,  the  furnace  being  covered  with 
flat  stones  and  boxes  and  barrels  being  all  that  were  necessary  for  a 
flue  on  the  outside.  There  was  talk  of  going  into  winter  quarters,  of 
course,  and  some  of  the  officers  even  went  so  far  as  to  build  log  huts, 
having  nothing  but  shelter  tents.  I  did  not  encourage  this,  however, 
because  I  felt  sure  that  we  were  not  ready  for  winter  quarters  as  yet, 
but  it  afforded  employment  and  gave  us  ideas  for  the  erection  of  our 
final  winter  quarters  later. 


THE  I4&TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          103 

On  the  30th  of  October  we  received  115  men  under  the  Enroll 
ment  Act  and,  on  the  19th.  of  November,  158  more,  bringing  the 
aggregate  of  the  Regiment  up  to  978 — almost  the  maximum.  This,, 
of  course,  gave  us  plenty  of  employment  and  we  turned  in  with  a 
will  to  train  the  new  men,  and  now  the  results  of  officers'  and  non 
commissioned  officers'  schools  became  apparent.  Our  non-commis 
sioned  officers  were  very  efficient  and,  in  the  drilling  of  the  new  men 
and  in  the  enforcement  of  discipline,  displayed  in  a  most  satisfactory 
way  the  effects  of  their  training. 

When  I  started  out  as  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  45th.  Regiment, 
I  had  bought  from  Mr.  J.  Harris  Linn,  of  the  Milesburg  Iron  Works, 
a  fine  riding  horse  who  was  called  Frank.  He  was  with  me  in  South 
Carolina  and,  although  seriously  lamed  in  throwing  him  from  the 
vessel,  when  we  landed  there,  had  recovered  sufficiently  to  be  ridden 
on  the  march  and  in  the  duties  in  the  field ;  but,  in  order  to  save  him, 
I  had  purchased  another  horse  before  joining  the  148th,  called  Joe. 
These  two  horses  became  quite  as  much  a  part  of  the  Regiment  as  I 
was  and  I  used  to  think  that  some  of  the  men  were  quite  as  much  01 
more  attached  to  Joe  particularly  (as  I  used  him  the  most  and  he  was 
the  best  known  to  them)  than  to  me.  He  was  very  intelligent  and 
understood  the  commands  of  execution,  "march  !"  and  "halt !"  as  well 
as  any  man  in  the  Regiment.  On  an  ill-fated  day,  when  our  camps% 
were  open,  a  stray  horse  wandered  into  our  camp  and  helped  himself 
from  the  troughs  of  our  horses.  The  result  was  that  both  of  my 
horses  and  Major  Fairlamb's  became  infected  with  the  glanders. 
When  this  became  apparent,  in  order  to  prevent  the  spread  of  the 
disease,  we  were  compelled  to  shoot  our  horses  and,  on  November  16th, 
I  find  in  my  diary :  "Had  poor  old  Frank  shot.  Requiescat  in  pace; 
faithful  to  the  end !"  It  was  like  the  loss  of  a  friend. 

We  had  crossed  the  Rappahannock  River  a  short  distance  below 
Kelly's  Ford  on  the  8th  of  November  and  had  manoeuvered  in  line 
of  battle  in  the  hope  of  tempting  the  enemy  to  meet  us  but  they  de 
clined,  as  they  usually  did,  when  battle  was  offered  in  the  open  field. 
On  reaching  the  northern  bank  of  the  Rapidan,  we  found  the  Army 
of  Northern  Virginia  strongly  posted  on  the  southern  bank.  There 
was  now  serious  talk  of  winter  quarters  but  this  was  all  dissipated  by 


104  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

orders  to  move,  Xovember  24th.  We  broke  camp  on  the  morning  ot 
that  day,  formed  line  in  the  rain  but  were  ordered  to  resume  our 
camp,  the  movement  being  suspended  on  account  of  the  rain.  On 
the  26th,  however,  we  marched  at  6 :30  A.  M.,  leading  the  Corps ; 
crossed  the  Rapidan  at  Germania  Ford  at  2  :00  p.  M.  on  pontoon 
bridge ;  marched  about  three  miles  and  encamped  at  Flat  Run.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  the  celebrated  Mine  Run  campaign  which  lasted 
until  the  2d  of  December.  I  was  in  command  of  the  Brigade  during 
this  compaign  and  had  the  honor  of  commanding  the  Division  for  a 
few  hours  one  afternoon.  The  campaign  was  short  and  without  de 
cisive  results,  but  I  think  I  express  the  sentiments  of  those  who  were 
in  a  position  to  know  the  facts  that  both  General  Meade  and  General 
Warren  rose  in  the  estimation  of  the  entire  Army  by  their  failure  to 
charge  the  enemy's  entrenchments  and  withdrawing  from  their  front 
more  than  if  they  had  made  the  attack,  even  if  it  had  been  successful. 
They  displayed  the  moral  courage  characteristic  of  both,  which  was 
willing  to  assume  the  responsibility  of  failure  in  the  face  of  great 
popular  clamor.  The  weather  was  bitterly  cold  and  a  charge  on  the 
30th  of  November,  when  it  was  contemplated,  would  have  mean* 
death  to  every  man  who  was  seriously  wounded.  Our  Brigade  on 
that  day  relieved  the  Third  Brigade  of  the  Second  Division  and  I 
find  a  memorandum  that  three-fourths  of  the  entire  Brigade  was  on 
picket. 

After  our  return  across  the  Rapidan,  Colonel  Frank  returned, 
on  the  5th  of  December,  and  I  was  glad  to  get  back  home  to  the  Regi 
ment,  for  it  was  then  reasonably  certain  that  we  were  to  go  into  win 
ter  quarters  and  I  had  plans  for  an  ideal  camp,  as  well  as  for  thor 
ough  reorganization  and  the  training  of  our  recruits  and  drafted  men. 

Colonel  McFarlane,  failing  to  recover  his  health,  was  discharged 
on  surgeon's  certificate  of  disability  November  4,  1863.  Other  offi 
cers,  who  had  resigned  or  had  been  discharged  for  various  reasons 
during  the  summer  and  fall  of  1863,  were  Capt,  Martin  Dolan,  F 
Company,  7th  September,  1863 ;  Lieut.  Josiah  B.  Ferguson,  K  Com 
pany,  7th  September,  1863;  Lieut.  S.  S.  Wolf,  A  Company,  25th 
September,  1863;  Capt.  Charles  Stuart,  E  Company,  25th 
September,  1863;  Lieut.  O.  IT.  Brown,  I  Company,  30th  November, 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  105 

1863.  Major  Fairlamb  was  elected  Lieutenant  Colonel  in  place  of 
Colonel  McFarlane,  and  Capt  R.  H.  Forster,  of  A  Company,  was 
elected  Major.  These  promotions  and  the  other  changes  referred  to 
led  to  numerous  changes  in  the  line  of  the  Regiment.  All  of  the 
company  officers  of  A,  C  and  D  had  been  killed,  promoted  or  dis 
charged  and,  in  order  to  give  Companies  A  and  C  officers  of  experi 
ence  as  Captains,  Lieut,  John  L.  Johnston,  of  H  Company,  was  pro 
moted  to  be  Captain  of  Company  A,  and  Lieutenant  Jacob  B.  Ed 
monds  of  Gj  Company  to  be  Captain  of  C.  Other  promotions  to  fill 
vacancies  were  made  within  the  companies.  When  these  were  made 
the  several  companies  were  commanded  as  follows:  A,  Capt.  John 
L.  Johnston ;  B,  Capt.  James  F.  Weaver ;  C,  Capt.  Jacob  B.  Ed 
monds ;  D,  Capt.  Alfred  A.  Rhinehart;  E.,  Capt  John  F.  Sutton  • 
F,  Capt.  William  P.  Wilson ;  G,  Capt.  James  J.  Patterson ;  H,  Capt. 
George  A.  Bayard ;  I,  Capt.  Silas  J.  Marlin ;  K,  Capt  Thompson 
Core.  Captain  Wilson  of  F  Company,  and  Captain  Marlin  of  I 
Company  were  detailed  for  staff  duty  at  division  headquarters,  the 
former  as  commissary  of  musters  and  the  latter  as  acting  assistant 
inspector  general.  Their  companies  were,  therefore,  commanded  by 
the  First  Lieutenants  of  each  respectively,  namely,  Lieut.  Jacob 
Breon  and  Lieut  John  A.  McGuire. 

It  was  unusual  to  appoint  an  officer  from  one  company  to  a 
higher  rank  in  another  but  the  reasons  for  it  are  obvious  in  the  cases 
of  Lieutenant  Johnston,  who  was  promoted  from  First  Lieutenant  of 
H  Company  to  Captain  of  A  Company,  and  First  Lieutenant  Jacob 
B.  Edmonds,  of  G  Company,  to  Captain  of  C  Company.  The  pro 
motion  from  Sergeant  to  Captain  of  a  company  is  something  of  a 
risk  and,  as  A  and  C  had  lost  all  their  officers,  it  was  important  for 
them  to  have  immediately  an  experienced  officer  in  command.  The 
officers  of  the  Regiment  had  all  been  instructed  in  our  officers*  school 
and  in  the  school  of  the  battalion  and  were,  therefore,  familiar  with 
all  battalion  movements.  Xon-commissioned  officers,  as  a  rule,  were 
instructed  through  the  school  of  the  soldier,  but  had  little  instruction 
and  no  practice  in  command  of  companies  and  it  was,  therefore,  im 
portant  to  have  an  officer  of  experience  and  training  in  command  of 
the  company  for  tactical  purposes,  but  it  was  more  necessary  to  have 


106  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

that  experience  for  the  benefit  of  the  men.  I  once  saw  an  officer  of 
the  Regular  Army  in  hospital  who  was  intensely  anxious  to  join 
his  company.  lie  said  : 

"T  must  get  back  to  my  company.  A  company  without  its  Cap 
tain  is  like  a  family  without  a  mother." 

And  this  is,  to  a  large  extent,  true.  The  Captain  is  responsiblo 
not  only  to  the  commander  of  the  regiment  but  is  also  responsible  to 
the  men  of  his  command.  The  company  is  the  unit  of  organization. 
The  office  work  is  of  great  importance,  the  muster  and  pay-rolls  must 
be  carefully  made  out  so  that  all  the  rights  of  the  soldier  are  pre 
served,  and  a  Captain  should  have  experience  in  military  correspon 
dence  as  well  as  in  the  routine  of  making  out  rolls  and  other  papers 
for  the  quartermaster.,  commissary  and  ordnance  departments;  but  it 
was  also  necessary  for  the  comfort  of  the  men  that  they  should  have 
an  officer  of  experience  to  secure  for  them  what  was  their  due  from 
both  commissary  and  quartermaster  department?.  Tt  was  often  found, 
on  examination,  that  the  failure  of  men  to  receive  the  full  complement 
of  rations  to  which  they  were  entitled,  was  due  to  the  carelessness  of 
the  Captain  and,  inasmuch  as  a  Captain  is  superior  in  rank  to  the 
Quartermaster,  his  demand  is  usually  listened  to  with  consideration. 
Tt  was  important  to  have  officers  who  could  make  such  demand  with 
effect  and  could  see  that  their  demands  were  met  rather  than  to  pro 
mote  a  non-commissioned  officer,  without  experience  in  such  matters, 
to  the  captaincy  of  his  company.  These  and  other  considerations 
of  like  weight  led  to  the  appointment  of  these  officers.  So  far  as  T 
recollect,  they  were  the  only  ones  in  which  officers  were  not  appointed 
from  the  non-commissioned  officers,  when  there  was  a  vacancy.  The 
results  fully  justified  the  appointments. 

Monday,  the  7th  of  December,  we  went  into  our  winter  camp 
near  Stevensburg,  throe  or  four  miles  from  Brandy  Station  on  the 
railroad.  We  were  again  fortunate  in  getting  near  a  wooded  tract 
of  land,  and,  although  the  clearing,  ditching  and  draining  of  it  in 
volved  great  labor,  we  thereby  secured  plenty  of  good  material  for 
our  winter  quarters.  Our  "A"  tents  having  been  turned  in  to  the 
quartermaster's  department  at  the  opening  of  the  campaign,  we  were 
compelled  to  rely  upon  our  shelter  tents  for  the  top  covering.  Great 


THE  ijSTH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          107 

care  was  observed  in  laying  out  the  camp.  The  huts  and  officers' 
qnaiters  were  all  of  a  uniform  style  and,  with  a  plentiful  supply  of 
axes,  we  were  enabled  to  proceed  rapidly  with  our  work.  A  fine 
parade  ground  was  cleared  in  our  front,  all  the  company  streets  were 
deeply  ditched,  in  order  to  drain  the  adjoining  ground  perfectly  and 
these  ditches  led  into  larger  ones  along  the  streets  upon  which  the 
line  and  field  and  staff  officers'  quarters  were  faced.  A  complete  sys 
tem  of  uniform  board  walks,  made  of  logs  split  and,  when  neces 
sary,  dressed,  was  also  laid,  which  made  communication  between  the 
different  part?  of  the  camp  easy  and  comfortable  in  all  kinds  of 
weather.  For  all  general  purposes  the  pioneer  corps  was  kept  stead 
ily  at  work  and  for  the  most  part  the  several  companies  erected  their 
own  quarters.  Having  a  wall  tent,  I  had  a  chimney  built  upon  the 
outside  of  it  and  lived  very  comfortably  while  the  camp  was  being 
built.  After  everything  was  finished,  the  pioneer  corps  determined 
to  build  me  a  house  that  was  unsurpassed  anywhere  in  the  Army. 
They  hewed  logs,  matched  them  thoroughly,  dressed  the  corners,  built 
a  fine  fire  place  and,  having  found  some  old  yellow  pine  boards  and 
a  plane,  added  a  mantel,  which  for  beauty  in  the  grain  of  the  wood  T 
have  never  seen  excelled  anywhere.  The  crevices  were  daubed  with 
mud  and  the  inside  papered  with  newspapers,  with  a  border  of  official 
yellow  wrapping  paper.  The  effect  of  it  was  extremely  pleasing.  The 
interior  had  a  good  board  floor  and,  with  two  bright  pieces  of  brussels 
carpet,  one  in  front  of  my  cot  and  the  other  in  front  of  the  fire  place, 
it  was  as  cozy  a  dwelling  as  could  be  found  anywhere,  and  in  it  T 
think  T  had  as  much  enjoyment  as  in  anything  more  elaborate  which 
I  have  occupied  since.  In  addition  to  our  quarters,  the  hospital 
was  put  in  good  order,  the  tents  being  used  and  well  floored  and  a* 
commodious  chapel  erected,  the  roof  of  the  latter  being  composed  of 
a  huge  tarpaulin  contributed  by  the  Christian  Commission.  After 
all  was  finished,  there  was  no  finer  camp  in  the  Army  and  we  settled 
down  to  good,  hard,  honest  work  in  preparation  for  the  campaign  of 
the  next  year. 

Tn  December,  while  the  work  of  erecting  the  camp  was  in  opera 
tion,  I  applied  for  the  only  leave  of  absence  T  ever  had,  except  on 
account  of  wounds.  That,  as  already  intimated,  was  at  the  request 


108  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

of  my  friend,  Colonel  Brooke,  who  desired  me  to  act  as  his  grooms 
man  at  his  marriage  in  Philadelphia.  Leaves  at  that  time  for  ordi 
nary  purposes  were  for  ten  days,  with  permission  to  apply  to  the  War 
Department  for  ten  days  additional.  Special  Orders  No.  288, 
headquarters  Second  Army  Corps,  December  22,  1863,  contained  this 
paragraph : 

"1.  Under  the  provisions  of  Special  Orders  No.  315,  headquar 
ters  Army  of  the  Potomac  of  December  10th,  leave  of  absence  for  the 
time  hereinafter  stated  is  hereby  granted  each  of  the  following 
named  officers:  Col.  James  A.  Beaver,  148th  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers  for  ten  days,  with  permission  to  apply  to  the  War  Department 
for  an  extension  of  ten  days." 

Before  leaving  camp,  I  had  decided  not  to  apply  to  the  War  De 
partment  for  an  extension,  intending  to  see  Colonel  Brooke  married 
and  return  at  once.  Upon  reaching  Washington,  however,  I  met 
Judge  Hale,  who  made  inquiry  as  to  my  leave,  and  I  told  him  the 
facts  in  regard  to  it.  He  immediately  said,  "You  must  have  those 
other  ten  days,"  and  insisted  upon  my  going  with  him  to  army  head 
quarters.  I  declined  to  do  so,  however,  but  went  with  him  in  a  car 
riage  to  the  office  of  General  Halleck,  who  was  then  the  Commander- 
in-Chief.  The  Judge  was  gone  but  a  few  minutes,  when  he  caino 
back  much  excited,  saying: 

"We  might  as  well  have  a  wooden  man  at  the  head  of  the  Army." 

I  know  nothing  of  what  passed  in  General  Halleck's  office,  hav 
ing  remained  in  the  carriage.  He  refused  to  give  up  the  quest,  how 
ever,  and  we  went  together  to  the  War  Department,  He  seemed  to 
have  the  entree  there  and  pushed  by  the  orderlies  and  went  directly 
to  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  War.  He  began  at  once,  "Mr.  Sec 
retary,  here's  Colonel  Beaver ;  never  had  a  leave  of  absence ;  only 
allowed  ten  days;  he  ought  to  have  ten  more;  he  deserves  it,"  and 
other  words  to  that  effect,  until  the  Secretary  just  stopped  and  gazed 
at  him.  Hale,  nothing  daunted,  continued  his  fusilade,  until  the 
Secretary  took  my  order  from  corps  headquarters  which  Hale  had  in. 
his  hand,  wrote  "Leave  extended  ten  days.  Edwin  M.  Stanton,  Sec 
retary  of  War,  December  23,  1863."  He  handed  it  to  the  Judge  and 
said  in  a  sarcastic  tone : 

"Is  that  all,  Mr.  Hale?" 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          109 
"Yes,"  said  Hale,  laughing,  "that  is  all  I  want  just  now." 
The  leave  was  later  extended  in   an  official  form  by  Special 
Orders  Xo.  568  of  the  War  Department,  dated  December  23,  1863, 
signed  "E.  D.  Townsend,  Assistant  Adjutant  General,"  and  marked 
''Official:     R.  Williams,  Assistant  Adjutant  General."     These  auto 
graphs  are  all  preserved  as  interesting  souvenirs  of  the  period. 

After  seeing  Colonel  Brooke  married  in  the  Church  of  the 
Holy  Trinity,  Philadelphia,  and  attending  the  social  functions  con 
nected  with  the  wedding,  I  made  a  little  visit  to  my  mother  and  to 
friends  in  Bellefonte  and  elsewhere  and  find,  in  my  diary  for  1864: 

"Tuesday,  January  12th.  Left  Washington  9:45  A.  M.,  arrived 
at  Brandy  Station  3:30  p.  M.  ;  rode  home." 

The  camp  of  the  148th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
although  my  dwelling  was  a  wall  tent,  was  then  more  of  home  to  me 
than  any  other  place  in  the  world. 

I  moved  into  my  new  house  the  5th  of  February,  the  last  house 
in  the  camp  to  be  occupied.  We  received  marching  orders  at  4 :00 
A.  M.,  and  marched  at  9:00  A.  M.  to  Xewton's  Ford.  I  commanded 
the  Division  until  evening.  We  were  not  engaged,  although  the 
Third  Division  crossed  the  river  and  re-crossed  the  same  night,  los 
ing  some  one  hundred  and  fifty  men.  This  was  probably  a  recon 
naissance  to  ascertain  whether  or  not  the  enemy  were  in  force  in  our 
front  or  perhaps  to  prevent  re-en  for  cements  from  being  sent  to  their 
western  Army.  We  returned  to  camp  the  next  day,  re-occupying  our 
quarters. 

Recruiting  details  were  sent  out  at  different  times  and  returned 
with  more  or  less  recruits  and  our  ranks  were  kept  quite  full.  The 
period  of  rigid  inspections  came  again,  in  order  to  train  our  new  re 
cruits  and,  although  many  of  them  were  of  excellent  quality,  there 
was  more  difficulty  in  bringing  them  under  strict  discipline  than 
there  had  been,  when  we  started  out  with  our  Regiment,  notwith 
standing  the  increased  help  which  resulted  from  the  experience  and 
training  of  our  officers  and  non-commissioned  officers.  We  had  somt. 
incorrigible  cases — some  fellows  who  could  not  be  kept  clean,  some 
who  couldn't  learn  the  step  and  some  who  were  determined  to  be 
ugly.  The  inspection  at.  guard  mounting  every  morning  was  very 


110  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

thorough  arid  the  dress  parades  were  more  elaborate  than  ever  before. 
The  colors  were  escorted  to  the  line  with  great  parade  and  everything 
was  done  to  impress  men  with  their  significance.  Notwithstanding 
all,  however,  some  men  came  under  military  discipline  slowly  and 
apparently  reluctantly.  I  recall  one  instance  when  I  resorted  to 
extreme  measures  with  a  fellow  who  was  specially  slouchy  and  dirty. 
He  had  appeared  on  several  occasions  at  guard  mounting  in  a  very 
disagreeable  condition  so  far  as  cleanliness  was  concerned.  After 
this  had  happened  two  or  three  times  and  the  Adjutant  had  men 
tioned  it  to  me,  T  had  the  guard  detail  marched  in  front  of  my  quar 
ters.  They  halted,  were  brought  by  the  officer  in  charge  to  a  rest, 
when  I  gave  them  an  informal  inspection.  I  had  this  man  taken 
from  the  ranks,  had  my  servant  bring  out  a  basin  of  water  and  de 
tailed  two  of  his  companions  to  scrub  him.  This  they  did  with  soap 
and  towel  in  a  way  that  was  amusing  to  the  by-standers  who  had 
gathered  by  this  time  and  both  disconcerting  and  uncomfortable  to 
the  washee.  The  ceremony  was  kept  up  until  he  was  thoroughly 
cleaned,  at  least  so  far  as  his  face,  ears,  neck  and  hands  were  con 
cerned.  I  let  it  be  known  that  every  man  who  appeared  on  guard 
thereafter  in  such  condition  would  be  treated  in  a  similar  way.  T  do 
not  recall  a  single  other  instance  in  which  that  form  of  discipline 
was  necessary. 

Our  field  music  was  re-organized  and  spent  much  time  in  prac 
tice.  They  became  very  proficient  and,  being  dissatisfied  with  the 
regular  army  drums,  we  had  a  full  outfit  of  smaller  metal  drums 
secured  for  them  by  private  subscription  and  the  result  was  a  pride 
in  the  music  and  a  variety  in  it  such  as  T  never  heard  in  a  drum 
corps  before  or  since.  The  different  parts  were  played  by  the  fifes 
and  many  of  the  pieces,  such  as  "Gentle  Annie,"  "Faded  Flowers," 
etc.,  were  rendered  most  artistically.  Indeed  the  concerts  at  retreat 
and  tattoo  were  often  attended  by  the  men  of  other  regiments  for  a 
considerable  distance  around  us.  I  hope  we  may  have  in  the  "Story 
of  the  Drum  Corps"  a  detailed  account  of  their  work  in  this  camp. 

Besides  the  setting  up  drill  for  the  new  men  T  resorted  to  the 
bayonet  exercise  at  dress  parade  every  evening,  when  the  weather  was 
favorable.  By  increasing  the  distance  between  the  front  and  rear 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          1 1 1 

ranks  and  having  the  odd  men  step  four  paces  to  the  front,  there  was* 
abundant  room  for  this  exercise.  The  practical  benefit  of  the  bayonet 
exercise  has  often  been  doubted,  for  the  reason  that  there  are  few 
occasions  when  the  bayonet  can  be  used.  The  chief  advantage,  how 
ever,  which  suggested  itself  to  me  was  that  it  familiarized  the  men 
with  the  use  of  their  weapon  and  was  one  of  the  most  splendid  gym 
nastic  exercises  then  available.  The  guard,  the  parry,  the  thrust, 
the  advance  and  the  retreatcombined  to  bring  into  play  all  the  muscles 
of  the  entire  body.  The  good  effects  were  plainly  apparent  in  the 
carriage  of  the  men,  in  their  physical  development  and  in  the  easp 
and  confidence  with  which  they  handled  their  pieces. 

Our  chapel  was  used  for  officers'  school  and  also  for  a  general 
school  of  non-commissioned  officers  which  I  conducted  several  times 
a  week.  In  the  latter  T  was  very  much  interested,  carrying  the  non 
commissioned  officers  not  only  through  the  school  of  the  soldier  and 
the  company  but  through  the  skirmish  drill  and  endeavoring  to  fa 
miliarize  them  especially  with  the  bugle  calls.  With  work  of  this 
kind,  covering  the  entire  routine  of  soldierly  duty,  equipping  our 
men  with  clothing,  arms,  accoutrements,  etc.,  for  the  ensuing  cam 
paign,  paying  some  attention  to  the  social  duties  which  devolved  upon 
us,  by  reason  of  numerous  visitors  in  our  camp,  and  furnishing  our 
share  of  the  details  for  picket  and  fatigue  duty,  the  winter  wore 
away  pleasantly  and,  on  the  whole,  profitably.  As  showing  the  va 
riety  of  duties  which  devolved  upon  us,  I  may  mention  the  fact  that, 
as  corps  officer  of  the  day,  T  had  at  one  time  six  hundred  men  under 
my  command  building  a  corduroy  road  from  Brandy  Station  to  our 
camps.  This  was  a  very  considerable  undertaking  and  was  not  fin 
ished  in  one  day.  I  surprised  them  very  much  at  corps  headquarters, 
when  1  rode  up  in  the  evening  to  report,  by  making  a  request  to  be 
detailed  for  the  following  day,  in  order  that  T  might  finish  the  job, 
but  T  had  become  very  much  interested  in  the  road  and  had  acquired 
considerable  practical  knowledge  during  the  day  and  thought  T  could 
more  easily  complete  it  than  a  new  officer.  T  have  been  interested 
in  the  subject  of  "good  roads"  ever  since. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  autumn,  before  we  made  our  retrograde 
movement,  a  very  pronounced  religious  interest  was  manifested  in 


1 12        THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

our  Regiment  I  did  not  know,  until  the  War  was  over,  that  we  had 
been  denominated  "The  Praying  Regiment."  But  it  is  a  fact  that 
in  nearly  every  company  there  was  at  least  a  squad  of  men  who  main 
tained  regular  devotional  meetings  in  their  quarters  weekly  or 
oftener.  Our  Chaplain,  as  is  made  apparent  from  the  "Chaplain's 
Story,"  so  graphically  written  by  his  son,  was  extremely  faithful  in 
his  religious  ministrations.  It  was  not  confined  to  our  Sunday  morn 
ing  service  and  to  a  prayer  service  at  dress  parade  on  Sunday  evening, 
but  was  of  a  pastoral  character,  the  Chaplain  conferring  with  the 
men  in  each  company  who  were  disposed  to  lead  a  pronounced  and 
active  religious  life.  This  interest  continued  and  culminated  dur 
ing  the  winter.  Our  chapel  was  used  constantly  and  a  deep  religious 
interest  developed,  which  resulted  in  great  good  to  many  of  our  men. 
Looking  back  upon  the  whole  term  of  our  service,  I  cannot  recall 
a  time  when  we  more  nearly  approached  my  ideal  of  what  a  volunteer 
regiment  ought  to  be  than  during  the  period  in  which  we  were 
camped  near  Stevensburg  in  the  winter  of  1863-1864.  With  full 
ranks,  with  officers  and  non-commissioned  officers  not  only  faithful 
but  enthusiastic  in  the  discharge  of  duty,  with  many  of  our  men 
thoroughly  trained  and  hardened  by  their  previous  campaign  and 
anxious  to  instruct  others,  the  days  passed  pleasantly  and  profitably, 
and  the  Regiment  was  instructed  and  disciplined  in  such  a  way  as  to 
make  our  work  thoroughly  apparent,  when  the  spring  reviews  which 
preceded  our  active  campaign,  were  held.  These  reviews  were  un 
usually  elaborate  and  formal,  inasmuch  as  we  were  all  anxious  to 
show  General  Grant,  who  had  come  into  the  Army  as  the  Commander- 
in-Chief,  what  kind  of  soldiers  made  up  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
Gen.  Francis  A.  Walker,  in  his  admirable  "History  of  the  Second 
Corps,"  referring  to  the  review  of  our  Corps,  said: 

"The  appearance  and  bearing  of  the  troops  was  brilliant  in  the 
extreme  but  among  all  the  gallant  regiments  which  passed  the  re 
viewing  officer  two  excited  especial  admiration — the  148th  Penn 
sylvania,  Colonel  Beaver,  from  the  old  Second,  and  the  40th  Xew 
York,  Colonel  Egan,  from  the  former  Third  Corps." 

Before  the  opening  of  the  campaign,  my  friend,  Colonel  Brooke, 
to  whom  I  have  made  frequent  allusions,  applied  for  the  transfer  of 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          113 

our  Regiment  to  the  Fourth  Brigade  and,  on  the  26th  of  March,  the 
order  making  the  transfer  was  received.  This  brought  us  into  rela 
tions  with  the  53d  and  145th  Pennsylvania  Regiments,  and  with  the 
64th  and  66th  Xew  York  Regiments,  and  the  2d  Delaware  Regiment. 
We  were  also  joined,  after  the  campaign  opened,  by  the  7th  Heavy 
Xew  York  Artillery.  The  change  did  not  involve,  however,  at  any 
time  any  change  in  our  camp.  We  continued  to  occupy  our  winter 
quarters,  until  the  campaign  practically  began. 

In  addition  to  reviews  and  inspections  and  to  our  regimental 
drills,  which  were  frequent,  we  had,  after  our  assignment  to  the 
Fourth  Brigade,  brigade  drills  and,  on  one  or  two  occasions,  division 
drills.  I  also  exercised  the  entire  Regiment  in  skirmish  drill  and 
occasionally,  by  special  permission,  we  were  allowed  to  indulge  in 
target  practice.  This  absolutely  necessary  part  of  a  soldier's  train 
ing  was  not  as  general  as  it  should  have  been,  for  the  reason  that  the 
firing  was  likely  to  be  misunderstood  in  other  parts  of  the  Army 
where  it  was  not  knowru  that  target  practice  was  going  on.  By  hav 
ing  an  intimation  given  from  corps  headquarters,  however,  that  tar 
get  practice  would  be  allowed  between  certain  hours,  it  was  not  diffi 
cult  to  avoid  unfounded  alarm.  Even  with  the  knowledge  that  target 
practice  was  being  indulged  in,  it  was  difficult,  when  a  volley  was 
heard,  to  avoid  calling  for  a  horse  and  yelling  to  the  Adjutant  to 
form  the  Regiment,  these  being  the  essential  things  when  any  trouble 
was  anticipated. 

Xever  had  the  Army  enjoyed  the  social  features  allowed  us  dur 
ing  this  winter.  At  division  headquarters  a  music  and  lecture  hall 
had  been  erected,  in  which  frequent  dances,  lectures  and  other  social 
functions  were  enjoyed,  many  ladies  visited  their  friends  and  a  gen 
eral  social  good  time  was  had  for  several  months.  Mrs.  Governor 
Curtin,  with  a  party  of  young  ladies  from  Harrisburg,  visited  our 
division  headquarters  and  were,  of  course,  the  recipients  of  all  the 
social  attentions  which  we  could  bestow.  Our  headquarter  mess  had 
a  very  nice  dining  room,  in  addition  to  our  other  quarters,  and  we 
invited  them  for  dinner.  The  general  details  of  the  dinner  I  cannot 
recall  but  I  remember  distinctly  the  dessert  I  intended  to  have  a 
bread  crumb  pudding  with  hard  sauce.  T  knew,  in  a  general  way,  that 


1 14        THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

the  sauce  was  made  up  of  butter,  sugar  and  brandy.  We  had  no 
brandy  but  the  Doctor  kindly  furnished  me  some  whiskey  and  I 
undertook  to  prepare  the  sauce  myself.  Endeavoring  to  mix  the 
whiskey  and  butter,  I  soon  found  that  that  wouldn't  work,  but  I  suc 
ceeded  finally  in  making  something  of  a  mess  which  was  used  and 
pronounced  all  right.  If  the  butter  and  sugar  had  been  mixed  to 
gether  first,  I  suppose  the  homogeneity  of  the  mass  would  have  been 
much  more  easily  secured.  At  all  events,  we  had  a  jolly  time  and 
my  own  cabin,  which  was  turned  over  to  the  ladies  for  a  dressing 
room,  was  pronounced  the  finest  thing  they  had  seen.  We  had  nu 
merous  little  dinner  parties  of  gentlemen  and  ladies  and  of  friends 
from  other  parts  of  the  Army  at  many  times,  but  never  during  the 
whole  winter  had  we  such  a  commotion  in  camp  as  when  we  enter 
tained  Mrs.  Curtin  and  her  ITarrisburg  party.  The  recollections 
of  that  winter  grow  upon  me  but  it  would  be  foreign  to  my  purpose 
and  to  the  design  of  our  History  were  T  to  enter  into  further  detail. 
I  speak  of  them  to  show  that  our  military  service  did  noit  consist  en 
tirely  of  being  shot  at  or  trying  to  shoot  the  other  man.  It  had  many 
compensations,  not  the  least  of  which,  still  remaining,  was  the  con 
sciousness  of  the  great  privilege  of  helping  in  some  measure  to  pre 
serve  for  the  nation  and  the  world  the  fact  of  free,  constitutional 
government. 

On  the  22d  of  April  we  were  reviewed  by  General  Grant.  The 
next  day  T  wrote  Doctor  Davis,  our  Surgeon,  of  the  prospect  of  an 
early  movement,  preliminary  orders,  indeed,  being  that  day  received, 
and,  on  Sunday,  the  21th,  I  noted:  "Used  the  chapel  for  the  last 
time."  On  the  30th  of  April  we  were  mustered  by  Lieutenant  Col 
onel  Striker,  of  the  2d  Delaware,  a  most  gallant  officer,  who  was  killed 
at  Spotsylvania  within  two-  weeks,  and  upon  the  same  day,  Lieut.  J. 
(r.  Kurtz,  our  Quartermaster,  was  discharged  on  account  of  physical 
disability.  Quartermaster  Sergeant  S.  D.  Musser  was  immediately 
promoted  to  take  his  place. 

On  Monday,  the  2d  of  May,  we  demolished  our  winter  quarters 
and  put.  up  our  shelter  tents  on  the  same  ground.  When  this  was 
done,  with  three  days'  full  rations  in  our  haversacks,  six  days'  small 
rations  in  knapsacks  and  fifty  rounds  of  ammunition  we  were  ready 
for  final  orders  for  the  initial  march  of  the  summer's  campaign. 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          115 
THE  COLONEL'S  STORY. 

By  Gen.  James  A.  Beaver. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  1864. 

Our  final  marching  orders  came  on  the  3d  of  May,  containing 
directions  to  march  after  dark  that  night.  O'ur  camps  were  in  plain 
sight  of  the  enemy's  signal  station  and,  as  a  consequence,  we  could 
not  remove  our  tents  during  the  day  time,  without  giving  them  notice 
of  the  movement.  The  last  entry  in  ink  in  my  diary  was  Monday,  the 
2d  of  May.  Those  which  follow,  beginning  the  3d  of  May  and  dur 
ing  the  entire  campaign,  were  in  lead  pencil.  My  notes  are  some 
what  full  and  the  incidents  which  affected  our  Regiment  are  set  forth 
as  fully  therein  as  I  could  possibly  make  them  and  it  may  perhaps  be 
well  to  confine  myself  largely  to  these  notes,  with  some  explanations 
and  side  remarks  where  they  will  help  to  explain  or  clarify. 

May  3d,  after  alluding  to  our  marching  orders,  I  wrote : 

"Struck  tents  at  7  :30  P.  M.  and  moved  to  camp  of  the  Fourth 
Brigade.  Remained  until  12  :00  M.  ;  marched  with  -the  Division, 
our  Brigade  leading;  marched  all  night;  rode  to  Germania  Ford  in 
the  morning  with  Captain  Wilson  of  the  division  staff." 

Wednesday,  May  4th : 

''Marching  when  the  day  commenced  ;  sunrise  found  us  near  Ely's 
Ford  on  the  Rapidan  with  Gregg's  Division  of  cavalry  in  our  front ; 
crossed  the  Rapidan  on  a  bridge  of  canvas  boats ;  marched  rapidly 
and  reached  Chancellorsville  about  10:00  A.  M.  All  the  localities  are 
exceedingly  familiar  and  the  evidences  of  the  terrific  strife  of  a  year 
ago  are  many  and  painful.  Took  up  a  position  in  front  of  the  Chan 
cellor  House  and  in  front  of  our  entrenched  position  of  last  year. 
Pitched  tents;  detail  of  200  pickets  from  the  Regiment." 

Thursday,  May  5th : 

'•'Ordered  to  march  at  6  :00  A.  M.  ;  did  not  start  till  after  10  :00 
being  rear  guard  of  the  Corps.  Marched  to  Walford's  Furnace  and 
turned  to  the  left,  reaching  a  position  some  three  miles  from  it  about 
3  :00  P.  M.  At  Rose  Mountain.  Threw  up  'some  works,  using  a  plow 
and  board  paddles.  Arnold's  Battery  on  our  right.  Moved  to  the 
right  on  the  Brock  Road  and  advanced  through  the  woods  about  half 
a  mile,  forming  in  echelon  with  the  left  of  the  First  Brigade.  Firing 
on  our  right,  terrific,  which  continued  until  after  dark.  Marched 


116  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

oat  of  the  woods  and  took  a  position  on  the  road  which  was  entrenched 
during  the  night.   B,  D  and  G  on  picket  in  front  of  our  first  position." 

Our  Brigade  being  the  rear  guard  and  our  Regiment  the  rear  of 
the  Brigade,  we  were  much  delayed  in  our  march  by  driving  the 
stragglers.  This  enabled  us,  however,  to  keep  a  column  well  closed 
ii])  and,  svhen  we  took  our  final  position,  the  Regiment  was  in  fine 
shape.  In  order  to  show  this  to  the  men  themselves,  I  gave  caution 
ary  commands  as  we  approached  our  position  and,  when  we  halted,  I 
gave  the  commands  "Halt!  Front!  Right  Dress!  Front!  Order  arms! 
Stack  arms!  Unsling  knapsacks!  Rest!"  just  as  if  we  had  been  on 
parade.  Everything  was  done  promptly  and  with  great  spirit.  When 
ranks  were  broken,  I  rode  up  to  a  group  of  officers  who  seemed  to 
have  been  interested  in  our  movements  and  among  them  was  General 
Gibbon,  who  was  then  commanding  the  left  wing  of  our  Corps  which 
at  that  time  consisted  of  four  divisions,  two  of  them  having  been 
organized  out  of  our  old  Second  Corps  and  two  out  of  the  Third 
Corps  which  was  made  a  part  of  the  Second.  As  T  rode  up  and  sa 
luted  General  Gibbon,  he  said  : 

"•'Colonel,  I  had  rather  command  that  Regiment  of  yours  than 
command  this  Corps."  It  semed  to  me  at  the  time  to  be  quite  a  com 
pliment,  but  the,  more  T  thought  about  it  the  more  it  seemed  to  me  to 
be  very  natural.  The  command  of  a  Regiment  brings  the  commander 
in  touch  with  his  men.  He  knows  to  what  extent  he  can  rely  upon 
them,  he  feels  sure  of  his  foundations  and  supports.  If  his  regiment 
has  been  trained  as  it  should  be,  there  is  little  danger  of  panic  or  any 
thing  which  will  bring  disgrace  upon  him.  When  you  get  further 
away  from  the  regiment,  however,  although  responsible  for  the  con 
duct  of  everybody  under  your  command,  you  know  less  of  what  you 
can  depend  upon.  This  feeling  of  General  Gibbon  grew  upon  me 
more  and  more  during  the  campaign  and  explains,  to  some  degree  at 
least,  the  indisposition  which  T  had  to  take  command  of  another  and 
a  strange  brigade  when  subsequently  it  twice  was  offered  me. 

Friday  May  6th : 

"Companies  B,  I)  and  G  were  relieved  and  joined  us  about  8:00 
A.  M.  Firing  commenced  about  4:45  A.  M.,  which  soon  became  very 
warm  on  the  skirmish  line.  Our  Regiment  was  formed  in  the  rear 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          117 

of  the  line  of  rifle  pits  as  a  reserve;  remained  until  10:00  A.  M.  and 
moved  to  meet  an  expected  attack  on  our  left  flank ;  threw  up  a  slight 
work  of  rails  and  logs  and  remained  quiet  until  2  :00  p.  M.,  when 
we  removed  to  our  old  position  of  the  morning.  The  Regiment  occu 
pied  both  sides  of  Gillis'  Battery  in  expectation  of  an  attack  from 
our  front.  Our  skirmish  line  drove  the  enemy  back,  however.  K 
Company  on  the  skirmish  line.  The  general  result  of  the  engage 
ment,  at  5  :00  P.  M.,  is  not  very  favorable,  although  not  distinctly 
unfavorable.  Remained  in  the  rifle  pits  all  evening ;  an  attack  on  our 
right  drove  the  Fourth  Division  out  of  their  works ;  a  portion  of  our 
Brigade  drove  the  enemy  back ;  night  closed  in  with  prospects  of 
sleep. " 

It  will  be  seen  from  these  memoranda  that  our  Regiment  was  not 
actively  engaged  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness.  Being  the  last  regi 
ment  in  column  on  the  march,  we  were  on  the  left  of  the  line,  when 
the  line  of  battle  was  formed.  The  enemy's  line  evidently  ran  out 
before  reaching  our  Regiment.  We  were,  therefore,  held  in  reserve 
and  moved  from  place  to  place  to  guard  the  left  flank.  I  was  con 
vinced  that  an  attack  by  our  Regiment  on  the  right  flank  of  the 
enemy  would  be  disastrous  to  them,  and  made  a  little  personal  recon 
naissance  with  a  view  of  ascertaining  how  it  could  be  done.  It  seemed 
to  me  that  the  advantages  were  all  in  our  favor  in  making  the  effort, 
but  I  failed  to  get  permission  to  try  it  and  we  were,  therefore,  used 
simply  for  the  purpose  of  guarding  against  or  repelling  a  movement 
against  our  left.  There  was  evidently  some  well  grounded  expecta 
tion  of  an  attack  on  our  flank,  for  during  the  day  I  came  in  contact 
with  Colonel  Richard  Coulter  who,  with  the  llth  Pennsylvania, 
joined  us  and  formed  line  with  us  as  we  marched  out  a  short  distance 
and  prepared  for  repelling  an  attack  from  that  direction  which  did 
not  come.  Coulter  and  T  had  an  opportunity  to  recall  our  three 
months'  service  and  to  compare  notes  as  to  the  fortunes  of  the  day. 
We  lost  but  a  single  man  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness. 

Saturday,  May  7th,  I  record : 

"Good  night's  sleep;  day  commenced  at  4:00  A.  M.  ;  remained 
in  the  rifle  pits  all  day ;  spent  most  of  the  day  very  pleasantly  at 
General  Gibbon's  headquarters  (in  order  to  get  early  information 
of  any  movement  which  might  be  ordered).  Marching  orders  came 
at  dark.  I  was  appointed,  by  orders  from  corps  headquarters,  corps 
officer  of  the  day,  with  directions  to  report  to  General  Hancock  in  per 
son  for  detailed  instructions,  and  did  so  at  8:00  p.  M." 


118  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMEXT 

Prior  to  this,  however,  Colonel  Egan,  40th  New  York,  from  the 
Third  Division,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Stryker,  2d  Delaware,  of  the 
First  Division,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Schoonover,  llth  New  Jersey,  of 
the  Fourth  Division,  and  Major  Welch,  19th  Maine,  of  the  Second 
Division,  reported  to  me  as  division  officers  of  the  day.  I  directed 
them  to  take  command  of  the  pickets  from  the  several  divisions  and 
rode  to  corps  headquarters.  On  arriving  there,  I  found  a  great  gather 
ing  of  officers,  dismounted,  and  among  them,  General  Grant,  the  Coon- 
mander-in-Chief  of  all  our  Armies,  sitting  alone  at  the  root  of  a  tree 
whittling  a  stick.  I  dismounted  and  sought  General  Hancock  and 
was  informed  by  him  of  the  general  movement  of  the  Army ;  that 
the  corps  on  our  extreme  right  would  withdraw,  marching  in  roar 
of  the  others,  followed  by  its  pickets;  that  the  next  corps  would,  in 
like  manner,  follow  when  it  had  passed,  and  so  on,  until  the  left  was 
reached,  and  that  our  Corps  would  then  follow  and  T  would  be  left 
with  the  picket  line  of  the  Corps  to  hold  any  demonstration  which 
might  be  made  from  the  front,  until  the  Army  had  gotten  well  on  its 
way  toward  our  new  position.  Tn  the  midst  of  these  directions,  we 
heard  a  great  volley  in  our  front,  with  somewhat  continuous  firing. 
T  sprang  to  my  horse  and  was  riding  off,  General  Hancock's  staff  were 
calling  for  horses,  when  T.  was  suddenly  stopped  by  General  Grant, 
who  said : 

"Hold  on,  Hancock ;  that  firing  is  all  on  one  side." 

This  arrested  my  attention,  I  waited  for  a  minute  and,  finding 
that  the  fire  slackened  appreciably,  returned  to  receive  my  final  in 
structions. 

The  operation  of  withdrawing  in  this  manner  was,  of  course,  a 
very  delicate  one,  but  was  executed  in  such  a  way  that  the  enemy 
evidently  did  not  discover  it  during  the  night.  General  directions 
were  given  by  me  to  the  division  officers  of  the  day  to  give  special 
attention  to  their  picket  line  and  to  see  that  every  one  was  vigilant 
and  wide-awake.  Sunday  morning  came  and  found  the  movement 
unfinished. 

T  made  this  entry  Sunday,  May  8th : 

"Slept  none  during  the  night.  Colonel  Sleeper,  llth  New  Jersey  ; 
Captain  Allen,  llth  Massachusetts,  brought  in  their  pickets  without 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          1  19 

orders.  Considerable  confusion  resulted.  They  were,  however,  re 
turned  to  the  line.  Did  not  commence  to  withdraw  our  pickets  until 
10  :00  A.  M.  instead  of  2  :00  A.  M.,  as  at  first  ordered' — the  other  Corps 
not  having  marched  at  the  time  appointed  and  ours  not  having  with 
drawn  in  time  to  enable  us  to  complete  the  movement  during  the 
night." 

It  occurred  to  me,  seeing  Colonel  Kgan  and  noting  his 
api>earance  and  age,  to  inquire  as  to  his  rank.  I  found  that 
he  ranked  me;  -told  him  I  could  not  turn  the  command  over  to 
him,  because  I  had  been  specially  entrusted  with  the  movement  by 
General  Hancock,  but  that,  if  he  had  any  feeling  in  regard  to  serving 
under  a  junior,  1  would  excuse  him  and  that  he  could  join  his  com 
mand.  I  was,  of  course,  pleased  with  his  prompt  and  soldierly  reply : 

''This  is  no  time  to  quibble  about  rank ;  I  will  be  glad  to  serve 
under  you  and  do  all  we  can  to  withdraw  our  pickets  in  good  shape." 

We  had  scarcely  assembled  our  pickets  and  were  ready  to  march 
off,  when  a  line  of  skirmishers  appeared,  coming  over  the  breast 
works  of  the  enemy.  Desiring  to  show  my  confidence  in  Egan,  1 
asked  him  to  deploy  the  pickets  of  one  division  as  skirmishers  and 
drive  the  enemy  back,  whilst  I  held  the  other  pickets  in  reserve.  He 
did  this  in  fine  style  and  we  withdrew,  marching  rapidly  toward 
Todd's  Tavern  which  we  reached  without  the  loss  of  a  man.  General 
Hancock  had  sent  an  anxious  inquiry  during  the  day  and,  when  T 
reported  to  him  personally  in  the  evening,  with  my  little  column  in 
tact,  he  thanked  me  very  warmly.  1  found  our  Regiment  a  little 
to  the  right  of  Todd's  Tavern  but  we  were  in  the  second  line  and 
were,  therefore,  relieved,  as  I  supposed,  from  the  duty  of  throwing  up 
any  entrenchments.  This,  however,  did  not  last  long  as  I  found. 

Monday,  May  9th: 

"Sent  a  fatigue  drill  of  250  men  at  11 :00  p.  M.  to  build  works 
for  the  artillery  brigade,  which  worked  all  night." 

Continuing,  my  pocket  diary  says: 

"An  order  from  army  headquarters  says :  'The  Army  will  re 
main  quiet7  We  moved,  however,  about  12  :00  M.,  notwithstanding,  in 
the  direction  of  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  marching  about  eight 
miles,  and  threw  up  a  line  of  handsome  rifle  pits.  We  had  just  fin 
ished  them  when  we  were  ordered  to  cross  the  Po  River  and  advance 


120  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

upon  the  enemy,  who  were  in  position  at  Wright's  Shop.  Our  Regi- 
ment  crossed  alone  and  advanced,  our  skirmishers  under  a  heavy 
ehelling ;  found  the  enemy's  force  to  consist  of  cavalry  and  horse  ar 
tillery  ;  drove  the  whole  party  at  a  charge  of  the  skirmish  line  an4 
took  the  cross  roads  with  the  loss  of  one  officer  and  eighteen  men 
wounded.  Byers,  of  B,  died  of  his  wounds.  The  whole  Corps  crossed 
the  river  subsequently  and  we  advanced  toward  Spotsylvania  Court 
House,  formed  line  in  the  woods  in  front  of  the  road  and  rested." 

Tuesday,  May  10th : 

"Isaac  Sweetwood,  of  H  Company,  killed  on  a  scout;  com 
menced  the  day  by  changing  our  position  and  continued  changing  all 
day,  occupying  twelve  different  and  distinct  positions,  in  two  or  three 
of  which  we  built  rifle  pits.  Our  last  and  worst  position  was  taken 
on  the  south  side  of  the  river  opposite  rifle  pits  which  had  been  built 
by  the  Irish  Brigade  in  the  morning.  The  enemy  came  up  in  force 
occupied  the  rifle  pits  and  poured  a  murderous  fire  into  our  exposed 
line.  We  held  that  position  two  hours  and  a  half,  expended  all  our 
ammunition,  were  cut  off  from  the  balance  of  the  Army  by  a  burning 
woods  and  were  flanked  on  the  right  by  reason  of  the  retiring  of  the 
Third  Brigade.  We  got  off  safely,  however,  with  the  loss  of  about 
one  hundred  and  seventy-five.  My  sorrel  horse  was  killed." 

Our  last  position  referred  to  was  altogether  the  most  critical  in 
which  the  Regiment  was  placed  during  the  entire  War.  Having 
crossed  the  river  the  night  before  by  fording  and  on  a  log,  I  had  no 
knowledge  of  the  building  of  bridges  and  nothing  had  been  said  to 
me  in  regard  to  them.  Having  received  no  instructions  for  an  hour 
or  more  from  Colonel  Brooke  and  doubting,  from  the  movements  on 
my  right,  the  continuation  of  our  line  by  the  Third  Brigade,  which 
I  had  been  led  to  believe  was  in  position  there,  I  sent  Sergt.  Robert 
Kissinger,  of  I  Company,  to  reconnoitre  on  our  right.  He  was  a 
thorough  reliable  scout,  with  undaunted  courage,  quick  eye  and  good 
judgment.  He  served  me  well  on  several  occasions  such  as  this.  Pfe 
had  scarcely  gone  beyond  our  right  flank,  when  he  returned  on  a 
full  run,  with  eyes  blazing,  and,  in  emphatic  language,  said : 

"Colonel,  the  rebels  are  in  there!" 

I  cross-questioned  him  somewhat  so  as  to  be  sure  of  it  and  found 
there  was  no  reason  to  doubt  his  word.  There  we  were,  therefore, 
with  the  woods  on  fire  on  our  left  and  with  our  right  flank,  ex 
posed  and  the  enemy,  if  they  did  not  already  know  it,  sure  to  ascer- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          121 

tain  that  our  flank  was  in  the  air.  Giving  the  Adjutant  some  direc 
tions  as  to  the  movement,  I  determined  to  change  front  to  the  rear  on 
tlio  left  company.  This  enabled  us  to  cross  a  ravine  and  get  a  favor 
able  position  on  a  hill  beyond.  I  stayed  with  the  left  and  kept  up  a 
continuous  fusilade  upon  the  enemy  who  were  opposite  us.  When 
the  change  had  been  made,  the  r.'ght  flank  rested  near  the  point  at 
which  we  had  crossed  the  night  before.  I  then  gave  directions  to  the 
companies  from  the  right  to  cross  the  river.  My  horse  had  been  shot 
through  the  flank  and  I  felt  sure  would  die.  Lieutenant  Cook,  of  H 
Company,  had  been  wounded  in  his  leg  and  was  unable  to  walk.  I 
put  him  upon  the  horse  and  begged  him  to  get  him  across  the  river, 
if  possible,  so  as  to  save  himself  and  at  the  same  time  my  saddle  and 
bridle.  Fortunately  he  did  so  and  the  horse  dropped  dead  after 
carrying  him  across  the  river.  We  began  the  removal  of  the  wounded 
and,  as  the  companies  melted  away,  the  last  company  on  the  left  fin 
ally  started,  after  giving  a  couple  of  quick  volleys,  to  give  notice  to 
the  enemy  that  we  were  still  there.  The  bank  of  the  river  was  very 
marshy  and  in  urging  the  passage  of  the  men  and,  in  helping  to  get 
off  the  wounded,  I  became  mired  and  almost  exhausted.  One  of  the 
men  of  the  left  company  writes  me  that  he  has  a  distinct  recollection 
of  helping  me  carry  the  corners  of  a  blanket  with  a  wounded  officer 
in  it,  before  we  crossed  the  stream.  I  finally  crossed  and  fell  ex 
hausted  upon  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river — and  here  I  have  a  con 
fession  to  make.  An  artillery  officer  rode  up  to  me,  took  the  flask 
from  his  shoulder,  unscreAved  the  top,  which  when  reversed  was  a  cup, 
filled  it  with  whiskey  and  said : 

"This  is  what  you  want,  Colonel." 

I  drank  it  down  and,  although  nearly  strangled,  was  immediately 
revived.  It  was  the  only  drink  of  whiskey  T  took  during  the  War. 
As  soon  as  I  had  recovered  myself,  I  found,  to  my  surprise,  that  our 
Brigade  had  withdrawn  and  that  we  had  been  left  alone  to  confront 
an  entire  division  of  the  enemy,  without  support  and  no  connection 
either  on  our  right  or  our  left.  Complaining  to  Colonel  Brooke  about 
it,  he  said  he  had  tried  to  send  a  staff  officer  to  me  several  times  but 
that  it  was  impossible  to  communicate  with  me,  because  of  the  fire 
in  the  woods. 


122  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Another  incident  occurred  during  this  fight  which  was  intensely 
interesting.  Up  to  that  time  and  afterwards,  it  was  the  boast  of  the 
Second  Corps  that  it  had  never  lost  a  gun  or  a  color.  During  that 
fight,  however,  Captain  Arnold,  of  Rhode  Island,  in  moving  his  batr 
tery  in  the  rear  of  our  Regiment,  had  one  of  his  guns  wedged  between 
two  trees.  The  force  had  been  so  great  that  it  was  impossible  to  move 
it  either  way.  I  detailed  a  number  of  men  to  assist  but,  having  no 
axe  convenient,  it  was  impossible  to  move  the  piece  and  the  horses 
were  unhitched  from  it  and  it  was  abandoned.  It  was  captured  from* 
the  enemy  afterwards,  however,  so  that  our  boast  remained  good  for 
some  time  subsequently. 

Sunday,  May  llth: 

"Remained  quiet  during  the  whole  day,  taking  a  position  in  the 
morning  and  occupying  it  until  night.  Put  up  a  tent  and  prepared 
to  enjoy  a  night  of  quiet  rest,  so  much  needed  by  us  all.  At  9:30 
o'clock  inarching  orders  were  received.  We  moved  quietly  to  the  left 
of  the  Army  and  formed  by  battalions  in  mass,  doubled  on  the  center 
for  a  grand  assault  in  the  morning." 

Thursday,  May  12th: 

"Waked  about  4:30  A.  M.,  somewhat  refreshed  by  a  short  sleep; 
gave  a  few  short  directions  to  the  men,  with  a  word  of  cheer,  and 
started  on  our  perilous  undertaking.  Reached  and  took  the  rifle  pits 
on  the  skirmish  line,  with  little  trouble.  Advanced  a  short  distance 
and  then  commenced  the  double  quick,  with  a  cheer.  It  was  a  glor 
ious  sight.  The  enemy  opened  with  musketry  and  grape  and  canister. 
The  column  wavered  but  was  rallied  and  pressed  on,  through  the 
abatis  and  up  over  the  enemy's  works  and  down  into  their  pits.  The 
scene  was  one  never  to  be  forgotten.  Prisoners  poured  through  the 
column  by  thousands,  guns  and  colors  were  captured  by  the  score  and 
the  whole  mass  of  troops  became  thoroughly  mixed  up.  The  enemy 
made  a  vigorous  effort  to  retrieve  their  lost  ground  but  were  unsuc 
cessful.  The  Sixth  Corps  coming  up,  we  retired  to  re-form  our  line 
and  were,  in  turn,  ordered  to  support  the  right  of  the  Sixth  Corps. 
We  were  here  actively  engaged  and  subjected  to  a  most  deadly  mus 
ketry  fire.  T  was  struck  on  this  book  by  a  spent  ball.  Our  loss  today 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five." 

This  was  the  grand  assault  on  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  which 
was  unquestionably  the  most  successful  bayonet  charge  of  the  War. 
Gon.  George  IT.  Steuart,  commanding  a  brigade  of  Johnson's  Division, 


THE  r48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  123 

surrendered  to  me  personally.     He  came  toward  me  with  the  remark : 

"I  would  like  to  surrender  to  an  officer  of  rank." 

I  replied,  "I  will  be  very  glad  to  receive  your  surrender,  sir ; 
whom  have  I  the  honor  to  address  ?" 

He  replied,  "General  Steuart." 

He  was  so  different  in  appearance  from  what  I  imagined  Gen 
eral  Stuart,  of  cavalry  fame,  to  be  and,  knowing  of  no  other  General 
Stuart,  I  said  in  a  very  surprised  tone: 

"What!    Jeb  Steuart?" 

"No,"  he  said,  "George  H.  Steuart,  of  the  infantry." 

I  then  asked  him  for  his  sword  and  he  looked  about  in  a  sur 
prised  way  and  said : 

"Well,  sah,  you  all  waked  us  up  so  early  this  mawnin'  that  I 
didn't  get  it  on." 

I  expressed  my  regret  that  I  could  not  remain  with  him  and 
could  not  see  him  to  the  rear.  At  this  juncture  a  trig  little  Corporal 
of  the  Irish  Brigade  said,  "I'll  take  care  of  him,  Colonel,"  and, 
directing  him  to  see  the  General  safely  to  the  rear,  I  hurried  on. 

In  coming  through  the  abatis  in  front  of  the  salient,  I  had  bent 
and  partly  broken  the  scabbard  of  my  sword.  Fortunately  the  piece 
was  not  lost  but  it  was  rendered  unfit  for  immediate  service.  One 
of  our  men  picked  up  a  beautiful  little  field  saber  with  a  steel  scab 
bard,  the  exact  counterpart  of  which  I  have  never  seen,  after  we  en 
tered  the  enemy's  entrenchments.  He  gave  this  to  me  and  I  carried 
it  afterwards  during  the  remainder  of  my  service.  My  old  saber, 
however,  was  repaired  subsequently  and  I  have  both  as  valued  war 
relics. 

As  intimated  in  my  diary,  we  became  so  thoroughly  mixed  up 
that  the  regimental  organization  was  entirely  lost.  Encountering  a 
second  line  of  the  enemy's  works  in  this  confusion  and  finding  that 
it  was  impossible  to  carry  them,  we  retired  and  began  to  form  our 
lines  outside  the  salient,  the  left  of  which  had  been  carried  by  us.  It 
was  not  long  until  we  were  ordered  to  the  right  and,  to  our  amaze 
ment,  we  marched  over  two  or  three  lines  of  battle  of  the  Sixth 
Corps  lying  on  the  ground  which  had  evidently  not  been  engaged.  T 
have  never  vet  been  able  to  understand  whv  this  was  done.  It  was 


124  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

not  ours  to  inquire  at  the  time.  We  marched  to  the  front  and  became 
warmly  engaged  and  kept  up  our  musketry  fire  till  our  ammunition 
was  entirely  exhausted.  I  had  the  file  closers  gather  ammunition 
from  our  dead  and  wounded  and  afterwards  carry  it  in  their  caps 
from  the  lines  of  the  Sixth  Corps,  which  were  lying  in  our  rear.  Al 
though  losing  heavily,  we  accomplished  but  little  in  this  second  stage 
of  the  engagement.  At  one  time  during  the  musketry  fire,  I  went 
close  to  the  line  to  ascertain  whether  everything  was  going  well,  when 
I  saw  Sergeant  Kissinger,  referred  to  above,  coolly  cutting  off  a  piece 
of  his  shelter  tent,  putting  the  screw  upon  his  ramrod  and  deliber 
ately  cleaning  his  rifle.  He  called  to  me,  "Colonel,  don't  come  up 
here.  This  is  a  warm  pla.ce;  you  have  no  business  here;  we  will  take 
care  of  this,'7  and  kept  on  cleaning  his  rifle  and  speaking  in  turns  to 
me  and  to  the  men  who  were  immediately  about  him.  Such  exhibi 
tions  of  coolness  and  courage  were  by  no  means  unusual.  They  show 
the  extent  to  which  discipline  and  training,  added  to  natural  gifts, 
can  bring  the  American  soldier. 

We  evidently  retired  from  this  position  and  threw  up  some  pro 
tection  in  the  rear,  although  I  have  no  distinct  recollection  of  this, 
for,  on  Friday,  May  13th,  I  note: 

"Remained  quietly  in  our  works  until  evening,  when  we  moved 
to  a  position  some  distance  in  advance,  where  we  threw  up  a  new  line 
of  works  adjoining  the  Ninth  Corps  on  our  left.  This  was  just 
the  point  at  which  we  entered  the  enemy's  works  yesterday  morning. 
Many  of  our  killed  and  wounded  were  found  here.  Sharpshooters 
were  very  troublesome," 

The  satisfaction  with  which  I  wrote  the  first  words  of  the  entry 
on  the  following  day  can  scarcely  be  appreciated  by  those  who  had 
not  shared  in  the  fatigues  of  the  five  days  immediately  preceding. 
Saturday,  May  14th: 

''Remained  quiet  all  day.  Sat  on  a  court  of  inquiry  in  the  case 
of  Colonel  -  — ,  accused  of  drunkenness  on  duty  ;  visited 

the  45th  and  saw  very  many  of  my  old  friends  and  acquaintances; 
had  several  men  wounded  on  the  skirmish  line." 

On  Sunday,  May  15th,  1  note  a  slight  movement: 

"Moved  in  the  morning  near  the  Ninth  Corps  hospital  and  biv 
ouacked  in  column  by  division  at  half  distance;  put  up  shelter  tents 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          125 

and  commenced  cleaning  up.     Are  near  General  Grant's  headquar 
ters;  saw  Doctor  Christ  (45th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers)." 

Next  day,  Monday,  May  16th: 

"Remained  in  the  same  place  all  day ;  had  an  inspection  at 
5:00  p.  M." 

This  inspection  was  not  merely  for  the  sake  of  having  something 
to  do  but,  after  the  serious  business  in  which  we  had  been  engaged,  it 
was  important  to  ascertain  that  the  arms  were  in  good  condition  and 
that  the  men  were  supplied  with  ammunition,  as  well  as  to  see  that 
shoes  and  clothing  were  sufficient  and  haversacks  filled. 

Tuesday,  May  17th : 

"Remained  quiet  until  after  dinner,  when  we  moved  a  short  dis 
tance  to  the  left.  Moved  again  at  dusk  to  form  for  an  attack  on  our 
extreme  left.  Faced  about  just  before  we  were  in  position,  however, 
and  marched  to  the  extreme  right  and  formed  double  column  in  mass. 
Had  visits  from  several  members  of  the  45th,  including  my  brother 
Addams  and  Capt.  Austin  Curtin." 

Wednesday,  May  18th: 

"Moved  before  daylight  and  formed  the  second  line  in  a  dis 
astrous  assault  in  which  the  Second  and  Third  Brigades  suffered, 
severely ;  had  four  men  wounded ;  had  just  prepared  myself  for  a 
good  sleep  when  marching  orders  arrived ;  marched  from  the  extreme 
right  to  the  extreme  left  beyond  the  Andrews  House." 

Thursday,  May  19th: 

"Remained  quiet  all  day ;  received  a  mail  in  the  morning.  Can 
nonading  just  before  sundown  started  us  to  the  right  to  assist  Gen 
eral  Tyler's  Division  of  Heavy  Artillery.  They  drove  the  enemy 
before  we  arrived,  however,  and  we  returned  to  our  old  ground." 

Friday,  May  20th: 

"A  good  night's  sleep;  orders  to  be  ready  to  march  at  daylight 
waked  us  rather  early,  however;  marched  at  11 :00  P.  M.  precisely  to 
the  left  and  turned  the  right  flank  of  the  enemy's  position." 

Saturday,  May  21st: 

"Halted  a  short  time  at  sunrise,  having  marched  all  night,  and 
then  pushed  on  ;  crossed  the  *R —  -  &  P—  -  Rail 

road  two  or  three  times ;  crossed  the  Mat  and  reached  Milford,  after 
passing  through  Bowling  Green,  a  beautiful  little  town ;  deployed  the 
^Richmond  and  Potomac. 


126  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Regiment  along  the  banks  of  the  Mattapony ;  found  a  ford  and 
pushed  across  up  to  the  waists  in  water ;  captured  a  few  prisoners  and 
a  little  camp  and  garrison  equipage,  skirmished  for  two  or  three 
miles  and  were  relieved  by  the  Second  Division,  our  Brigade  lying  in 
reserve." 

1.  find,  in  a  letter  of  May  26,  1864,  this  account  of  our  crossing 
of  the  river : 

''Friday  evening  last  at  eleven  o'clock  we  commenced  a  great 
flank  movement  which  resulted  in  compelling  the  enemy  to  evacuate 
his  strong  position  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House  and  take  a  position 
some  twenty-five  miles  nearer  Richmond.  Our  Corps  led  the  advance, 
my  Regiment  in  the  lead.  We  were  the  first  to  cross  the  Mattapony, 
which  we  did  by  fording  it,  waist  deep.  We  took  up  a  strong  position 
around  Milford  Station,  fortified  ourselves  and  waited  for  the  balance 
of  the  Army.  On  Sunday  I  was  sent  with  my  Regiment  on  a  recon 
naissance  ;  we  went  some  five  miles  out,  met  the  enemy's  cavalry  in 
front  and  were  fired  into  by  our  own  cavalry  in  the  rear,  but  fortu 
nately  lost  none.  Next  day  the  Army  came  up  and  we  marched  here, 
which  is  some  twenty-two  miles  from  Richmond.  The  enemy  are 
strong  in  our  front  and  the  indications  are  that  we  will  again  turn 
their  position  which  is  I  believe  now  being  done  by  other  portions  of 
the  Army,  whilst  we  hold  them  in  front," 

Later,  in  this  same  letter : 

"It  rains  as  T  write,  very  steadily,  but,  thanks  to  my  pack  mule, 
wo  have  a  tent  with  us  and  are  perfectly  protected  against  the 
weather.  We  are  very  well  fixed  for  a  campaign.  T  carry  with  me 
in  my  saddle  bags  a  complete  change  of  underclothing,  have  rubber 
coat  and  pantaloons,  so  that  I  can  ride  a  whole  day  in  the  rain,  with 
out  inconvenience;  have  our  eatables  in  a  pair  of  panniers  carried  on 
'Nan'  and  material  for  a  good  bed  in  any  kind  of  weather.  The  only 
thing  T  need  badly  is  a  chair  and  I  intend  to  have  one  as  soon  as  T 
can  send  to  the  train." 

These  extracts  recall  vividly  to  mind  the  all-night  march,  in 
which  our  Regiment  led  the  entire  Corps  in  the  advance  of  the  Army, 
and  especially  the  beauty  of  the  scene  after  sunrise  as  we  reached  and 
passed  through  Bowling  Green.  It  was  in  a  beautiful,  fertile  valley 
and,  not  having  been  over-run  by  either  Army,  everything  was  fresh 
and  beautiful.  It  was  in  striking  contrast  with  all  that  we  had  seen 
and  experienced  since  crossing  the  Rappahannock.  The  reference  to 
my  pack  mule  also  recalls  that  beneficient  institution.  Mv  stable 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          127 

man,  who  was  a  detail  from  Company  I,  was  a  natural  born  trader. 
He  found  this  little  white  mule  somewhere  before  we  started  and 
bought  her  for  $20.00.  I  had  a  pack  saddle  manufactured  and  loaded 
her,  as  indicated  in  the  letter  quoted  above.  She  was  a  most  intelli 
gent  and  useful  animal.  Unfortunately,  my  factotum  was  in  the 
habit  of  getting  a  little  off  the  track  from  the  temperance  standpoint, 
when  he  had  the  opportunity.  On  one  occasion  about  this  time  in  the 
campaign  he  swerved  from  the  strict  line  of  rectitude  and  lost  the 
mule.  The  result  was  that  we  went  to  bed  without  any  bed,  and 
practically  supperless,  except  for  the  bounty  of  some  of  the  men, 
who  gave  us  some  of  their  hard  tack,  upon  which  we  thankfully 
retired.  Some  time  during  the  night  I  heard  the  most  jubilant  mule 
song  and  waked  up  to  find  one  of  our  boys  with  Nan,  who  had  found 
the  Regiment,  without  the  help  of  her  custodian.  She  was  quite  as 
much,  rejoiced  as  we  were.  She  remained  with  us  during  the  entire 
campaign  and,  after  my  military  career  had  closed,  I  sold  her,  if  I 
remember,  to  Capt.  William  H.  Humes  of  our  town,  who  was  an 
Assistant  Quartermaster  in  the  Army. 

The  reconnaissance  referred  to  in  the  letter  above  quoted  took 
place  on  Sunday,  the  22d  of  May,  as  to  which  I  note  in  my  diary : 

"Started  on  a  reconnaissance  toward  New  Bethel  Church ;  had 
a  very  pleasant  trip ;  scared  up  a  few  of  the  enemy's  cavalry  and  were 
fired  into  by  our  own  ;  returned  in  the  evening,  without  losing  a  man." 

On  Monday,  the  23d: 

"Marched  in  the  early  morning  toward  the  North  Anna  and 
arrived  on  its  banks  about  3  :00  p.  M." 

Next  day : 

"Crossed  the  North  Anna  on  pontoon  bridge  east  of  the  railroad  ; 
lay  under  protection  of  a  hill  for  several  hour?  and  advanced  in  the 
evening  to  attack  the  enemy's  position ;  orders  were  countermanded, 
however,  and  we  advanced  a  short  distance  and  threw  up  heavy 
works ;  detailed  as  corps  officer  of  the  day ;  heavy  showers." 

Wednesday,  May  25th : 

"Went  to  bed  at  1:00  A.  M.,  after  seeing  rifle  pits  almost  fin 
ished  ;  had  a  tent  put  up  during  the  day  and  tried  to  be  comfortable." 


128  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Thursday,  26th: 

"Remained  in  our  old  position,  without  incident,  during  the 
day.  Sent  out  200  men  on  the  picket  line  to  remain  until  all  troops 
were  withdrawn ;  our  Brigade  crossed  the  river  to  the  north  bank 
last." 

Friday,  May  27th : 

"Pickets  came  in  safely  early  this  morning;  had  a  little  sleep 
and  some  rest;  terrible  firing  on  the  river  bank,  without  much  occa 
sion  for  it.  Marched  at  11 :30  A.  M.     A  slow,  steady  march,  some  dis- 
stance  from  the  bank  of  the  North  Anna  brought  us  at  midnight  to 
— ;  passed  Concord  and  -  -  Churches." 

Saturday,  May  28th: 

"Marched  at  6  :30  A.  M.  A  pleasant,  steady  march  brought  us, 
at  1 :00  P.  M.,  to  the  bank  of  the  Pamunkey  which  crossed  on  a 
pontoon  bridge;  took  up  an  advantageous  position  a  short  distance 
from  the  river  some  eighteen  miles  from  Richmond ;  threw  up  strong 
earthworks." 

Sunday,  29th: 

"A  delightful  sleep  all  night,  with  my  trousers  off — mirabile 
dictu!  Spent  a  pleasant  morning;  inspection  and  divine  service  as 
in  camp.  Services  abridged,  however,  by  an  order  to  march  ;  Division 
made  a  reconnaissance  on  the  Richmond  road  and  found  the  enemy 
entrenched  on  Totopotomoy  Creek ;  formed  line  at  right  in  rear  of 
the  Second  Brigade." 

Monday,  May  30th : 

"Made  numerous  changes  during  the  day  and  at  length  joined  a 
portion  of  the  second  line  in  a  charge  across  the  Totopotomoy.  Did 
not  cross,  however,  but  threw  up  a  heavy  work  on  the  hill  on  the 
north  side." 

Tuesday,  May  31st: 

"Tools  were  scarce  and  we  occupied  the  whole  night  in  perfect 
ing  our  works ;  remained  in  them  quietly  most  of  the  day  and  at  night 
crossed  the  creek  and  threw  up  new  works." 

Wednesday,  June  1st: 

"Another  night  spent  at  breastworks  which  afforded  us  protec 
tion  against  the  enemy's  skirmishers — nothing  more;  ordered  to 
move  at  night;  commenced  the  march  at  4:00  P.  M." 


77/7:  rjSTH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  129 

Thursday,  June  2d : 

4 'Were  marching  when  the  day  commenced  in  a  choking  and 
sickening  dust,  Arrived  at  Cold  Harbor  early  in  the  morning; 
formed  in  rear  of  the  Sixth  Corps  until  we  had  breakfast ;  deployed 
Regiment  as  skirmishers  and  advanced  beyond  the  Sixth  Corps,  driv 
ing  the  enemy  a  considerable  distance;  a  delightful  rain  refreshed 
us  considerably.  An  assault  ordered  for  the  morning;  corps  officer 
of  the  day." 

Friday,  June  3d : 

"Formed  five  companies  with  the  Brigade  at  3  :30  A.  M.  in  the 
second  line ;  five  companies  on  the  skirmish  line  advanced  several 
hundred  yards  and  came  ujx>n  the  enemy's  works,  the  outside 
of  which  we  gained ;  the  Second  Division  not  affording  prompt  sup 
port,  we  failed  to  enter  and  dropped  under  the  hill ;  pushed 
up  gradually  and  got  a  little  earth  thrown  up  which  soon  grew  into 
a  rifle  pit  some  one  hundred  yards  from  the  enemy;  had  a 
warm  time  all  day  which  closed  at  night  with  a  tremendous  fusilade; 
was  struck  with  a  spent  ball  in  the  hip;  lost  five  killed,  forty-eight 
wounded  and  missing." 

Saturday,  June  4th : 

"Worked  most  of  the  night  strengthening  our  works  and  pre 
paring  them  for  artillery." 

This  battle  of  Cold  Harbor  has  been  much  discussed  and  General 
Grant  has  often  been  much  criticised  for  having  made  the  assault. 
I  know  nothing  of  the  battle  beyond  what  took  place  in  our  immediate 
front.  As  indicated  in  the  diary,  our  Regiment  was  divided,  five 
companies  being  upon  the  skirmish  line  and  the  other  five  in  the  sec 
ond  line  of  battle.  Before  the  battle  commenced,  although  1  was  by 
no  means  the  ranking  officer.  Colonel  Brooke  placed  me  in  command 
of  the  second  line  with  directions  that,  if  anything  happened  him,  I 
should  assume  the  command  until  the  fight  was  over.  He  accompan 
ied  the  first  line,  composed  largely  of  the  7th  Xew  York  Heavy 
Artillery  under  Colonel  Morris.  This  line  actually  entered  the 
enemy's  works.  The  second  line  followed  closely  and  was  just  upon 
the  outside  of  them,  when  the  first  line,  being  driven  back,  poured 
through  us,  at  such  a  rate  as  to  break  our  organization.  By  that 
time  a  second  line  of  the  enemy  had  come  forward  and  rendered  our 
occupancy  of  the  works  permanently  impossible.  Colonel  Brooke 


1  30        THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

was  wounded  and  I  took  command  of  the  Brigade.  There  was  some 
uneasiness  and  uncertainty  on  our  left  flank.  I  sent  one  of  the 
Brigade  staff  to  that  point  to  keep  things  from  becoming  demoralized, 
sent  another  to  the  right,  and  was  standing  talking  to  Captain  Brady 
(aferwards  Gen.  J.  D.  Brady,  of  Petersburg,  \7irginia)  when  we 
both  jumped  from  our  feet  at  the  same  time,  I  supposed  that  my 
whole  right  hip  was  carried  away  but,  when  Brady  fell,  I  put  my  foot 
down  and,  finding  that  I  could  stand  upon  it,  T  looked  after  him.  Tt 
became  evident  then  that  the  ball  which  went  through  his  arm  and 
the  fleshy  part  of  his  body  had  struck  me  on  the  hip.  The  morning 
was  rather  wet  and  I  had  my  waterproof  coat  on.  The  force  of  the 
ball  was  just  sufficient  to  cut  through  the  waterproof  and  to  give  me 
an  ugly  bruise  which,  although  exceedingly  painful,  did  not  disable 
me.  Tn  addition  to  the  wounding  of  Colonel  Brooke,  Colonel  Morris 
of  the  66th  New  York,  who  ranked  me,  was  killed. 

The  next  morning,  in  conversation  with  Colonel  Morris,  of  the 
7th  Heavy  Artillery,  who  had  joined  us  for  the  campaign  after  it 
commenced,  I  happened  to  make  inquiry  as  to  his  rank,  although  I 
had  no  reason  to  suspect  that  he  was  older  in  commission  as  a  Colonel 
than  T,  but  T  found  from  his  answer  that  he  was  and  turned  the  com 
mand  of  the  Brigade  over  to  him.  He  was  an  officer  in  the  Regular 
Army  and  had  such  experience  that  T  had  no  misgivings  in  serving 
under  him.  He  was  killed  that  day  and  T  was  sent  for  by  General 
Barlow  and  formally  placed  in  command  of  the  Brigade.  Previously 
during  the  campaign  T  had  been  offered  the  command  of  the  Third 
Brigade  and  also  of  the  Second  Brigade  of  our  Division  but  begged 
off  each  time,  for  the  reason  that  T  much  preferred  to  serve  with  my 
own  Regiment  and  did  not  care  to  be  made  responsible  for  the  con 
duct  of  troops  with  whom  T  had  not  been  associated  and  whose  im 
mediate  commanders,  although  known  to  me  in  a  measure  personally, 
had  not  been  so  intimately  associated  as  to  enable  me  to  judge  of  their 
efficiency  or  to  give  them  an  opportunity  of  judging  of  my  capacity 
to  command  them.  In  addition  to  this,  there  had  been  so  many 
changes  since  the  campaign  commenced  and  so  many  of  the  field 
officers  had  been  killed  or  wounded  that  the  regiments  were  often  in 
command  of  Captains  and  I  much  preferred  to  remain  with  my  Regi- 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  151 

merit  and  the  Brigade  of  which  it  formed  a  part,  until  the  fortunes 
of  war  made  it  incumbent  upon  me  to  assume  the  command  of  the 
Brigade.  This  happened  at  Cold  Harbor,  as  already  intimated,  and, 
without  hesitation,  the  responsibility  which  was  entailed  by  the  cas 
ualties  of  the  War,  was  cheerfully  assumed. 

On  the  4th  of  June,  1  wrote  a  letter  to  my  mother  which  is,  all 
in  all,  the  most  strikingly  military  letter  written  by  me  during  the 
entire  War.  It  is  dated  near  Gaines  Mills,  Virginia,  is  written  upon 
an  octagonal  piece  of  brown  manila  paper,  which  was  the  wrapper  of 
a  package  of  cartridges.  The  reason  for  it  appears  in  the  letter  it 
self  and,  although  a  repetition  of  what  has  been  said,  it  helps  to 
throw  light  upon  the  situation  and  I,  therefore,  quote  it: 

"This  letter  is  to  be  purely  military,  written  on  the  wrapper 
<>:  a  package  of  cartridges.  We  have  had  fatiguing  times  fur  several 
days.  For  four  days  previous  to  last  night  we  had  been  so  constantly 
engaged  marching,  fighting  and  building  breast  works  that  the  men 
had  little  or  no  sleep.  The  result  was  that  they  were  completely 
worn  out  and,  when  our  labors  culminated  yesterday  morning  in  a 
grand  assault  upon  the  enemy's  works,  they  were  scarcely  able  to 
advance.  Some  of  our  men  entered  the  works,  but,  being  poorly 
supported  or  rather,  not  being  supported  at  all,  they  (the  main  body) 
failed  to  enter.  We  remained  within  less  than  one  hundred  yards 
of  the  works,  however,  and  cautiously  commenced  to  throw  up  slight 
works.  We  could  have  been  driven  from  our  position  very  easily  but 
the  enemy  were  evidently  very  much  frightened  and  did  not  attempt 
it.  We  are  so  close  under  the  enemy's  guns  that  they  can  do  us  no 
harm,  tiring  entirely  over  us.  As  usual,  my  Regiment  is  in  the 
front  and  are  safer  here  now  than  if  they  were  a  mile  in  the  rear. 
We  have  lost  but  two  or  thee  since  our  works  were  completed.  Our 
loss  during  the  day  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing  is  about  fifty. 
Close  as  we  are  to  the  enemy,  last  night  is  the  first  one  in  five  of  which 
the  men  have  had  any  chance  for  comfortable  sleep.  Our  Quarter 
master  Sergeant  is  here  and  will  take  this  with  him  to  the  train, 
whence  it  can  be  sent  by  mail.  Colonel  Brooke  was  wounded  yester 
day  and  Colonel  Morris  severely  today.  I  am,  therefore,  in  com 
mand  of  the  Brigade.  I  was  struck  again  yesterday  on  the  hip  but 
the  skin  was  not  broken  and,  although  somewhat  painful,  the  wound 
does  not  prevent  my  running  about  as  usual,  the  force  of  the  ball 
having  been  spent.  We  will  have  tough  work  from  here  to  Richmond, 
though  I  think  it  will  be  principally  by  digging,  which  will  not  in 
volve  such  a  loss  as  our  late  svstem  of  daily  assaults." 


132  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

We  remained  several  days  in  the  position  which  we  had  gained 
during  the  assault  at  Cold  Harbor  and,  after  a  night  or  two  of  sleep, 
it  seemed  well  to  me  to  give  employment  to  our  men  and  we  com 
menced,  without  any  orders  upon  the  subject,  to  tunnel  under  the 
enemy's  entrenchments. 

On  Sunday,  June  5th,  I  find  in  my  diary: 

"Commenced  regular  approaches  to  the  enemy's  works." 

Monday,  June  6th : 

"Up  most  of  the  night ;  commenced  mining  this  morning,  being 
unable  to  work  in  the  regular  parallels ;  sharp  shooting  very  annoy- 
ing." 

Tuesday,  June  7th : 

"Flag  of  truce ;  cessation  of  hostilities  from  6  :00  p.  M.  to  8  :00 
p.  M.  ;  buried  the  dead  and  brought  in  one  wounded  man." 

This  flag  of  true©  went  out  on  our  front.  When  the  time  for  the 
commencement  of  the  truce  began,  a  flag  was  put  up  on  each  side  and, 
in  a  minute,  the  men  from  both  sides  were  over  their  respective 
works  and,  notwithstanding  the  orders  to  the  contrary,  it  was  impos 
sible  to  restrain  them.  Regular  burying  parties  had  been  detailed 
and  officers  and  men  outside  of  the  details  mingled  together  in  con 
versation,  trading  tobacco  for  coffee  and  other  things  which  our  men 
had  and  which  were  a  novelty  and  a  luxury  to  the  Confederates. 
Even  after  the  time  for  the  truce  had  expired,  there  seemd  to  be  an 
indisposition  to  resume  hostilities.  On  Wednesday,  June  8th,  I  note : 

"The  truce  seemed  to  continue  some  hours  during  the  morning 
— a  treacherous  quiet  which  was  by  no  means  pleasing;  felt  much 
more  at  home,  when  the  usual  sharp  shooting  commenced  ;  nothing  un 
usual  today." 

There  was  no  change  in  the  situation,  except  continuous  work 
on  our  tunnel,  until  Sunday,  June  12th,  under  which  date  I  find: 

"Ordered  to  withdraw  after  dark,  a  very  delicate  and  critical 
operation,  which  was  performed  successfully  with  the  loss  of  consid 
erable  patience  and  a  great  deal  of  nervous  excitement ;  got  off  safely ; 
removed  to  an  open  space  near  the  Tyler  House  and  commenced  the 
march  a  little  before  twelve." 


THE  ij8TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  133 

Monday,  June  13th: 

"Marched  all  night,  crossing  the  York  River  Railroad  near 
TunstalPs  Station ;  reached  the  swamps  of  the  Chickahominy  early 
in  the  morning ;  rested  for  an  hour  or  more  and  crossed  on  a  pontoon 
bridge  on  the  side  of  Long  Bridge  at  10:06  A.  M.  Continued  the 
march  and  reached  the  James — noble  river — at  Sweeney's  Landing 
at  G  :00  P.  M.  Put  up  tent  and  had  a  warm  supper — the  first  meal  of 
the  day." 

Tuesday,  June  14th : 

''Elegant  sleep  with  boots  and  stockings  off;  spent  the  day  rest 
ing  and  washing;  marched  in  the  evening  and  crossed  the  James  to 
Windmill  Point  on  the  George  W—  — ;  Brigade  occupied 

three  boats;  bivouacked  about  a  mile  from  the  river." 

Wednesd  ay,  Ju n e  1 5  th  : 

"Moved  about  12  :00  M.  ;  marched  steadily  all  day  and  arrived 
in  the  vicinity  of  Petersburg  late  at  night — too  late  ;  we  had  marched 
six  or  seven  miles  out  of  our  way." 

The  ignorance  or  treachery  of  a  guide  employed  by  division 
headquarters  took  us  out  of  our  way  and  prevented  our  reaching 
Petersburg  in  time  for  the  first  assault.  As  we  approached,  the 
wounded  men  of  the  colored  troops,  who  had  made  or  were  just  making 
the  assault,  were  coming  out  of  the  fight.  They  were  in  no  panic  and, 
to  my  amazement,  each  mail  seemed  to  bring  his  gun  with  him.  T 
had  never  seen  wounded  men  come  out  of  a  fight  as  they  did. 

The  Fourth  Brigade  was  leading  the  Division  in  the  march  and, 
as  we  came  up,  with  the  scenes  of  battle  about  us,  Captain  Marlin, 
who  was  on  the  division  staff  and  representing  General  Barlow,  ap 
proached  General  Hancock  and  said : 

"General  Hancock,  General  Barlow  sends  his  compliments  and 
desires  to  know  where  you  will  have  these  troops  placed." 

Hancock,  evidently  much  excited,  said,  "Captain,  you  had  better 
put  them  on  that  hill,"  pointing  to  an  elevation  some  distance  to  our 
left. 

The  Captain,  supposing  the  order  to  be  meant  as  given,  turned 
to  communicate  it  to  me,  when  Hancock  broke  out,  "Yes,  put  'em 
there,  if  you  want  every  one  of  them  killed,"  and  then  said,  with 
great  impatience: 

"Where's  General  Barlow  ?" 


134  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

It  seemed  that  he  had  made  some  inquiry  for  him  the  day  be 
fore  an  the  banks  of  the  James  and  found  him  asleep.  When  Captain 
Marlin  then  said:  "He  stopped  a  little  distance  back  to  bathe  hi* 
feet/'  Hancock,  dropping  the  rein  of  his  bridle,  wrung  his  hands,  as 
if  in  great  agony,  and  said  : 

"That's  it;  that's  it;  always  asleep  or  washing  his  feet." 

It  was  so  ludicrous  that,  notwithstanding  the  gravity  of  the  sitii- 
ation,  we  couldn't  refrain  from  a  hearty  laugh,  in  which  I  think 
Hancock  himself  quietly  joined,  as  he  turned  his  horse  and  rode  away. 

In  a  letter  of  June  6,  1864,  I  wrote: 

"We  heard  last  evening  of  the  death  of  Captain  Core,  one  of 
the  best  officers  in  the  Regiment,  from  wounds  received  the  morning 
of  the  charge,  12th  of  May.  Poor  fellow !  T  don't  know  when  I  felt 
more  sorry  over  the  loss  of  any  one.  He  is  the  fifth  officer  dead  since 
we  commenced  the  campaign." 

The  other  officers  referred  to  were  Lieut.  James  B.  Cook,  of  H 
Company,  who  died  from  wounds  at  Po  River,  Lieut.  John  McGinn^ 
of  I  Company,  who  was  killed  at  North  Anna ;  Lieutenant  Lander,  of 
C  Company,  who  had  been  detailed  as  Quartermaster  prior  to  the  re 
ceipt  of  the  commission  of  Lieutenant  Musser  and  had  joined  u? 
upon  being  relieved  but  a  day  or  two  before,  who  was  sitting  imme 
diately  behind  me  upon  a  slight  earthwork,  when  General  Banow 
and  I  were  discussing  the  situation.  A  shell  or  spherical  case  struck 
the  earth  work  and  exploded.  I  heard  a.  groan,  looked  around  and 
Lander  was  dead.  The  fifth  officer  referred  to  was  either  Capt.  A.  A. 
Rhinehart,  of  D  Company,  who  was  seriously  wounded  at  Po  River, 
the  officer  whom  T  assisted  to  carry  from  the  field  in  a  blanket,  who 
afterwards  returned  to  the  Regiment,  or  Lieut.  J^mes  M.  Sutton,  of 
E  Company,  who  lost  his  leg  at  Po  River  and,  although  not  dead, 
never  rejoined  the  company  and  was  then  supposed  to  be  dead.  Cap 
tain  Core  had  no  military  experience  whatever  when  he  joined  our 
Regiment.  He  came  from  the  rural  part  of  Clarion  County  with  a 
company  of  men  made  up,  for  the  most  part  of  neighbors  accustomed 
to  rural  life.  The  fashioning  of  his  company  into  shape  as  part  of 
an  efficient  military  machine  was  one  of  the  difficult  problems  in 
the  training  of  our  Regiment,  but  the  men  were  earnest  and  deter- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  135 

mined,  when  they  came  to  understand  the  gravity  of  the  situation  and 
the  necessity  for  discipline  and  training.  The  company  developed 
some  of  the  best  officers  and  men  of  the  Regiment. 

I  recall  a  little  incident,  illustrating  Captain  Core's  devotion  to 
duty,  which  happened  I  think  in  the  campaign  of  1863.  Details  were 
made  for  picket  duty  from  the  several  regimerts  and  reported  to  a 
division  officer  of  the  day.  Our  usual  detail  for  picket  had  been 
made  in  the  evening  under  command  of  Captain  Core.  The  march 
was  resumed  next  day ;  after  we  had  gone  some  distance,  T  inquired 
of  the  Adjutant  whether  our  picket  detail  had  reported.  He  replied 
in  the  negative  and  a  little  later  on  I  made  another  inquiry  and  found 
that  they  had  not  yet  returned.  I  then  said : 

"Who  is  in  command  of  the  detail  ?" 

He  said,  "Captain  Core." 

"Well,"  said  I,  "go  back  and  hunt  them  up,  for,  if  Core  hasn't 
been  regularly  relieved  by  the  officer  of  the  day,  he  would  stay  there 
till  eternity." 

This  gives  the  idea  of  the  fidelity  and  absolute  subordination  to 
orders  which  characterized  the  men. 

Thursday,  June  16th: 

"Moved  early  in  the  morning  within  sierht  of  the  spires  of  Peters 
burg." 

The  next  entry  in  my  diary  is  Friday,  June  17th:  "Laid  in 
hospital." 

The  events  which  occurred  between  these  two  entries  explain 
the  latter.  Later  in  the  day,  after  the  entry  of  the  16th,  our  Brigade 
was  ordered  to  charge  two  redoubts  immediately  in  our  front,  which 
seemed  to  present  a  most  beautiful  opportunity  for  an  effective  as 
sault.  The  Brigade  was  formed,  the  regimental  commanders  called 
together,  their  attention  directed  to  two  trees  between  the  redoubts 
toward  which  our  march  was  to  be  directed,  instructions  were  given 
as  to  the  succession  in  command  of  the  Brigade,  so  long  as  a  regimen 
tal  commander  remained  unhurt,  and  the  start  was  made  in  fine 
style.  The  march  was  beautifully  executed,  the  column  appeared  well 
closed  up  and  was  compact  and  steady  as  possible.  The  fire  was  not 


136  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

unusually  severe,  although  the  artillery  was  kept  playing  upon  us 
from  the  time  we  started  and  musketry  commenced  when  we  were 
within  range.  We  came  under  the  very  shadow  of  the  works,  how 
ever,  and  just  as  I  was  about  to  give  the  command  for  a  cheer  and 
rhe  double  quick  what  I  suppose  was  the  last  discharge  from  one  of 
the  pieces  of  artillery  in  one  of  the  redoubts,  which  was  very  much 
depressed,  buried  a  shell  in  the  ground,  which  exploded  and  blew  me 
into  the  air  feet  foremost.  I  have  a  distinct  recollection  of  coming 
down  on  my  right  shoulder.  I  was  probably  unconscious  for  a  little, 
for  I  have  no  recollection  of  what  immediately  followed.  When  I 
recovered  consciousness,  my  orderly,  who  carried  the  brigade  flag, 
had  the  pole  under  my  arms  and  was  dragging  me  along  the  ground 
with  some  additional  help.  The  brigade  staff  was  scattered  in  differ 
ent  directions,  so  as  to  help  by  word  and  example  the  different  regi 
ments.  I  regarded  the  object  of  the  charge  as  practically  attained 
when  I  fell,  and  was  very  much  surprised  to  learn  subsequently  that 
it  was  not  a  success.  It  seems  that  the  officer  who  succeeded  me  in 
command  of  the  Brigade,  failed  to  push  forward  and  some  of  the 
regiments,  finding  that  the  march  had  been  stopped  and  that  no  fur 
ther  advance  was  to  be  made,  retired  of  their  own  account.  Others, 
who  remained  on  the  ground,  were  captured. 

The  wound  which  I  received  was  in  the  left  side  and  was  a  very 
painful  one  and  the  issue  of  it  quite  uncertain  for  a  time.  I  re 
mained  with  the  Army  for  a  day  or  two,  when  I  was  moved  to  City 
Point  and  thence,  by  slow  degrees,  to  my  home.  Returned  to  the 
Army  Friday,  the  29th  of  July.  I  found,  however,  on  reaching 
there,  that  I  was  utterly  unable  to  ride  on  horseback  and  after  spend 
ing  two  or  three  days  at  General  Hancock's  headquarters,  during 
which  the  explosion  of  the  mine  and  what  followed  it  occurred,  I  was 
compelled  to  return  home. 

T  rejoined  the  Army  Wednesday,  August  24th.  An  ambulance 
met  me  at  City  Point,  in  which  I  journeyed  to  the  wagon  train  of 
the  Second  Corps  and  found  that  our  Division  in  company  with  other 
portions  of  the  Corps  had  gone  to  Reams  Station.  I  followed  the 
next  morning  in  the  ambulance  and  had  a  very  tiresome  journey, 
joining  the  Corps,  or  so  much  of  it  as  was  with  General  Hancock  at 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS 

Reams  Station,  where  they  were  engaged  in  tearing  up  the  Weldon 
Railroad.  As  I  reached  the  vicinity  of  Reams  Station  and  was  driv 
ing  in  to  join  the  troops,  I  found  our  cavalry  on  both  flanks  of  our 
infantry  engaged  with  the  enemy's  cavalry,  so  that  their  fire  came 
from  both  directions  across  the  road  on  which  I  was  traveling.  This 
indicated  that  the  force  engaged  in  tearing  up  the  railroad  was  nearly 
surrounded.  I  passed  that  point  of  danger,  however,  safely  and  re 
ported  to  General  Hancock.  He  seemed  very  glad  to  see  me  and 
directed  me  to  join  my  Brigade.  He  said  : 

"You  are  just  in  time;  your  Brigade  needs  you  today." 
Being  without  a  horse,  I  borrowed  one  from  our  regimental 
Quartermaster  which  I  think  belonged  to  Colonel  Fairlamb.  Gen 
eral  Miles,  who  was  commanding  the  Division  that  day,  was  in  some 
other  part  of  the  field  and  I  had  no  opportunity  of  communicating 
with  him.  I  rode  along  the  lines  for  a  little  distance  to  find  what  my 
connections  were  and  returned  to  the  center  of  the  Brigade,  where  I 
relieved  Colonel  Broady,  of  the  61st  New  York,  who  was  in  command 
of  it.  Some  of  the  staff  officers  reported  to  me  and,  finding  that  there 
was  some  skirmishing  in  the  front  and  that  a  stray  ball  came  into 
our  neighborhood  occasionally  and  that  we  were  behind  an  embank 
ment  of  the  railroad,  which  afforded  good  shelter  for  the  troops,  I 
directed  the  Sergeant  who  had  brought  me  the  horse  to  take  it  and 
his  own  behind  a  little  church  that  was  in  the  immediate  neighborhood, 
and  that  I  would  call  for  him,  when  the  horse  was  needed.  As  it  was 
a  borrowed  horse,  I  did  not  like  to  run  the  risk  of  having  it  killed. 
There  was  little  firing  going  on,  however,  and  I  had  no  apprehension 
at  all  of  any  untoward  result  Having  a  pair  of  new  shoulder  straps 
on,  it  occurred  to  me  that  it  might  be  possible  there  were  some  sharp 
shooters  in  the  trees  in  our  front  and  I,  therefore,  walked  up  and 
down  in  one  of  the  old  cotton  or  tobacco  rows,  taking  an  occasional 
look  at  the  front  to  see  how  the  skirmishing  was  coming  on.  It  was 
quite  apparent  that  the  cavalry  had  disclosed  the  position  of  the 
enemy  and  that  our  infantry  skirmishers  were  engaged.  The  cavalry 
started  for  the  rear,  their  work  being  done,  and,  as  they  approached 
the  railroad  embankment,  I  suddenly  fell,  with  my  right  leg  almost 
at  right  angles  with  my  body.  The  first  thought  which  came  to  me 


138  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

was  that  the  cavalry  would  tramp  me  to  death.  I  raised  myself  on 
the  right  elbow,  finding  that  I  was  unable  to  rise,  shook  my  cap  in 
the  air  and  the  leaders  of  the  column  of  fours  reined  in  their  horse? 
and  sent  the  squadron  or  battalion  around  me,  thus  saving  me  from 
the  danger  which  I  apprehended.  Two  of  the  men  who  halted  dis 
mounted,  giving  their  horses  to  their  comrades,  and  dragged  me  from 
the  place  where  I  had  fallen,  until  we  encountered  stretcher  bearers, 
who  carried  me  to  the  field  hospital,  where  a  slight  examination  was 
made  of  my  wound  and  I  was  put  into  the  ambulance  which  had 
brought  me  to  the  front.  My  leg  was  amputated  the  next  morning, 
the  amputation  being  very  skillfully  made  by  Dr.  J.  W.  Wish  art, 
the  chief  of  the  operating  staff,  Surgeon  of  the  140th  Pennsylvania 
Regiment,  my  own  Surgeon,  Doctor  Davis,  and  Dr.  George  L.  Potter, 
Surgeon  of  the  145th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  being  present.  Fear 
ing  to  be  taken  to  the  hospital,  I  begged  to  remain  with  the  troops  at 
our  field  hospital.  The  men  of  our  drum  corps  arranged  a  stretcher, 
with  a  canopy  made  of  shelter  tents  over  it,  and  carried  me  the  en 
tire  distance  from  the  point  at  which  the  amputation  was  made  to 
the  field  hospital,  about  eleven  miles.  Here  T  was  placed  in  one  of 
the  parlors  of  the  Burchett  House,  in  the  ground  around  which  our 
field  hospital  was  arranged.  I  cannot  conceive  of  a  wounded  officer 
receiving  better  attention  than  was  given  me  by  surgeons,  hospital 
quartermaster,  nurses  and  friends  in  the  vicinity.  Some  of  my 
drummer  boys  undertook  the  care  of  me.  Miss  Helen  M.  Gilson,  a 
niece  of  Mr.  Fay,  the  president  or  chief  of  the  Sanitary  Commission 
in  the  Army,  whose  services  were  rendered  for  the  most  part  in  the 
Third  Corps,  came,  at  General  McAllister's  suggestion,  to  see  me  and 
remained  two  or  three  days,  giving  the  boys  suggestions  in  regard  to 
my  care  and  nourishment. 

I  was,  of  course,  disqualified  for  active  service  in  the  field  and 
remained  as  a  practical  inmate  of  the  field  hospital  until  about  the 
1st  of  October,  when  the  Corps  moved  and  I  was  taken  to  City  Point 
and  thence  worked  my  way  home  gradually.  An  offer  was  later  made 
me,  at  the  suggestion  of  General  Hancock,  for  a  detail  for  court  mar 
tial  duty  at  Washington,  but  I  had  no  fancy  for  that  kind  of  military 
service  and,  at  my  own  suggestion,  I  was  mustered  out  December  22, 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          139 

1864,  on  account  of  wounds  received  in  battle.  This  terminated  my 
connection  with  our  Regiment.  I,  of  course,  continued  interested  in 
the  Regiment  and  all  that  it  did,  receiving  frequent  communications 
from  the  several  officers  in  command. 

A  few  days  after  my  wound  at  Petersburg,  the  Regiment  was 
again  engaged  in  the  neighborhood  of  our  first  assault  In  that  battle 
Capt.  Jacob  B.  Edmonds,  of  C  Company,  was  killed.  At  Reams 
Station  Lieut.  David  G.  Ralston,  of  the  same  company,  was  als- 
killed.  That  made  two  complete  sets  of  officers  of  this  company  killed 
on  the  field  of  battle.  In  October,  1864,  Sergt  Samuel  Everhart 
was  promoted  from  Sergeant  to  First  Lieutenant  and,  on  the  1st  of 
March,  1865,  to  Captain,  although  not  mustered.  He  was  killed  at 
Five  Forks,  Virginia,  March  31,  1865,  making  seven  officers  of  this 
company  killed  outright  on  the  field  of  battle.  Gen.  James  W.  Latta, 
who  served  during  the  Civil  War  as  First  Lieutenant  of  the  119th 
Regiment,  and  later  as  Assistant  Adjutant  General  United  States 
Volunteers,  and  afterwards  Adjutant  General  of  Pennsylvania,  who 
has  made  something  of  a  study  of  the  statistics  of  the  War,  has  fre 
quently  referred  to  the  record  of  this  company  as  being  absolutely 
unique  in  the  Civil  War. 

It  is  a  matter  of  much  regret  to  me  not  to  be  able  to  finish  the 
"Story  of  the  Regiment"  more  fully  as  to  the  details  of  the  last  cam 
paign.  It  was  later  honored  by  General  Hancock  in  being  designated 
as  the  one  regiment  in  the  First  Division  of  the  Second  Corps  to 
receive  repeating  rifles.  The  heroic  assault  upon  one  of  the  enemy's 
forts  in  front  of  Petersburg  by  one  hundred  men  of  our  Regiment, 
led  by  Major  J.  Z.  Brown,  is  graphically  told  in  the  "Brigade  Com 
mander's  Story,"  by  General  Mulholland.  The  details  of  the  closing 
campaign  in  the  spring  of  1865  will  doubtless  be  fully  given  by  some 
of  the  officers  or  men  who  took  an  active  part  therein.  It  is  possible 
that  I  may  have  some  contribution  for  the  chapters  of  incidents  and 
aftermath  which  I  understand  will  constitute  a  part  of  our  History. 

In  closing  the  "Colonel's  Story"  I  desire  only  to  say  that,  whilst 
as  a  Regiment  and  as  individuals,  none  of  us  did  more  than  our  duty  , 
it  has  always  been  a  source  of  great  gratification  to  me  that  officers 
and  men  alike  in  our  Regiment,  with  fewer  exceptions  than  would 


140  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

naturally  be  expected,  in  every  time  of  danger,  emergency  and  trial, 
rose  to  the  demands  of  the  occasion  and,  so  far  as  my  personal  knowl 
edge  and  memory  go,  brought  no  discredit  upon  the  unsullied  record 
of  the  Regiment.  We  had  an  esprit  de  corps  that  was  unusual,  a  well 
denned  ideal  toward  which  we  aimed  and  a  devotion  to  duty  which 
met  all  demands  and  surmounted  all  obstacles.  The  comradeship, 
born  of  the  scenes  and  trials  through  which  we  passed  as  a  Regiment, 
has  continued  to  this  day  and  has  been,  as  it  continues  to  be,  one  of 
the  greatest  pleasures  and  most  constant  sources  of  enjoyment  of  my 
life. 


LIEUT.  COL.  GEO.  A.  FATRLAMB. 

About  the  latter  part  of  July,  1862,  Dr.  Geo.  A.  Fairlarnb,  of 
Belief  on  te,  at  his  request,  received  an  order  from  Harrisburg  to  raise 
a  company  of  one  hundred  men  for  immediate  use  in  the  field,  and 
in  the  early  part  of  August  the  men  were  in  Harrisburg,  reporting  for 
duty.  These  men  afterwards  became  H  Company  of  the  148th  and 
Doctor  Fairlamb  .was  appointed  Major  of  the  Regiment.  His  commis 
sion  as  Major  being  dated  September  8,  1862,  and  on  the  30th  day 
of  October,  1863,  he  was  made  Lieutenant  Colonel  vice  Robert  Mc- 
Farlane  resigned.  In  the  early  part  of  the  engagement  at  Chancellors- 
ville  in  May,  1865,  Colonel  Beaver  was  wounded  and  removed  from 
the  field  and  the  commajid  devolved  upon  Major  Fairlamb.  They 
were  thrown  into  the  woods  north  of  the  Chancellor  House  to  check 
the  advance  of  the  troops  of  McLaw's  Division  of  Confederates 
without  time  being  given  to  throw  out  skirmishers — being  put  in  by 
General  Hooker  himself.  After  a  severe  engagement,  almost  at 
"hand-to-hand"  in  which  they  lost  very  heavily  in  killed  and 
wounded,  tjhey  succeeded  in  driving  the  enemy  from  the  woods.  At 
that  time  word  was  brought  from  the  headquarters  to  Major  Fairlamb 
that  the  enemy  were  about  to  shell  the  woods  where  the  Regiment 
was,  and  that  he  was  to  get  his  men  out  the  best  way  he  could,  which 
he  succeeded  in  doing  in  good  order  and  without  any  further  loss. 

Colonel  Fairlamb  participated  in  the  Mine  Run  campaign,  in 
the  affairs  at  Auburn  Hill  and  the  battle  of  Bristoe  Station.  He  wa> 
through  the  fight  in  the  Wilderness,  and  at  the  battle  of  Po  River 
had  his  horse  wounded  under  him. 

At  the  battle  of  Spotsylvania  Court  House  when  Hancock 
stormed  the  enemy's  works  at  the  break  of  day,  at  the  Salient  (which 
has  since  been  called  the  Bloody  Angle)  the  first  man  to  mount  the 
enemy's  works  was  Colonel  Fairlamb,  shouting  to  the  Regiment  to 
follow  him,  which  they  did  in  good  style.  Further  on,  within  the 
enemy's  second  line  Colonel  Fairlamb  received  a  rifle  ball  crushing 
the  elbow  of  his  right  arm  and  afterwards  was  shot  in  the  left 


142  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

shoulder.  He  was  captured  and  that  afternoon  was  operated  on  in 
the  woods  by  Doctor  Holt,  the  Chief  Surgeon  of  Scales'  Confederate 
Brigade.  A  few  days  afterwards  he  was  taken  to  Richmond  and  con 
fined  in  Libby  Prison,  during  the  summer  suffering  all  the  hardships 
and  miseries  which  have  so  often  and  so  truthfully  been  told  of  that 
notorious  prison. 

Suffering  from  his  wounds  and  in  a  high  fever  he  had  no  recol 
lection  of  the  first  three  or  four  weeks  of  his  sojourn  there.  His  first 
memory  was  hearing  one  of  his  fellow  prisoners  saying,  "Less  to  eat 
now  than  ever,  since  that  officer  has  begun  to  take  food." 

In  September  of  the  same  year  a  council  of  Confederate  Sur 
geons  pronouncing  him  unfit  to  ever  return  to  the  field  he  was  paroled 
and  sent  to  Annapolis,  after  a  time  being  exchanged.  On  the  24th 
of  February,  18 G5,  he  received  a  discharge  from  the  Army  "on  ac 
count  of  wounds  received  in  battle."  F.  E.  B. 


THE  LIEUTENANT  COLONEL'S  STORY 

AND  INCIDENTALLY  THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  B. 
By  Lieut.  Col.  James  F.  Weaver. 

The  month  of  August,  1862,  was  one  of  the  darkest  periods  dur 
ing  the  War.  McClellan  had  been  recalled  from  the  Peninsula  and 
Pope  had  suffered  a  terrible  reverse  at  Bull  Run.  The  President,  on 
the  2d  of  July,  had  issued  a  call  for  300,000  fresh  troops  and5  on  the 
2d  of  August,  ordered  a  draft  of  300,000  additional.  The  entire 
North  was  in  a  feverish  excitement.  Many  feared  for  the  safety  of 
the  Union,  while  all  regarded  the  situation  as  extremely  critical.  The 
hour  had  come  to  test  the  strength  of  a  government  "of  the  people,  for 
the  people." 

It  was  in  this  hour  of  national  trial  I  determined  to  contribute 
my  poor  service  in  defence  of  the  flag  of  stars  and  the  constitution 
as  our  fathers  made  it.  Early  in  August  I  went  to  Harrisburg  and 
was  mustered  into  the  state  service  as  Second  Lieutenant,  with 
authority  from  the  Governor  to  raise  a  company  for  the  defence  of 
the  National  Government,  to  serve  for  three  years,  or  during  the  War. 
Immediately  on  return  recruiting  commenced.  Public  meeting? 
were  held  at  several  points  and  strong  appeals  made  to  influence  men 
to  enlist.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  three  companies  had  prev 
iously  been  recruited  largely  on  the  same  territory,  to-wit,  Companies 
A  and  D  of  the  45th,  and  Company  A  of  the  49th,  enlisting  went  on 
briskly.  With  the  assistance  of  J.  C.  P.  Jones  (who  subsequently 
became  Lieutenant  and  rendered  willing  and  efficient  service),  the 
quota  was  soon  secured. 

The  company  was  enlisted  almost  entirely  in  the  Bald  Eagle 
Valley,  between  Howard  on  the  east  and  Martha  Furnace  on  the  west 
A  few  were  added  from  the  sunny  side  of  Muncy  Mountain,  along 
Buffalo  Run,  four  or  five  from  Snow  Shoe  and  Karthaus,  and 
two  or  three  from  Nitta.ny  Valley,  at  what  was  then  known  as  Wash 
ington  Eurnace,  and  all  rendezvoused  at  Milesburg  on  the  20th  of 
August. 


144  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

On  the  21st,  the  good  citizens  of  the  town  and  vicinity  very  gen 
erously  afforded  local  transportation  to  Lock  Haven,  it  being  the 
nearest  railroad  communication  at  the  time.  We  arrived  there  in 
the  early  evening,  with  the  exception  of  seventeen  men  who  had  beem 
granted  special  permission  to  report  a  week  later.  The  company  was 
provided  with  supper  at  the  Fallon  House  and  a  little  later  the  same 
evening  received  transportation  to  Harrisburg,  where  we  arrived 
about  three  o'clock  the  following  morning.  Breakfast  was  furnished 
at  the  Volunteer  Refreshment  Saloon,  either  in  or  near  the  station. 
A  little  later  several  mounted  officers  appeared  and  conducted  us  to 
Camp  Curtin. 

We  were  now  environed  with  military.  Troops  were  constantly 
arriving  and  departing.  The  stirring  music  of  the  fife  and  drum  was 
heard  in  all  directions.  Patriotism  was  at  par  and  the  boys  were 
anxious  to  reach  the  front. 

Among  the  first  duties  to  be  attended  to  was  to  make  requisition 
for  commissary  supplies  and  camp  and  garrison  equipage,  which  was 
promptly  attended  to.  Each  man  was  supplied  with  a  tin  plate,  tin 
cup,  spoon,  knife  and  fork  and  canteen  and  a  reasonable  amount  of 
cooking  utensils  for  the  use  of  the  company.  Some  regarded  the  out 
fit  as  rather  meagre,  but  experience  proved  it  quite  ample.  Thus  pro 
vided,  the  boys  sat  down,  on  the  dusty  ground,  to  discuss  the  merits 
of  their  first  dinner  in  camp.  It  was  mostly  enjoyed  with  a  relish, 
as  many  had  been  accustomed  to  camping  in  the  woods  and  cabin  life, 
but  one  fellow,  as  he  hastily  scanned  the  menu,  wa,s  heard  to  exclaim, 
with  a  deep  sigh,  "Are  we  to  have  such  fat  meat  all  the  time  and  no 
butter?" 

During  the  afternoon  tents  were  erected  and  the  boys  began  to 
select  their  messmates  and  prepare  themselves  for  campaigning  and 
the  realities  of  soldier  life. 

On  the  23d,  a  formal  election  was  held  which  resulted  as  fol 
lows:  Captain,  James  F.  Weaver;  First  Lieutenant,  Jabez  C.  P. 
Jones;  Second  Lieutenant,  James  E.  McCartney. 

The  company  numbered  among  its  enlisted  men  two  who  had 
formerly  served  as  officers  in  the  earlier  days  of  the  War  and  two 
who  had  served  in  the  ranks  in  the  three  months'  service,  to-wit :  Rob- 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          145 

ert  Lipton,  Captain  Company  E,  1st  Cavalry;  William  I).  Harper, 
Second  Lieutenant  Company  A,  19th,  and  Constant  Barger  and 
James  E.  McCartney,  in  the  ranks.  This  was  all  the  military  capi 
tal  the  company  possessed. 

Lieutenant  Jones  was  dispatched  for  the  seventeen  men  who  had 
been  granted  an  extension  in  time  of  reporting  and  arrived  in  camp 
with  the  detachment  within  the  specified  time,  filling  the  company 
to  the  maximum. 

A  week  spent  in  Camp  Curtin  did  not  materially  increase  the 
efficiency  of  the  organization. 

The  camp  was  regularly  guarded  by  soldiers  carrying  guns  but 
without  ammunition.  Dress  parade  was  held  each  evening,  the 
boys  appearing  in  line  without  arms.  Maybe  some  of  them  carried 
canes,  which  served  instead  of  guns. 

It  was  military  in  its  incipiency. 

In  the  organization  of  the  148th  Regiment,  the  companies 
(which  were  designated  by  letters  from  A  to  K)  took  position  in  the 
line  according  to  the  rank  of  the  Captains ;  thus,  B  Company  was  as 
signed  the  extreme  left  of  the  line,  the  second  post  of  honor,  and  con 
tinued  to  hold  its  place  until  the  promotion  of  Capt.  R.  H.  Forster 
of  Company  A  in  December,  1863,  when  it  was  transferred  to  the 
right  of  the  line,  and  held  that  post  until  the  close  of  the  service. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  relater  occupied  his  place  in 
the  line  and  continued  to  serve  in  the  line  the  greater  portion  of  his 
term  of  service  and  until  ranking  Captain  on  duty  in  the  field  in  the 
First  Division  of  the  Second  Corps,  being  in  consequence  placed  in 
command  of  the  Brigade  on  one  occasion  and  retaining  the  command 
several  days.  Consequently  his  range  of  vision  was  necessarily  con 
fined  mostly  to  incidents  occurring  in  his  own  command  and  those 
near  by. 

The  reader  will  also  pardon  me  for  entertaining  a  very  exalted 
opinion  of  Company  B.  It  was  composed  of  noble  and  patriotic  men. 
Many  of  them  were  my  neighbors  and  neighbors'  sons,  inured  to  toil 
and  hardships.  Its  ranks  furnished  the  Regiment  two  Adjutants — 
Robert  Lipton  and  Joseph  W.  Mufny — the  latter  subsequently  Bri 
gade  Adjutant — one  Sergeant  Major,  one  First  Lieutenant  in  the 


146  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

41st  Regiment  United  States  Colored  Troops  and  one  Second  Lieu 
tenant,  18 tli  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  in  addition  to  filling 
all  vacancies  of  its  own. 

But,  whilst  justly  proud,  as  we  think,  of  Company  B,  we  are 
no  less  proud  to  have  been  associated  with  the  other  companies  of  the 
Regiment,  composed  of  just  as  true  and  patriotic  men,  who  never 
shirked  nor  flinched. 

Once  fairly  in  the  service,  "the  boys"  (as  we  were  called  then), 
in  the  full  flush  of  early  manhood  or  verging  on  it,  but  now  grown 
somewhat  older  and  dignified  as  "comrades,"  were  full  of  fun.  Xo 
aggregation  of  men  enjoy  amusement  more  than  soldiers.  It  is  really 
necessary,  in  order  to  prevent  their  brooding  over  former  associations, 
not  infrequently  producing  "homesickness"  and  ultimate  physical 
decline  and  premature  death.  Bereft  of  amusements,  the  finest  body 
of  soldiers  in  the  world  would  soon  become  as  phlegmatic  as  an  ice 
berg. 

The  boys  soon  caught  the  true  idea  and  worked  it  for  all  that  was 
in  it.  Company  G,  which  trained  immediately  on  the  right  of  B  in 
the  line,  was  composed  largely  of  young  men — many  of  them  in  their 
teens — fresh  from  the  sports  of  rural  life  and  school  and  college,  as 
tough  as  hickory  and  brave  as  tough.  They  seemed  to  be  natural 
leaders  and  excelled  most  of  the  others  in  playing  pranks.  Let  me 
illustrate  by  relating  the  following  episode : 

While  B  was  at  Glencoe  and  G  at  Gunpowder  some  four  miles 
south,  we  happened  to  be  passing  regimental  headquarters  at  Cockeys- 
ville,  when  the  Colonel  called  out,  in  his  positive  military  style: 
"Captain,  I  had  to  pay  Major  J—  -  at  Gunpowder  for  a  couple  of 
turkeys  your  boys  stole,"  on  a  certain  day,  naming  the  date.  We  tried 
to  extenuate  but  could  not  deny  it,  for  it  at  once  occurred  to  us 
that  we  had  given  a  pass  on  that  date  to  a  couple  of  the  boys  to  visit 
the  camp  at  Gunpowder.  We  replied,  however,  we  would  try  to  ascer 
tain  the  facts  and,  if  B  boys  were  actually  guilty,  would  make  the 
amende  honorable  by  paying  for  the  birds.  He  said,  "There  could  be 
no  doubt  at  all  that  Company  B  boys  had  taken  the  Major's  birds." 
He  described  them  fully  as  small  of  stature  with  the  letter  B  on  their 
caps.  The  evidence,  at  first  blush,  did  seem  pretty  conclusive. 


THE  ijSTH  PENXSYLI'JNM  VOLUNTEERS          147 

On  my  return  to  camp  I  sent  for  the  boys  who  had  been  given 
the  pass  and  confronted  them  with  the  alleged  charge.  They  stoutly 
denied  and  declared  their  innocence.  I  insisted  the  evidence 
seemed  rather  against  them  and,  unless  they  could  produce  evidence 
to  the  contrary,  their  guilt  was  assured.  After  a  little  reflection 
they  said,  almost  in  unison :  "!Now  we  see  through  it,"  and  proceeded 
to  relate  that  while  they  were  the  guests  of  the  boys  at  Gunpowder 
and  enjoying  their  hospitality,  a  couple  of  G  boys  proposed  to  ex 
change  caps  for  a  little  while,  to  which  they  did  not  object ;  and  the 
G  boys,  while  masquerading  with  borrowed  caps,  had  in  some  myster 
ious  way  "run  afoul"  and  captured  the  Major's  turkeys.  The  story, 
as  related,  caused  me  to  hesitate ;  besides  the  boys  that  were  charged 
with  the  crime  were  large  and  stood  near  the  right  of  the  company 
when  in  line,  while  the  Major  described  the  poachers  as  small  of 
stature.  I  concluded  to  let  the  case  rest  for  the  time. 

The  next  time  I  met  the  Colonel,  I  related  the  statement  as 
I  received  it,  and  opening  the  descriptive  book  in  the  Adjutant's 
office,  called  his  attention  to  the  stature  of  the  boys  who  had  made 
the  visit.  In  place  of  being  small  men,  as  Major  -  -  described 

them,  they  were  large  and  stood  near  the  right  of  the  company.  The 
Colonel  seemed  puzzled,  and  as  the  lawyers  would  say,  plead  surprise. 
I  never  heard  anything  more  of  the  Major's  turkeys,  but  it  was 
currently  rumored  at  the  time — but  I  do  not  vouch  for  the  correct 
ness  of  the  tradition  now — that  our  Major,  in  command  at  Gunpow 
der,  presided  at  the  banquet  where  the  birds  were  served. 

One  pleasant  afternoon,  some  time  in  September,  a  nicely  dressed 
young  man  sauntered  into  camp  and  made  himself  very  familiar 
with  the  boys.  He  inquired  particularly  in  regard  to  the  strength 
of  the  post,  where  the  nearest  re-enforcements  were  stationed,  and 
how  long  it  would  take  them  to  reach  our  camp,  in  case  of  an  alarm, 
lie  even  examined  the  guns  and  wished  to  know  how  many  rounds  of 
ammunition  were  on  hand.  When  he  had  secured  the  information 
desired  and  was  about  to  retire,  he  said  he  was  from  Baltimore  and 
had  come  out  to  visit  an  uncle  who  resided  in  the  vicinity  of  our  camp 
and  whose  acquaintance  we  had  made  during  our  short  stay  at 
Glencoe. 


148  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

When  informed  of  the  conduct  of  the  young  man,  his  inquisitive- 
ness  in  regard  to  the  strength  of  the  post  and  the  nearest  point  to 
re-enforcements,  the  arms  and  the  camp,  even  to  the  quantity  of  am 
munition,  his  conduct  appeared  somewhat  suspicious.  It  seemed  as 
though  he  was  gaining  the  information  for  the  purpose  of  leading  a 
guerrilla  band  to  attack  and  capture  the  post  and  destroy  the  railroad 
that  we  were  especially  there  to  guard.  We  determined  to  ascertain 
whether  the  statements  in  regard  to  where  he  was  from,  where  stop 
ping,  etc.,  were  correct.  A  special  detail  of  sufficient  strength  was 
given  Lieutenant  Jones,  with  instructions  to  go  to  the  home  he  al 
leged  he  wa,s  visiting  and,  if  there,  to  arrest  him  and  bring  him  into 
camp.  Starting  a  little  after  nightfall,  he  proceeded  quietly  to  the 
designated  place  and,  under  cover  of  the  trees  and  shrubbery,  sta 
tioned  a  guard  around  the  house,  so  as  to  prevent  his  escape,  with 
orders  to  fire.  He  approached  the  house  and  found  the  young  man 
sitting  on  the  balcony  between  two  interesting  young  ladies,  enjoy 
ing  their  company,  the  fresh  air  and  the  fragrance  of  flowers — alto 
gether  unconscious  of  the  cordon  that  surrounded  him.  The  Lieu 
tenant,  introducing  himself  rather  abruptly  and  in  a  stentorian 
voice,  addressed  the  young  man  as  his  prisoner.  The  girls  became 
alarmed  and,  peering  out  into  the  darkness,  saw  the  gleam  of  the 
broad  saber  bayonets  of  the  guards,  which  added  to  the  intensity  of 
their  excitement.  When  the  prisoner  was  taken  from  their  home, 
they  were  wild  with  alarm  for  the  safety  of  their  friend  and  one  of 
them,  under  the  peculiar  stress,  fainted  away. 

The  young  man — we  do  not  now  remember  his  name — was 
brought  into  camp  considerably  frightened  and  nervous.  After  a 
rigid  examination  as  to  where  he  was  from  and  what  were  his  inten 
tions  in  the  survey  of  the  camp  and  the  information  he  solicited  in 
regard  to  the  strength  of  the  post  and  the  nearness  of  re-enforcements, 
the  arms,  etc.,  he  declared  it  was  simply  idle  curiosity  on  his  part, 
without  the  remotest  idea  of  carrying  information  to  Confederate 
bands.  He  positively  asserted  his  complete  innocence  and  his  uncle, 
whom  we  knew  to  be  a  true  Union  man,  strictly  verifying  the  young 
man's  asseverations,  he  was  released ;  a  little  wiser,  perhaps,  than  he 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          149 

was  before,  as  we  do  not  believe  he  would  again  enter  a  military  camp 
under  the  same  suspicious  circumstances. 

Six  months  later,  after  the  boys  had  gained  a  little  more  experi 
ence,  an  intrusion  of  the  same  character  would  have  been  promptly 
resented  and  the  intruder  marched  to  the  guard  house,  without  the 
information  he  sought. 

We  never  saw  the  young  man  afterward.  The  uncle  frequently 
visited  camp  and  enjoyed  talking  over  the  affair  and  the  lucky  escape 
of  his  young  friend.  The  ladies  also  freely  forgave  the  Lieutenant 
for  his  unceremonious  intrusion  and  were  just  as  friendly  afterward 
as  they  were  before.  Subsequently  the  boys  assisted  in  husking  corn 
and  were  handsomely  entertained  and  royally  feasted  in  return,  by 
the  family. 

Our  line  extended  north  to  the  south  end  of  the  railroad  bridge 
that  spans  the  Gunpowder  Creek  just  south  of  Monkton.  The  140th 
Pennsylvania  joined  us  on  the  north. 

Between  nine  and  ten  o'clock  one  dark,  dismal  night,  some  time 
in  November  a  courier  from  the  outpost,  breathless  from  exhaustion, 
announced  the  railroad  bridge  at  Monkton  was  on  fire.  He  did  not 
know  the  cause,  but  help  was  wanted  immediately.  The  company 
was  called  out  with  as  little  delay  as  possible.  Leaving  a  small  guard, 
we  proceeded  at  a  double  quick  in  the  direction  of  the  alarm.  The 
darkness  rendered  the  march  along  the  track,  for  several  miles,  very 
tiresome.  After  proceeding  some  distance,  we  found  the  body  of  a 
man  lying  alongside  the  track,  in  an  unconscious  condition,  but  still 
alive.  His  general  appearance  resembled  a  tramp  but  what  his  real 
character  might  be  we  could  not  divine.  A  small  detail  carried  him 
to  camp,  where  he  finally  regained  consciousness,  but,  being  a  for 
eigner,  could  give  no  intelligent  account  of  himself.  Whether  he  had 
been  stealing  a  ride  on  a  freight  and  been  thrown  or  fallen  off,  we 
never  ascertained. 

As  we  hurried  on  in  the  darkness,  all  kinds  of  conjectures  were 
entertained.  Some  imagined  that  hostile  citizens  had  overpowered 
the  guard  and  committed  the  incendiary  act  Others  assumed  some, 
guerrilla  band  had  committed  the  vandal  deed,  destroyed  the  outpost 
and  were  in  ambush  to  receive  us  with  bloody  hands.  But  the  com- 


150  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

mand  pressed  on,  every  man  with  a  firm  grip  on  his  Vincennes  rife 
and  ready  for  any  emergency.  Finally  the  glare  of  the  burning  bridge 
advised  us  that  we  were  nearing  the  objective  point.  Rounding  a 
short  curve  immediately  south  of  the  bridge,  the  burning  structure 
was  reached. 

Destruction  seemed  almost  inevitable.  Couriers  were  sent  down 
the  track  with  lanterns  to  signal  the  Baltimore  Express,  which  was 
almost  due,  of  the  peril  ahead ;  but,  before  the  train  could  be  stopped, 
it  rushed  around  the  curve  and  over  the  bridge  at  a  high  speed,  knock 
ing  down  the  ladders  and  other  appliances  the  boys  were  employing 
to  reach  the  burning  timbers  overhead.  Fortunately  the  structure 
withstood  the  pressure  of  the  rushing  train  but  the  timbers  were  so 
badly  injured  they  were  immediately  replaced  by  new. 

The  fire,  as  we  learned,  was  occasioned  by  sparks  from  a  passing 
engine  which  the  boys  in  their  own  nomenclature  denominated  an 
"Old  Camel  Back,"  on  account  of  its  peculiar  appearance,  resemb 
ling  the  animal  of  that  name. 

When  the  flames  were  extinguished,  the  company  returned  to 
camp.  After  that  night,  although  no  foe  was  encountered  nor  gun 
fired,  we  had  no  fear  of  the  pluck  of  Company  B. 

As  time  wore  on,  now  and  then  a  plea  was  put  in  to  be  sent  to 
the  front,  They  wished  to  see  what  they  called  active  service.  In 
other  words,  they  were  tired  of  doing  guard  duty  and  desired  to  be 
taken  to  the  front.  To  all  such  appeals  we  replied  that  it  was  not  in 
our  power  to  select  the  kind  of  service  desired,  but  we  said,  "Never 
mind,  boys,  you  will  get  enough  work  in  the  front  yet" — an  assurance 
we  think  was  literally  fulfilled  during  the  remainder  of  their  term  of 
enlistment ;  at  least  we  never  had  anyone  to  question  our  sagacity 
afterward  in  regard  to  it. 

After  reaching  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  during  the  early 
spring  of  1863,  when  the  weather  would  permit,  the  Regiment  was 
almost  daily  on  regimental  drill.  Xo  opportunity  was  unimproved 
in  this  respect.  The  bugle  call  to  "fall  in"  began  to  sound  worse  than 
any  other.  Tn  addition  to  battalion  drill,  certain  hours  were  devoted 
to  practicing  "McClellan's  Bayonet  Exercise,"  a  grotesque  part  of 


THE  ijSTH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          151 

military  science,  which  in  actual  warfare  was  far  more  "honored  in 
the  breach  than  the  observance." 

Allow  me  to  relate  the  following  episode  which  occurred  on  one 
of  those  occasions,  which  many  of  my  readers  will  remember.  One 
bright  morning,  about  the  first  of  May,  the  Regiment  was  formed  for 
morning  drill  and  marched  to  the  usual  field  occupied  for  that  pur 
pose.  The  battalion  exercise  was  lively  for  perhaps  an  hour  and  a 
half,  when  the  Regiment  was  halted  in  line  and  "Parade  Rest" 
ordered.  While  standing  in  this  position,  the  Colonel  directed  com 
pany  commanders  to  take  charge  of  their  companies  and  practice 
"bayonet  exercise"  for  an  hour,  and  then  (parenthetically,  as  we 
suppose)  added,  in  a  somewhat  subdued  tone  of  voice,  that  he  would 
return  and  re-form  the  Regiment  and  march  back  to  camp. 

The  order  for  drill  was  observed  by  all  the  companies.  After 
the  hour  was  fully  up,  Company  B,  which  had  failed  to  hear  the  latter 
part  of  the  order,  returned  to  camp,  marching  close  by  where  some 
of  the  companies,  having  drilled  their  hour,  were  resting  in  the 
shade,  but  not  one  of  them  gave  the  least  intimation  that  the  com 
panies  were  to  await  the  Colonel's  return. 

A  few  minutes  later  and  after  Company  B  was  out  of  sight  on 
its  way  to  camp,  as  we  were  informed,  the  Colonel  did  return  and 
ordered  the  Regiment  to  form.  Observing  Company  B  was  tardy 
in  taking  its  place  on  the  left  of  the  line,  he  rode  up  to  the  crest  of 
the  hill  where  he  could  see  over  the  field,  but  B  was  not  discernible. 
Returning  to  the  Regiment  that  was  in  line,  he  called  out  impatiently, 
"Where  is  Company  B  ?"  That  was  too  much  for  the  officers  of  the 
other  companies  and  a  broad  smile  ran  over  their  countenances  as  they 
informed  him  Company  B  had  returned  to  camp. 

Shortly  after  the  Regiment  had  reached  camp  and  T  was  com 
fortably  resting  in  my  bunk,  after  the  morning  drill,  all  unconscious 
of  having  violated  military  discipline,  there  was  a  rap  at  the  entrance 
to  my  quarters  and,  in  response  to  my  "Come  in,"  the  Adjutant  pre 
sented  himself  and  said,  "The  Colonel  has  sent  for  your  sword."  Of 
course,  I  obeyed.  A  good  soldier  never  asks  any  questions.  But 
the  Adjutant  very  gentlemanly  informed  us  the  cause  consisted  of 
the  fact  that  we  had  left  the  drill  field  contrary  to  orders,  as  we  were 


152  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

to  have  remained  there  in  the  hot  sun,  until  the  Colonel's  return.  T 
was  stunned  and  began  an  inquiry  among  the  boys  as  to  whether  they 
had  heard  the  order  that  the  companies  were  to  remain  on  the  field 
until  he  (the  Colonel)  returned.  The  answer  was  universally  in  the 
negative.  Then  L  began  to  breathe  somewhat  more  freely. 

The  Regiment  was  under  marching  orders.  During  the  after 
noon  another  rap  was  heard  at  the  entrance  of  my  tent.  I  bade 
him  come  in  and  the  veritable  "Ike"  (the  Colonel's  colored  servant) 
presented  his  ebony  face  at  the  opening  and  said,  "De  Colonel  wishes 
to  see  you  at  headquarters."  Thither  I  repaired  and,  when  con 
fronted  with  the  charge  of  "disobedience  of  orders"  I  pleaded  inno 
cence  of  the  charge  on  the  ground  that  I  had  not  heard  the  order, 
neither  had  any  member  of  the  company,  so  far  as  I  could  ascer 
tain  ;  that  it  was  entirely  foreign  to  my  purpose  to  disobey  orders  and 
that  ]  regretted  the  circumstance  which  made  this  explanation  nec 
essary.  The  Colonel  very  generously  accepted  the  explanation  and 
added,  "I  will  return  your  sword,"  which  he  accordingly  did  the 
same  day. 

The  occurrence,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  in  no  wise  disturbed  oui- 
personal  or  official  relations  during  the  remainder  of  the  service.  1 
can  scarcely  determine,  on  a  full  survey  of  the  occurrence,  whether 
the  joke  was  on  the  Colonel  or  Captain  of  Company  B,  or  both. 

At  Chancellorsville,  on  Sunday  morning,  the  3d  of  May,  six 
companies  were  on  the  picket  line,  facing  toward  Fredericksburg. 
The  firing  was  brisk  and  continuous  and  a  number  of  casualties  oc 
curred.  When  it  became  necessary  to  establish  a  new  and  shorter 
line,  a  verbal  order  was  received  from  Gen.  W.  S.  Hancock,  directing 
that  the  picket  line  should  be  withdrawn,  but  no  indication  was  given 
as  to  the  direction  in  which  it  should  retire.  It  was  evident  there  was 
trouble  brewing.  We  determined  to  move  toward  the  river.  The  line 
had  evidently  been  withdrawn  on  our  right  and  the  Confederates 
were  coming  in  on  our  flank,  rendering  it  rather  unhealthy  to  re 
main.  Fortunately  for  us,  we  got  out  safely  and  rejoined  the  Regi 
ment  in  the  new  line  of  hastily  constructed  works.  Major  Fairlamb 
was  in  command,  Colonel  Beaver  having  been  seriously  wounded. 
The  Major  was  sitting  quietly  on  a  stump,  with  his  legs  crossed,  im- 


THE  ijSTH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          153 

mediately  in  rear  of  the  line,  apparently  in  deep  thought.  As  we  aj>- 
proached,  he  roused  up  and  inquired  particularly  as  to  how  the  boys 
on  the  picket  line  had  fared.  We  gave  him  a  brief  account  of  the  ex 
perience  we  had  on  the  line  and  our  ventures  in  rejoining  the  Regi 
ment.  He  then  proceeded  to  tell  of  the  terrible  baptism  of  fire  and 
blood  the  four  companies  in  the  line  had  passed  through,  himself 
being  slightly  wounded. 

The  Confederates,  having  descried  our  new  line,  ran  out  a 
battery  near  the  White  House,  and  promptly  opened  fire,  one  of  the 
missiles  passing  the  Major  so  closely  that  the  windage  threw  him  to 
the  ground.  We  supposed  he  was  hit  and  badly  injured.  Before  we 
could  reach  him,  however,  he  jumped  up  and,  looking  defiantly  in 
the  direction  of  the  battery,  which  was  plainly  visible,  shaking  his 
fist,  exclaimed,  "You  can't  do  that  again,"  and  sat  down  cm  the  same 
stump  and  resumed  the  conversation.  He  was  as  cool  as  though 
nothing  had  occurred. 

Some  of  the  best  blood  of  the  Regiment  moistened  Virginia  soil 
on  that  memorable  occasion. 

Just  one  year  and  a  day  thereafter  (May  4-,  1864)  the  relater 
with  a  large  detail  from  the  Regiment,  was  on  picket  on  the  identical 
line  we  had  occupied  on  the  3d  of  May,  1863.  The  coincidence  cre 
ated  considerable  interest.  As  there  was  no  hostile  foe  in  our  front, 
the  boys  took  the  opportunity  to  exploit  the  positions  occupied  on 
the  former  occasion.  There  was  evidence  of  severe  conflict  by  the 
number  of  graves  which  were  plainly  visible,  especially  on  the 
ground  occupied  by  the  Confederates.  On  that  part  of  the  field  a 
small  leather  wallet  or  pocketbook  was  picked  up,  which  contained 
a  bright  gold  dollar.  As  no  evidence  of  ownership  was  discernible, 
the  finder  treasured  it  as  a  souvenir. 

At  Po  River,  on  the  9th  of  May,  the  148th  was  leading  the  Bri 
gade,  and  was  the  first  to  plunge  in  and  cross  the  stream,  a  portion  of 
the  Regiment  deploying  as  skirmishers,  under  cover  of  a  thick  wood, 
with  orders  to  advance.  The  Confederates  were  posted  on  the  crest 
of  the  hill  beyond.  As  soon  as  the  skirmish  line  emerged  from  the 
wood,  or  brush,  the  Confederate  batteries  opened  on  the  advancing 
line,  with  considerable  effect,  wounding  a  number  of  our  boys.  In 


154  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

this  advance  Private  George  W.  Walker,  of  Company  B,  received  a 
severe  wound  in  the  fleshy  part  of  the  right  arm,  severing  an  artery 
from  which  the  blood,  on  certain  movements  of  the  arm,  gushed  out 
higher  than  his  head.  Lieutenant  Harper,  seeing  his  condition,  called 
to  him  to  go  back  to  the  rear  or  he  would  bleed  to  death,  to  which  h« 
very  coolly  replied,  "Lieutenant,  just  let  me  have  one  more  'whack' 
at  those  fellows."  He  deliberately  loaded  his  gun  and  sent  them 
another  messenger  before  he  retired. 

The  march  to  Spotsylvania,  on  the  night  preceding  the  12th  of 
May,  was  extremely  fatiguing.  In  addition  to  the  extreme  darkness, 
which  rendered  the  march  more  difficult,  the  roads  were  blocked  with 
artillery  and  the  infantry  were  compelled  to  advance  through  fields 
on  parallel  lines.  In  many  places  deep  ditches,  on  either  side  of 
where  fences  once  stood,  were  encountered,  and  the  boys  stumbled  and 
fell  in  passing  over  the  obstructions.  Private  John  T.  Ammerman, 
of  Company  B,  was  afflicted  with  hemeralopia  or  "moon  eye."  He 
was  a  mere  stripling  of  a  youth  and  a  gallant  soldier,  but  at  night 
was  almost  totally  blind,  but  he  scorned  to  remain  behind.  Aware 
of  his  condition,  we  called  him  to  the  right  of  the  Company  and, 
taking  him  by  the  arm,  led  him  the  greater  part  of  the  way.  Not 
withstanding  the  support  we  were  able  to  afford  him,  he  frequently 
fell  full  length  and  his  gun  would  be  submerged  in  the  mud.  Gath 
ering  himself  up  and  rubbing  the  mire  off  his  gun,  he  would  again 
take  his  place  in  the  column.  Not  a  murmur  escaped  his  lips.  At 
three  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  12th,  when  a  halt  was  ordered 
and  the  148th  formed  in  double  column  closed  en  masse,  Ammerman 
was  in  his  place.  Permission  was  given  to  lie  down  but  not  lose 
places  nor  unsling  knapsacks.  A  few  minutes  later  an  order  was 
passed  along  the  lines,  in  a  whisper,  to  "Uncap  pieces."  The  move 
ments  that  followed  and  the  results  accomplished  we  leave  for  the 
impartial  pen  of  the  historian. 

In  the  early  morning,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Fairlamb  was  severely 
wounded.  The  first  line  of  Confederate  works  had  just  been  carried 
and  he  was  standing  in  an  exposed  position  on  the  ramparts.  We 
were  informed  by  a  comrade  of  Company  H,  who  was  near  him  at 
the  time  and  assisted  in  placing  a  bandage  around  his  wound,  that 


THE  ijSTH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          155 

he  positively  refused  to  go  to  the  rear.  Summoning  his  remaining 
strength,  he  made  one  supreme  effort  to  go  forward,  and  did,  but 
weakening  from  loss  of  blood  and  the  terrible  shock  to  his  system 
occasioned  by  the  wound,  his  strength  failed  him  and,  when  the  line 
was  compelled  to  retire  for  want  of  sufficient  support,  unable  to  es 
cape,  he  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Confederates.  Xo  braver  officer 
drew  sword  during  the  War. 

Privates  George  W.  Harris  and  R.  Wesley  Ammerman,  of  Com 
pany  B,  each  captured  Confederate  battle  flags  in  the  memorable 
assault  in  the  morning,  for  which  they  were  subsequently  rewarded 
with  "medals  of  honor,"  authorized  by  Congress  for  valor  on  the 
field  of  battle.  They  were  presented  by  General  Meade  in  person. 

At  the  North  Anna  River,  on  the  24th  of  May,  Company  B  was 
sent  out  to  ascertain  the  strength  and  whereabouts  of  the  enemy  in 
our  front.  After  advancing  a  considerable  distance  and  finding  none. 
Sergeant  Constans  Barger  was  given  a  detail  of  picked  men,  consist 
ing  of  Privates  James  Hines,  Jacob  W.  Sundy  and  several  others, 
with  instructions  to  follow  a  road  which  led  through  a  wood,  keeping 
a  sharp  lookout.  After  going  a  considerable  distance  and  finding 
none,  they  became  less  cautious,  when  suddenly  they  encountered  a 
Confederate  outpost,  which  sent  a  volley  into  the  party,  a  minie 
ball  striking  Sergeant  Barger  on  the  belt  buckle,  doubling  him  up 
and  throwing  him  heavily  to  the  ground,  unconscious.  His  com 
rades  supposed  he  was  killed,  but  a  few  minutes  after  he  rallied  from 
the  concussion  and  resumed  his  place  as  usual.  After  a  few  volleys, 
the  Confederates  fled.  The  detail  reported  and  the  company  returned 
to  the  Regiment.  On  the  26th  we  re-crossed  the  river  at  the  same 
place  we  had  crossed  in  the  advance. 

While  in  the  works  at  Cold  Harbor,  Maj.  R.  H.  Forster  was  in 
command  of  the  Regiment,  Colonel  Beaver  being  assigned  to  the  Bri 
gade.  The  lines  being  very  close,  the  Confederates  annoyed  us  by 
throwing  mortar  shells  into  our  works.  It  made  it  very  unpleasant, 
the  missiles  frequently  bursting  overhead  and  the  fragments  flying 
in  all  directions.  On  one  occasion  the  Major  had  seated  himself  to 
partake  of  his  evening  meal,  when  a  heavy  fragment  descended 
through  his  shelter  tent,  passing  within  a  few  inches  of  his  head, 


156  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

overturned  his  table  and  buried  itself  in  the  ground,  covering  every 
thing  with  dust  He  had  to  retire  supperless  and  complained  of  dam 
age  to  his  shelter  tent. 

On  the  evening  of  the  13th,  the  Army  reached  the  James  River., 
From  some  cause  the  supplies  which  were  to  have  come  up  the  river 
on  boats  failed  to  materialize  and  the  consequence  was  many  of  the 
boys  had  to  lie  down  without  supper.  TJie  writer  fared  a  little  better, 
his  cook  having  captured  an  old  rooster  that  evidently  saw  the  ligh^ 
long  before  the  War  broke  out  He  had  not  been  specially  fattened 
for  market  and  was  rather  lean  for  table  use,  but  Charlie,  with  the 
skill  of  an  expert  chef,  prepared  him  for  supper,  but,  without  salt, 
pepper,  butter  or  hardtack,  the  broth  was  rather  thin  and  tasteless. 
However,  after  a  tiresome  march  of  about  thirty  miles,  it  was  far 
better  than  none.  The  next  morning  Charlie  proposed  he  would  go 
down  to  the  river  and  gather  mussels  for  dinner.  These  bivalves 
somewhat  resembled  oysters,  but  the  peculiarity  about  them  was  the 
longer  they  were  boiled  or  fried,  the  tougher  they  became.  They 
were  about  as  palatable  as  old  leather.  We  were  generous  with  our 
rare  menu  and  cordially  invited  comrades  to  partake  of  our  hospi 
tality.  Thirty-six  or  forty-eight  hours  after  the  commissary  depart 
ment  should  have  reached  us,  it  put  in  an  appearance,  to  the  gratifica 
tion  of  -an  army  of  hungry  soldiers. 

A  fierce  and  determined  assault  was  made  on  the  evening  of  the 
16th  of  June  on  the  Confederate  line  in  front  of  Petersburg.  The 
attack,  which  was  well  planned,  should  have  been  delivered  in  the 
morning,  was  postponed  until  evening.  By  that  time  General  Lee 
had  discerned  our  intent  and  was  prepared  to  meet  us.  The  assault 
failed,  for  want  of  sufficient  support. 

Colonel  Beaver,  commanding  the  Brigade,  prior  to  the  advance 
had  a  consultation  with  the  regimental  commanders,  as  to  the  succes 
sion  in  command  of  the  Brigade  in  the  event  of  an  emergency  requir 
ing  it.  The  result  was  most  unfortunate.  The  loss  was  fearful. 
Colonel  Beaver  was  himself  severely  wounded.  We  refer  to  this  in 
cident  as  an  illustration  of  remarkable  coolness  and  forethought  on 
the  part  of  the  commander  of  the  Brigade  not  often  evinced  on  such 
occasions. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  157 

When  the  retreat  was  ordered,  Color  Sergeant  William  Ward, 
of  Company  H,  was  well  in  the  advance.  Finding1  it  impossible  to 
escape  with  the  colors,  with  great  presence  of  mind,  he  buried  them 
in  the  sand,  where  they  were  found  and  recovered  the  next  day,  he 
himself  being  captured.  The  Sergeant  carrying  the  regimental  flag, 
succeeded  in  making  his  escape  and  brought  in  the  colors  a  little  later. 

At  Jerusalem  Plank  Road,  on  the  22d,  when  flanked  out  of  the 
position  we  occupied  in  the  wood,  Corporal  Samuel  R.  Gettig,  of 
Company  A,  was  struck  on  his  knapsack  with  a  minie  ball,  which, 
knocking  him  down  and  passing  through  his  wardrobe,  penetrated 
his  Bible  which  he  had  carefully  stowed  away  in  the  knapsack  and 
buried  itself  in  its  sacred  pages.  He  still  retains  the  book  with  the 
missile  embedded  therein  and  has  unbounded  confidence  in  the  Bible 
as  a  life  preserver,  here  and  hereafter. 

Private  Frank  Wolf,  of  Company  A,  also  escaped  death 
on  July  3d  at  Gettysburg  in  a  similar  manner.  A  minie  ball 
struck  his  knapsack,  plowed  through  his  wardrobe  iand  passed  almost 
through  his  Bible  which  lay  nearest  his  person.  The  singularity  of 
this  incident  was  that  the  missile  was  strangely  cut  in  strips,  as 
shown  by  the  manner  the  paper  was  cut,  and  penetrated  nearly  through 
the  book  and  remained  embedded  therein. 

In  referring  to  my  diary,  under  date  of  August  2d,  I  find  the 
following : 

"Had  regimental  inspection  and  Brigade  dress  parade  in  the 
evening.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Broady,  commanding  Brigade,  compli 
mented  the  148th  on  being  the  best  regiment  in  the  Brigade/' 

At  Ream's  Station  on  the  25th  of  August,  the  enemy  were  again 
encountered  in  greatly  superior  numbers.  A  little  after  noon  the 
Regiment  was  moved  at  a  double  quick  to  the  left  and  formed  line. 
Twenty  minutes  later  it  was  ordered  to  return  to  the  right  at  the 
same  rapid  rate,  and  took  its  place  in  the  line  it  had  vacated  a  half 
hour  before.  It  was  evident  trouble  was  brewing.  Picket  firing  was 
rapid.  Confederate  sharpshooters  were  picking  off  our  officers  and 
killing  horses  attached  to  our  batteries.  The  148th  was  ordered  to 
deploy  as  skirmishers  and  ascertain  the  strength  of  the  enemy  in  front 
The  deployment  was  effected  immediately  in  rear  of  our  temporary 


158  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

works.  The  signal  for  the  advance  was  a  general  volley  along  our 
line.  Before  the  smoke  had  time  to  disappear,  the  boys  leaped  the 
works  and  advanced  some  distance  when  they  encountered  the  enemy, 
concealed  in  the  wood  in  strong  force  and  evidently  preparing  for  an 
aggressive  movement  on  our  line.  Captain  Button,  of  Company  E, 
with  a  number  of  his  boys,  succeeded  in  reaching  an  old  house  and 
were  doing  deadly  work  from  the  defence  which  the  building  afforded. 
They  were  soon  discovered,  however,  by  the  Confederates,  when  a 
rush  was  made  upon  the  house,  and  the  Captain  and  his  gallant  little 
party  were  compelled  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat  to  avoid  capture. 

The  Regiment  scarcely  had  time  to  resume  its  place  in  the  works 
when  the  enemy  delivered  a  determined  assault  upon  our  line,  which 
was  handsomely  repulsed.  A  second  effort  was  made  to  dislodge  us, 
with  like  result.  Terrific  artillery  fire  followed  a  third  and  supreme 
effort  on  their  part  in  which  they  succeeded  in  entering  our  lines  on 
the  left  of  the  148fh  and  captured  a  couple  of  guns  that  could  not  be 
gotten  off  and  turned  them  upon  us  with  terrible  effect,  enfilading  our 
line  for  some  distance. 

The  148th  stuck  to  the  works  to  the  last.  Their  portion  of  the 
line  up  to  this  time  was  intact  but  the  enfilading  fire  from  the  left 
finally  rendered  the  works  untenable. 

The  fighting  was  severe,  as  the  list  of  killed  and  wounded  fully 
attests.    On  portions  of  the  line  it  was  hand-to-hand  across  the  work? 
Sergt  Joseph  Fox,  of  Company  G  (subsequently  Lieutenant  Fox)A 
came  out  of  the  racket  with  seven  bayonet  ,wounds  upon  his  person. 

The  casualties  of  the  campaign  had  fallen  heavily  upon  the  Regi 
ment.  All  the  fielc^  officers  were  permanently  disabled  for  active  serv 
ice.  The  command  of  the  Regiment  had  devolved  upon  line  officers 
from  the  18th  of  June. 

Lieut.  Col.  George  A.  Fairlamb  was  the  first  victim,  being  se 
verely  wounded  at  Spotsylvania  on  the  12th  of  May.  He  was  a  brav* 
officer  and  a  most  genial  companion.  Maj.  Robert  H.  Forster  was 
a  veteran  of  the  Mexican  War  and  a  true  soldier.  He  left  us  on  the 
18th  of  June.  Then  followed  Col.  James  A.  Beaver,  through  whose 
instrumentality  the  Regiment  had  attained  its  acknowledged  high 
standing  in  the  service  and  whose  removal  from  active  service,  by  rea- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          159 

son  of  severity  of  wound  on  the  25th  of  August,  was  greatly  regretted. 
He  was  a  gallant  and  rising  officer,  with  whom  we  wrere  justly  proud 
to  have  been  associated  and  we  are  not  ashamed  to  acknowledge  after 
the  lapse  of  years,  that  when  we  learned  of  his  loss,  tears  coursed 
down  our  cheeks. 

On  the  7th  of  September,  1864,  an  order  was  received,  relieving 
Sergt.  Major  Joseph  E.  Hall,  of  Company  I,  to  accept  the  position  of 
Adjutant,  with  the  rank  of  First  Lieutenant,  in  the  183d  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers. 

The  gallant  charge  of  Capt.  Jerry  Z.  Brown,  of  Company  K, 
with  one  hundred  men  of  the  148th,  on  the  27th  of  October,is  too  well 
known  to  require  reference.  It  is  a  part  of  the  history  of  the  War  for 
the  Union.  We  simply  wish  to  refer  to  the  heroic  conduct  and  un 
paralleled  physical  endurance  of  Private  William  H.  Kellerman,  of 
Company  H.  He  was  one  of  the  charging  party  and  entered  the  fort 
with  his  comrades.  When  the  garrison  surrendered,  he  was  detailed 
to  assist  in  taking  the  prisoners  to  headquarters  and  would  have  been 
justified  in  remaining  there  but  he  sought  to  rejoin  his  comrades, 
where  he  had  left  them  in  the  fort,  unconscious  that  they  had  been 
compelled  to  retire  into  our  own  lines.  Before  he  was  aware  of  his 
surroundings,  he  found  himself  inside  the  Confederate  videttes  and, 
unable  to  escape,  he  stubbornly  refused  to  surrender.  For  eight  days 
he  lay  concealed  in  the  bushes,  subsisting  on  bark  and  roots,  hoping 
and  longing  for  an  opportunity  to  escape.  Finally,  on  the  evening  of 
the  eighth  day,  the  favorable  opportunity  arrived.  The  Confederates 
being  a  little  later  than  usual  in  advancing  their  videttes,  taking  ad 
vantage  of  the  darkness,  he  succeeded  in  crawling  and  rolling  himself 
into  our  lines,  his  ears,  nose,  fingers  and  toes  frost  bitten,  weak  and 
exhausted  from  his  terrible  exposure,  bringing  with  him  his  gun  and 
all  his  equipments. 

I  still  retain  in  my  possession  an  autograph  letter  of  Gen. 
Nelson  A.  Miles,  commanding  the  Division,  asking  for  a  brief  his 
tory  of  the  soldier  and  his  photograph,  which  we  cheerfully  furnished. 
It  was  afterwards  printed  in  Harper  s  Weekly,  with  a  full  page 
likeness.  General  Meade  subsequently  issued  a  special  order,  descant 
ing  on  his  heroic  fortitude  and  granting  him  a  thirty  days'  furlough. 


160  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Professor  Bate,  in  his  "History  of  the  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers/7  refers  to  this  unprecedented  instance  of  soldierly  endurance 
in  a  foot  note  in  small  type.  If  we  had  authority,  we  would  em 
blazon  it  in  letters  of  gold,  near  the  apex  of  the  proposed  monument 
to  be  erected  to  the  memory  of  our  fallen  comrades,  that  his  children 
and  children's  children  might  read  it  with  pride,  and  the  young  men 
of  Centre  County,  should  their  services  ever  be  required  in  defence 
of  the  flag  of  stars,  catch  inspiration  from  this  unparalleled  instance 
of  physical  endurance. 

On  the  30th  of  December,  1864,  the  following  order  was  re 
ceived  : 

HEADQUAKTERS  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS, 

December  29,  1864. 
SPECIAL  ORDER  No.  332. 

EXTRACT. 
******** 

In  accordance  with  instructions  from  the  Major  General  com 
manding  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  Second  Lieutenant  Luther  D. 
Kurtz,  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  will  relieve  Lieut.  W.  A. 
Shoener,,  116th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  as  Commandant  of  the 
Guard  and  Acting  Assistant  Quartermaster  at  the  Depot  Field  Hos 
pital  at  City  Point. 

#;.,<#•  -X-  -X-  -3f  *  -X-  -X- 

By  order  of  MAJOR  GENERAL  HUMPHREYS. 

SEPTIMUS  CARNCROSS. 
Assistant  Adjutant  General. 
Official:' 

SAMUEL  EVERHART, 

Lieutenant    and    Acting    Adjutant    148th    Pennsylvania 
Volunteers. 

The  month  of  January,  1865,  was  occupied  in  further  strength 
ening  our  lines  in  front  of  Petersburg.  Frequent  inspections  were 
ordered  and  every  effort  employed  to  have  the  Army  in  fighting  order 
in  the  early  spring.  On  the  17th  of  January,  Brigadier  General  Ram 
sey,  commanding  Brigade,  personally  inspected  the  148th,  for  the 
purpose  of  ascertaining  whether  the  "Regiment  was  up  to  the  standard 
of  military  discipline,  in  order  to  insure  the  officers'  leaves  of  absence, 
and  enlisted  men  furloughs,  in  accordance  with  general  orders  from 
tEe  War  Department.  The  Regiment  formed  in  line,  open  ranks. 


THE  ijSTH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          161 

The  General  passed  down  the  line,  taking  in  the  general  appearance 
of  the  command.  Returning  to  the  right,  he  took  a  gun  here  and 
there,  looked  it  over  and  gave  it  the  ordinary  toss  and  awaited  the 
jingle  occasioned  by  the  rebound  of  the  ramrod.  He  seemed  puzzled. 
The  test  was  not  entirely  satisfactory.  In  order  to  relieve  the  situa 
tion  I  quietly  remarked  that  the  Ordnance  Department  had  not  is 
sued  ramrods  with  the  breech  loaders.  He  gave  us  no  expression  of 
approval,  but  we  continued  to  get  leaves  of  absence  and  furloughs 
approved  all  the  same. 

An  order  was  promulgated  in  the  early  winter,  providing  for  a 
thirty-day  furlough  to  one  enlisted  man  at  one  time  in  each  Brigade, 
conditioned  on  a  competitive  inspection  as  to  soldierly  appearance 
and  proficiency  in  the  manual  of  arms ;  said  inspection  to  be  held  at 
brigade  headquarters.  It  was  free  to  all  who  desired  to  stand  the  ex 
amination.  On  the  appointed  day  a  number  of  contestants  presented 
themselves.  Sergt  Simon  P.  Lansberry,  of  Company  D,  was  the 
winner  in  the  first  contest  in  the  Fourth  Brigade. 

Just  before  starting  on  the  campaign  of  1865  an  order  was  re 
ceived,  relieving  Sergt.  George  M.  Boal,  of  Company  D,  to  accept  the 
position  of  Quartermaster  of  the  83d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers,  with  the  rank  of  First  Lieutenant. 

At  Sutherland's  Station,  on  the  2d  of  April,  the  Regiment  was 
deployed  as  skirmishers  and  ordered  to  advance.  Captain  Sutton,  of 
E,  commanded  the  right  wing,  and  Captain  Harper,  of  B,  the  left 
wing.  Although  exposed  to  a  terrific  fire,  the  line  advanced  rapidly 
and  succeeded  in  flanking  the  Confederate  works ;  and,  delivering  a 
rapid  fire  from  their  breech  loaders,  nearly  an  entire  brigade  sur 
rendered.  Major  Ulmer,  of  the  4th  North  Carolina,  delivered  his 
sword  and  pistol  to  Captain  Harper.  Captain  Harper  and  Private 
Jacob  W.  Sunday,  of  Company  B,  were  the  first  to  enter  the  Confed 
erate  works  and  drive  the  enemy  from  their  guns.  General  Miles 
commanding  the  Division  issued  a  special  order  commending  the 
gallantry  of  the  148th  on  the  occasion. 

At  the  Grand  Review  on  the  23d  and  24th  of  May,  in  the  city 
of  Washington,  at  the  close  of  the  War,  the  148th  was  at  its  best. 
Their  soldierly  bearing,  steady  step  and  correct  alignment  were  equal 


162  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

to  those  of  regulars  at  our  training  schools.  As  the  column  was  pass 
ing  the  reviewing  stand  (twenty  men  front)  and  saluting,  Gen. 
Winfield  S.  Hancock,  the  ideal  soldier,  under  whose  immediate  com 
mand  we  had  served  the  greater  portion  of  our  term,  arose  from  his 
seat  on  the  platform  and,  pointing  to  the  moving  column,  was  heard 
to  say,  "That  is  the  Regiment  that  always  could  be  depended  on,"  a 
compliment  well  worth  treasuring  as  the  years  go  by. 

On  the  30th  of  May,  the  Second  Corps  was  reviewed  for  the 
last  time,  near  Alexandria,  by  President  Johnson,  Governors  Fenton, 
of  Xew  York,  and  Curtin,  of  Pennsylvania,  and  Generals  Meade, 
Hancock  and  Humphreys.  The  scene  was  most  imposing.  On  the 
hillside,  in  rear  of  the  reviewing  stand  were  thousands  of  ladies  and 
gentlemen  who  had  driven  out  of  the  city  to  witness  the  grand 
pageant.  No  artist  could  have  painted  such  a  scene.  The  day  was 
bright,  the  sky  unclouded.  Thousands  of  swords  and  bayonets  glit 
tered  in  the  sunlight.  The  boys  caught  inspiration  from  the  gay 
surroundings  and,  as  they  passed  in  review,  their  step  seemed  more 
elastic  and  each  vied  with  his  comrade  to  excel  in  soldierly  bearing. 

After  passing  the  stand  a  considerable  distance,  moving  at  quick 
step,  the  column  wheeled  to  the  left  and  passed  off  the  field.  When 
the  148th  reached  the  wheeling  point  and  was  adjusting  itself  to  the 
new  direction,  and  each  company,  at  the  command,  swung  around  on 
a  "double  quick,"  the  boys,  from  some  innate  spirit  of  mischief  or  sat 
isfaction  at  having  done  well  on  their  last  appearance  on  review, 
broke  out  in  a  regular  "charging  yell'7 — much  to  the  discomfiture 
of  the  commanding  officer.  I  was  mortified  but,  before  it  could 
be  arrested,  the  last  company  had  made  the  wheel  and  we  were  leav 
ing  the  field.  The  situation  was  somewhat  relieved  by  the  vociferous 
manner  in  which  the  vast  multitude  on  the  hillside  responded  in  tre 
mendous  outbursts  of  applause  as  each  company  wheeled  and  cheered, 
the  ladies  swinging  their  handkerchiefs  and  joining  in  the  general 
jubilation  which  continued  until  we  were  mostly  out  of  sight. 

We  expected  that  our  brigade  commander,  General  Mulholland, 
who  prided  on  the  148th,  would  reprimand  us  sharply  for  this  breach 
of  military  discipline,  but  we  never  heard  of  it  afterward. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          163 

The  Kegiment  broke  camp,  for  the  last  time,  on  the  3d  of  June, 
1865,  and  left  Washington  for  Harrisburg  the  same  day,  arriving 
at  the  latter  city  the  following  morning ;  breakfasted  at  the  "Soldiers' 
Rest  Refreshment  Saloon,"  reported  to  General  Ilenks  and  was  or 
dered  to  "Return  Camp"  (formerly  "Camp  Curtin"),  where  canvas 
was  assigned  us  and  rations  were  issued. 

The  drum  corps  made  a  very  favorable  impression  on  the  com 
mander  of  the  camp.  He  was  so  delighted  with  the  music  which  they 
discoursed  that  he  made  a  written  request  that  it  might  be  sent  to  his 
headquarters  in  the  city,  to  which  we  readily  assented  (he  furnishing 
transportation  both  ways).  He  entertained  the  members  very  hand 
somely  and  thanked  them  beside  for  their  excellent  service  upon  tha 
occasion. 

Whilst  in  camp,  Governor  Curtin  requested  us  to  make  recom 
mendation  for  commissions  to  fill  all  vacancies  in  the  several  com 
panies  and  regimental  organizations  which,  under  orders  of  the  War 
Department,  could  not  be  mustered  into  the  United  States  service  on 
account  of  the  companies  and  Regiment  not  being  up  to  the  minimum 
quota.  In  accordance  with  recommendations,  commissions  were  is 
sued  and  delivered  as  follows :  Colonel,  James  F.  Weaver ;  Lieuten 
ant  Colonel,  George  A.  Bayard ;  Major,  Silas  J.  Marlin ;  Junius  F. 
Crain,  Captain  Company  I;  Frank  W.  Clark,  First  Lieutenant  Com 
pany  I ;  Thomas  W.  Douglass,  Second  Lieutenant  Company  I ;  Thos. 
F.  Taylor,  Second  Lieutenant  Company  B ;  Ezra  B.  Walter,  Second 
Lieutenant  Company  C ;  John  A.  J.  Fugate,  Second  Lieutenant  Com 
pany  H. 

Before  leaving  Harrisburg,  we  called  upon  the  commander  of 
the  camp  to  thank  him  for  his  kind  treatment  and  courtesy  while 
under  his  command.  Turning  to  us,  he  replied  with  warmth : 

"Colonel,  you  have  the  best  behaved  regiment  that  has  been  in 
this  return  camp.  Your  men  are  as  orderly  and  gentlemanly  in  camp 
as  they  were  brave  on  the  field  of  battle." 

We  have  always  esteemed  his  remarks  as  a  glowing  compliment. 

And  now,  one  word  more  and  our  story  is  ended.  We  wish  to 
add  in  conclusion  that  we  shall  carry  to  our  grave  pleasant  recollec- 


164          THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS 

tions  of  our  association  with  the  officers  and  men  of  the  148th  Regi 
ment. 

I  have  only  related  some  of  the  minor  incidents  and  episodes 
and  personal  acts  of  heroism  that  will  not  come  within  the  purview 
of  the  regimental  historian.  As  I  recount  the  hardships  and  trials 
through  which  we  passed  during  those  years  of  service  for  the  main 
tenance  of  the  Union,  I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  refer  to  them  without 
any  unkind  feeling  toward  any  member  of  the  Regiment.  Ana 
whatever  of  honor  and  glory  is  due  for  meritorious  service,  while  f 
had  the  honor  to  command  it,  is  largely  due  to  the  faithful  and  effi 
cient  corps  of  officers  and  the  noble  and  patriotic  men  who  carried  the 
guns. 


THE  ijSTH  PE\  XSYLfJNM  VOLUNTEERS  165 


DAVID    H.    SWYERS,    COMPANY    B,    148TII    REGIMENT 
PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS. 

By  his  sister,  Mrs.  James  Me  Mullen 

At  Po  River,  May  10,  1864,  Corp.  David  H.  Swyers,  only  a 
boy,  but  true  to  Ms  calling,  bravely  bore  the  colors  in  the  midst  of  the 
battle.  First  his  cap  was  shot  off,  then  his  knapsack,  then  his  can 
teen,  and  his  blouse  was  riddled  to  pieces,  then  a  bullet  penetrated 
his  left  breast  and  came  out  underneath  his  shoulder.  From  this 
wound  he  suffered  very  much  and  was  sent  to  Philadelphia  Hospital. 
Having  recovered,  he  was  again  sent  to  the  front,  promoted  to  be 
First  Lieutenant  and  was  wounded  a  second  time  at  the  battle  of 
Gravelly  Run  (White  Oak  Road).  This  time  the  bullet  entered  above 
the  left  knee,  coming  out  at  the  thigh,  making  an  ugly  wound.  From 
that  time  until  his  death  he  was  a  continual  sufferer. 

The  first  wound  had  splintered  a  piece  of  rib  into  the  lung  and 
a  few  weeks  before  his  death  he  coughed  it  up  after  a  period  of  twen 
ty-five  years.  He  was  a  member  of  Gregg  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and  died 
April  28,  1889.  He  was  followed  to  his  grave  by  over  one  hundred 
of  his  comrades  and  friends. 

"Wrapped  in  the  flag  he  so  nobly  defended, 
Laid  to  his  rest  by  his  comrades  in  blue ; 

His  a  devotion  known  only  to  heroes, 

His  the  reward  of  the  brave  and  the  true." 


THE  SURGEON'S  STORY. 


PART  I. 

By  A.  T.  Hamilton^  Late  Assistant  Surgeon  ij.8th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers 

My  military  service  was  preceded  by  an  examination  before  the 
State  Board  of  Medical  Examiners.  Upon  the  "merit"  developed 
thereby  depended  my  appointment  and  commission  as  Assistant  Sur 
geon  with  the  rank  of  First  Lieutenant,,  by  Governor  A.  G.  Curtin, 
January  31,  1863. 

After  having  been  mustered  in  at  Harrisburg,  February  4th,  1 
wended  my  way  to  Falmouth,  Virginia,  where  I  landed  in  mud, 
through  which  I  waded  to  the  camp  of  the  148th  Regiment  of  Penn 
sylvania  Volunteers,  located  on  a  worn  out  farm  grown  up  with  pines, 
but  cleared  to  make  room  for  quarters  of  a  regimental  camp. 

Here  I  found  the  boys  who  marched  through  my  own  Lewis- 
t'>wn  the  previous  August,  having  come  over  the  Seven  Mountains  to 
reach  the  cars  on  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad. 

A  new  life  opens;  the  tented  field;  the  morning  sick  call;  the 
Lacy  House  and  its  environments  where  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg 
was  fought ;  the  frowning  cannon  in  position  to  respond  to  any  the 
enemy  may  open  from  Marye's  Heights;  the  rebel  picket  within  hail 
ing  distance,  and  the  frequent  firing  on  the  line  necessitated  the  pres 
ence  of  a  medical  officer  with  the  picket  detail.  The  experience  with 
one  hundred  of  our  men  on  picket  duty  at  night  when  covered  with 
blanket  both  of  wool  and  snow  while  sleeping;  the  sick  in  quarters 
and  hospital  tent  made  a  round  of  duty  that  kept  me  busy  while  in 
camp  at  Falmouth,  to  say  nothing  of  camp  discipline,  fatigue  duty, 
drill,  dress  parade  or  policing  camp  grounds.  The  impress  of  the 
Colonel's  ever  present  eye  by  which  all  felt  that  we  must  do  our  best, 
kept  up  the  busy  routine  of  camp  duty. 

The  practical  school  of  the  soldier  hung  heavily  on  so  many, 
odious  for  the  time  being,  but  in  the  activities  of  battle  became  a  reve 
lation.  This  rigid  discipline  made  the  148th  the  gallant^  brave  and 
resourceful  military  body  of  which  each  and  all  were  proud. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          167 

That  the  148th  was  the  best  regiment  came  not  from  the  verdict 
of  its  own  members,  but  when  measured  by  the  highest  military 
standards  the  meed  of  praise  was  accorded  it  without  hesitancy. 
Twenty  severe  battles  proved  her  valor.  Her  trophies  attested  her 
bravery.  The  intelligence  of  its  rank,  file  and  staff  gave  such  thor 
ough  conception  of  the  teachings  in  the  school  of  the  soldier  that  when 
the  hour  of  supreme  duty  came  the  gallant  soldiers  of  the  148th  had  a 
moral  courage  backed  by  discipline  and  reliance  upon  self  and  com 
mander  that  made  them  almost  invincible. 

A  thousand  men  in  camp,  exposed  to  winter  weather  and  the 
duties  incident  thereto,  from  the  middle  of  December  until  the  last 
of  April,  developed  much  sickness.  Notwithstanding  a  well  policed 
camp  ground  and  comfortable  quarters,  we  labored  under  the  great 
disadvantage  of  having  drinking  water  polluted  more  or  less  by  sur 
face  drainage  into  the  springs.  I  quote  from  a  letter  of  February 
17,  1863: 

"We  have  many  sick  in  quarters  and  a  dozen  in  hospital ;  three 
deaths  since  5th  of  February." 

Tn  the  light  of  later  experience  I  believe  it  would  have  been  eco 
nomical  had  we  been  supplied,  while  in  .camp,  with  distilled  water 
for  drinking  purposes.  Typhoid  fever  prevailed  to  a  large  extent. 
Other  forms  of  fever  disabled  our  men  to  such  an  extent  that  the  hos 
pital  tent  was  not  large  enough  to  accommodate  the  sick.  Many  mild 
cases  were  treated  in  quarters ;  cases  more  severe  went  to  regimental 
hospital ;  the  more  severe  cases  were  sent  to  division  hospital.  Our 
Regiment  was  known  thoughout  the  Second  Corps  for  its  large  sick 
list  and  mortality  in  camp.  The  best  medical  skill  availed  little 
when  the  occult  typhoid  germ  and  other  bacilli  entered  the  human 
system  and  engendered  every  grade  of  enteric  fever. 

Our  men  knew  how  to  cook  food.  They  knew  how  to  obtain  it, 
for  was  not  the  Irish  Brigade  commissary  on  the  borders  of  our  camp, 
to  which  the  boys  repaired  for  the  necessary  subsistence  to  make  up 
"variety"  lacking  at  our  own  ? 

At  this  late  date  I  may  be  pardoned  for  telling  tales  out  of 
school.  So  many  depredations  were  committed  on  the  Emerald  Bri 
gade  that  complaint  sent  our  Colonel  among  the  mess  tents 


168  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

to  discover  "who  stole  the  bacon."  On  one  occasion  a  barrel  of  flour 
was  missing  from  the  supplies  of  Erin.  The  Colonel  went  around 
and  in  a  certain  mess  tent  he  stood  on  the  "bunk"  and  told  his  tale 
of  woe,  and  threatened  the  guard  house,  buck  and  gag,  penal  servi 
tude  or  anything  else  necessary  to  stop  thieving,  if  he  found  the  gang 
that  "stole  that  flour."  These  threats  failed  of  the  mark  because  the 
mess  was  so  well  heeled  by  the  fact  that  the  flour  was  securely  hidden 
hi  a  cavity  previously  prepared,  under  that  bunk,,  sufficiently  large  to 
receive  the  barrel.  Company  G  could  not  only  have  plenty  of  flour 
for  flaj>jacks,  but  molasses  was  obtained  at  the  rear  of  General 
Meagher's  commissary  thus :  The  guard  in  front  of  the  commissary 
tent  was  engaged  in  argument  with  one  or  more  of  our  boys  while 
their  comrades  would  raise  the  canvass  in  rear  wall  of  tent,  dip  a 
board  into  the  open  end  of  a  barrel  of  molasses  and  by  turning  the 
board  while  retreating  to  camp  the  thick  syrup  was  retained  until  let 
drip  into  a  mess  pan.  Potatoes,  sugar,  coffee,  bacon,  etc.,  found 
their  way  into  camp  under  similar  circumstances.  What  the  gay 
Irishmen  lost  in  solid  subsistence  was  made  up  in  liquid  refresh 
ments.  On  other  occasions,  whole  quarters  of  beef  were  abstracted 
and  carried  off,  not  only  at  Falmouth,  but  later  on,  with  the  precau 
tion  of  changing  the  figures  on  the  cap  to  indicate  a  neighboring  regi 
ment,  so  that  in  case  the  boys  were  pursued  the  cap  would  be  dropped 
and  the  clue  lead  to  an  innocent  camp.  This  was  not  stealing.  It 
was  borrowing  from  Uncle  Sam  who  contracted  to  furnish  the  grub. 

The  general  health  of  the  Regiment  was  good  throughout  the 
service,  barring  the  effects  from  drinking  water  contaminated  with 
animal,  vegetable  and  mineral  impurities.  Given  a  distilled  drinking 
water,  light  weight  magazine  rifle  of  small  caliber,  light  marching 
equipment,  condensed  ration  and  an  intelligent  soldiery  who  has  the, 
initiative  of  the  American,  future  conflicts  will  be  short,  sharp,  deci 
sive  and  of  lessened  mortality  from  gunshot  in  front  or  the  dreaded 
hospital  of  our  rear. 

Our  boys  came  from  the  farm,  the  school,  the  workshop  of  the 
mechanic  and  artisan,  ready  for  almost  any  duty.  The  large  details 
made  upon  us  for  men  skilled  in  the  various  avocations  of  life  were 
evidenced  by  frequent  calls  from  brigade,  division  and  corps  head- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  169 

quarters  for  skilled  men.  The  day's  march  ended  with  preparation 
for  comfortable  night  shelter.  Temporary  camps  assumed  the  con 
dition  of  permanency,  so  handy  were  our  boys  in  keeping  house.  All 
these  things  lent  aid  to  the  surgeon  in  hedging  against  sickness  in 
camp. 

"Our  Colonel  makes  us  come  out  daily  on  dress  parade,  whereas 
there  are  no  other  surgeons  who  attend  the  daily  dress  parade.  Our 
Kegiment  was  inspected  today,  also  our  hospital.  Our  hospital  was 
pronounced  by  the  inspector  the  best  in  the  Army." 

When  we  broke  camp  for  Chancellorsville  I  took  the  sick  to 
Potomac  Creek  Hospihil  in  ambulances.  Several  died  while  there, 
thus  escaping  a  terrible  death  by  bullet  and  fire. 

Corroborative  of  Doctor  Fisher's  story  of  Chancellorsville,  I 
quote  letter,  one  of  two  hundred  before  me  at  this  writing,  bearing 
inside  date  and  outside  post  mark. 

"Chancellorsville  consists  of  one  brick  house,  about  eight  or  ten 
miles  west  of  Fredericksburg.  Here  Hooker  made  his  headquarters, 
and  all  around  it  the  fight  raged  fiercely  until  the  rebels  burned  it 
down  by  bombarding  it.  Our  batteries  were  numerously  planted 
around  this  house  and  we  all  thought  that  there  was  artillery  enough 
to  whip  any  force  that  would  come  against  us.  Doctor  Fisher  was 
detailed  to  stay  in  the  brick  house  with  wounded,  and  he  remained 
until  the  house  was  pretty  well  battered  down  and  nearly  burned  up. 
Several  women  were  in  also,  and  barely  escaped,  owing  to  their  refuge 
in  the  cellar.  I  was  sure  he  was  captured  or  killed.  Doctor  Web 
ster,  Assisant  Surgeon  of  Regulars,  was  also  detailed  to  stay  and  was 
captured  but  was  soon  released.  The  surgeons  have  a  poor  chance  to 
do  the  wounded  justice  when  we  do  not  hold  the  field." 

An  incident  of  the  battle  came  under  my  notice.  One  of  our 
batteries  engaged  in  the  front  of  the  brick  house  lost  all  its  men.  Dur 
ing  a  lull  in  the  battle  some  of  the  Irish  Brigade  hauled  the  guns  off. 
The  papers  were  full  of  the  gallantry  of  the  men  who  rescued  the 
guns,  while  the  situation  was  such  that  anybody  could  have  done  the 
same  without  risk,  or  fighting  to  get  the  chance  to  haul  them  off. 

The  fierceness  of  this  battle  is  described  by  one  of  a  detail  sent 
under  flag  of  truce  to  search  for  some  bodies.  The  underbrush,  limbs 
of  trees,  even  large  oaks  as  thick  as  a  man's  body,  were  cut  off  like 
pipe  stems.  It  seemed  as  plowed  ground  from  the  shells,  and  the 


170  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

closely  bullet  trimmed   trees,   impossible  for   the  soldier   to   escape 
death,  to  say  nothing  of  the  fire  burned  bodies  of  the  wounded. 

Early  in  June  we  left  Falmouth  to  intercept  Lee  in  his  raid  into 
Pennsylvania.  The  march  was  severe  on  the  men,  many  fell  out  to 
be  picked  up  by  ambulances,  many  died.  We  approached  Thorough 
fare  Gap,  passed  the  Bull  Run  battle  fields  where  the  half  buried 
bodies  were  noticeable.  An  occasional  skull  protruded  from  a  small 
heap  of  earth  indicating  the  burial  place  of  friend  and  foe,  the  for 
mer  was  laid  with  head  any  other  way  than  south,  the  latter  always 
south.  Passed  through  Haymarket  where  there  is  little  else  to  mark 
this  place  but  large  chimneys  characteristic  of  southern  architecture 
showing  that  at  one  time  a  house  stood  between  each  pair. 

A  weary  march  through  rain,  mud  and  worse  than  Egyptian 
darkness  brought  us  to  Thoroughfare  Gap,  and  most  of  us  went  sup- 
perless  to  bod.  I  made  my  bed  on  the  ground  with  the  indispensable 
gum  blanket  laid  on  a  short  growth  of  clover,  our  shelter  tent  next, 
a  blanket  next,  ourselves  next  and  a  woolen  blanket  over  two  of  us, 
and  above  us  a  cloudy  curtain  threatening  rain.  The  darkness  and 
scarcity  of  wood  excluded  the  luxury  of  tents  while  the  weary  soldier 
dropped  down  regardless  of  all  else  but  rest  and  sleep. 

On  the  28th  of  June,  after  tiresome  marching  all  day  and  much 
of  the  night  the  two  days  previous,  so  sleepy  as  to  be  scarcely  able  to 
remain  in  the  saddle,  we  reached  a  point  two  miles  from  Frederick, 
Maryland.  The  land  here  is  very  good  and  the  country  beautiful  for 
miles  around.  Wheat  is  being  cut,  hay  made  and  all  the  crops  good 
and  abundant.  The  residences  are  fine  and  altogether  it  looks  very 
much  like  home.  The  desolation  of  war  has  blighted  Virginia  and 
the  difference  is  very  marked  between  Virginia  and  Maryland.  We 
expect  a  heavy  battle  at  South  Mountain,  Antietam  or  some  other 
point  near  there. 

Left  Frederick  on  the  29th ;  marched  to  Uniontown,  a  distance 
of  thirty-two  miles.  Our  Corps  marched  this  great  distance  in  one 
day  whereas  it  is  usual  for  a  corps  to  march  only  ten  or  fifteen  miles 
a  day.  The  rescue  of  Pennsylvania  required  us  to  move  ourselves 
and  all  that  belonged  to  us.  The  marching  went  hard  with  the  boys. 
A  great  many  straggled  and  did  not  catch  up  until  the  next  day. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  171 

Upon  the  whole  the  men  stood  the  inarch  well.  The  people  along  the 
road  ?old  and  gave  away  all  the  eatables  they  had  and  seemed  glad 
to  see  us  pass  and  were  surprised  at  our  coming.  The  roads  were  in 
very  good  condition,  neither  muddy  nor  dusty,  still  it  was  sultry  and 
drizzled  rain  most  of  the  day. 

Thirtieth  June:  Camped  at  Uniontown ;  Fifth  Corps  passed, 
also  Pennsylvania  Reserves.  Hancock  complimented  us  for  the  long, 
march.  As  usual  we  were  mustered  on  this  date,  being  the  end  of 
two  months  on  which  muster  for  pay  is  made. 

July  1st:  Left  this  morning  and  by  slow  and  continuous 
marching  camped  three  miles  from  Gettysburg,  after  dark,  threw  up 
breastworks  and  lay  behind  them  until  morning.  Did  not  get  any 
sleep.  When  near  Gettysburg  we  met  the  body  of  General  Reynolds 
being  taken  to  the  rear  in  an  ambulance.  Was  glad  when  we  trod 
the  sacred  soil  of  our  own  native  state. 

Details  of  the  approach  to  Gettysburg  are  given  to  throw  light 
upon  the  worn  out  condition  of  our  men  from  long  marches,  loss  of 
sleep,  lack  of  rations,  which  were  largely  consumed  from  issue  made 
before  starting ;  absence  of  supply  trains  far  in  the  rear ;  no  commis 
sary  to  fall  back  upon  except  the  haversack ;  will  give  the  civilian  an 
idea  how  far  spent  the  physical  man  was  when  we  went  into  the  fight 
and  kept  it  up  three  days. 

Our  men  slept  under  the  cannon's  mouth  while  supporting  the 
batteries  on  the  left  center  so  much  exhausted  were  they.  The  strife 
of  the  2d  and  3d  of  July  left  them  without  physical  ability  to  pur 
sue  Lee,  hence  the  clamor  of  those  who  scented  the  battle  afar  off  had 
no  grounds  for  faulting  Meade  for  permitting  the  escape  of  the  enemy 
southward. 

July  2d,  our  Army — the  First,  Second,  Third,  Fifth,  Sixth, 
Eleventh  and  Twelfth  Corps,  took  position  on  the  south  of  Gettys 
burg.  Skirmishing  commenced  in  the  forenoon  and  grew  brisker 
until  a  general  engagement  was  brought  on  at  four-thirty  o'clock  and 
continued  until  after  dark.  The  gallant  D.  E.  Sickels  took  his  Third 
Corps  into  action  in  fine  style.  He  led  the  veterans  of  many  battles 
down  the  hill  we  commanded,  crossed  the  little  stream  and  ascended 
the  slope  commanded  by  Lee.  The  sunlight  reflected  from  thousands 


172  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

of  highly  polished  bayonets  and  ruisket  barrels.  The  "broad  stripes 
and  bright  stars"  floated  gayly  in  the  breeze — altogether  the  scene 
was  grand  as  the  line  of  battle  advanced  to  the  deadly  conflict.  The 
column  advanced  to  the  attack  and  thus  was  brought  on  the  severe 
struggle  of  the  2d  of  July.  The  battle  is  terrible.  The  cannonading 
regular  and  continuous,  the  rebs  getting  on  our  right  and  left  flanks 
but  held  none  of  our  ground  any  length  of  time.  The  148th  stood 
well  and  lost  128  men  out  of  468  present  for  duty. 

I  established  my  temporary  hospital  at  the  house  of  Jacob  Hum- 
melbough.  The  family  had  just  left  a  partially  eaton  meal  on  the 
table.  A  half  barrel  of  flour  wat<  in  the  attic.  With  our  supplies 
packed  many  miles  in  the  rear  and  six  days'  rations  issued  when  we 
started  for  Gettysburg  exhausted,  the  flour  tided  us  over  in  the  ''slap 
jacks''  made  by  Davy  Mellhattan  and  other  attendants.  The  house 
was  soon  filled  with  wounded,  chiefly  from  the  Third  Corps,  of  those 
too  severely  wounded  to  be  taken  further. 

July  3d,  at  4 :30  A.  M.,  the  pickets  opened  the  battle  which  be 
came  general  along  the  whole  line.  The  firing  lulled  in  the  center, 
where  our  Brigade  supported  some  batteries.  At  eleven-thirty  o'clock 
the  battle  again  commenced  and  the  greatest  artillery  duel  of  the  War 
was  continued  until  six  o'clock.  The  battle  raged  fiercely  all  the  time 
and  the  conflict  was  terrific  on  both  sides.  From  wounded  prisoners 
who  came  in  I  learned  that  Lee  told  his  men  on  his  march  northward, 
they  would  have  militia  only  to  contend  with  and  that  our  position, 
was  held  by  militia.  The  desperate  charge  by  the  forlorn  hope  was 
met  by  Stannard's  men  who  heroically  withstood  the  great  charge  in 
their  initial  engagement.  The  culminating  charge  was  anticipated 
by  re-enforcements  twelve  lines  of  battle  deep,  reaching  back  to  my 
hospital  so  that,  had  the  front  been  broken  by  Pickett,  column  after 
column  together  with  hundreds  of  cannon  were  ready  to  receive  the 
whole  rebel  army  at  that  point. 

The  wounded  were  carried  in  during  the  night  of  the  3d  in  such 
numbers  that  they  filled  the  barn  floor  and  open  space  surrounding 
it.  One  poor  fellow  who  was  badly  wounded  seemed  to  be  in  the 
way  of  those  moving  among  the  wounded  and,  pained  by  being 
knocked  about,  got  into  the  hopper  of  an  old  wind  mill  after  dark, 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          173 

hoping  to  be  undisturbed.  A  shell  struck  him  and  tore  him  to  piece* 
as  he  lay  coiled  in  the  hopper.  Strange  to  say  I  saw  the  same  old  mill 
many  years  afterward  at  the  same  barn,  having  been  patched  up  and 
used. 

During  the  fight  I  saw  Colonel  Cross  of  the  5th  J^ew  Hampshire, 
a  little  in  the  rear  of  the  line  of  works  at  the  time  of  his  first  wound— 
the  twelfth  battle  wound — a  white  bandage  tied  around  his  top-head. 
I  thought  of  the  occasion  when  he  struck  Duffy,  of  Company  G,  with 
his  sword  while  on  the  march  to  Uniontown. 

I  was  the  only  medical  officer  at  the  left  center  front  during  the 
2d  and  3d  of  July  until  night  of  the  latter  day.  The  wounded  re 
ceived  all  the  care  my  attendants  could  give. 

The  following  will  throw  some  light  on  the  rebel  theory  of  Penn 
sylvania's  defense: 

I  attended  General  Barksdale  of  Mississippi.  He  was  shot 
through  the  left  breast  from  behind,  and  the  left  leg  was  broken  by 
two  missiles.  He  was  brought  by  some  staff  orderly  to  my  temporary 
hospital.  I  gave  him  what  I  had  to  relieve  him.  He  asked  several 
times  whether  I  considered  his  wound  necessarily  mortal.  I  told  him  I 
did.  He  desired  peace,  but  only  upon  terms  that  would  recognize  thc^ 
Confederacy.  He  was  large,  corpulent,  refined  in  appearance,'  bald, 
and  his  general  physical  and  mental  make  up  indicated  firm 
ness,  endurance,  vigor,  quick  perception  and  ability  to  succeed 
whether  as  politician,  civilian  or  warrior.  He  told  me  he  was  a 
member  of  Congress  under  Pierce  and  Buchanan.  He  asked  about 
our  strength  and  was  answered  that  heavy  re-enforcements  were  com 
ing.  Said  he,  "Militiamen  under  McClellan  ?"  He  said  that  Le'1 
would  show  us  a  trick  before  morning ;  that  before  we  knew  it  Ewell 
would  be  thundering  in  our  rear.  He  was  dressed  in  the  jeans  of 
their  choice.  His  short  roundabout  was  trimmed  on  the  sleeves  with 
gold  braid.  The  Mississippi  button,  with  a  star  in  the  center, 
closed  it.  The  collar  had  three  ?tars  on  each  side  next  the  chin.  Xext 
bis  body  wa?  a  fine  linen  or  cotton  shirt  which  was  closed  by  three 
studs  bearing  Masonic  emblems.  His  pants  had  two  stripes  of  gold 
braid,  half  an  inch  broad,  down  each  leg.  Thus  conditioned  the  poli 
tician  and  warrior  was  laid  on  the  sacred  soil  of  Pennsvlvania  to 


174  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

breathe  his  last.  He  was  a  Brigadier  in  McLaws'  Division,  Long- 
street's  Corps. 

This  account  of  General  Barksdale  was  published  July  13,  1863, 
with  the  above  minuteness  so  that  his  friends  would  be  assured  of  his 
identity;  and  further  to  indicate  that  Lee's  theory  of  attack  was  re 
vealed  by  one  high  in  military  councils. 

The  marching  and  counter-marching,  after  we  crossed  the  Poto 
mac,  over  the  battlefields  about  Oenterville  would  fill  a  volume  itself. 
Line  after  line  of  battle  was  formed,  fortified  and  abandoned.  The 
retreat  from  Auburn  Hill,  covered  so  masterly  by  General  Warren 
with  our  Brigade  covering  the  extreme  rear,  was  full  of  night 
marches  and  thrilling  incidents,  one  of  which  remains  impressed  viv 
idly,  by  the  fact  that  for  quite  a  distance  the  Johnnies  moved  along 
side  of  us  with  the  railroad  track  only  between  us.  So  dark  was  the 
night  that  neither  of  us  knew  whether  friend  or  foe  was  at  the  other 
end  of  the  cross-tie  in  our  race  to  reach  the  heights  of  Centerville. 

In  the  chess  playing  for  a  third  Bull  Run  the  rebels  were  check 
mated  in  their  effort  to  secure  the  prestige  of  former  victories  at  that 
point. 

Meanwhile  the  medical  department  was  without  temporary  or 
field  hospital  and  little  could  be  done  in  regimental  camps. 

Mine  Run  followed  in  November  with  a  few  casualties  treated 
temporarily  in  Division  Hospital  at  the  front,  after  which  we  lapsed 
mto  winter  quarters  at  Steven sburg,  Virginia,  where  recruits  wero 
added  to  our  Regiment,  thus  entailing  increased  duty  at  sick  call,  in 
quarters  and  hospital,  by  those  who  joined  the  Army  for  the  bounty 
and  expectation  of  reaching  civil  life  through  a  surgeon's  certificate 
by  persistent  shamming. 

March  26,  1864,  740  officers  and  men  present  for  duty  and  daily 
we  are  receiving  recruits,  while  there  are  over  two  hundred  absent 
from  various  causes.  The  surgeon  absent  on  leave  for  twenty  days  I 
will  have  all  these  to  attend  myself.  Doctor  Fisher's  resignation  in 
June,  1863,  was  not  filled  by  the  Governor  until  May,  1864,  by  the 
appointment  of  Dr.  J.  W.  Allen. 

After  busy  preparation  during  winter  of  1863  the  coming  cam 
paign  opened  on  evening  of  May  2,  1864,  when  we  broke  camp  and 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  175 

moved  to  Ely's  Ford  and  crossed  about  sunrise.  Our  Brigade  led 
the  advance  and  our  Regiment  the  second  to  cross  on  canvas  pon 
toons.  (Bridges  are  thrown  across  streams  down  here  in  a  wink  and 
the  Army  move  on  without  much  delay.  When  a  stream  is  too  wide 
for  one  length  of  timber  the  pontoons  are  ordered  up  and  float 
quickly  and  soon  after  throb  with  the  steady  tread  of  heroes.) 

We  reached  the  old  Chancellorsville  battle  field  just  one  year 
exactly  after  our  hard  fight  of  May  3,  1863.  Our  men  were  thrown 
into  line  of  battle  immediately  in  also  the  same  battle  lines  we  held 
during  the  battle.  Pickets  were  sent  out  and  some  of  them  posted  on 
the  identical  spots  they  held  two  days  while  fighting  continued.  What 
a  singular  coincidence  that  the  same  man  should  be  posted  on  the  same 
spot  that  for  two  days  they  held  tenaciously  in  spite  of  repeated  as 
saults. 

On  May  5th,  at  three  o'clock  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  opened 
on  our  right  and  was  fought  out  on  that  line  until  we  reached  Peters 
burg.  The  battles — Wilderness,  Po  River  and  Spotsylvania — were  a 
continuous  eight-day  fight.  [Fourteen  days. — Editor.]  Our  Di 
vision  Hospital  was  full  of  wounded.  As  fast  as  wounded  were  cared 
for  and  fit  to  stand  transportation  they  were  taken  to  the  rear  in. 
ambulances  and  army  wagons,  on  the  way  to  northern  hospitals. 
Many  died  on  the  way.  At  one  of  our  field  hospitals  near  Po  River  I 
was  detailed  to  remain  for  capture  with  the  wounded.  Many  severe 
surgical  cases  and  scores  of  rebel  wounded  were  with  me,  but  by  din* 
of  energy  and  good  fortune  I  managed  to  get  transportation  for  our 
own  and  escaped  transportation  (?)  to  rebel  prisons. 

0*f  the  battle  of  Spotsylvania  Court  House  much  has  been  writ 
ten,  hence  what  I  may  say  seems  superfluous.  Such  heaps  of  rebel 
dead  who  fell  behind  their  own  deep  trenches  T  think  never  were  seen 
elsewhere  to  exceed  those  of  S'potsylvania.  The  deadly  firing  of  that 
awful  night  was  never  equaled.  That  silent  midnight  march  and 
daylight  charge  never  had  its  counterpart  and  the  successful  issue  is 
emblazoned  high  on  the  tablets  of  military  heroism. 

F  leave  the  story  to  others  who  doubtless  will  enlarge  the  theme. 
The  historian  is  chiefly  a  compiler,  but  the  story  of  the  soldier, 
whether  of  the  staff  or  line,  when  written  on  the  spot  of  occurrence, 


176  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

has  the  merit  of  authenticity  from  his  standpoint.  Soldiers'  stories 
may  differ,  but  that  difference  is  owing  to  the  viewpoint.  It  was  not 
possible  for  each  to  see  everything,  nor  in  the  same  aspect,  nor  was  it 
possible  for  each  to  l>e  impressed  with  a  fact  the  same  as  the  other  eye 
witness. 

June  1,  1864,  camp  near  Richmond.  The  lines  are  gradually 
nearing  the  rebel  Army.  Every  forward  step  is  contested  south  of 
the  Pamuiikey.  Every  advance  is  entrenched.  X<>  -uriier  i-^  u  line 
advanced  than  it  is  immediately  protected  by  breastworks.  Orders 
have  been  issued  that  plundering  will  be  punished  by  shooting  the 
thief  in  the  act  of  stealing.  This  so  that  our  men  keep  in  the  ranks 
and  maintain  the  reputation  of  the  Second  Corps  for  discipline. 
However,  our  boys  once  had  a  reputation  for  stealing.  It  cropped  out 
at  the  time  General  Hancock  detailed  a  squad  from  our  Regiment  to 
guard  his  headquarters.  Dinner  was  on  the  General's  table.  Some 
important  matter  detained  him.  Our  boys  were  hungry  and  that 
hunger  intensified  by  savory  odors  from  the  mess  tent,  they  ato  the 
General's  dinner.  He  blustered  around  and  declared  in  his  mild  way 
if  he  could  put  the  148th  before  Richmond  the  boys  of  that  Regiment 
could  steal  it. 

The  Ninth  Corps  laid  waste  everything  they  could.  Where  our 
Division  goes,  a  guard  is  placed  over  the  dwellings  and  eatables  are 
purchased  for  our  men,  but  notwithstanding  this,  our  boys  get  some 
plunder  in  the  shape  of  chickens,  pigs,  etc.  T  remember  on  one  occa 
sion  while  marching  past  a  full  tobacco  barn  General  Brooke  rode 
along  and  gave  the  order  personally,  "Don't  let  me  see  you  take  any 
of  that  tobacco."  The  boys  obeyed  to  the  letter,  for  when  the  General 
was  out  of  sight  the  tobacco  speedily  disappeared.  General  Miles 
when  near  the  Taliaferro  home,  likewise  ordered  a  comrade  who  was 
wheeling  a  spinning  wheel  to  camp: 

"Now,  don't  let  me  see  you  at  anything  like  that." 

"T  will  not,  General.    T  will  just  wait  until  you  turn  your  back." 

June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor.     Our  Division  lost  severely.     Liev- 

tenant  Lander  killed — one  of  the  best  officers  we  had.     The  rebel 

works  are  not  forty  yards  distant  and  getting  closer.     The  rebel  flag 

opposite  our  Regiment  was  shot  down  very  often.     Our  boys  charged 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  177 

so  closely  that  they  could  neither  advance  nor  retreat.  Spoons,  fork?, 
knives,  tin  plates  and  similar  utensils  were  used  to  dig  dirt  and  keep 
it  up  in  order  to  hold  the  line.  It  was  held  stubbornly  and  with  great 
loss.  Cold  Harbor  is  one  of  the  places  warm-esi  in  the  memory  of  the 
boys  who  participated. 

June  6,  1864.  Of  the  wounded  some  are  brought  in  who 
have  been  between  the  lines  for  days  and  only  got  away  by  crawling 
out  the  best  they  could.  Colonel  McKeen  of  the  81st  Pennsylvania 
was  killed  between  the  skirmish  lines  and  lay  two  days  before  his 
body  was  brought  off,  and  then  it  was  secured  at  the  sacrifice  of  two 
lives  and  one  wounded  who  attempted  at  night  to  get  the  body.  An 
other  effort  was  made  by  four  men  who  dragged  him  out  by  the  feet. 
This  is  a  sample  of  the  manner  in  which  bodies  are  recovered  frono 
the  extreme  front. 

I  was  on  duty  at  the  field  hospital  when  Colonel  McKeen's  body 
was  brought  in.  I  there  witnessed  a  most  pathetic  sight.  A  Chap 
lain  in  black,  with  rosary  dangling  from  his  neck  approached  a 
speechless  dying  boy.  The  sight  of  the  rosary  brought  tears  to  his 
eyes  and  tremor  through  his  body,  owing  to  the  recognition  through 
sight  alone,  of  his  spiritual  minister  who  was  a  Roman  priest.  The 
complete  submission  and  religious  delight  manifested  there  brings 
tears  when  memory  recalls  the  incident.  What  a  hold  the  Catholic 
religion  has  upon  its  votaries  when  death  is  lightened  by  exhibition 
of  its  symbols  and  heaven  opened  to  one  who  has  vision  only  to  bear 
his  spirit  to  eternity.  Xot  my  faith,  but  a  faith  to  be  admired. 

June  21,  22,  1864.  Our  attenuated  line  extended  to  the  left  and 
was  not  entire.  We  moved  from  the  fortifie*!  camp  to  the  Weldon 
Railroad  and  along  it.  At  one  time  Lieutenant  Harpster  of  G,  ther< 
on  ambulance  duty,  and  I  went  among  the  small  pines  beyond  our 
front  and  mingled  with  the  Johnnies.  Harpster  had  on  a  gray  woolen 
shirt  and  bore  no  insignia  of  rank.  He  was  considered  by  the  rebs 
as  one  of  their  kind  and  thus  escaped.  Captain  Edmunds  fell  shot 
through  the  heart  while  on  that  weak  line.  His  Bible  found  on  him 
was  sent  to  his  wife.  Captain  Bayard  was  captured. 

On  July  25,  1864,  I  was  detailed  with  the  53d  Pennsylvania, 
as  it  had  no  medical  officer.  Our  Regiment  was  decimated  to  such 


178  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

an  extent  that  one  surgeon  was  sufficient.  We  made  a  trii>  to  the 
extreme  right  and  were  engaged  at  Jones  Neck  July  28th,  where  was 
fought  the  battle  of  Strawberry  Plains. 

August  14th  the  Second  and  Tenth  Corps  made  a  feint  on  the 
rebel  left  where  the  14Sth  lost  six  killed  and  twenty  wounded  at  Deep 
Bottom  in  our  effort  to  divert  the  enemy  from  the  mine  explosion  in 
front  of  Petersburg. 

August  22d  moved  south  along  the  Weldon  Railroad,  tore  up  the 
rails  and  ties,  burned  them.  After  doing  much  damage  fell  back  to 
Roam's  Station,  where  the  biggest  little  battle  of  the  War  was  fought, 
resulting  in  a  loss  of  1,500  prisoners,  many  lives  and  defeat 

The  railroad  cut  and  embankment  served  as  our  line  of  defense 
in  part  as  well  as  being  an  element  of  weakness.  Some  raw  recruits 
lately  assigned  to  our  Brigade  sought  shelter  in  the  deep  cut  thu94 
breaking  the  continuity  of  our  line,  leaving  a  gap  on  top  of  the  bank. 
The  rebs  got  through  and  by  a  plunging  fire  demoralized  the  green 
soldiers  and  turned  the  flank  of  our  veterans  who  were  heavily  pressed 
in  front.  Here  the  lamented  David  G.  Ralston,  First  Lieutenant  of 
Company  C,  was  killed — a  soldier  every  inch  and  a  gentleman.  Jo 
seph  Fox,  First  Lieutenant,  of  Company  G,  stubbornly  fought  hand 
to  hand  the  attacking  party  until  he  received  seven  bayonet  wounds 
in  the  face  and  neck.  This  brave  duty  soldier  survived  the  score  of 
battles  in  which  his  company  participated  to  meet  death  in  civil  life 
at  Bellefonte  on  a  railroad  track.  Our  Colonel,  after  convalescing 
from  former  severe  wounds  came  upon  this  battlefield  and,  while 
walking  to  the  front,  buckling  on  his  sword,  was  wounded  so  badly 
as  to  necessitate  amputation  of  the  thigh. 

Had  the  Ninth  Corps  gotten  out  of  its  snail's  gallop,  the  result 
would  have  been  a  Union  victory. 

September  25,  1864,  moved  into  Fort-  Stedman  where  the 
enemy's  line  was  about  thirty  yards  distant.  Here  our  Jerry  Brown 
won  his  brevet  Majority  for  capturing  the  rebel  fort  opposite. 

October  7th  our  Regiment,  being  considered  one  of  the  best  in 
Second  Corps,  was  honored  by  issue  of  the  Spencer  repeating  rifle  or 
seven -shooter.  Only  three  regiments  in  our  Corps  got  them.  It  is 
irtended  for  skirmishers  and  oairs  being  notoriously  good  at  this  kind 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  1  79 

of  fighting,  as  well  as  every  other  kind,  were  given  a  rifle  commen 
surate  with  their  skill  and  bravery.  Of  this  gun  the  Johnnies  asked 
our  pickets,  "What  kind  of  a  gun  have  you  Yanks  got  that  loads  once 
and  shoots  all  day." 

October  26,  1864.  The  lines  are  changing.  Having  been  ill  with 
fever,  I  am  not  able  to  go  to  the  extreme  left,  hence  I  was  taken  to 
City  Point  Hospital  and  remained  quite  ill  until  December  16,  when 
I  returned  to  the  Eegiment  at  Fort  Cummings. 

February  16,  1865,  was  detailed  for  duty  at  City  Point  and  was 
assigned  to  a  division  of  the  Second  Corps  Hospital  where  I  remained 
until  April  6th.  City  Point  Depot  Field  Hospital  consisted  of  stock 
ade  and  hospital  tents.  Hospital  wards  consisted  of  three  hospital 
tents  placed  together  and  communicating.  A  section  consisted  of  four 
wards.  A  division  of  four  sections.  A  division  contained  four  hun 
dred  beds,  about  seventy-five  of  which  were  occupied  by  nurses  and 
attendants.  1  had  charge  of  a  division  and  in  addition  prescribed  for 
a  section  of  five  stockades  containing  one  hundred  beds.  Up  to  April 
1st  I  have  not  lost  one  patient  by  death. 

April  6th  I  was  detailed  to  assist  in  establishing  a  Sub-Depot 
Field  Hospital  at  Burkesville  Junction,  sixty-two  miles  from  City 
Point,  with  capacity  for  ten  thousand  patients,  where  we  treated  sick 
and  wounded  who  fell  in  the  rush  to  Appomattox.  This  hospital  dio^. 
not  assume  the  proportions  set  forth  in  the  order  establishing  it. 
While  here  many  disabled  soldiers  were  handled.  Train  loads  were 
forwarded  to  City  Point  Here  the  survival  of  the  fittest  was  in 
evidence  when  eight  thousand  stalwart  rebel  prisoners  passed  under 
guard  of  a  few  soldiers.  Custis  Lee,  Generals  Corse,  Ewell  and  many 
other  general  officers  were  grouped  as  prisoners  of  war — sullen,  quiet, 
defiantly  submissive  in  their  defeat. 

The  private  soldier  does  the  hard  labor  in  trenches,  march  and 
battlefield;  suffers  from  wounds  and  disease;  lays  down  life;  to  him 
is  due  our  victories.  ISTo  one  knows  so  well  as  he  how  the  soldier 
labored  on  this  campaign,  but  so  long  as  the  move  is  toward  the  heart 
of  the  rebellion  he  is  cheerful  under  fire,  in  hospital  or  when  dying 
on  the  stretcher. 

These  several  "stories"  are  written.     How  sad  the  fact  that  so 


180  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

few  who  were  participants  will  peruse  them.  So  few  to  corroborate 
or  deny  them.  Our  children  and  theirs  may  revel  in  the  pleasures 
recited,  and  sorrow  at  the  hardships,  privations,  perils,  wounds,  sick 
ness  and  death  suffered  by  their  forbears.  Like  the  stories  of  the 
Revolution,  metihinks  they  will  be  read  through  all  time  and  excite 
wonder  at  the  valor  of  the  American  soldier  who  fought  as  such,  re 
gardless  of  the  cause  he  espoused. 

I  n  the  preparation  of  my  story  I  availed  myself  of  two  hundred 
letters  written  home,  all  of  which  have  been  carefully  preserved. 
Occasional  quotation  marks  occur  but  they  are  hardly  necessary  as 
the  story  is  virtually  a  description  of  occurrences  transferred  from 
those  letters  in  the  language  written  on  the  spot.  A  few  digressions 
from  the  original  text  may  be  easily  discerned  by  the  casual  reader. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          181 

THE  SURGEON'S  STORY. 
PART  II. 

By  Dr.  C.  P.  W.  Fisher,  Assistant  Surgeon  ijSth  Regiment 
Pennsylvania   Volunteers. 


Our  Regiment,  as  part  of  the  Second  Corps,  Army  of  Potomac, 
found  itself  on  the  morning  of  the  2d  of  May  in  line  a  short  distance 
in  front  and  to  the  left  of  the  Chancellor  House,  facing  toward 
Fredericksburg.  It  had  occupied  a  very  advantageous  position  the 
day  before,  from  which  it  had  retired  very  reluctantly  and,  after 
occupying  an  untenable  position  for  a  part  of  the  night,  reached  its 
final  line  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning.  This  line  was  strength 
ened  by  various  defensive  devices. 

During  the  forenoon  a  rebel  battery,  or  at  least  a  portion  of  one, 
suddenly  made  its  appearance  on  the  face  of  the  ridge  to  our  left 
front,  not  more  than  half  a  mile  away.  I  remember  the  thrill  of 
terror  which  came  over  me,  as  I  looked  over  the  field  close  by  and 
saw  it  covered  with  a  mass  of  boys  in  blue,  fearing  the  result,  if  the 
battery  was  allowed  to  open  upon  them,  but  my  fears  were  soon 
allayed.  One  of  our  artillerymen  in  the  neighborhood  sighted  his 
piece  and  fired  and,  before  the  enemy's  battery  could  unlimber,  the 
air  fairly  rang  with  the  cheers  from  our  boys  as  they  saw  a  caisson 
explode  as  the  result  of  the  well  aimed  shot.  A  second  shot  exploded 
a  second  caisson  and  the  battery,  from  which  I  feared  so  much,  left 
unceremoniously,  without  firing  a  shot.  The  cries  of  the  wounded 
and  burned  rebs  could  be  distinctly  heard  and  I  was  told  that  some 
of  our  boys  ventured  over  and  brought  into  our  line  one  of  the  poor 
fellows  who  had  been  terribly  burned  by  the  explosion. 

The  large  brick  building,  known  as  the  Chancellor  House,  was 
General  Hooker's  headquarters.  About  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
T  strolled  up  in  that  direction  to  see  what  was  going  on  and  saw  Gen 
eral  Hooker,  with  a  large  number  of  other  general  officers,  with  their 
staffs,  on  the  porch  facing  the  woods  or  heights  opposite.  An  oc 
casional  bullet  from  a  sharpshooter  in  front  would  strike  the  house 


182  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

but  fortunately  no  one  was  hit.  One  of  these  bullets  struck  a  brick 
by  the  side  of  Dr.  U.  Q.  Davis,  our  Chief  Surgeon. 

About  this  time  I  saw  a  line  of  battle  forming  a  few  hundred 
yards  in  front  of  the  house.  My  brother  Frank  (Gen.  B.  F.  Fisher) 
was  at  that  time  Chief  Signal  Officer  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
and  I  was  told  by  him  that  this  line,  under  the  command  of  General 
Geary,  intended  to  make  a  charge  into  the  woods  and  drive  *ut  or 
capture  the  rebs  who  were  in  our  front.  Having  never  seen  a  charge, 
I  thought  I  would  accompany  the  line  of  battle,  although  it  was  not 
in  our  Corps.  We  went  in  with  a  rush  and  a  yell  but  the  Johnnies 
were  ready  for  us  and  our  lines  didn't  stay  long.  We  came  back 
quicker  than  we  went  in — at  least  those  who  were  unhurt.  About  the 
time  the  bullets  began  to  fly  thick  about  me,  I  became  forcibly  im 
pressed  that  I  was  not  in  my  proper  place  and  that,  if  I  were  hurt,  I 
would  get  no  sympathy,  as  my  place  was  with  my  own  Regiment. 
That  thought  hastened  my  steps  but  my  surprise  cannot  be  imagined, 
when  I  got  out  of  the  woods,  to  see  the  whole  line  of  our  troops  rig'it 
up  with  me. 

I  went  again  to  headquarters  and  was  watching  the  reforming 
of  General  Geary's  line,  when  an  Aide  rode  up  to  a  group  of  officers 
about  General  Slocum  and  said  that  General  Geary  wished  permis 
sion  to  have  the  artillery  shell  the  woods.  I  heard  General  Slocum 
say : 

"Tell  General  Geary  to  please  wait  a  little,  we  have  another  ob 
ject  in  view." 

It  was  just  at  this  moment  that  an  entirely  unexpected  occur 
rence  took  place  and  one  which  changed  the  entire  program.  A  tre 
mendous  yell  came  from  our  right  front.  There  was  no  break  in  ii 
but  one  continual  roar.  Then  there  was  wild  hurrying  and  confusion 
amongst  our  officers.  My  brother  told  me  that  General  Jackson  had 
charged  in  on  our  right  and  was  driving  in  the  Eleventh  Corps.  The 
yell  was  now  accompanied  with  an  incessant  roar  of  musketry  arid 
soon  the  artillery  joined  in  it,  but,  over  it  all,  could  be  heard  the  ter 
rible  yell  of  the  twenty  thousand  rebels  who  were  forcing  back  and 
endangering  the  entire  right  wing  of  our  Army.  Everything  was  at 
once  turned  in  the  direction  of  meeting  this  unexpected  attack  and  it 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          183 

was  only  by  the  most  urgent  haste  and  the  use  of  all  the  troops  at 
command  that  the  progress  of  the  enemy  was  stopped  and  their  reach 
ing  the  road  to  the  river  prevented. 

Wishing  to  see  and  know  all  about  the  fighting,  I  walked  down 
the  road  toward  the  place  where  the  struggle  was  going  on  and,  whilst 
on  my  way,  saw  two  captured  rebel  regiments  with  their  flags  still 
flying.  I  could  not  understand  it  at  the  time  but  was  told  afterwards 
that  they,  in  mistake,  marched  right  into  our  lines  in  the  woods  in 
column  and  that  our  officers,  seeing  them  come,  ordered  our  troops 
not  to  fire  but  to  lie  down  on  the  ground,  until  they  advanced  suffi 
ciently  far,  so  that  they  were  entirely  surrounded.  Then  one  of  our 
Colonels  rode  up  to  their  commanding  officer  and  told  him  he  had 
better  surrender,  as  they  were  entirely  within  our  power.  Seeing 
this  to  be  the  case,  the  officer  handed  over  his  sword  with  the  sur 
render  of  his  command. 

I  did  not  go  far  until  I  met  with  such  a  mass  of  men  coming 
back  that  I  was  carried  back  with  them.  When  I  returned  to  the 
Regiment,  Colonel  Beaver  came  to  meet  me  and  inquired  what  was 
the  matter.  I  well  remember  the  replv  I  made  to  him  and  also  his 
reply  to  me.  I  told  him  that  the  rebel  General  Jackson  had  charged 
OB  the  Eleventh  Corps  and  had  completely  beaten  it  and  that  on  the 
morrow  this  Army  would  be  completely  whipped.  I  did  not  stop  to 
consider  that  I  was  speaking  in  the  hearing  of  our  men  who  had 
never  yet  been  under  fire.  The  Colonel  immediately  straightened 
himself  up  and  said : 

"Doctor,  this  Army  whipped.  The  Army  of  the  Potomac  can 
not  be  whipped." 

The  remark  perhaps  was  injudicious  as  to  time  and  place,  but 
history  shows  that  my  prediction  was  correct.  In  addition  to  what 
I  had  seen,  I  was  impressed  by  the  boastful  character  of  the  order 
which  General  Hooker  had  issued  to  the  Army,  but  I  had  been  told 
by  one  who  heard  it  that  the  remark  afterwards  attributed  to  General 
Hooker — that  he  had  the  rebel  Army  where  he  wanted  them  and 
that  God  Almighty  himself  could  not  keep  him  out  of  Richmond — 
was  actually  made.  This,  more  than  what  I  saw,  caused  my  depres 
sion  and  led  to  the  remark  which  I  made. 


184  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Evening  ushered  in  one  of  the  grandest  sights  I  have  ever  seen. 
The  sky  was  perfectly  clear,  the  moon  at  about  its  full,  when  the 
artillery  on  our  side  opened  upon  Jackson's  troops,  driving  them 
out  of  the  persimmon  bottom  where,  after  driving  out  our  troops, 
they  had  bivouacked  for  the  night.  The  roar  of  our  artillery  and  the 
answer  to  it  by  that  of  the  enemy  was  terrific,  although  the  casualties 
on  our  side  were  few.  After  the  artillery  had  ceased,  I  lay  down 
upon  the  ground  at  the  foot  of  a  tree  with  nothing  to  cover  me.  I 
awakened  during  the  night  in  a  severe  chill  but  got  up  and  crawled 
under  the  blankets  between  two  of  our  boys  where  I  soon  got  warmed. 
I  was  soon  after,  however,  taken  with  a  severe  pain  or  stitch  in  my 
side,  and,  on  getting  up,  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  I 
could  straighten  my  body.  I  spoke  to  the  Colonel  about  it,  who  re 
marked  that  it  was  a  bad  time  for  me  to  get  a  pain  and  I  felt  it  so  too, 
a?  the  rebels  were  then  commencing  to  throw  their  shells  among  our 
companies  and  spoiling  the  boys'  breakfast.  This  was  Sunday  morn 
ing,  May  the  3d,  but  to  my  great  joy  I  found  that  as  soon  as  the  sun 
came  up  and  I  got  warmed  thoroughly  all  my  pain  left  me  as  if  by 
magic. 

It  was  just  a  few  minutes  after  sun-up  when  some  of  the  mem 
bers  of  Company  D  carried  Charlie  Speaker,  of  their  company,  who 
had  been,  as  they  and  I  supposed  at  the  time,  badly  wounded  by  a 
shell  which  had  just  passed  over  his  back,  he  having  been  lying  in  the 
trenches.  I  looked  out  a  clean  place  on  the  grass  and  told  his  com 
rades  to  lay  him  down  there  and  I  would  attend  to  him,  and  whilst 
they  were  in  the  act  of  conveying  him  to  the  spot  designated,  two  offi 
cers  on  horseback  came  slowly  riding  up  to  me  from  the  front — the 
one  evidently  wounded  and  held  on  his  horse  by  the  supporting  arms 
of  the  other.  At  the  same  moment  General  Hancock  came  from  the 
opposite  direction.  They  met  in  the  road  right  at  my  side.  The 
wounded  officer  was  Colonel  Miles  who  said : 
"General  Hancock,  I  am  wounded." 

The  General  remarking,  "I  am  very  sorry  to  hear  it  and  hope  it 
is  not  a  serious  wound,"  looked  around  and  said : 

"Is  there  a  surgeon  here  t" 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          185 

I  replied  in  the  affirmative  and  he  requested  me  to  take  charge 
of  Colonel  Miles  and  dress  his  wound.  I  asked  the  officer  who  was 
holding  the  Colonel  on  his  horse  to  take  him  to  the  Chancellor  House, 
but  a  short  distance  away,  where  I  knew  he  could  be  better  cared  for, 
as  I  had  seen  beds  and  sofas  there,  and  1  picked  up  my  field  case  and 
prepared  to  follow.  I  went  over,  however,  to  my  friend,  Charlie,  and 
said: 

"Charlie,  have  a  little  patience  and,  as  soon  as  I  dress  the 
Colonel's  wound,  I  will  send  some  of  the  boys  to  carry  you  to  the 
house,  where  you  can  get  better  attention/' 

I  fully  expected  to  see  and  attend  to  him  in  a  short  time  but 
it  was  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  before  I  had  the  pleasure  of  again 
meeting  and  seeing  him,  and  he  was  then  in  good  health. 

Wihen  I  reached  the  house,  I  had  the  Colonel  laid  on  a  table  and 
proceeded  to  dress  his  wound.  He  had  been  shot  by  a  large  musket  ball 
which  entered  near  the  center  of  the  abdomen  between  one  and  two 
inches  below  the  navel.  I  thought,  of  course,  the  wound  would  prove 
mortal.  I  dressed  it  as  well  as  I  could,  not  venturing  to  remove  the 
ball.  He  was  sent  back  to  the  hospital,  from  there  to  Washington, 
where  the  bullet  was  extracted,  and  he  still  lives  and  is  now  a  Major 
General  in  the  United  States  Army.  After  dressing  Colonel  Miles' 
wound,  I  reslung  my  knapsack  of  surgical  instruments,  and  was 
about  leaving  the  building,  when  an  officer  came  up  to  me  and  said : 

"Is  there  another  surgeon  with  your  Regiment?" 

I  answered,  "Yes." 

He  then  said :  "I  order  you  to  stay  here  in  this  building  with 
me  and,  in  the  event  of  the  retreat  of  our  Army,  you  are  to  remain 
and  surrender  with  me  and  help  me  take  care  of  the  wounded." 

I  inquired,  "By  whose  authority  am  I  to  remain  ?" 

He  said,  "By  the  authority  of  the  Assistant  Medical  Director  of 
the  Army." 

Said  I,  "Will  you  please  make  a  note  in  your  memorandum  of 
this  order." 

He  took  out  his  book  and  made  the  entry  of  it.  I  knew,  or  at 
least  supposed,  that  my  being  absent  from  my  Regiment  at  that  time 
would  result  in  a  Court  of  Inquiry  and  it  was  even  so  after  the  cam- 


186  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

paign.  My  case  was  investigated  and,  having  the  necessary  proof 
and  General  Hancock's  endorsement,  I  was  honorably  acquitted  of  all 
charges.  If  any  of  my  old  comrades  will  read  this  account  and  have 
not  heard  before  the  cause  of  my  absence  in  that  sore  time  of  need, 
they  will  now  fully  understand  it. 

After  the  director  finished  his  order  to  me,  he  took  me  by  the 
arm  and  escorted  me  into  a  room  which  was  filled  with  wounded  reb 
els,  and  my  orders  were  to  dress  their  wounds.  Poor  fellows,  how 
I  pitied  them !  Although  they  had  been  the  enemies  of  my  country, 
I  could  not  withstand  their-  sufferings  and  did  all  that  I  could  to  re 
lieve  them.  One  poor  fellow,  who  told  me  he  was  from  ^7ricksburg, 
touched  my  sympathies  especially.  He  'had  been  shot  through  the 
shoulder;  another  ball  had  gone  into  his  chest,  passing  through  his 
lungs.  His  sufferings  were  very  great.  The  death  shadow  was  on 
his  face.  How  thankful  he  was  for  my  assistance  and  sympathy.  All 
the  wounded  rebels  who  were  in  the  room  were  very  quiet  and  not  a 
groan  escaped  from  any,  even  when  I  was  dressing  their  wounds,  ex 
cept  from  the  one  whom  I  have  mentioned,  and  with  him  I  think  it 
was  the  death  agony. 

After  dressing  their  wounds,  I  retired  to  another  room  and  sat 
in  a  window  seat  to  see  the  scenes  which  were  then  transpiring  about 
the  house.  The  outbuildings,  the  well  curb  and  other  surroundings, 
which  were  there  when  I  entered  the  house,  had  all  been  knocked 
away  by  the  artillery  and  the  dead  bodies  were  lying  about,  including 
one  or  two  cavalrymen,  one  of  whom  was  still  sitting  upon  his  horse, 
the  horse  and  rider  being  evidently  both  dead.  About  this  time  a 
Major,  who  had  been  severely  wounded,  was  brought  in.  Whilst  his 
wound  was  being  dressed,  I  overheard  one  of  the  officers,  who  had 
come  with  him,  remark  to  the  other,  "-This  is  the  heaviest  cannonad 
ing  of  the  War;  it  beats  Malvern  Hill."  About  fifty  yards  from 
where  I  was  then  standing  a  battery  of  probably  a  dozen  of  our 
heavy  siege  guns  was  posted,  upon  which  the  rebels  seemed  to  be  con 
centrating  all  their  fire.  I  watched  the  brave  fellows  loading  and 
firing,  until  bhere  were  scarcely  any  of  them  left,  and  their  ammuni 
tion  seemed  to  be  exhausted.  This  was  the  battery  which  was  after 
wards  hauled  off  under  the  direction  of  Lieutenant  Wilson,  of  Com- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          187 

pany  F  of  our  Regiment,  then  serving  upon  General  Hancock's  staff, 
who,  by  General  Hancock's  direction,  with  a  number  of  men  pulled 
the  guns  to  a  place  of  safety. 

During  this  cannonade,  solid  shot  and  shell  frequently  struck 
the  house,  doing  no  special  damage.  I  went  at  one  time  into  the 
room  where  the  wounded  rebels  were  lying.  Just  at  the  moment  I 
entered  a  cannon  ball  struck  the  chimney.  There  was  an  old- 
fashioned  fire  place  in  the  room  and  two  of  the  wounded  were  lying 
right  in  front  with  their  feet  in  the  fire  place.  I  heard  the  brick  com 
ing  down  the  chimney,  when  I  jumped  and  caught  my  two  wounded 
Johnnies  under  the  arms  and  drew  them  back  to  a  place  of  safety, 
and  well  for  them  that  I  did  so,  as  the  entire  fire  place  was  filled  with 
the  falling  brick  and  debris. 

I     at    one    time    noticed     a    great    running    up     and    down 
the     stairs     to     the     cellar     and     felt     curious     to     know     what 
was  going  on  down  there  so  I  went   down,   and  to  my  great  sur 
prise   found   a  great  many    soldiers — among   them   some   officers — 
skulkers  I  thought  at  the  time,  for  the  impression  was  that  the  cellar 
was  a  good  place  for  safety.    I,  of  course  did  not  think  much  of  their 
bravery  then,  but  I  had  good  reason  soon  after  to  think  differently, 
for  these  very  persons  came  to  my  assistance  a  short  time  afterward?, 
when  their  help  was  much  needed.     Amongst  others  I  saw  in  the  cel 
lar  were  six  or  seven  women — one  with  a  child  about  six  weeks  old  in 
her  arms.     These  women,  I  afterwards  learned,  had  been  gathered  in 
with  some  old  men  and  a  lad  about  sixteen  years  of  age  and  placed 
in  the  cellar  to  prevent  them  from  carrying  information  to  the  enemy. 
After  my  curiosity  was  satisfied  about  the  cellar,  I   went  out 
upon  the  front  porch,  the  roof  of  which  was  sustained  by  pillars 
about  thirteen  inches  in  thickness.     The  fire  of  the  rebel  batteries, 
which  were  plainly   in  sight,   seemed   to  be  concentrated   upon  the 
house,  the  shells  were  exploding  all  around  me  and  I  thought  I  could 
then  understand  why  their  fire  was  directed   at  this  house.      They 
were  evidently  desiring  to  batter  it  down,  so  as  to  reach  our  troops, 
who  were  marching  in  the  rear  of  it.     The  only  person  on  the  porch 
at  the  time  was  General  Hooker.     He  was  walking  backwards  and 
forwards,  with  one  hand  behind  his  back  and  the  other  holding  his 


188  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

field  glass  which  he  would  raise  now  and  again  to  enable  him  to  take 
in  the  position  of  the  enemy.  Seeing  the  GeneraPs  exposed  condi 
tion,  I  thought  him  the  bravest  or  the  most  foolhardy  man  I  had  ever 
seen,  I  scarcely  knew  which.  After  remaining  but  a  few  minutes,  I 
turned  around  and  had  just  walked  into  'the  house,  as  the  General 
leaned  up  against  a  post  on  the  porch,  with  his  glass  'again  up  to  his 
eye.  I  had  scarcely  shut  the  door,  when  there  was  a  fearful  explosion, 
a  shell  having  struck  the  post  against  which  the  General  was  leaning 
scarcely  more  than  a  foot  above  his  head.  When  the  shell  exploded, 
the  post  was  completely  cut  off  and  the  concussion  alone  knocked  the 
General  insensible  for  the  time. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  I  began  to  see  the  Army  fall  back 
and,  expecting  then  to  be  taken  prisoner,  as  my  orders  were  to  surren 
der  with  the  wounded,  I  looked  forward  to  Libby  Prison  and  all  that 
it  involved,  'and  I  did  no't  hesitate,  as  my  orders  must  be  obeyed. 

After  General  Hooker's  surgeons  got  'hold  of  him,  he  was  carried 
back  and  General  Couch  assumed  command  and  I  have  often  thought 
since  that,  if  General  Hooker  had  not  recovered  consciousness  when 
he  did,  the  issue  of  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville  would  have  been 
very  different.  It  was  not  long  after  Couch  assumed  command  that, 
to  my  great  joy,  I  saw  the  troops  again  advancing.  My  spirits  rose 
and  I  said  to  myself,  "We  will  whip  them  yet,"  but  this  was  short 
lived  for,  when  General  Hooker  recovered  consciousness,  the  move 
ment  in  retreat  was  resumed. 

After  the  most  of  our  troops  had  retired,  a  soldier  came  running 
into  the  house  and  said  the  roof  was  on  fire.  There  must  have  been 
nearly  two  hundred  of  our  wounded  in  the  building  beside  the  room 
full  of  rebels.  Now  came  our  chance.  The  medical  director  and 
myself  made  all  the  cellar  skulkers  come  up  and  take  each  one  hold 
of  a  wounded  man  and  help  carry  them  to  a  place  of  safety  within 
cur  lines.  A  number  of  the  provost  guard,  seeing  the  fire,  came  in 
and  took  charge  of  my  wounded  rebels.  After  the  wounded  were  all 
disposed  of,  then  came  the  women.  I  can  never  forget  the  great 
shrieks  and  cries  of  those  poor  creatures.  We  would  get  them  to  the 
door  and  try  to  encourage  them  to  leave  the  house  but,  as  soon  as  they 
could  get  a  sight  outside  and  see  the  destruction  and  hear  the  terrible 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  189 

din,  they  would  come  screaming  back.  By  this  time  the  fire  had 
made  such  rapid  progress  that  I  expected  every  moment  the  whole 
upper  stories  would  fall  in.  A  general  officer  came  rushing  in  and 
said  we  must  all  get  out  of  the  building  instantly,  as  the  house  would 
fall  in  on  us.  We  again  tried  to  get.  the  women  out  but,  as  soon  as 
we  got  them  to  the  door,  a  shell  exploded  on  the  outside  and  they 
again  came  screaming  back.  A  young  rebel  lad  wras  in  the  lead  and 
he  seemed  to  be  the  most  noisy  and  worst  frightened  of  the  crowd. 
The  General  couldn't  stand  it.  He  drew  his  pistol,  cocked  it,  pointed 
it  to  the  boy's  head  and  swore  that,  if  he  didn't  instantly  come  out  of 
the  house,  he  would  shoot  him  dead  on  the  spot.  With  a  scream  of 
terror  one  of  the  women  jumped  in  front  of  the  pistol.  It  must  ha.ve 
been  the  boy's  mother.  She  begged  the  General  not  to  shoot.  He  put 
up  his  pistol  and  the  medical  director,  the  General  and  myself  caught 
hands,  thus  forming  a  chain,  and  just  pulled  the  whole  of  them  out  of 
the  house.  What  a  terrible  place  for  women  !  I  was  told  afterwards 
that  three  of  them  were  wounded,  before  they  could  be  gotten  to  a 
place  of  safety.  The  boy  and  the  baby  I  think  came  out  all  right. 

After  the  house  was  emptied,  I  began  to  think  of  myself,  the 
medical  director  who  went  with  the  women  having  disappeared,  and 
buckled  on  my  sword,  took  my  surgeon's  knapsack  and  looked  at  my 
overcoat  hanging  on  a  nail.  My  first  thought  was,  why  take  my  over 
coat  with  me  (  I  cannot  run  this  terrible  gauntlet  between  both 
armies  and  come  out  alive,  but  a  second  thought  came — I  may  per 
haps  get  through  and,  if  so,  I  will  need  my  overcoat  these  cold  nights. 
1  took  down  the  coat,  threw  it  over  my  shoulder,  left  my  haversack 
containing  my  dinner  on  a  nail,  which  I  much  regretted  afterwards, 
and  went  to  the  door.  One  glance  was  enough.  Our  skirmishers 
right  in  front  of  me  were  coming,  jumping  out  of  the  rifle  pits  in  a 
confused  mass  and  running  toward  me  and  right  behind  was  a  long 
line  of  rebs  coming  to  give  a  charge.  I  saw  at  a  glance  that  what  was 
done  must  be  done  quickly.  I  jumped  down  from  the  door  and  ran 
thirty  steps,  when  I  found  I  could  not  run  any  more  on  account  of 
the  heavy  load  I  was  carrying  and  the  hot  sun.  I  then  concluded  not 
to  run  any  more  but  simply  to  take  my  time  and  walk  independentlv 
of  what  was  going  on  around  me.  I  was  expecting  every  moment 


190  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT  . 

to  be  shot,  but  thanks  to  a  kind  Providence  I  escaped  unhurt,  al 
though  I  discovered  afterwards  a  hole  in  my  sash  which  I  had 
never  seen  there  before.  Whilst  passing  through  this  terrible 
gauntlet  on  the  way  back  to  our  lines  a  shell  came  flying  so  near 
my  head  that  I  involuntarily  ducked  my  head.  At  the  same  moment 
another  flew  so  close  to  my  head  that  I  made  a  second  dodge,  and, 
in  so  doing,  I  tripped  myself  so  as  almost  to  fall  down.  I  straight 
ened  up  with  a  feeling  of  anger  and  determination  that  I  would  do 
no  more  dodging  and  that  right  in  the  presence  of  our  Army. 
Scarcely  had  this  resolution  been  made,  however,  when  a  shell  flew 
by  and  exploded  so  near  me  that,  before  I  could  give  a  thought,  I 
made  a  great  jump  to  avoid  it.  I  have  since  learned  that  in  thus 
ducking  and  dodging  I  was  not  singular. 

Of  the  retreat  of  our  Army  the  next  night  and  the  re-<jrossing 
of  the  river  history  has  told  the  story.  I  will  only  say  we  were 
much  disappointed  and  all  felt  sad  at  the  great  loss  of  life  and  worse 
than  fruitless  result  of  the  campaign. 

It  was  but  a  few  days  after  the  battle  when  an  incident 
occurred  which  I  have  never  yet  seen  in  print.  We  had  returned 
to  our  old  camping  ground,  when  it  was  rumored  that  Governor 
Curtin  had  arrived.  The  boys,  who  were  unhurt,  were  ordered,  out 
upon  dress  parade,  and,  after  a  hearty  cheer  from  the  Regiment, 
the  Governor  mounted  a  large  stump  and  began  an  address.  It 
proved,  however,  a  very  difficult  matter  for  him.  He  tried  to 
console  and  encourage  the  boys,  spoke  of  his  sympathy  in  their 
behalf  and  of  the  great  loss  of  life  and  the  loss  of  many  of  our 
Regiment  whom  he  personally  knew.  "Where,"  said  he,  pointing 
his  hand  over  toward  the  river,  "Where  is  my  friend  Lieutenant 
Bible  ?  and  where  Lieutenant  Stevenson  ?  Their  bodies,  with  those  of 
many  otJiers  of  my  personal  friends,  are  lying  on  the  other  side  of 
that  river/'  He  could  say  no  more.  He  burst  into  tears.  He  was 
completely  overcome.  It  was  now  the  Regiment's  turn  to  sympathize 
and  try  to  comfort  the  heart  of  the  Chief  Executive  of 'our  great 
state.  Discipline  and  restraint  were  at  an  end ;  there  was  one  uni 
versal  rush  of  the  men,  officers  and  all,  to  grasp  the  hand  of  the  great 
War  Governor. 


STORY  OF  THE  CHAPLAIN. 

By  his  son,  Rev.  Emory  M.  Stevens 

William  Henry  Stevens  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  born  near 
Shirleysburg,  Huntingdon  County,  Pennsylvania,  December  12, 
1831,  and  died  of  neuralgia  of  the  heart,  a  legacy  of  his  army  ex 
perience,  after  but  fifteen  minutes  sickness,  in  Shelby,  Iowa,  June 
10,  1901.  Ten  days  prior  to  the  public  memorial  service  of  the 
G.  A.  R.  Post,  of  which  he  was  Chaplain,  he  had  from  the  theme, 
"Who  shall  be  the  next  ?"  delivered  an  eloquent  and  pathetic  address 
upon  the  rapid  passing  of  his  comrades.  His  death  was  the  answer 
to  his  question. 

Sunday  morning,  June  2d,  he  preached  his  last  sermon  from 
Revelations  22 :5.  "There  shall  be  no  night  there."  What  are 
believed  to  be  his  last  written  words  closed  a  letter  to  his  son  a  few 
hours  before  his  death.  He  had  just  conducted  a  prayer  meeting  ser 
vice,  and  in  writing  of  it  and  his  own  peace  of  mind  and  heart,  closed 
with  his  personal  testimony,  "My  happiness  is  not  based  on  things 
temporal  and  seen,  but  on  things  unseen  and  eternal." 

His  body  rests  in  the  Three  Springs  Cemetery,  Huntingdon 
County,  Pennsylvania.  Comrade  Thomas  W.  Myton,  of  Company 
H,  whom  the  Chaplain  had  aided  when  sorely  wounded  at  Chancel- 
lorsville,  represented  the  Regiment  at  his  funeral  and,  in  a  feeling 
and  appropriate  manner,  paid  a  beautiful  tribute  to  his  character  as 
a  man  and  Christian,  and  his  fidelity  as  a  soldier  and  Chaplain. 

The  Chaplain  in  physique  was  spare  of  flesh,  but  sinewy,  erect, 
six  feet  one  inch  in  height,  hair  black  and  abundant,  eyes  steel  gray, 
voice  strong,  distinct  and  having  great  carrying  power  so  that  it 
could  easily  be  heard  at  considerable  distances  in  the  open  air. 

In  March,  1855,  he  entered  the  Baltimore  Conference  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  his  presiding  elder  being  John  A.  Col 
lins,  leader  of  the  anti-slavery  debate  in  the  General  Conference  of 
1844,  which  resulted  in  the  withdrawal  of  the  southern  delegates  and 
the  organization  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  South.  The  an 
nual  conference  of  March,  1861,  met  in  Baltimore  and  part  of  the 


192  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

time  was  'held  behind  closed  and  guarded  doors,  because  of  the  in 
tensely  bitter  pro-slavery  feeling  of  that  city.  At  this  conference  he 
was  appointed  to  Bald  Eagle  Circuit,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania, 
and  moved  to  Port  Matilda,  one  of  the  appointments  on  his  new 
charge. 

He  had  not  made  the  second  round  of  his  several  preaching 
places  when  Fort  Sumter  was  fired  upon.  His  pulpit  at  once  raiiii' 
with  the  most  loyal  expressions  and  fervent  appeals.  Four  brothers 
enlisted  for  the  defense  of  the  flag,  a  fifth  offered  his  services  and 
was  rejected  because  of  ill  health,  and  only  his  obligations  to  his 
parish  kept  him  back. 

In  the  summer  of  1862,  a  number  of  his  officiary  suggested  that 
he  raise  a  company.  In  response  he  enlisted  thirty-five  men,  mostly 
from  the  attendants  upon  his  ministry.  The  148th  Infantry  Kegi- 
ment  of  Pennsylania  Volunteers,  was  just  being  organized.  Early 
in  August  going  to  Belief  on  te  with  these  recruits  they  joined  the 
squad  raised  by  George  A.  Fairlamb,  M.  D.,  the  two  constituting  the 
larger  part  of  Company  H,  with  George  A.  Fairlamb,  Captain ; 
George  A.  Bayard,  First  Lieutenant  and  William  H.  Stevens,  Second 
Lieutenant. 

They  were  conveyed  by  hacks  and  stages  over  the  mountains  to 
Lewistown  and  there  in  the  night  took  the  train  for  Harrisburg. 
Scarcely  started  when  the  front  end  of  the  coach  occupied  by  Com 
pany  H  caught  fire,  the  motion  of  the  train  fanned  the  flames,  which 
with  the  stifling  smoke  drew  through  the  car.  There  was  no  water, 
the  engineer  was  unconscious  of  the  difficulty,  all  communication 
with  the  engine  being  cut  off,  the  whole  train  was  in  danger.  One 
man  in  desperation  leaped  from  the  car  and  was  killed.  Finally 
from  the  rear  platform,  one  was  lifted  by  his  comrades  to  the  roof  of 
the  car,  whence  he  crawled  to  the  engine  and  reported  the  danger.  At 
Mifflin  the  partially  consumed  coach  was  side  tracked.  Soon  after 
daylight  they  reached  Camp  Curtin,  were  assigned  quarters,  awaited 
their  physical  examination,  all  of  the  original  squad  passing,  save 
one,  and  August  16,  1862,  were  sworn  into  the  service  of  the  United 
States. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          195 

While  officer  of  the  guard  here,  Lieutenant  Stevens  found  a 
member  of  the  Regiment  asleep  at  his  post;  the  man  was  badly 
frightened ;  the  Lieutenant  talked  to  him  of  what  might  have  been 
the  consequences  if  they  had  been  in  the  presence  of  the  enemy,  how 
thousands  of  lives  would  have  been  jeopardized.  After  soundly  ad 
monishing  him  die  Chaplain  told  him  that,  because  picket  duty  was 
so  new  to  him  and  no  doubt  trying,  he  would  not  report  his  neglect, 
if  he  promised  never  to  permit  such  a  thing  to  occur  again.  The 
promise  was  gladly  given,  the  man  became  a  most  excellent  soldier 
and  several  years  after  the  War,  sought  out  the  officer  and  thanked 
him  for  his  kindness. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  note  that  each  of  the  line  officers  of 
Company  H,  in  its  preliminary  organization,  later  became  regimental 
officers,  closely  identified  with  the  Regiment's  splendid  record.  Capt. 
George  A.  Fairlamb,  promoted  to  Major  and  later  to  Lieutenant 
Colonel ;  severely  wounded  and  captured,  loved  by  his  command,  who 
delight  in  telling  how  when  freezing  on  the  picket  line  he  sent  loads 
of  wood  for  fires,  thus  instituting  a  custom  later  adopted  by  many 
others;  Lieut.  George  A.  Bayard,  ever  kind  hearted  and  considerate, 
also  promoted  to  Major  and  Lieutenant  Colonel,  wounded  and  cap 
tured,  who  returned  from  his  enforced  exile  in  time  to  rejoin  the 
Regiment  in  its  closing  struggles,  and  Lieut.  William  H.  Stevens, 
promoted  to  the  chaplaincy. 

There  were  many  applicants  for  this  position,  he  was  not  dis 
tinctly  so.  His  selection  came  as  an  agreeable  surprise  and  was  due 
to  Col.  James  A.  Beaver  more  than  to  any  other  person.  The  evening 
before  the  organization  of  the  Regiment  he  was  summoned  to  the 
Colonel's  quarters  who  said : 

"Lieutenant,  which  would  you  prefer,  to  retain  your  present  po 
sition  with  the  possibilities  of  promotion  or  become  Chaplain  of  the 
Regiment  ?" 

"My  business  is  preaching,  I  would  rather  be  Chaplain. " 

"Then  go  sell  your  sword  and  buy  a  Bible." 

Colonel  Beaver  who  had  already  seen  a  year  of  active  service 
and  thoroughly  understood  the  needs  of  a  soldier's  life  and  knew  the 
sore  temptations  to  which  they  were  exposed,  said  he  desired  a  Chap- 


194  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

lain  who  came  from  the  men  rather  than  to  them,  who  would  freely 
mingle  among  them,  win  their  confidence,  make  their  trials  his  own, 
conduct  prayer  and  similar  meetings,  look  after  their  spiritual  wel 
fare  and  help  them  to  bear  the  strain  of  camp,  march  and  battle,  in 
fact  be  the  pastor  of  the  Regiment.  He  also  stated  that  he  believed 
that  his  choice  of  a  Chaplain  would  have  been  that  of  the  rank  and 
file,  had  they  been  consulted.  Later  he  said  to  the  Chaplain,  "If  you 
need  money  to  purchase  books  or  papers  or  any  aid  in  conducting 
meetings  or  in  any  way  helping  the  men  to  better  moral,  intellectual 
or  religious  experience,  be  free  to  make  your  wants  known  and  I 
shall  do  all  I  can  to  see  that  they  are  supplied.'7  'This  promise  the 
Colonel  faithfully  kept  as  long  as  he  was  with  the  Regiment,  and  his 
loyal  and  enthusiastic  support  added  not  a  little  to  the  efficiency  of 
the  work  of  the  Chaplain  and  that  fidelity  to  the  position  which  led 
one  of  the  brigade  officers,  years  afterwards,  in  an  address  before  a 
G.  A.  R.  Post,  fifteen  hundred  miles  distant^  on  the  "Model  Army 
Chaplain,"  to  use  the  Chaplain  of  the  148th,  as  an  illustration  of  his 
high  ideal.  With  the  Colonel's  view  of  the  office,  duties  and  respon 
sibilities  of  a  Chaplain,  the  Chaplain  himself  was  in  most  hearty  ac 
cord  and  with  all  possible  energy  at  once  threw  himself  into  his  work. 
Comrades  still  live  who  remember  how  while  on  guard  near  his  tent 
they  paused  to  listen,  as  in  family  prayer  with  the  mess,  he  fervently 
plead,  at  a  throne  of  grace,  for  the  troops,  their  cause  and  the  loved 
ones  at  home.  Prayer  meetings  and  preaching  services  were  regular 
ly  maintained  whenever  the  exigencies  of  the  campaign  did  not  pre 
vent. 

The  character  of  his  work  and  his  anxiety  for  the  welfare  of 
those  under  his  care  is  revealed  in  a  letter  to  his  wife,  "In  the  field 
near  Rapidan  Station,  October  4,  1863."  Commenting  upon  the 
prosjvect  of  getting  home,  he  adds : 

"But  my  work  is  here  now  and  I  hope  it  will  soon  be  at  home 
with  you  and  the  boys.  But  so  long  as  my  health  is  good  and  my 
Regiment  is  in  the  field,  I  feel  that  this  is  my  home,  and  now  that 
the  Lord  is  to  some  extent,  blessing  my  labors  I  take  courage.  Two 
souls  have  been  converted  at  our  prayer  meeting  since  I  last  wrote 
you,  others  are  seeking,  we  have  pleasant  times,  I  feel  the  presence 
of  the  Lord  with  me  in  my  work  and  am  satisfied  that  he  is  giving 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          195 

me  favor  with  the  men.  There  is  not  an  officer  in  the  Regiment  who 
does  not  treat  me  with  the  kindest  respect,  and  I  have  been  told  sev 
eral  times  that  General  Caldwell  (Division  Commander)  has  said 
publicly  that  the  Chaplain  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers 
was  the  "best  Chaplain  in  his  Division.  These  things  make  me  thank 
ful  to  my  Master." 

Soon  after  this  in  the  splendid  winter  camp  near  Stevensburg, 
Virginia,  a  comfortable  and  commodious  church  was  built.  The 
pioneer  corps  had  in  it  many  skilled  woodsmen  who  were  unexcelled 
in  the  use  of  the  axe;  these  felled  the  Virginia  pines,  hewed  the  logs 
and  put  them  together  in  a  way  that  made  a  really  fine  building. 
Xear  camp  was  an  old  saw  mill  which  had  been  abandoned  for  sev 
eral  years,  but  the  practical  mechanics  and  lumbermen  of  the  Regi 
ment  so  restored  it  that  the  old  lady  who  owned  it  said  she,  "Never 
saw  such  fellows  as  these  Yankees.  That  old  mill  had  rotted  down 
ten  years  ago,  but  now  they  had  made  it  better  than  it  ever  had  been." 
From  lumber  cut  on  this  mill,  in  addition  to  some  old  lumber  found 
and  confiscated,  doors,  windows,  seats  and  flooring  were  made.  The 
Christian  Commission  furnished  canvas  for  covering.  In  it  more 
than  two  hundred  were  converted  during  the  winter,  and  for  weeks 
there  was  scarcely  a  time  between  reveille  and  taps  when  some  kind 
of  a  service  was  not  in  progress  in  it.  It  also  served  for  an  instruc 
tion  room  for  the  commissioned  and  non-commissioned  officers  of  the 
Regiment  as  well  as  a  school  room  for  such  of  the  privates  as  cared 
to  thus  spend  the  heavy  winter  hours,  a  reading  room  and  a  place 
to  write  letters  to  home  loved  ones  and  for  social  gatherings.  During 
the  erection  of  this  building  the  Chaplain  cut  his  foot  on  'an  axe  left 
sticking  in  one  of  the  logs,  and  was  laid  aside  for  several  weeks. 

His  moither,  who  lived  on  a  farm  had  been  given  a  calf,  this 
she  personally  cared  for  and  when  it  reached  a  marketable  age,  dis 
posed  of  it  to  a  drover  and  with  the  proceeds  purchased  a  Bible  for 
each  of  her  children.  His  Bible  he  carried  during  all  the  years  of 
his  chaplaincy,  used  in  his  hospital  work  and  all  his  religious  services. 
It  is  still  in  possession  of  the  family.  Many  of  the  texts,  passages  of 
scripture  and  chapters  he  read  or  discussed  in  those  days  are  marked, 
and  it  would  be  of  intense  interest  to  know  the  history  of  some  of 
them,  fraught  as  they  were  with  earnest  appeals  for  the  solace  and 


196  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

comfort  of  some  sick,  weary  or  dying  boy.  A  comrade's  dairy  re 
cords  that  just  after  the  return  to  Virginia  from  Gettysburg,  he 
preached  at  11 :00  A.  M.,  Sunday,  August  9,  1863,  from  Isaiah  v  ::>-(>, 
and  near  Petersburg,  Sunday,  July  IT,  1804,  from  .Matthew  xxii: 
14,  "For  many  are  called,  but  few  are  chosen."  These  are  the  only 
passages  the  identity  of  which  can  now  be  established. 

The  Chaplain  was  ever  a  safe  and  sympathetic  confidant  and 
counselor  and  a  willing  friend  in  need.  During  a  battle  he  was 
often  found  on  the  firing  line,  ministering  to  and  aiding  the  wounded, 
comforting  and  praying  with  the  dying,  receiving  their  farewell 
messages,  caring  for  'their  effects  and  after  all  was  over  writing  tin- 
friends  in  the  desolated  homes. 

Major  General  John  R.  Brooke  relates  that  when  the  troops  ex 
pected  a  sudden  attack  at  Jonesboro,  and  it  seemed  necessary  to 
quickly  dig  rifle  pits  and  throw  up  breast  works,  he  saw  the  Chap 
lain,  with  his  coat  off,  vigorously  swinging  an  axe  and  later  as  in 
dustriously  as  any  other  rolling  logs ;  also  that  in  the  heat  of  battle, 
when  the  men  could  not  leave  the  line  and  were  suffering  for  water, 
he  had  seen  him  so  strung  full  of  canteens,  suspended  from  almost 
every  part  of  his  body,  that  he  could  scarcely  travel,  in  his  effort  to 
succor  them.  A  brother  officer  says  that  in  digging  of  wells  for  water 
he  seemed  to  have  a  kind  of  instinct,  and  they  so  seldom  failed  to 
obtain  water  where  he  suggested  the  propriety  of  digging,  that  it  be 
came  the  common  thing  to  consult  the  Chaplain  before  beginning  tliis 
kind  of  labor. 

When  Henry  C.  Campbell  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Chan- 
cellorsville,  he  carried  him  on  his  back  to  the  field  hospital,  a  mile 
distant,  and  not  a  few  stricken  ones  were  thus  assisted  to  places  of 
safety  and  relief. 

On  the  march  he  was  frequently  seen  bearing  the  muskets  and 
luggage  of  exhausted  soldiers,  while  they  rode  his  horse.  An  ex 
ample  of  this  was  at  Mine  Run  to  which  the  Regiment  had  made  ji 
forced  march  for  picket  and  recoiinoiteririg  service.  After  having 
been  continuously  on  duty  for  three  days  and  nights,  under  most  try 
ing  circumstances  and  subject  to  great  exposure,  the  return  march 
was  made  through  deep  mud,  many  becoming-  exhausted.  One  in  de- 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  197 

scribing  it  said  that  he  met  the  Chaplain,  "trudging  along,  leading 
his  horse,  which  was  covered  from  head  to  tail,  with  twenty-five  or 
more  knapsacks." 

During  the  race  with  Lee  for  Gettysburg,  on  the  first  day  of 
the  battle,  the  Regiment  made  thirty-five  miles;  the  heat  was  in 
tense  and  the  dust  several  inches  deep,  rising  and  settling  every 
where  and  filling  eyes,  ears  and  throat.  Much  of  the  afternoon  of 
that  day  his  horse  was  at  the  disposal  of  the  foot-sore.  The  Regi 
ment  neither  knew  where  they  were  marching  nor  what,  was  trans 
piring  in  their  front.  Toward  evening  he  stepped  out  of  the  column, 
and  from  an  old  man  near  the  road,  learned  that  a  great  battle  was 
being  fought  and  that  one  of  the  Union  Generals  had  been  killed. 
This  was  the  first  news  the  Regiment  received  of  Gettysburg  where 
so  many  of  their  number  were  to  fall.  A  few  minutes  later  an  order 
ly  passed  asking  for  General  Hancock,  and  still  later  the  escort  bear 
ing  the  body  of  General  Reynolds  was  met. 

At  this  battle  he  assisted  in  the  care  of  General  Barksdale  of 
the  Confederate  forces,  when  mortally  wounded,  as  also  in  his  burial 
under  the  little  peach  tree,  near  General  Meade's  headquarters. 

On  the  morning  after  the  battle,  while  down  near  the  public  road 
between  the  lines,  with  a  squad  gathering  up  the  wounded,  and  while 
giving  food  to  Lieutenant  Stevens,  a  Confederate  officer  from  Fred- 
ericksburg,  Virginia,  General  Lee's  picket  line  and  rear  guard  fired, 
scattering  the  squad.  This  Lieutenant  stated  that  the  Confederacy 
had  received  their  death  blow,  that  they  came  north  expecting  to  fight 
a  few  militia  and  home  guards  and  only  realized  what  was  before 
them,  when  on  the  morning  of  July  2d,  they  saw  the  butterfly  of  the 
Second  Corps  and  knew  that  that  meant  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
was  in  their  front.  This  officer  refused  to  be  exchanged  when  the  op 
portunity  was  presented,  said  that  it  was  useless  to  fight  longer  and 
that  he  had  enough  of  it.  That  he  had  believed  that  the  Xorth  was  as 
nearly  depleted  of  men  and  supplies  as  the  South ;  to  march  with  this 
impression  into  Southern  Pennsylvania  in  the  midst  of  wheat  harvest, 
and  find  the  hills  and  valleys  covered  with  waving  grain,  with  ap 
parently  ample  help  to  gather  it,  was  a  revelation  coming  with  the 
sensation  of  a  shock,  quickly  dispelling  the  illusions  held  by  the  Army 


198  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

of  Northern  Virginia.  The  same  day  of  this  experience  the  Chap 
lain,  counted  five  dead  rebels,  each  shot  through  the  forehead,  behind 
a  rock,  in  front  of  the  Regiment's  position  in  the  second  day's  fight, 
bearing  awful  testimony  to  the  marksmanship  of  the  command. 

He  was  deeply  religious  and  thoroughly  reverent  and  often  said 
that  the  only  time  he  ever  heard  anything  savoring  of  profanity,  that 
was  not  utterly  repulsive  to  him  was  during  the  great  artillery  duel 
of  the  third  day.  He  was  with  the  reserve  artillery,  which  was 
parked  near  Rock  Creek.  It  seemed  to  him  that  everything  was  b:>- 
ing  blown  to  pieces  and  at  the  rate  the  reserve  was  being  hurried  to 
the  front,  there  soon  would  be  none  left.  A  Lieutenant  in  charge  of 
a  field  piece  came  back ;  two  horses  were  dragging  the  gun,  one  wheel 
of  which  was  gone,  the  axle  being  supported  by  a  rail.  As  the  Lieu 
tenant  was  coupling  -to  a  new  gun  the  Chaplain  ventured  to  ask : 

"Lieutenant,  how  is  it  going  up  there  ?" 

Sharp  and  emphatic  the  answer  came,  fci()h,  we're  just  giving 
them  h ." 

The  Chaplain  felt  relieved,  and  if  General  Sherman's  definition 
of  War  is  correct,  the  Lieutenant's  answer  described  the  true  situ 
ation. 

After  the  battle  he  was  present  at  the  Corps  Hospital  when  the 
second  examination  of  General  Hancock's  wound  was  made  and  the 
nail,  either  from  his  saddle  tree  or  an  enemy's  gun  was  found.  The 
remarks  made  by  the  General  when  told  of  the  discovery  were  not 
exactly  religious. 

His  duties  frequently  took  him  to  the  hospital  and  there  much 
of  his  time  was  spent,  after  a  battle  his  almost  constant  presence 
being  required.  The  night  after  the  terrible  struggle  at  P<>  River, 
May  10,  1864,  he  was  alone  in  charge  of  several  hundred  wounded. 
Two  men  had  been  detailed  to  assist,  others  were  to  have  been  sent 
later,  but  none  reported.  Of  the  two,  one  decamped  early  in  the 
evening,  the  other  remained  and  faithfully  labored,  but  about  mid 
night  the  Chaplain  noticing  how  weary  he  was,  told  him  to  take  his 
blankets  and  lie  down  and  after  he  had  a  little  rest  he  would  call 
him.  He  was  soon  in  a  sound  sleep  and  the  Chaplain  knowing  that 
he  had  fought  all  day  and  probably  would  have  to  fight  all  of  the 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          199 

next  day  did  not  awake  him  until  daylight,  and  then  told  him  to  join 
his  Regiment.  All  he  could  do  that  night  was  to  carry  water,  give 
the  wounded  drink  and  wet  their  bandages.  The  water  he  obtained 
from  a  spring  some  distance  away  and  at  the  foot  of  a  hill.  This 
spring  was  surrounded  by  tall  pines  in  which  during  the  night 
owls  congregated  with  their  dismal  hootings.  He  often  stated  that 
that  was  the  most  trying  night  he  ever  experienced  and  that  it  was 
difficult  to  tell  which  was  the  most  nerve  racking,  the  moans  of  the 
suffering  in  the  hospital  or  the  hooting  of  the  owls  in  the  pines  over 
the  spring.  Eighteen  men  died  that  night.  One,  shot  through  the 
heel,  suffered  excruciatingly  and  continuously  groaned  in  his  agony. 
The  one  next  to  him  said  : 

^Comrade  cannot  you  keep  quiet?  I  cannot  sleep  and  do  not 
care  to,  but  perhaps  some  of  the  boys  could  if  we  were  quiet." 

The  other  replied:  "I  cannot;  I  suffer  so  with  my  feet." 

The  response  was:  "I  have  both  feet  off."  The  former  died, 
the  latter  lived. 

One  poor  fellow  who  had  lost  a  foot,  tried  to  console  by  telling 
him  that  he  wrould  not  have  to  fight  any  more,  and  would  soon  be 
discharged  and  get  home.  He  burst  into  tears  and  exclaimed :  "But, 
Chaplain,  what  will  my  poor  wife  and  children  do  now  that  I  am 
not  able  to  provide  for  them  ?"  This  was  a  hard  question  to  answer 
in  those  days. 

Xot  all  of  his  hospital  experiences  were  pathetic,  some  being 
rather  humorous  as  when  one  who  was  sick  begged  of  him  to 
endeavor  to  get  him  sent  home,  "For,  Chaplain,  I  am  afraid  I 
shall  die  if  I  remain  here  and  you  know  it  is  said  dust  to  dust,  but 
it  I  am  buried  here  I  will  turn  to  sand."  As  when  William  H. 
Kellerman,  with  frozen  feet,  after  having  been  for  seven  days  cut 
off  from  his  command,  in  front  of  Petersburg,  lying  during  that 
time,  in  a  little  hole  in  the  sand  under  a  brush  heap ;  during  the 
day  constantly  exposed  to  the  fire  of  both  armies  and  at  night  withiji 
a  few  feet  of  the  rebel  vidette,  without  food,  shelter  or  water,  save 
that  from  his  own  person,  in  the  darkness  and  falling  mist  of  the 
eighth  night,  carrying  his  Spencer  and  all  his  accoutrements  with 


200  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

him,  crept  into  his  own  lines  and  then  fainted  from  exhaustion,  was 
carried  to  the  hospital,  where  he  was  told  by  the  Chaplain : 

"Had  I  been  as  weak  as  you  are,  I  would  have  left  those  things 
behind." 

"Left  that  gun !  Let  the  rebs  have  that  gun !  I  would  have 
died  first," 

That  was  the  kind  of  material  the  148th  was  made  of. 

An  incident  the  Chaplain  related  with  great  gusto,  was  that 
while  in  front  of  Petersburg,  the  pickets  had  -to  dig  holes  in  the 
ground  for  protection.  John  M.  English  crawled  out  to  one  of  these, 
dropped  in  and  proceeded  to  build  a  fort  for  his  better  protection. 
By  keeping  his  head  down  and  working  diligently,  he  soon  had  quite 
a  dirt  barricade  with  a  port  hole  in  its  center  for  his  Spencer.  In 
his  immediate  front  was  a  large  rebel  fort.  Getting  range  of  the 
port  hole  directly  opposite  he  drove  the  artillerymen  from  their 
gun  and  silenced  the  piece.  He  thus  held  his  position  for  several 
hours,  When  they  began  to  fight  upon  the  right  and  the  balls  began 
to  come  down  the  line.  He  turned  his  head  to  see  what  was  going 
on  up  there,  the  enemy  took  advantage  of  his  inattention  to  open 
iipon  him  with  artillery.  The  first  shot  was  too  high,  but  John 
knowing  what  was  coming  next  got  down  as  close  to  the  bottom  of 
the  hole  as  he  could.  The  second  shell  at  the  s>ame  time  hit  the  fort 
and  exploded,  throwing  the  gun  back  twenty  feet,  although  not  in 
juring  it.  John  was  knocked  unconscious,  quite  badly  cut  about  the 
arms  and  back,  had  his  coat  nearly  torn  off  and  was  buried  under 
the  wreckage.  His  comrades  ran  in  and  pulled  him  out.  The 
first,  thing  he  said  when  he  partially  regained  consciousness  was, 
"I  knew  the  rebs  were  mighty  mean  but  never  thought  they  were 
mean  enough  to  open  on  one  man  with  artillery." 

One  of  the  unpleasant  features  of  a  Chaplain's  duties  was 
that  of  ministering  to  men  under  sentence  of  death  by  court  martial, 
of  which  several  cases  came  under  his  care,  although  probably  none 
from  the  "Regiment  itself.  In  the  letter  of  Octol)er  -I,  1808,  already 
mentioned,  he  says: 

"I  performed  the  most  solemn  duty  on  the  2d  (Friday)  that 
ever  crossed  my  paithway.  I  was  sent  for  on  Wednesday  night  to 


THE  H8TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          201 

visit  a  young  man  at  division  headquarters,  condemned  to  be  shot 
for  desertion.  When  1  went  to  see  him  the  General  asked  me  to 
become  his  spiritual  adviser  and  to  officiate  at  the  execution.  I  could 
not  refuse  as  there  was  no  Chaplain  in  the  Regiment  to  which  he 
belonged  and  the  young  man  desired  a  Methodist  Chaplain,  and  I 
was  one  of  the  only  two  in  the  Division.  1  found  him  very  ignorant 
on  all  religious  subjects  'and  seeing  that  I  would  have  to  be  his  teacher 
as  well  as  spiritual  adviser,  I  commenced  at  the  alphabet  of  religion. 
lie  readily  comprehended  the  plan  of  redemption  and  on  Thursday 
riigiit  was  converted.  I  have  no  doubt  of  his  Aniline  conversion.  He 
was  too  ignorant  to  be  susceptible  of  deception  or  hypocrisy.  He 
sang  hymns  until  the  provost  marshal  came  in  and  told  me  that  they 
were  ready.  He  arose,  put  on  his  cap,  took  my  arm  and  marched 
behind  his  coffin,  borne  bv  four  men,  half  a  mile,  approached  his 
grave,  took  his  cap  off,  heard  his  sentence  read.  I  then  prayed 
and  bade  him  good-bye.  The  provost  marshal  then  blindfolded  him, 
he  then  seated  himself  on  his  coffin  and  in  a  moment  was  pierced 
by  eight  balls,  six  in  the  body  and  two  through  the  head.  &\\  of 
which  time  he  never  moved  a  muscle — was  as  composed  and  cheer 
ful  as  I  have  ever  been  in  all  my  life.  He  made  this  remark  when 
on  the  way  to  the  place  of  execution,  when  I  exhorted  him  to  con 
tinue  to  trust  in  Christ,  "Chaplain  it  seems  to  me  that  the  Lord 
goes  with  me  wherever  I  go."  He  belonged  to  the  66th  Xew  York. 
Xame,  Adam  Small,  aged  twenty  years,  has  a  mother  and  four 
brothers.  Strange  to  tell,  though  a  few  weeks  ago  I  stood  off  and  saw 
the  execution  of  two  men,  I  was  so  shocked  that  I  could  hardlv  stand 
on  my  feet,  I  led  this  young  man  to  the  place  of  execution,  attended 
him  in  his  last  moments  and  saw  him  shot,  put  in  his  coffin  and 
buried  without  the  least  emotion  or  unpleasant  feeling." 

Eighteen  days  later  he  writes: 

"We  marched  from  Bull  Run  on  Monday,  arrived  here  on 
Tuesday,  lay  in  the  woods  yesterday,  were  ordered  into  regular  camp 
this  morning,  worked  hard  all  day  fixing  up  nice  and  held  prayer 
meeting  in  the  evening,  came  to  my  quarters  and  found  orders"  to 
march  at  seven-thirty  in  the  morning.  I  have  no  idea  where  we 
are  going,  honce  I  write.  On  last  Friday  I  led  the  second  young 
man  out  to  his  grave,  seated  him  on  his  coffin  and  saw  him"  shot. 
These  are  duties  which  require  courage." 

At  least  one  other  such  duty  wa*  performed.  The  man,  who 
was  near  middle  life,  nearly  collapsed  and  leaned  so  heavily  upon 
the  Chaplain,  in  the  march  from  the  ambulance  to  the  grave  that 
he  had  to  almost  carry  him.  To  add  to  the  painfulness  of  the 
situation,  the  first  volley  missed  the  condemned  man,  the  second  only 


202  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

broke  his  arm,  when  the  officer  in  charge  completed  the  execution  by 
a  shot  from  his  revolver. 

The  Regiment  not  having  been  paid  for  several  months  received 
their  back  pay  April  16,  1863.  At  their  request  the  Chaplain  was 
sent  home  with  their  money,  carrying  $65,000  to  Washington,  where 
the  amount  belonging  to  the  companies  west  of  the  Alleghany  Moun 
tains,  was  expressed  and  $45,000,  in  a  satchel  from  there  to  Centre 
County.  Each  soldier's  money  was  in  a  separate  package  and  in 
nearly  every  case  was  delivered  to  the  family  in  person. 

Upon  his  return  he  was  surprised  by  being  presented  by  the 
officers  with  the  magnificent  bay  saddle  horse,  Jim,  seventeen  and 
a  half  hands  high.  Lieutenant  Wilson  was  the  purchasing  agent. 
Jim  had  been  brought  to  the  Army  for  the  use  of  another  officer, 
but  was  so  full  of  mettle,  especially  when  under  fire  that  the  owner 
could  neither  ride  nor  manage  him.  When  this  was  told  Wilson 
he  said,  "The  Chaplain  can  ride  anything,"  and  at  once  bought  him. 
The  men  furnished  the  equipment ;  his  enumeration  of  this  in  a 
letter  of  May  17,  1863,  was  "Saddle,  bridle,  halter,  nose  bucket, 
brush,  curry  comb,  saddle  blanket,  saddle  pockets,  watering  rein 
and  bit,  picket  iron  and  rope  and  pistol  holders."  One  of  the  con 
ditions  of  the  presentation  was  that  the  horse  should  remain  with 
the  Regiment  so  long  as  it  maintained  its  organization.  The  Chap 
lain  rode  him  until  the  close  of  the  War.  In  passing  other  regi 
ments  it  was  the  common  cry,  half  in  jest,  half  in  earnest,  "Oh, 
what  a  biff  Chaplain!  Oh,  what  a  big  horse!" 

The  evening  of  the  second  day's  fight  at  Gettysburg,  Jim  was 
left  in  the  rear  of  Cemetery  Ridge,  while  the  Chaplain  went  to 
the  line  to  minister  >to  any  in  neod  of  his  services.  When  he  re 
turned,  Jim  was  gone,  a  cavalry  officer  having  appropriated  him. 
He  was  recovered  the  next  day.  The  officer  at  first  with  a  good  deal 
of  bluster  and  many  threats  refused  to  surrender  him,  but  when 
he  discovered  that  the  Chaplain,  who  had  only  a  fatigue  suit  on, 
probably  ranked  him,  quickly  quieted  down  and  meekly  listened  to 
a  lecture  on  horse  stealing.  Later  Jim  was  again  stolen  and  after 
six  weeks  absence  was  found  in  a  sutler's  team. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          203 

lu  the  Wilderness  the  Chaplain  lay  down  at  Jim's  feet  with 
his  arm  through  the  bridle  rein,  to  be  awakened  by  the  pawing  of 
the  horse  and  to  find  'that  for  some  time  the  fight  had  been  raging 
all  around  him.  Later  one  night  with  the  Regiment  he  lay  down 
by  the  road  side,  when  he  awoke  it  was  daylight  and  he  and  Jim 
were  the  only  living  things  in  sight.  Uncomfortable  visions  of 
Libby  Prison  began  to  flit  before  him.  From  an  examination  of  the 
road  he  detected  which  way  the  Regiment  had  marched.  It  was  ten 
o'clock  before  he  come  to  where  they  were  resting-  they  having 
marched  all  the  after  part  of  the  night  and  morning. 

A  letter  written  from  Boydton  Plank  Road,  March  31,  1865, 
says : 

''Yesterday  we  advanced  one  mile  and  found  the  enemy  strongly 
intrenched,  but  there  was  not  much  fighting  done  on  account  of  the 
rain  which  fell  in  torrents  all  day  and  still  it  rains  beautifully. 
There  is  heavy  firing  on  the  skirmish  line  at  this  time  but  it  rains 
so  hard  that  I  think  there  will  not  be  much  done  until  it  slackens. 
While  eating  my  supper  last  evening,  a  shell  exploded  in  the  vicinity 
of  my  quarters  and  a  very  large  piece  cut  my  bridle  rein  in  two, 
passing  under  Jim's  neck  and  entering  the  ground  on  the  spot  where 
my  tent  had  been  erected  but  two  hours  before.  I  was  eating  supper 
about  two  rods  distant.  I  think  my  escape  providential,  for  I  took 
my  tent  down  for  no  particular  reason  and  'had  been  sitting  in  the 
rain  at  a  little  fire  and  had  the  tent  been  up  I  would  no  doubt  have 
been  in  it." 

At  another  time  while  sitting  on  Jim  a  spent  ball  buried  itself 
in  the  saddle  flap. 

Near  Petersburg,  one  afternoon  he  rode  to  the  front  with 
Quartermaster  Musser.  The  road  was  up  the  bank  of  a  stream 
partially  wood  lined.  When  they  came  out  of  the  woods  into  the 
opening  the  rebel  sharpshooters,  who  were  in  a  log  house  on  the 
bluff,  got  the  range  of  them.  The  wind  of  a  bullet  cut  the  Chap 
lain's  face.  In  an  instant  he  was  on  the  ground.  The  Quarter 
master  sat  on  his  horse  laughing  at  the  Chaplain's  bravery  and 
remarking,  "Those  fellows  cannot  hit  anything  at  that  distance,'' 
when  a  second  ball  just  missed  his  ear.  He  promptly  joined  the 
Chaplain.  By  creeping  on  hands  and  knees,  behind  the  bushes  along 


204  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

the  river  and  leading  their  horses,  until  they  regained  the  timber, 
they  made  their  escape. 

At  the  close  of  the  War  Jim  was  brought  to  Orbisonia,  Hunt 
ingdon  County,  Pennsylvania,  and  sold  to  a  wool  dealer,  who  treated 
him  kindly  and  prized  him  highly.  For  several  years  he  made 
frequent  visits  to  the  Chaplain's  home,  where  Jim  always  received 
an  enthusiastic  welcome,  and  never  failed  to  recognize  his  former 
rider,  giving  manifestation  to  'his  pleasure  in  horse  fashion.  The 
saddle  and  bridle,  though  frequently  patched  up  were  used  by  the 
Chaplain  until  within  a  few  months  of  his  death.  The  family  still 
preserve  the  saddle,  not  much  being  left  of  it  save  the  tree. 

Besides  his  pack  horse,  Doll,  the  Chaplain  during  the  last 
months  of  the  service,  had  a  third  horse,  Jack,  inquired  of  by  the 
regimental  survivors  in  recent  years  almost  as  frequently  as  Jim. 
Jack  was  in  almost  every  respect  the  opposite  of  Jim  and  was  some 
what  of  a  curiosity.  He  was  an  undersized,  club-footed,  long-haired, 
sorrel  colt,  and  many  a  sly  remark  was  made  to  the  Chaplain  about 
his  new  mount  Jack  joined  the  Regiment  in  this  way.  In  the 
fall  of  1864  a  twelve-year-old  bare  footed  girl  came  into  the  camp, 
selling  cakes  and  pies.  Questioned  by  the  Chaplain,  she  stated 
that  her  home  was  near.  After  several  visits  to  his  quarters  he  ac- 
:pompanied  her  to  her  home  and  found  it  to  be  a  very  humble  log 
cabin,  occupied  by  the  father,  mother  and  several  children.  They 
were  soundly  loyal  and  greatly  desired  to  get  father  north,  where 
their  surroundings  would  be  more  congenial  and  where  the  father 
believed  he  could  better  care  for  his  family  and  his  children  could 
obtain  an  education  through  the  free  public  schools.  Twenty-five 
dollars  would  pay  their  car  fare,  but  they  were  very  poor,  had  no 
money  and  nothing  to  sell,  save  Jack,  who  at  that  time  was  hardly 
worth  five  dollars.  The  Chaplain  purchased  him  paying  the  amount 
needed  for  transportation,  from  the  double  motive  of  aiding  the 
family  and  experimenting  on  Jack's  feet.  In  due  time  Jack  was 
led  into  camp,  the  observed  of  all  observers.  Dismay  struck  the 
heart  of  every  horse  owner  in  the  Regiment,  if  not  in  the  Division, 
when  it  was  speedily  noised  abroad  the  Chaplain's  new  horse  was 
r.ot  only  ugly  and  worthless  but  lousy — myriads  of  them — the  shaggy 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          205 

jacket  full  of  them.  Consternation  rapidly  gave  place  to  indigna 
tion;  angry  protests  were  uttered.  The  Chaplain  calmly  replied  that 
the  charges  against  Jack  were  true  but  that  he  would  be  responsible 
for  him  and  'his  numerous  colony.  The  troops  were  receiving  rations 
of  potatoes ;  he  went  among  the  boys  and  begged  the  peelings,  boiled 
them  thoroughly,  washed  Jack  in  the  water  and  ever  afterward  he 
was  as  clean  as  any  other  equine.  When  the  Regiment  broke  camp 
in  the  spring  of  1865,  Jack  was  turned  loose  to  shift  for  himself. 
When  the  Regiment  marched  out  of  sight  he  was  contentedly  munch 
ing  at  a  pile  of  several  bushels  of  oats,  heaped  on  the  ground.  But 
he  was  not  loyal  to  his  former  master  and  had  been  too  long  with 
the  Regiment  to  be  forsaken  in  that  way  and  did  not  propose  to 
remain  alone  in  rebeldom,  even  if  unlimited  freedom  was  the  prof 
fered  bribe.  The  next  day  as  the  Chaplain  rode  in  the  marching 
column,  Jack  gaily  trotted  up  to  him.  After  trying  to  drive  him 
away  and  failing,  he  told  the  boys  to  get  a  rope,  put  a  halter  on 
him  and  load  him  with  their  pans,  kettles  and  knapsacks.  Thus 
he  participated  in  the  pursuit  of  Lee  and  the  long  return  march  to 
Washington,  was  then  sent  to  Meadow  Gap,  Huntingdon  County, 
and  became  the  property  of  a  Dutchman,  proportionately  diminu 
tive  as  he  was.  His  new  owner  never  having  possessed  a  horse  did 
not  understand  all  the  complicated  mechanism  of  a  horse's  anatomy 
and  a  few  days  after  the  sale  came  to  the  Chaplain  in  great  anxiety 
asking  him  to  take  Jack  back,  that  there  was  something  wrong  with 
him. 

"There  is  nothing  wrong  except  his  feet  and  you  knew  that 
before  you  bought  him." 

The  Dutchman  replied,  "There  is  something  wrong  witn  his 
insides,  when  he  runs  down  hill  they  go  gooly,  gooly,  gooly." 

He  was  persuaded  to  give  Jack  a  further  trial  and  became  so 
enamored  of  him  that  to  his  dying  day  he  was  rapturous  in  his  praise 
of  the  good  qualities  of  "mine  Shack." 

The  facts  were.  Jack's  feet  became  nearly  straight,  his  shaggv 
coat  short  and  lustrous  and  he  developed  into  considerable  of  a  horse. 

The  Chaplain  had  pronounced  views  as  to  when  foraging  was 
permissible,  contending  that  only  in  case  of  actual  need  or  to  deprive 


206  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

the  enemy  of  the  means  of  subsistence  was  it  ever  justifiable  and  then 
rarely  except  by  regular  organized  squads  sent  out  for  that  purpose. 
George  W.  Farnsler  says  that  the  first  ami  last  thing  he  ever  stole> 
while  belonging  to  the  Regiment,  was  a  bag  of  oats  which  he  thus 
appropriated  for  the  Chaplain's  horse,  while  in  front  of  Petersburg, 
and  the  Chaplain  made  him  carry  it  back  over  half  a  mile.  The 
Cha.plain  himself  never  but  twice  exercised  this  privilege  of  a 
soldier,  each  time  to  relieve  the  wants  of  Jim.  The  first  was  when 
on  a  hard  march  no  grain  could  be  obtained  and  Jim  had  been  with 
out  food  of  any  kind  for  more  than  twenty-four  hours.  Near  the 
place  of  the  evening  encampment  a  well-filled  corn  crib  was  found 
and  attacked  by  the  boys.  When  he  arrived  an  old  woman  and  her 
daughter  were  in  the  crib  on  the  com,  vigorously  defending  it 
against  a  dozen  soldiers  crowded  about  the  open  door.  Passing 
around  to  the  rear  he  pried  off  a  lath,  dropped  about  a  bushel  of 
ears  into  a  sack,  came  to  the  front,  handed  the  woman  fifty  cents, 
shouldered  his  corn  and  walked  off.  Later  when  Jim's  commissary 
was  again  empty,  he  followed  a  road  cut  zig-zag  through  the  dense 
pines,  for  a  mile,  and  came  to  where  corn  in  the  shock  had  been 
hauled  for  concealment.  From  this  he  husked  a  sack  full,  the  horse 
helping  himself  to  a  bountiful  feast  of  fodder. 

When  during  the  first  winter,  certain  of  the  Regiment  one 
morning  in  a  few  minutes  nearly  emptied  the  molasses  barrel  of 
the  commissary  of  the  Irish  Brigade,  by  means  of  sticks,  boards 
and  shingles  plunged  into  the  sticky  substance,  twisted  until  full  and 
then  turned  as  they  ran,  one  rushed  into  his  quarters  with  a  shingle 
from  which  was  scraped  three  quarts  of  the  pilfered  sweet.  No 
account  is  extant  as  to  what  became  of  it,  but  none  was  ever  returned 
to  the  sons  of  the  Emerald  Isle.  It  was  this  prank  in  addition  to 
many  similar  raids  on  pork,  beef  and  hard  tack  that  led  General 
Hancock  to  interview  a  detail  of  the  Regiment,  engaged  in  cutting 
wood  at  his  headquarters,  as  to  how  they  fared.  When  one  answered  : 

"General  we  do  not  get  half  enough  to  eat." 

The  General  responded,  "I  would  not  give  a  d—  -  for  a  soldier 
who  got  half  enough  and  could  not  steal  the  other  half." 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          207 

Tho  sequel  was  the  stealing  of  the  General's  breakfast,  off  his 
table,  a  few  weeks  later,  and  his  remark,  "if  I  could  get  Beaver 
and  his  Regiment  within  three  or  four  miles  of  Richmond,  they 
would  steal  the  city  and  Jeif  Davis  and  his  Cabinet  along  with  it." 

This  subject  recalls  several  meals  among  the  many  obtained 
under  peculiar  circumstances.  At  a  time  when  rations  were  scarce, 
one  of  his  company  sent  Captain  Bayard  a  nice  ham.  Although 
fresh  and  skinned  the  Captain,  under  the  circumstances  thankfully 
accepted  the  gift  and  asked  no  questions.  The  Captain  knew  the 
Chaplain's  scruples  in  regard  to  foraging  but  knowing  also  from  a 
conversation  of  a  few  hours  previous,  that  the  Chaplain's  mess  was 
out  of  meat  and  amost  every  thing  eatable,  generously  invited  him 
to  dinner.  The  Chaplain  knew  that  the  Captain's  larder  had  been  as 
empty  as  his  own.  Though  surprised  at  the  invitation  and  wonder 
ing  what  the  dinner  would  consist  of,  accepted  the  invitation  with 
the  alacrity  of  a  hungry  man.  If  he  discovered  the  probable  source 
of  the  dinner  he  kept  quiet  for  conscience  or  stomach's  sake  and  also 
asked  no  questions.  When  seated  at  the  table  the  Captain  suggested 
that  the  Chaplain  "say  grace,"  who  responded  in  a  reverent  and 
solemn  manner,  by  thanking  the  Giver  of  every  good  and  perfect 
gift,  for  so  abundantly  providing  for  them  this  food  in  their  hour 
of  need.  The  staff  who  knew  that  the  pig  was  stolen,  were  greatly 
amused. 

Xear  Falmouth  the  Regiment  went  rabbit  hunting.  A  large 
abandoned  field  overgrown  with  briars  provided  a  convenient  cover 
for  a  numerous  family.  The  discovery  was  no  sooner  made  than 
the  whole  force  charged  through  the  thickets  and  undergrowth,  yell 
ing  and  beating:  the  bunnies  out  of  their  retreat  and  capturing  a 
number.  The  Chaplain  crossing  the  field  by  a  path  saw  a  rabbit 
coming  as  only  a  badly  scared  rabbit  can,  squatted  down  in  the 
path  with  the  intention  of  trying  to  seize  it  as  it  passed.  The 
creature  possibly  taking  him  for  a  stump,  ran  under  his  coat  and 
started  up  his  back.  It  is  needless  to  add  that  it  constituted  a  very 
acceptable  portion  of  the  evening  meal. 

At  this  same  Falmouth  "Bob  CassidyV  famous  Christmas 
dinner  was  served.  The  Chaplain,  who  was  an  expert  axeman,  was 


208  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

at  work  Christmas  day  with  the  mess  hewing  logs  and  building  their 
winter  quarters,  known  from  its  resemblance  in  form  to  the  noted 
Confederate  ram,  as  the  Merrimac.  Bob  was  given  charge  of  the 
preparation  of  the  dinner,  consisting  of  pork  and  beans  in  the  form 
of  a  soup.  A  temporary  shack  for  shelter,  of  brush  and  leaves, 
had  been  erected  a  little  distance  from  where  the  Merrimac  was 
being  built.  Here  Bod  kindled  his  fire  and  placed  the  kettle  over 
it,  resting  on  two  logs.  The  contents  of  the  kettle  did  not  cook  as 
rapidly  as  desired.  The  exercise  of  the  open  air  whetted  the  appe 
tites  of  the  builders,  who  kept  calling  out,  "Bob,  what  is  wrong?" 
"Is  that  dinner  not  ready  ?"  At  length  when  almost  cooked  one 
log  burned  in  two  and  the  kettle  turned  upside  down  in  the  ashes. 
Bob  quickly  turned  it  over,  gathered  up  the  meat  and  what  beans 
he  could  with  his  hands,  threw  them  back  into  the  kettle,  brushed 
the  ashes  over  the  scene  of  the  catastrophe,  poured  water  into  the 
kettle  and  serenely  announced  dinner.  The  first  course  seemed 
all  right  and  Bob  was  praised  for  his  ability  as  a  cook,  but  when 
one  of  the  company  went  back  for  a  second  plate,  he  made  a  wry 
face  and  remarked  that,  "There  seems  to  be  a  good  many  ashes 
in  that  soup."  Bob  explained  it  by  the  statement  that  "the  wind 
blew  hard  and  I  could  not  keep  them  out."  But  the  next  one  dipping 
still  nearer  to  the  bottom  of  the  kettle  with  his  tin  cup,  got  sand 
which  began  to  grit  between  -his  teeth  and  demanded  how  sand  had 
gotten  in  there.  Bob  in  his  inimitable  way  gave  a  plausible  explana 
tion  for  this  but  after  dinner  was  compelled  to  tell  the  truth  about 
the  mishap. 

This  dinner  while  unusual  in  seasoning  <and  variety  was  not 
quite  so  abundant  as  when  the  mess  prepared  their  first  rice,  taking 
a  tin  cup  of  the  dry  cereal  for  each  man.  Vessels  were  not 
numerous  enough  to  hold  the  resulting  expansion  and  no  Chinaman 
ever  ate  more  rice  in  a  given  time  than  did  they. 

Scarce  as  provisions  were  at  times  the  distress  from  this  cause 
evidently  was  not  to  be  compared  to  that  endured  by  the  enemy. 
After  the  repulse  of  the  attack  popularly  known  as  "Hot  Coffee 
Hill,"  from  the  fact  that  the  morning  coffee  was  just  boiling  on  the 
camp  fires  when  the  first  volley  came,  scattering  both  breakfast  and 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          209 

men,  he  opened  the  haversack  of  a  dead  Confederate  and  found 
nothing  therein,  save  three  ears  of  dry  corn,  one  of  which  showed 
tooth  marks  where  an  attempt  had  been  made  to  eat  it  in  the  hard 
and  raw  state. 

The  duties  of  the  Chaplain  had  but  little  to  do  with  the  drill 
and  discipline  of  the  troops  and  perhaps,  after  his  promotion  he 
was  never  asked  but  once  to  give  them  an  order.  In  this  case  the 
regular  regimental  officers  being:  sick  or  absent  the  coiimand  for  a 
few  hours  devolved  upon  one  who  was  unaccustomed  to  this  responsi 
bility  and  not  very  familiar  with  the  manual  of  arms  and  the 
forms  in  which  orders  pertaining  thereto  as  well  as  the  ordinary 
formations  were  given..  The  Chaplain  was  watching  this  officer 
drilling  the  Regiment,  when  he  became  confused  and  turning  to  him 
said: 

"Chaplain,  you  give  the  order." 

"What  do  you  want  them  to  do?" 

"'You  know,  Chaplain,  just  give  it," 

"But  I  do  not  know.  I  shall  be  glad  to  do  so  if  you  tell  me 
what  you  want  done." 

"Hang  it,  bunch  them.  Chaplain,  bunch  them."  He  wanted 
them  massed  and  had  forgotten  the  order. 

The  Chaplain  was  not  a  coward  as  his  comrades  will  attest; 
nevertheless  on  a  certain  occasion  he  perhaps  was  the  worst  scared 
man  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  When  camping  he  was  ac 
customed  to  stretch  his  lariat  between  two  trees,  throw  his  tent 
over  one  end  and  gave  the  boys  the  privilege  of  placing  their 
pup  tents  on  the  remainder.  In  this  instance  the  rope  had  been 
stretched  from  an  apple  tree  whose  base  was  thickly  grown  about  with 
sprouts.  He  placed  his  tent  against  the  tree,  breaking  down  the 
sprouts  upon  which  he  spread  his  blankets  for  a  bunk.  The  pup 
tents  were  strung  out  on  the  line  two  feet  apart,  just  giving  room 
for  a  man  to  pass  between  them.  The  country  was  full  of  large 
black  snakes.  One  day  after  dinner  a  squad  of  soldiers  surrounded 
one  of  these  reptiles,  just  back  of  the  tents.  When  the  snake  would 
attempt  to  pass  the  circle,  they  by  yelling  and  stamping  their  feet 
would  drive  it  back.  The  snake  becoming  more  and  more  excited 


210  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

and  terrorized  was  making  every  effort  to  break  the  cordon,  when 
General  Caldwell  who  commanded  the  Division  and  was  a  very 
humane  officer,  attracted  by  the  furor  came  up  and  said,  "Boys, 
do  not  be  so  cruel.  If  you  are  going  to  kill  that  creature,  kill  it, 
but  do  not  torture  it  in  that  way."  While  the  attention  of  the 
circle  was  drawn  to  the  General,  the  snake  took  the  opportunity  to 
break  through  and  glided  down  between  the  first  pup  tent  and  the 
Chaplain's  tent,  where  he  met  a  soldier  coming  up  the  narrow  pas 
sage.  To  escape  the  new  foe  he  turned  aside  into  the  Chaplain's 
tent  and  started  for  the  apple  tree.  The  Chaplain  was  asleep  on 
his  bunk,  lying  on  his  back  with  his  mouth  open,  his  usual  manner 
when  in  that  posture  and  condition.  The  snake  ran  up  his  prostrate 
body  and  he  did  not  awake  until  it  was  crossing  his  face  in  its  flight 
up  the  tree.  ISTo  athlete  ever  made  such  a  spring  from  such  a 
position  and  when  he  landed  without  the  tent,  his  face  bloodless  and 
his  whole  frame  quivering  from  the  nervous  shock  he  was  greeted 
by  a  chorus  of  shouts,  "'The  Chaplain  has  swallowed  the  snake." 
V\rhen  his  snakeship  was  shaken  from  the  limb  where  he  had  COT,- 
cealed  himself  and  was  bayoneted  he  was  found  to  be  nearly  six 
feet  long. 

Though  the  boys  thought  often  and  even  sang  of  the  girls  they 
had  left  behind  them,  the  Chaplain  was  requested  to  solemnize  but 
one  marriage  during  his  army  experience.  This  was  the  marriage 
of  Colonel  Paul  and  an  English  lady  who  had  crossed  the  Atlantic 
for  that  purpose.  It  was  performed  at  night  in  the  Colonel's 
quarters  and  was  intended  to  be  somewhat  secret,  but  was  in  part 
revealed  by  the  hilarity  of  a  portion  of  the  participants,  and  in  part 
by  the  Chaplain  over  sleeping,  the  next  morning  indicating  to  watch 
ful  eyes  that  he  had  been  up  late.  The  wedding  was  a  double  one, 
only  one  bride  and  bridegroom,  but  two  separate  and  distinct  cere 
monies  being  performed,  one  Protestant,  the  other  Catholic.  A 
priest  who  was  a  Chaplain  in  the  Irish  Brigade,  being  the  other 
celebrant.  One  of  the  contracting  persons  was  a  Protestant,  the 
other  a  Catholic.  Certain  property  rights  were  involved  in  England 
and  the  English  law  required  that  the  double  ceremony  should  be 
performed.  Colonel  Paul  was  certainly  well  married.  A  few  hours 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          211 

after  the  wedding  the  bride  left  for  her  home  land  and  shortly  after 
Colonel  Paul  resigned  for  the  same  reason  that  made  his  wedding 
so  hilarious. 

The  Chaplain's  letters  during  181)3  refer  frequently  to  suf 
fering  with  rheumatism.  In  his  Rapidan  Station  letter  of  October 
4th,  he  says,  "I  have  been  troubled  with  rheumatism  to  some  extent 
for  a  week.  We  are  on  very  low  ground  and  in  a  thick  wood ;  the 
weather  has  been  very  cold  and  wet  for  several  days,  and  I  am 
satisfied  that  if  there  is  any  predisposition  to  rheumatism  in  a 
main's  system  soldiering  will  bring!  it  out,"  and  exprresses  the 
opinion  that  because  the  camping  ground  is  so  very  bad  the  "Regi 
ment  would  soon  move,  probably  to  Culpeper.  The  evening  of 
the  sixth  he  writes  that  the  order  to  move  had  been  received  and  they 
would  march  in  the  morning.  At  another  time  he  writes,  "It  has 
been  raining  for  several  days  and  is  rather  uncomfortable  when 
you  have  been  in  the  rain  constantly  for  seven  days  and  nights 
without  shelter  and  continually  chilled."  A  letter  from  the  North 
Anna  River,  May  26,  1864,  says,  "I  have  been  troubled  very  much 
with  headache  since  we  commenced  campaigning.  I  think  my 
stomach  is  out  of  order."  June  30th  he  writes,  "The  weather  has  been 
very  warm  for  several  days  but  is  cooler  now.  \Ve  have  had  no 
rain  for  several  weeks  and  the  dust  is  half  knee  deep  in  many  places. 
We  have  had  trouble  to  get  water,  there  being  none  except  when  we 
dig  for  it.  We  dig  holes  where  the  ponds  have  been  and  get  water 
in  three  or  four  feet."  What  kind  of  water  must  this  have  been  ? 
These  conditions,  indicating  physical  distress  and  approaching  sick 
ness  increased  rather  than  diminished.  One  of  the  surgeons  had 
instructed  him,  the  first  year  of  service,  never  to  enter  the  hospital 
without  first  having  eaten  something  if  only  a  piece  of  cracker. 
Early  in  August,  having  slept  late,  he  arose  hurriedly  and  at  once 
went  to  the  hospital  to  see  a  comrade  who  was  dangerously  sick  with 
fever.  The  surgeon  coming  in  asked : 

''Chaplain,  have  you  had  your  breakfast?" 

"No,  sir." 

"Then  at  once  get  out  of  this,  you  are  neither  well  nor  strong 
enough  to  take  this  kind  of  risk." 


212  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

A  week  later,  August  12,  he  was  down  with  fever  complicated 
with  diarrhoea.  In  a  semi-conscious  condition  he  was  sent  to  City 
Point  Hospital.  As  he  was  carried  to  the  ambulance  one  of  his 
brother  officers  remarked,  "That  is  the  last  we  shall  see  of  Chaplain 
Stevens."  The  route  lay  over  corduroy  roads  for  several  miles,  part 
of  the  distance.  Because  of  the  crowded  condition  of  the  ambulance, 
his  legs  from  the  knees  down  hung  out  of  the  rear  of  the  vehicle.  At 
this  hospital  he  overheard  several  of  the  surgeons  in  consultation. 
They  said  that  he  would  die  any  how  and  they  proposed  to  experi 
ment  on  him.  But  when  they  attempted  it  he  objected  to  being 
made  an  experiment  station.  He  vomited  almost  continually  until 
Wednesday  morning,  August  17th,  when  he  suddenly  broke  into  a 
profuse  perspiration  and  obtained  some  relief.  Friday,  19th,  he 
was  sent  by  boat  to  Carver  General  Hospital,  Washington.  He 
arrived  Sunday.  21st,  not  having  taken  any  nourishment  since 
leaving  City  Point.  He  was  so  weak  that  it  required  two  hours 
while  lying  on  his  back  to  pencil  a  short  note  to  his  wife,  closing 
with,  "In  all  this  affliction  the  Lord  is  kind."  That  night  the  vomit 
ing  returned  with  increased  pain  and  weakness.  He  believed  that 
his  life  was  at  the  time  preserved  by  the  gentle  ministrations  of  a 
lady,  a  Sanitary  Commission  nurse,  and  to  his  dying  day  he  re 
gretted  that  in  his  enfeebled  condition  he  forgot  to  secure  her  name 
and  address,  and  since  he  could  not  remember  it  he  was  never  after 
ward  able  to  thank  her  for  her  kindness.  About  the  first  of  Sep 
tember  he  was  furloughed.  Reaching  his  home  in  Orbisonia,  to 
which  place  the  family  had  removed  after  his  enlistment,  he  was 
carried  Jo  bed.  The  physician  said  that  he  could  not  live  more 
than  a  few  days.  He  had  an  intense  craving  for  green  vegetables. 
The  surgeons  had  said  that  it  would  be  almost  instant  death  to  eat  any 
thing  of  this  kind;  with  this  his  home  physician  agreed.  A  few 
evenings  after  his  home  coming,  his  wife  prepared  sliced  radishes 
for  supper.  From  his  bed  he  saw  them  on  the  table  in  an  adjoining 
room  and  begged  for  a  piece,  however  small.  Told  it  would  kill 
him,  he  replied,  "They  all  say  I  must  die  anyhow  and  I  might  as 
well  die  eating  what  I  want."  His  wife  went  to  the  kitchen,  he 
rolled  out  of  bed,  crawled  to  the  table  got  a  piece  of  radish,  ate  it 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          213 

and  when  she  returned,  she  found  him  under  the  table  in  a  state  of 
collapse.  All  was  excitement  and  consternation.  The  neighbors 
helped  to  carry  him  back  to  bed.  The  physician  was  hurriedly 
summoned.  He  said  he  could  not  live  until  morning.  In  a  little 
while  the  patient  sank  into  a  sleep,  which  all  felt  would  have  no 
waking.  A  former  companion  kept  watch  with  the  family.  At  ten 
o'clock  he  suggested  that  they  retire  and  get  some  rest  and  he  would 
call  them  when  needed.  That  comrade,  recently  describing  that 
night's  vigil  said  he  would  never  forget  the  thin  hand,  sunken  eyes, 
skin  drawn  over  the  bony  head,  the  neck  wasted  to  only  the  thickness 
of  the  wrist,  and  the  slow  labored  breathing  of  the  sleeper.  Long 
after  midnight  he  suddenly  awoke,  turned  his  head  and  safd, 
" Brother,  that  is  the  best  sleep  I  have  had  for  weeks.  I  am  better. 
I  am  not  doing  to  die.  My  work  is  not  done  yet,"  and  in  a  few 
minutes  he  was  again  asleep.  When  the  doctor  came  in  the  morn 
ing  and  saw  the  change  he  exclaimed,  ''This  is  a  miracle.  I  never 
saw  the  like  of  it.  Eat  all  the  green  things  you  care  to."  Two 
or  three  days  later  he  made  a  meal  on  sliced  radishes,  slept  soundly 
all  night,  began  to  eat  everything  green  he  craved  and  in  six  weeks 
joined  his  Regiment.  When  he  reached  camp,  one  of  the  first 
persons  he  met.  was  Surgeon  Davis  who  asked  in  surprise : 

"Chaplain,  how  is  this,  we  thought  you  were  dead  ?" 

He  told  his  story  and  the  surgeon  answered,  "Every  surgeon 
in  this  Army  would  have  said  it  would  have  killed  you/' 

"But,  Surgeon,"  the  Chaplain  responded,  "I  am  not  a  physician, 
but  it  seems  to  me  that  the  opposite  of  that  which  produces  disease 
should  aid  in  curing  it.  Chronic  diarrhoea  is  ordinarily  produced 
by  eating  green,  bulky  matter,  but  with  us  it  is  caused  by  eating 
concentrated  food,  such  as  hardtack,  pork  and  beef.  If  you  would 
feed  the  men  more  potatoes  and  cabbage  and  less  quinine  it  would 
be  far  better." 

The  Surgeon  replied,   "Perhaps  so." 

The  Chaplain  very  naturally  held  to  this  theory  to  the  end  of 
his  life  and  often  told  in  support  of  it,  how  when  two  gallons  of 
apple  butter  had  been  sent  him  from  home,  the  boys  begged  the 
most  of  it  from  him  and  that  it  was  better  for  them  thnn  medicine. 


214  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Also  how  one  evening  the  Regiment  camped  near  a  corn  field  in 
the  roasting  ear  period.  The  owner,  who  was  a  southern  sympathizer, 
when  the  boys  in  blue  were  not  around,  asked  for  a  guard  to  protect 
his  field.  The  officer  in  posting  the  guard,  said,  "Understand,  you 
are  not  to  see  any  one  taking  com  from  this  field  tonight."  The 
guard  faithful  to  instructions  saw  no  one  taking  corn,  neither  did 
the  morning  light  see  an  ear  of  corn  left  in  that  field.  There  were 
an  unusual  number  of  cases  of  diarrhoea  in  the  Regiment,  but  within 
three  or  four  days  after  that  corn  feast  all  had  disappeared. 

With  a  soldier's  natural  pride  in  his  own  command  he  con 
sidered  the  148th  one  of  the  best  Regiments  in  the  service;  thlat  it 
was  one  of  the  model  regiments  of  the  famous  Second  Corps,  and 
that  purely  from  its  soldierly  bearing  an'd  fighting  qualities  was 
General  Hancock's  favorite  in  the  Division.  He  gave  as  illustra 
tions  of  this  its  selection  to  carry  the  Spencer  magazine  rifles ;  the 
many  difficult  and  hazardous  tasks  required  of  it;  the  fact  that  when 
a  whole  Xew  York  brigade  had  been  hurled  back  in  an  attempt  to 
capture  the  enemy's  position,  the  General  indignantly  declared  that 
he  had  one  regiment  of  Pennsy  Iranians  who  could  alone  do  that 
work,  and  for  the  effect  on  other  troops,  he  requested 
the  commanding  officer  to  put  the  Regiment  through  the 
manual  of  arms  under  fire,  which  they  did  as  coolly  and  accur 
ately  as  if  on  parade;  also  Colonel  Fox's  statement  that  the  Regi 
ment  was  one  of  the  forty-five  infantry  regiments  losing  more  than 
two  hundred  killed  in  action.  Ten  corps  were  represented  in  this  roll 
of  honor,  the  Second  by  twelve  regiments,  no  other  having  more 
than  seven. 

He  attributed  the  high  standing  of  the  Regiment  to  three 
causes.  First,  its  splendid  material,  being  composed  of  hardy 
young  men  of  more  than  average  intelligence  and  character.  One 
of  the  regiments  of  which  President  Lincoln  said,  "I  could  pick 
out  from  among  them  a  body  of  men  competent  to  set  up  and  run 
any  government  on  the  face  of  the  earth."  Second,  to  the  character 
of  the  officers,  especially  Col.  James  A.  Beaver.  I  can  remember 
hearing  a  brother  who  was  an  officer  in  the  Fifth  Corps  say  to 
him,  "Our  regiment  would  have  been  as  good  as  yours  if  we  could 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          215 

have  had  your  Colonel/'  Third,  the  thorough  drill  and  rigid 
discipline,  especially  that  of  the  first  fall  and  winter.  He  frequently 
related  how  while  guarding  the  railroad  at  Cockeysville,  when  the 
enemy  was  reported  to  be  near,  some  of  the  boys  nearly  fainted  at 
the  noise  of  a  mouse  in  the  leaves,  the  same  men  a  few  months 
later  fighting  like  veterans  in  their  first  battle  at  Chancellorsville, 
and  believed  that  had  it  not  been  for  their  splendid  discipline 
the  Regiment  would  have  been  annihilated  that  day.  Of  that 
baptism  of  fire  he  writes  from  "Camp  near  Falmouth,  May  1^, 
1863:" 

"On  Friday,  May  1st,  the  battle  commenced  on  our  right  front 
one  and  one-half  miles.  We  were  ordered  forward  and  by  one 
o'clock  we  were  one  mile  from  Chancellorsville,  formed  in  line  of 
battle,  remained  in  position  a  short  time  and  then  fell  back  to 
Chancellorsville,  formed  in  line,  at  which  place  we  lost  our  first 
man.  We  buried  him,  advanced  one-half  mile  and  held  our  position 
until  Saturday  morning.  We  then  fell  back,  formed  a  new  line, 
held  it  during  all  the  fighting  on  Saturday  and  Saturday  night. 
During  all  this  time  we  had  six  companies  out  011  picket  in  front, 
but  had  sustained  but  little  loss — several  wounded  but  three  or  "four 
killed.  On  Sunday  the  four  companies,  which  were  not  on  picket 
went  into  the  battle  on  the  right,  where  I  suppose  was  the  hardest 
fight  ing  the  world  ever  knew,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  they  came 
out  to  the  rear  with  much  less  than  half  their  numbers.  Soon  after 
this  the  battle  ceased  for  that  time.  Our  loss  in  the  Regiment  is 
about  one  hundred  and  sixty.  About  forty  killed,  eight  prisoners, 
remainder  wounded.  I  spent  today  at  the  Division  Hospital  and  the 
boys  are  generally  doing  well.  I  saw  Brother  Whippo  and  Wagner, 
they  are  both  doing  well.  Wagner  is  wounded  through  the  thigh. 
He  is  able  to  walk  about.  Daniel  Woodring  had  his  arm  amputated 
on  Sunday  last.  He  is  doing  well  now.  This  makes  six  men  in 
Company  H  who  have  lost  an  arm  and  I  think  there  are  not  more 
than  four  or  five  in  the  whole  Regiment  besides.  The  rebs  appeared 
t«>  give  Company  H  the  hardest  knocks  somehow.  I  have  now 
seen  all  of  war  and  all  of  its  awful  consequences  and  still  my 
mind  is  unchanged.  I  haye  the  same  desire  to  see  the  Army 
advance  now,  that  I  had  before  its  last  moye.  The  salvation  of  the 
country  depends  upon  vigorous  effort.  The  Army  is  in  fine  spirits 
and  came  back  in  as  good  state  of  discipline  and  organization  as 
when  it  crossed  over,  save  its  thinned  ranks.  The  rebels  shelled 
our  hospital  several  times  during  the  fight. 


216  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

The  first  man  killed  in  the  Regiment,  mentioned  in  this  letter, 
was  Samuel  H.  Holloway,  of  Company  D.  A  shell  fired  by  one 
of  our  own  grins  exploded  immediately  in  the  rear  of  the  line,  a 
piece  of  lead  off  the  head  struck  the  upper  outside  of  his  knapsack, 
passing  down  through  and  coming  out  of  the  lower  inner  edge, 
passing  through  his  body  and  coming  out  in  front.  On  his  person 
was  an  ambrotype  of  his  wife  having  upon  its  case  the  inscription. 
"A  thousand  shall  fall  at  thy  side,  and  ten  thousand  at  thy  right 
hand,  but  it  shall  not  come  nigh  thee."  Robert  A.  Cassidy  took 
from  his  clothing,  his  effects  and  with  the  Chaplain  prepared  his 
body  for  burial,  by  rolling  it  in  his  blanket.  "Tine"  Rumbarger 
and  L.  B.  Bathurst  dug  the  grave  under  a  thorn  or  haw  tree  on  the 
north  side  of  the  road.  The  Chaplain  committed  his  body  with  the 
rites  of  the  church,  probably  being  the  only  soldier,  who  fell  upon 
that  field,  who  was  thus  buried. 

Daniel  Woodring  whose  arm  is  mentioned  as  having  been 
amputated,  had  an  experience  worthy  of  record  as  an  example  to 
this  generation,  as  to  how  they  suffered  and  endured  in  those  days, 
that  tried  men's  souls.  At  3:00  P.  M.  Saturday,  May  2d,  with  three 
others  he  was  detailed  from  Company  H  and  sent  to  the  picket 
line  near  where  General  Miles  had  been  wounded.  Here  they  re 
mained  until  daybreak  May  3d,  when  they  were  ordered  to  rejoin 
their  command,  which  they  did  just  as  the  Regiment  was  falling  in, 
and  not  in  time  to  get  anything  to  eat.  In  the  engagement  that 
immediately  followed,  Woodring  was  so  severely  wounded  as  to  be 
unable  to  get  from  the  field,  but  was  carried  to  the  Twelfth  Corps 
Hospital.  The  woods  in  which  it  was  located  was  soon  heavily 
shelled  and  hurried  preparation  was  made  to  move.  Discovering 
that  he  was  to  be  left  behind,  he  called  to  the  steward  and  asked 
to  be  taken  along.  The  latter  replied,  "Lay  there  and  die  and  be 
d —  — ,  that  will  be  the  end  of  you  anyhow."  After  the  hospital 
was  gone  he  turned  on  his  face  and  by  keeping  his  head  low  down, 
managed  to  crawl  down  the  hill  to  where  he  heard  running  water, 
for  which  he  intensely  thirsted,  but  got  into  a  hole  made  by  a 
fallen  tree  and  could  not  get  out.  About  sundown  the  124th  Penn 
sylvania  Volunteers  marched  by.  The  Colonel  stepped  to  the  bank 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          217 

and  asked  what  he  was  doing  there.  When  told  of  his  helpless  condi 
tion,  he  took  four  men,  made  a  stretcher  of  their  muskets  and  ordered 
them  to  carry  him  to  the  road.  When  the  road  was  reached  it  was  at 
the  point  where  the  Twelfth  Corps  Hospital  train  was  standing. 
When  the  bearers  attempted  to  put  him  on  an  ambulance,  the  same 
steward  swore  they  should  not  do  so.  The  Chaplain  of  the  148th 
had  just  come  up  looking  for  the  wounded  of  his  Regiment.  He 
told  them  to  put  him  in.  Again  the  steward  in  the  same  profane 
way  objected,  and  blustering  and  swaggering,  declared  what  he 
would  do  if  it  was  attempted.  Instantly  the  Chaplain's  coat  was 
off  and  telling  the  steward  that  he  would  grind  him  into  the  earth 
if  he  interfered,  turned  to  the  detail  and  said,  "Put  him  in,"  which 
they  prompty  did  while  the  steward  swore  and  threatened  but  kept 
at  a  safe  distance.  The  Chaplain  then  ordered  the  ambulance  to 
the  north  bank  of  the  river.  Early  Monday  morning,  the  hospital 
there  being  shelled,  Peter  Frantz  helped  the  wounded  man  to  his 
own  corps  hospital  tent,  where  an  ambulance  was  starting  for 
Potomac  Creek,  upon  which  he  was  placed.  Upon  arriving,  there 
he  was  carried  into  a  small  tent,  which  afterwards  was  tied  shut 
from  the  outside  and  the  occupant  forgotten,  being  too  weak  from 
loss  of  blood  and  lack  of  nourishment  to  make  sufficient  noise  to  be 
heard  from  the  outside.  Sunday,  May  llth,  he  was  discovered  by  a 
comrade,  who  out  of  curiosity  looked  into  the  tent.  His  wounded 
arm  was  full  of  maggots.  Stimulants  and  a  little  food  were  given 
him,  the  first  he  had  since  May  2d,  then  only  a  cracker  or  two.  In 
the  afternoon  his  arm  was  amputated.  He  recovered  and  is  still 
living. 

Five  days  after  his  first  letter,  the  Chaplain  again  writes  of 
this  battle: 

4<Our  Corps  is  cut  up  most,  being  in  the  hottest  of  the  fight, 
George  T.  Jones  has  come  to  life.  He  was  wounded  through  the 
leg  just  above  the  ankle;  bone  was  broken.  He  was  a  prisoner  and 
is  paroled.  He  with  a  number  of  others  came  to  our  General 
Hospital  on  Thursday  last  The  surgeons  held  a  consultation  yes 
terday  and  decided  that  his  leg  must  come  off,  but  after  they  had 
him  on  the  amputating  table,  through  his  entreaties,  concluded  to 
leave  it  a  few  days.  I  hope  it  will  not  have  to  come  off.  Many  of 


218  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

our  wounded  and  the  wounded  rebels  burned  to  death.  Those  who 
came  back  had  to  crawl  on  their  hands  and  knees  to  get  out  of  the 
fire.  Some  of  them  had  matches  with  which  they  set  the  leaves  on 
fire  and  burned  against  the  running  fire  and  by  that  means  saved 
•themselves,  but  they  say  some  of  the  wounded  men  trying  to  get 
away  fainted  and  fell  into  the  fire.  Poor  fellows !  This  causes 
the  heart  to  sicken." 

George  T.  Jones,  referred  to,  made  his  escape  from  burning 
to  death,  through  the  kindness  of  a  Confederate  soldier.  Shot 
several  times,  including  a  severe  wound  in  the  leg,  unable  to  walk, 
the  wood  on  fire  all  around  him,  he  was  in  danger  of  burning  to 
death,  when  he  appealed  for  help  to  this  Confederate  who  was 
charging  past.  He  helped  Jones  up,  told  him  to  put  his  arms 
around  his  neck  and  hold  on.  This  he  did  while  the  Confederate 
half  dragged  him  along.  When  the  order  ran  down  the  line,  "Guide 
right,"  he  obeyed  and  as  Jones  fell  off,  he  told  him  what  direction 
to  crawl  to  escape  the  fire.  General  Lee  not  being  able  to  care  for 
the  captured  wounded,  sent  the  worst  injured  back  to  their  own  lines 
under  a  flag  of  truce.  Jones  was  among  these.  His  leg  never  came 
off.  He  also  still  lives. 

His  letters  contain  frequent  references  to  the  hardships,  strug 
gles  and  valor  of  the  Regiment,  October  18,  1863,  from  near  Bull 
Kun  he  writes : 

"We  are  packed  and  waiting  for  orders  to  fall  in.  It  is  two 
weeks  since  I  have  written  and  they  have  been  weeks  of  great  excite 
ment.  We  have  been  marching  and  counter-marching  all  the  time, 
day  and  night.  You  will  have  learned  by  this  time  that  the  Second 
Corps  was  rear  guard  on  the  retreat  from  the  Rapidan  to  this 
place.  We  were  twice  surrounded  and  cut  OUT  way  out.  On  last 
Wednesday  morning  while  we  were  cooking  our  breakfast,  the  rebs 
opened  a  battery  on  us,  throwing  shells  directly  into  our  ranks.  We 
soon  make  them  skedaddle,  but  had  four  or  five  men  killed  and 
several  wounded  in  the  Division,  two  were  slightly  wounded  in  the 
Regiment.  In  the  afternoon,  just  as  the  column  reached  Bristoe  Sta 
tion,  the  rebs  pitched  out  on  the  railroad  in  our  front,  when  a  brisk 
fight  took  place.  Our  boys  went  in  and  the  enemy  soon  ran.  The 
Regiment  had  two  wounded  in  tihis  engagement,  one  having  an 
arm  torn  off  by  a  shell.  We  have  had  a  number  of  brushes  with  the 
enemy  since  we  reached  this  position,  but  now  he  seems  to  have 
left  us,  whether  he  has  gone  back  to  the  Rappahannock  or  toward 
Pennsylvania,  we  do  not  know." 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          219 

May  16,  1864,  he  says: 

"We  broke  camp  on  the  evening  of  the  3d,  crossed  the  Rapidan 
River  at  Ely's  Ford  on  the  morning  of  the  4th  and  camped  on  the 
old  Chancellorsville  battlefield.  Yesterday  morning  we  resumed  the 
march  and  arrived  in  line  in  the  afternoon.  The  battle  raged  furi 
ously  from  3  :00  p.  M.  until  after  dark  and  opened  at  daylight  this 
morning  and  continued  until  about  10  :00  A.  M.,  since  which  time 
all  has  been  quiet  except  a  little  burst  occasionally  on  the  front 
line.  We  have  driven  the  enemy  and  held  the  field.  Four-thirty 
o'clock:  The  battle  is  raging  again.  The  musketry  is  desperate. 
Saturday  morning,  7th:  The  battle  last  evening  did  not  last  over 
an  hour,  but  was  very  destructive.  There  has  not  been  much  fight- 
ing  this  morning." 

May  llth: 

"I  am  safe  and  well  but  Brother  David  has  fallen.  He  was 
killed  in  a  charge  on  Sunday  evening  (the  8th).  Brother  Frank 
came  to  our  hospital  this  morning.  He  and  I  rode  to  the  grave, 
Frank  having  buried  him  on  Monday  morning.  He  was  shot 
through  the  body.  We  have  not  seen  any  person  who  saw  him  after 
he  was  wounded,  but  he  evidently  lived  for  some  time,  as  he  had 
l>een  carried  to  the  rear  on  his  own  blanket.  He  was  dead  when 
Frank  found  him.  The  shot  was  falling  so  heavily  about  the  grave 
that  we  were  compelled  to  leave  our  horses  in  shelter  and  creep  to 
it.  This  is  the  seventh  day  of  the  battle  and  it  still  rages  desper 
ately.  We  have  fought  hard  all  day.  The  battle  is  going  most 
furiously  now." 

Two  days  later  from  near  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  he 
writes : 

"Yesterday  was  the  most  terrible  day  I  ever  witnessed.  The 
battle  commenced  at  or  before  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  and 
continued  all  day.  The  skirmish  line  was  engaged  all  night  and  is 
still  fighting.  The  battle  opened  yesterday  morning  with  a  charge 
by  our  Corps  in  which  they  captured  the  enemy's  works,  with  cannon 
and  everything  011  that  part  of  their  line.  We  got  many  prisoners 
and  three  Generals.  The  slaughter  was  awful.  We  received  nine  hun 
dred  wounded  into  our  Division  Hospital  during  the  day.  We  lost 
heavily  in  our  Regiment  yesterday,  about  seventy-five.  Our  officers 
have  come  off  well.  The  Lieutenant  Colonel  is  missing  but  may 
turn  up.  All  is  quiet  at  this  time,  8  :00  A.  M.,  except  on  the  skirmish 
line  where  there  is  constant  musketry  fire.  I  must  close  and  go  and 
see  the  wounded." 


220  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

May  i^Gtli  wliile  sitting  on  the  ground,  he  wrote: 

"We  this  day  commenced  the  fourth  week  of  the  tight.  This 
ib  the  22d  day  and  we  have  fought  more  or  less  every  day.  We 
have  now  advanced  to  the  North  Anna  River.  Our  Corps  on 
Friday  night  of  last  week  marched  from  the  Court  House  by  a 
circuitous  route,  some  thirty  miles  and  came  in  on  the  enemy's 
flank,  who  made  haste  to  leave.  Sunday  we  lay  quiet  while  the 
other  corps  followed  the  enemy.  Monday  morning  we  fell  into 
the  line  of  march  and  came  up  to  the  enemy  in  the  evening-,  who 
was  strongly  fortified  on  the  south  side  of  the  river.  Our  boys 
charged  and  drove  him  out  of  his  works.  Tuesday  our  lines  ad 
vanced  one  mile  from  the  river.  All  was  quiet  yesterday,  except 
skirmishing  and  some  shelling.  Xothing  doing  today,  except 
skirmishing.  Though  a  great  deal  of  cannonading  there  was  not  as 
much  musketry  firing  in  this  fight  as  usual,  consequently  our  loss 
is  not  heavy.  The  report  is  that  we  are  going  to  flank  again  by 
way  of  the  Pamunkey  River,  and  by  way  of  the  White  House  en 
deavor  to  reach  Richmond.  The  railroad  from  Fredericksburg  to  Rich 
mond  is  now  being  destroyed ;  this  indicates  a  change  of  base.  The 
trains  have  now  begun  to  move  which  indicates  that  the  troops  will 
move  at  dark  this  evening." 

Five   days   later   he   says: 

"•Since  I  last  wrote  we  have  marched  around  the  enemy's  right 
flank  again  and  have  crossed  the  Pamunkey  River,  some  distance 
above  the  White  House.  We  are  within  twelve  miles  of  Richmond. 
We  have  not  had  a  general  engagement  since  we  came  here,  but 
had  very  hard  skirmish  fighting  yesterday  and  last  night  and  some 
heavy  cannonading.  I  left  the  front  this  morning  to  get  my  horse 
shod  and  am  now  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  six  miles  in  the  rear  of 
the  line  and  there  is  now  heavy  cannonading  at  the  front.  T  sup 
pose  we  shall  have  to  fight  every  foot  of  the  way  to  Richmond  now." 

On  the  day  of  Cold  Harbor  he  writes : 

"This  has  been  a  desperate  day.  Our  forces  charged  the 
enemy  in  their  intrenchments  this  morning  and  captured  the  first 
line.  The  lines  are  within  a  few  rods  of  each  other  now  and  neither 
can  stick  their  heads  up  for  fear  of  being  shot  Our  Regiment  has 
suffered  heavily  today.  This  is  the  thirtieth  day  of  the  fight  and 
more  desperate  than  any  other.  We  are  still  driving  the  enemy, 
but  it  is  by  inches.  They  fight  desperately.  I  scarcely  know  how 
any  escape.  On  some  of  the  battlefields  there  is  hardly  a  tree  or 
bush  that  is  not  cut  to  pieces  with  balls." 

The  letter  of  June  7th  contains  these  suggestive  statements: 


THE  i48THfPENNSYLyAN!A  VOLUNTEERS          221 

"\Ye  this  morning  enter  upon  the  thirty-fourth  day  of  the 
strife.  Our  lines  are  not  materially  changed  from  what  they  were 
when  1  last  wrote.  We  seem  to  be  preparing  for  a  siege  and  are 
building  forts  and  digging  intrench  men  ts,  in  fact  are  digging  under 
the  enemy's  works.  We  may  have  another  Yicksburg  aii'air.  Our 
losses  for  several  days  have  not  been  so  heavy  as  formerly,  but  our 
Regiment  has  lost  fifty  men  since  we  crossed  the  Pamunkey,  inost 
of  them  we  lost  on  the  3d.  We  have  lost  in  all  three  hundred  and 
fifty  men.  There  are  but  three  men  with  the  Regiment  of  all  I 
brought  with  me  from  Bald  Eagle.  Sergeant  Fugate,  Corporal 
Bumgardner  and  Private  Farnsler.  McDonald  is  dead.  He  is  the 
only  one  of  my  men  who  was  dangerously  wounded.  There  were 
six  Colonels  in  our  Brigade  when  we  started  from  camp,  now  our 
Colonel  is  the  only  one  left.  One  was  discharged,  one  captured, 
one  wounded  and  two  killed.  We  have  also  lost  three  or  four  Lieu 
tenant  Colonels.  I  trust  the  strife  that  has  caused  our  Nation  and 
individuals  such  heart  rending  agony  and  grief  may  soon  close  and 
Oh !  with  what  delight  I  could  welcome  that  day." 

June  30 tli : 

"We  have  been  quiet  on  the  left  of  the  line  for  six  days.  There 
has  been  some  skirmishing  and  cannonading  on  the  right  of  Appo- 
mattox  River,  near  Petersburg.  Our  part  of  the  line  is  five  miles 
south  of  that  city.  We  have  less  than  two  hundred  men  out  of  eight 
hundred.  We  have  had  a  number  captured.  We  lost  one  Lieutenant 
and  two  Captains  on  the  22d.  We  supposed  they  were  all  captured 
but  the  body  of  one  of  the  Captains  has  been  found  on  the  skirmish 
line." 

December  llth  he  wrote  to-  his  sister: 

"Within  a  few  weeks  we  have  changed  camp  six  times  in  rain 
and  mud.  The  weather  is  cold  now  and  requires  the  erection  of 
chimneys  in  our  quarters.  We  had  a  snow,  or  more  of  a  sleet  on 
the  night  of  the  8th,  a  portion  of  which  is  still  on  the  ground,  in 
consequence  of  which  this  has  been  to  me  a  lonely  Sabbath.  We 
could  not  hold  services  and  the  day  has  been  cold,  damp  and  dreary, 
but  now  at  nine  o'clock  the  stars  shine  forth  all  beautiful  and 
lovely  as  though  no  hostile  armies  were  encamped  beneath  them. 
We  may  have  better  weather  and  Oh !  how  I  desire  it,  knowing  as 
1  do  that  manv  of  our  brave  boys  are  far  from  camp  at  this  time. 
Think  of  a  pelting  sleet  such  as  you  have  in  old  Pennsylvania  some 
times,  and  imagine  yourself  out  in  the  woods  or  fields"  with  a  little 
shelter  tent  and  one  blanket,  without  fire  and  you  have  a  faint 
description  of  camping  this  season  of  the  year.'- 


222  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

He  then  mentions  recent  movements  of  the  troops  through 
and  fighting  in  the  snow  and  mud,  and  says : 

"In  all  this  last  move,  our  Regiment  has  been  highly  favored, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  we  garrison  forts,  we  were  left  on  the  line, 
and  did  not  break  camp.  We  are  now  as  a  Corps  on  the  extreme 
left,  having  left  the  front  of  Petersburg  two  weeks  ago  and  our 
Regiment  now  garrisons  Forts  Sampson  and  Gregg.  1  think  our 
Regiment  is  being  favored  on  account  of  their  daring  deed  on  the 
evening  of  October  27th,  in  which  one  hundred  of  them  charged 
and  captured  one  of  the  enemy's  strongest  forts  in  front  of  Peters- 
burg." 

Captain  J.  Z.  Brown,  who  led  this  assault,  said  while  sitting 
in  the  Chaplain's  quarters  after  his  return  from  the  leave  of  absence, 
granted  as  a  partial  reward  for  his  gallant  deed,  "Chaplain,  it  is 
all  very  nice  to  be  Major,  sent  home,  have  receptions  and  dinners 
tendered  you,  have  your  portrait  in  Harper's  Weekly  as  the  hero 
of  Fort  Crater,  but  when  I  was  ordered  to  go  in  there  that  night 
I  felt  I  was  receiving  my  death  sentence,  but  I  was  an  American 
soldier  and  my  duty  was  to  unhesitatingly  obey  orders,  but  the 
next  time  General  Miles  or  General  Hancock  or  any  of  the  rest 
of  them  have  a  job  like  that  on  hand,  they  are  welcome  to  do  it 
themselves,  I  have  had  glory  enough." 

March  31,  1865,  he  writes  in  regard  to  the  last  campaign: 

"On  the  evening  of  the  28th  we  received  orders  to  move  at  six 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  accordingly  we  marched  on  the  morning 
of  the  29th,  moving  by  the  left  naiik.  On  the  afternoon  of  that 
day  we  found  Johnny  and  drove  him  back  toward  the  South  Side 
Railroad.  Yesterday  we  advanced  one  mile  and  found  the  enemy 
strongly  intrenched,  but  there  was  not  much  fighting  done  on  account 
of  the  rain  which  fell  in  torrents  all  day.  Reports  say  that  little 
Phil.  Sherdian  has  cut  the  railroad  on  our  left.  I  know  that  he 
marched  in  that  direction  and  I  am  inclined  to  believe  the  rumor." 

On  the  same  sheet  of  paj>er,  the  back  of  a  company  quarterly 
returns  of  enlistments,  next  morning,  Saturday,  April  1st,  he  adds : 

"Soon  after  I  finished  writing  yesterday  morning  a  furious 
battle  commenced,  which  continued  with  short  intervals,  until  dark, 
at  which  time  the  enemy  had  been  driven  a  mile.  Our  Regiment 
suffered  severely  as  usual.  I  do  not  know  the  number  of  casualties. 
Our  Adjutant  was  shot  dead.*  The  Captain  commanding  the  Regi- 

*This  refers  to  Lieutenant  Everhart  who  had   been  Acting  Adjutant  but  was 
then  in  command  of  C  Company.  — (EDITOR.) 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          225 

ment  was  shot  through  the  heel,  one  Lieutenant  was  slightly 
wounded,  the  color  bearer  was  killed  just  as  he  was  planting  the 
colors  on  the  enemy's  works.  All  is  quiet  this  morning  except  a 
little  practice  on  the  skirmish  line.  It  has  ceased  to  rain  and  the 
weather  is  fine  but  the  roads  are  very  bad." 

That  night  soon  after  dark,  the  Regiment  quietly  moved  for 
ward  in  line  of  battle.  He  essayed  to  go  with  them  when  the  officer 
in  command  said : 

"Chaplain,  this  is  no  place  for  you ;  you  will  be  needed  at  the 
hospital  before  morning." 

"What  is  up?" 

4'I  do  not  know,  but  I  believe  the  Confederacy  will  fall  to 
night." 

He  went  to  his  quarters,  fell  asleep  and  a  little  after  midnight 
was  awakened  by  the  crash  of  artillery.  It  made  him  so  nervous 
that  the  comrade  at  his  side  noticed  it  and  asked : 

"Chaplain,  are  you  cold  ?" 

"No." 

"Are  you  sick,  you  tremble  on  ?" 

"No,  the  fight  tonight  has  kind  of  stirred  me  up.  That  is  the 
heaviest  cannonading  I  have  heard  since  Gettysburg." 

The  impression  had  fastened  upon  him  that  what  the  officer 
had  said  was  true.  The  discharges  began  to  come  in  volleys.  He 
knew  that  one  line  was  falling  back,  standing  and  falling  back 
•again,  but  which  one?  He  arose  and  stood  at  the  door  of  his 
quarters  until  he  perceived  that  the  volleys  were  getting  farther 
away,  then  lay  down.  When  he  awoke  it  was  morning.  ATI  orderly 
dashed  past  to  the  hospital.  He  heard  the  order  given  to  move. 
Bushing  to  him  he  asked: 

"Where  is  the  Second  Corps?" 

"I  do  not  know,  perhaps  in  Richmond." 

"Have  they  been  captured  ?" 

"No,  man ;  don't  you  know  Petersburg  has  fallen  ?" 

Obtaining  leave  to  join  the  Regiment,  he  and  Jim  were  soon 
on  their  way,  leaving  the  mess  to  care  for  the  camp  outfit 


224  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

He  kept  with  the  Regiment  to  the  end.  On  the  march  General 
Sheridan  dashed  by  shouting,  "Go  in  boys,  we  have  just  captured 
3,000  of  them  down  here  and  old  General  Early  among  them." 

April  7th,  at  Farmsville,  while  talking  with  Brigade  Bugler 
Joseph  II.  Law,  that  battle  opened.  Law  had  just  spoken  of  his 
home,  his  wife  a.nd  little  boy  of  four  years  whom  he  had  not  seen 
since  his  enlistment,  and  of  how  anxious  he  was  to  see  them  and 
said,  "Chaplain,  Lee  is  on  his  last  legs.  He  will  surrender  in  a  day 
or  two  and  then  we  shall  soon  get  home."  He  turned  and  rode  into 
the  battle  and  in  a  few  minutes  a  solid  shot  swept  his  head  from  his 
shoulders,  the  last  man  to  fall  in  the  Regiment. 

General  Lee's  surrender  was  announced  by  General  Meade, 
hat  in  hand,  white  hair  flying  in  the  wind,  shouting  with  every  leap 
of  his  horse,  which  apparently  was  as  much  excited  as  the  rider, 
"They  have  surrendered  !  They  have  surrendered !" 

Then  came  the  shock  of  the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln 
of  which  he  writes 

"It  is  astonishing  what  a  change  has  come  over  the  minds  of  the 
men  composing  the  Army  since  the  assassination  of  President  Lin 
coln.  Before  that  horrible  act  was  perpetrated,  four-fifths  of  the 
soldiers  would  have  been  satisfied  with  peace  on  the  simple  terms  of 
submission  upon  the  part  of  the  South  and  perhaps  the  execution  of 
Jeff  Davis,  could  he  have  been  arrested,  but  now  every  man  demands 
the  execution  of  all.  The  enlisted  men  of  the  rebel  Army  are 
treated  kindly  by  the  soldiers.  They  do  not  appear  to  recognize  them 
a?  enemies  but  woe  be  to  the  leaders  if  they  ever  fall  into  soldiers' 
hands." 

Then  came  the  illumination  of  Richmond  Heights  and  the 
march  backward  over  the  old  battlefields,  an  incident  of  which  was 
an  old  negro  dancing  by  the  road  side  and  singing  an  im 
promptu  song,  "Bress  de  Lawd  Massa  Lincum's  got  the  biggest  drove 
dis  time,-'  with  the  refrain, 

"If  you'  git  dar  befo'  I  do, 

Tell  Uncle  Abe  Fs  comin'  too," 

while  tho  boys  piled  his  hat,  arms  and  the  ground  about  him  full  of 
hard  tack. 

From   Burkesville,    Virginia,    April   28th,   he   wrote  his   wife: 

"My  girl  is  baking  pies  this  afternoon,  and  I  have  had  my  sew 
ing  in  my  hands  all  day  and  feeling  tired  have  concluded  to  write. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          225 

I  have  looked  forward  to  the  time  which  might  elapse  between  the 
cessation  of  hostilities,  and  our  discharge,  with  some  degree  of  dread, 
but  I  did  not  think  of  that  time  being  so  long.  I  thought  Lee  would 
put  up  a  stiffer'fight  this  snring  than  he  did  and  that  he  would  not 
be  conquered  until  in  the  summer.  If  we  have  to  wait  for  our  dis 
charge,  until  our  term  of  enlistment  expires,  four  months  hence,  the 
time  will  grow  very  monotonous,  for  soldiers  live  on  excitement.  In 
my  dreams  last  night  I  thought  myself  in  your  company,  before  we 
were  married  and  we  were  making  arrangements  for  the  wedding. 
This  was  getting  rather  behind  hand." 

Frequently  in  his  letters  and  conversation  he  referred  to  the 
homesickness,  hinted  at  here,  that  came  over  men  in  the  Regiment, 
how  he  had  seen  men  die  from  it,  had  taken  them  into  his  quarters 
and  had  tried  to  cheer  them  up,  felt  that  no  one  who  had  not  experi 
enced  it  could  realize  the  depressing  effect,  it  had  on  a  soldier's  life 
and  believed  this  and  not  cowardice  or  lack  of  true  patriotism  would 
explain  most  of  the  desertions.  Homesickness  at  this  time  was 
especially  prevalent  among  the  recruits  of  the  last  winter  who  now 
believed  that  the  original  members  of  the  Regiment  would  be  dis 
charged  in  August  while  they  would  have  to  remain  longer.  Ap 
parently  later  he  closes  the  letter  quoted  above  with : 

"News  has  -just  reached  us,  of  the  surrender  of  General  John 
son  to  General  Grant  on  the  same  terms  that  General  Lee  received. 
This  closes  up  the  scene  and  we  may  soon  get  home." 

The  pie  baking  girl  referred  to  was  "Tine"  Rum  burger,  and 
the  sewing  probably  that  of  repairing  his  coat,  The  Regiment  had 
an  enviable  reoutation  for  neatness  and  cleanliness.  Because  of  this 
as  well  as  their  soldierly  bearing  it  was  not  unusual  for  them  to  bt 
taken  for  resnilars.  The  Colonel's  orders  in  this  respect  were  like 
those  of  the  Medes  and  Persians — imperative.  His  inspections  were 
thorough  to  the  minutest  detail.  To  groups  of  old  soldier  friends, 
the  Chaplain  often  humorously  related  how  there  was  one  young 
man  in  the  Regiment  in  its  early  history,  who  was  exceedingly  un 
tidy.  He  would  come  to  Sunday  morning  inspection  in  a  generally 
unkempt  condition,  including  dirty  hands,  neck  and  ears.  He  was 
often  warned,  advised  and  reproved  but  his  appearance  did  not  im 
prove.  One  morning  the  Colonel  ordered  him  out  of  line  and  to 


226  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

his  tent.  When  inspection  was  over  an  orderly  summoned  the  young 
fellow  to  the  regimental  headquarters,  where  Colonel  Beaver  with 
coat  off,  sleeves  rolled  up  and  an  abundance  of  soap  and  water 
waited  to  receive  him.  When  the  delinquent  appeared  he  mildly 
said  to  him : 

"I  want  to  wash  you." 

"But,  Colonel,  1  can  wash  myself." 

"No  you  cannot^  for  no  young  man  would  ^o  as  filthy  as  you  do 
if  he  could  wash  himself." 

And  there  in  the  presence  of  a  good  share  of  the  Regiment  he 
gave  the  fellow  such  a  scrubbing  as  he  never  forgot  and  was  not 
necessary  to  repeat.  This  habit  of  cleanliness  followed  the  Regiment 
to  the  last.  While  lying  at  Alexandria,  waiting  to  be  mustered  out, 
the  Chaplain  had  one  of  the  few  wash  basins  in  camp,  nearly  every 
thing  of  that  kind  having  been  cast  aside  on  the  long  march  from 
Richmond.  It  was  in  almost  constant  use.  An  Irish  woman  came 
into  the  camp  selling  fruit.  A  few  minutes  after  she  had  left  the 
vicinity  of  the  Chaplain's  quarters  an  officer  rushed  in  exclaiming: 

"Chaplain  did  you  give  that  woman  your  wash  basin  ?" 

"No,  I  did  not." 

"Did  you  sell  it  to  her  ?" 

"No,  what  is  wrong  ?" 

"Then  she  stole  it,  for  she  has  carried  it  off." 

"Well,  then  you  must  catch  her  and  get  it,  or  go  dirty." 

The  officer  dashed  out  of  the  tent  and  after  a  lively  sprint  over 
took  the  woman  and  charged  her  with  stealing  the  Chaplain's  wash 
basin.  She  indignantly  denied  the  accusation.  He  jerked  up  her 
apron,  when  the  basin,  which  had  been  concealed  thereunder,  fell 
to  the  ground. 

While  a  private  was  not  excused  if  he  failed  in  neatness,  for 
an  officer  to  appear  shabby,  could  not  be  tolerated  and  was  nearly 
an  unpardonable  offense.  In  the  case  of  the  coat  referred  to,  its 
front  had  become  badly  worn.  The  Regiment  had  not  been  paid  for 
four  months.  There  was  neither  money  nor  opportunity  to  get  a 
new  coat,  and  he  resorted  to  the  expedient  of  cutting  a  piece  off  the 
tail,  which  was  long  and  in  good  condition.  With  this  piece  he 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          227 

faced  the  front.  Another  economical  expedient  resorted  to,  to  rnjiin- 
tain  the  standard  of  dress,  was  to  buy  paper  collars,  wear  them  un 
til  soiled,  then  split  them  and  by  turning  the  inside  out  make  one 
serve  as  long  as  three. 

June  3d,  the  anniversary  of  Cold  Harbor,  came  their  discharge, 
with  the  glad  cry,  "Boys  this  is  not  a  year  ago,"  and  the  148th  deeds 
of  courage,  devotion  and  suffering  had  become  history.  Two  or 
three  nights  later  three  boys,  bare  legged  and  bare  footed,  in  their 
night  shirts,  tumbled  out  of  bed  and  ran  into  the  street  to  welcome 
their  father,  to  be  ordered  back  to  get  their  clothes  on.  Later  that 
night  after  a  united  family  supper,  family  prayer  was  held.  God 
was  thanked  both  for  his  protection  in  the  hour  of  danger  and  the 
country's  safety,  not  forgetting  a  tender  petition  for  the  loved  ones 
of  those  who  came  not  again  and  a  plea  for  the  comrades  scattered 
to  their  own  homes,  that  they  may  be  eternally  reunited. 


THE  ADJUTANT'S  STORY. 

By  Adjutant}.  W.  Muffly. 

On  an  August  day  in  1862,  during  a  college  vacation,  as  I  sat 
at  dinner  at  the  home  of  my  sister,  Mrs.  Hiram  Baker,  in  the  village 
of  Howard,  a  wagon  load  of  men  passed  in  front  of  the  house,  soon 
followed  by  another  and  still  others  until  it  grew  into  a  procession. 
This  was  my  first  sight  of  a  part  of  the  material  that  was  to  make 
up  seven  companies  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers. 

The  war  fever,  which  had  been  disturbing  my  studies  at  Dick 
inson  Seminary,  was  so  intensified  by  the  sight  that  I  said,  "My  time 
has  come/7  and  bidding  my  friends  a  hasty  good-bye,  I  hired  a  team 
and  drove  after  the  procession  to  Lock  Haven.  My  acquaintance  in 
Centre  County,  at  that  time  was  quite  limited.  I  had  lived  for  three 
years,  from  1856  to  1859,  in  the  state  of  Illinois,  and  after  my  return 
had  spent  the  years  (except  when  teaching  school)  at  Williamsport. 
But  at  White's  Hotel  I  found  Capt.  James  F.  Weaver,  with  whom 
I  had  some  acquaintance,  and  I  at  once  enlisted,  August  21,  1862,  as 
a  private  in  his  company  (afterward  B),  and  went  with  that  com 
pany  to  Camp  Curtin. 

While  awaiting  muster-in  at  Harrisburg,  I  formed  the  acquain 
tance  of  a  Captain  Johnson,  <a  very  genial  gentleman,  evidently  a  good 
soldier,  who  had  seen  hard  service,  having  been  slightly  crippled  by 
a  wound  and  who  was  seeking  a  commission  as  Colonel  of  one  of  the 
new  regiments.  He  was  pleased  to  show  quite  an  interest  in  me,  and 
after  several  very  pleasant  interviews,  he  said  to  me  one  day : 

"Young  man,  you  ought  not  to  go  out  as  a  private.  You  can 
serve  your  country  better  in  some  other  capacity.  You  would  make 
a  good  Sergeant  Major." 

I  promptly  exposed  my  ignorance  by  saying,  "And  what  might 
that  be  ?" 


ADJUTANT  JOSEPH  W.  MUFFLY 


THE  ijSTH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          229 

His  explanation  of  the  nature  and  duties  of  that  unpretentious 
position  stirred  me  up  to  some  moderate  degree  of  ambition  of  which 
I  had  been  up  to  that  moment,  patriotically  and  ignorantly  innocent. 
He  was  good  enough  to  say  further,  that  if  he  should  be  made  Colonel 
of  the  Regiment — which  he  very  much  desired — he  would  appoint 
me  to  that  office.  This,  of  course,  was  not  to  be.  The  Regiment  had 
but  one  choice  for  its  commander.  And  so  my  modest  little  new-born 
ambition  was  left  to  the  chance  favor  of  a  perfect  stranger,  whom  I 
had  never  seen  and  with  whom  I  had  no  sort  of  "pull."  In  due 
time  Colonel  Beaver  was  given  his  discharge  from  the  45th  and  his 
commission  as  Colonel  of  the  148th,  and  at  once  assumed  command. 
I  was  introduced  to  the  Colonel  by  a  relative  connected  with  the 
Adjutant  General's  office,  and  made  known  my  wish,  saying  some 
thing  about  my  being  able  to  procure  a  recommendation  from  the  line 
officers — a  thing  which  I  myself  thought  very  doubtful  because  of  my 
limited  acquaintance — and  I  was  therefore  very  glad  when  he  said : 

"You  need  not  trouble  about  any  recommendation — I  shall  make 
the  appointmenton  merit.  I  want  some  one  in  that  place  who  is  scholar 
enough  to  formulate  an  order  when  I  give  him  the  points,  and  who 
can  keep  the  records  and  accounts  of  the  Regiment  neatly  and  cor 
rectly.  Send  me  a  letter  of  application,  enclosing  with  it  a  'Morning 
Report,'  and  I  will  see  about  the  appointment," 

I  was  glad  to  be  relieved  of  the  task  of  getting  recommendations, 
but  my  next  thought  was,  "But  T  am  to  be  put  upon  my  merits.  T 
have  never  written  a  military  letter — never  saw  one  and  know  nothing 
whatever  about  Morning  Reports."  But  I  went  down  town,  got  a 
copy  of  Army  Regulations,  hunted  up  the  forms  of  letters  and  re 
ports  and  wrote  the  letter,  ruled  up  a  form  of  report  and  filled  it  up 
with  imaginary  figures  of  an  imaginary  regiment  and  sent  the  docu 
ment  in.  The  result  is  contained  in  the  following: 

"HEADQUARTERS  148TH  REGIMENT  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS. 
Cockeysville,  Maryland,   September   13,  1862. 
(Order  Xo.  1.) 

(EXTRACT.) 

1.  The  148th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  \7olunteers  has  been 
organized  by  the  appointment  of  the  following  officers  who  are  hereby 
annourced  a?  constituting  the  field  and  staff  of  the  Regiment 


250  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

2.     The  non-commissioned  staff  are  announced  as  follows: 

SERGEANT  MAJOR  JOSEPH  W.  MUFFLY. 
**•*•**•*<** 

By  command  of  COL.  JAMES  A.  BEAVER. 

('Signed)  ROBERT  LIPTON, 

First  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant." 

And  this  is  how  I  got  into  the  148th  and  how  I  came  to  be  its 
first  Sergeant  Major.  So  I  seem  to  have  blundered  into  one  of  the 
finest  regiments  under  the  flag,  commanded  by  a  Colonel  who  had  no 
superior  and  few  equals,  and  thus  came  to  share  in  its  splendid  record 
and  its  notable  achievements.  I  am  sure  that  I  voice  the  sentiment 
of  every  man  who  served  in  the  Regiment,  when  I  say  that  our  greatest 
pride  and  highest  honor  in  life  is  in  the  fact  that  we  served  in  the 
148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers.  The  summary  of  my  experience  in 
the  Regiment  has  always  seemed  to  me  somewhat  unusual.  I  en 
listed  as  a  private,  probably  the  last  of  the  original  recruits,  with  no 
purpose  or  hope  other  than  to  carry  a  musket,  in  the  ranks.  Yet.  I 
never  carried  a,  gun  for  an  hour,  never  did  an  hour's  guard  or  picket 
duty,  never  was  sick  a  day,  never  missed  a  battle  or  skirmish  in  which 
the  Regiment  was  engaged  prior  to  my  discharge,  was  never  seriously 
wounded,  was  hit  three  times — twice  just  hard  enough  to  give  me  a 
short  leave  of  absence,  and  through  the  entire  term  was  called 
to  serve  in  lines  that  were  less  arduous  and  more  agreeable  than  fell 
to  the  lot  of  many. 

Our  Regiment,  as  above  intimated,  began  its  field  service  at 
Cockeysville  Station  fifteen  miles  north  of  Baltimore  on  the  Northern 
Central  Railroad.  Our  duty  was  guarding  the  line  of  railwav. 
Whether  our  service  was  of  any  use  whatever  in  that  direction,  I  do 
not  know  and  never  did.  But  I  do  know  that  our  three  months  at 
Cockeysville  resulted  in  the  evolution  of  a  thousand  good  citizens  into 
a  regiment  of  soldiers,  perfect  in  appearance,  drill,  discipline  and 
esprit  de  corps.  It  had  come  to  be — A  REGIMENT.  Tt  was  a  mili 
tary  unit — an  engine  of  war — a  fighting  machine.  This  condition 
was  not  the  result  of  good  luck  or  chance,  except  in  so  far  as  our 
three  months  as  a  detached  post  afforded  the  opportunity.  It  was 
the  logical  outgrowth  of  the  most  perfect  discipline  applied  to  the 
very  best  of  material. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          231 

The  organization  of  the  Regiment  at  that  time  is  shown  by  the 
roster  and  muster  rolls,  which  will  be  found  in  succeeding  pages. 

This  body  of  men — field,  staff,  line,  rank  and  file — was  made 
up  of  the  sober,  solid,  intelligent  business  and  professional  men  and 
the  bright  boys  from  farm,  shop,  store,  school  room  and  college. 
They  were  largely  native  born,  with  a  minority  of  the  best  foreign 
born  citizens.  In  common  with  a  million  and  more  of  their  fellow 
countrymen,  they  had  sacrificed  the  endearments  of  home,  the  pleas 
ures  of  society,  the  interests  of  business,  the  ambition  of  students,  for 
the  privations,  hardships,  danger  and  humiliations  of  a  soldier's  lot— 
all  this  for  the  flag,  for  freedom  and  the  rights  of  man. 

The  regimental  camp  was  established  on  a  tract  of  woodland  slop 
ing  toward  the  railway  track  a  few  rods  below  the  station.  The  Col 
onel's  headquarters  and  Adjutant's  office  were  located  in  adjoining 
rooms  in  a  board  "shanty"  at  the  station  near  the  track.  Later  on  six  of 
the  companies  were  detached  and  posted  at  points  above  and  below  the 
station.  We  were  now  in  what  was  known  as  the  Middle  Department 
(Eighth  Army  Corps),  under  command  of  Major  General  John  E. 
Wool,  headquarters  at  Baltimore. 

Then  began  a  systematic  course  of  drill,  discipline,  training  and 
education  of  officers  and  men  that  would  have  done  credit  to  a  grad 
uate  of  West  Point  after  years  of  active  service.  It  was  characterized 
by  a  punctilious  and  rigid  attention  to  every  detail  of  the  require 
ments  of  army  regulations  and  current  orders.  A  field  desk  was  pro 
cured  for  the  Adjutant's  office.  A  full  supply  of  regimental  books 
and  blanks  was  ordered  and  soon  received.  Adjutant  Lipton  was  a 
man  in  failing  health,  who,  I  believe,  had  seen  hard  service  in  an 
other  command.  He  was  a  brave  man  and  no  doubt  a  good  soldier, 
but  he  was  not  only  broken  in  health,  but  he  had  no  fondness  for  office 
work.  For  these  reasons,  I  suppose  it  was,  that  when  our  books  and 
blanks  came,  Colonel  Beaver  placed  them  in  my  charge  and  gave  me 
a  thorough  course  of  instruction  in  the  forms  and  methods  of  reports 
and  records,  closing  with  the  earnest  injunction,  "Now,  Sergeant 
Major,  be  very  careful,  neglect  nothing  that  is  required,  make  no 
mistakes.  I  would  not  have  a  report  returned  to  this  Regiment  for 
correction  for  FIVE  HUNDRED  DOLLARS,"  and  he  spoke  the  last 


232  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

three  words  in  such  large  capitals  that  they  kept  me  trembling  £,.;•  n 
week.  So  there  T  was — a  green  Sergeant  Majo.r,  having  to  deal  with 
ten  First  Sergeants,  most  of  them  as  inexperienced  as  I,  and  some  of 
them  without  much  clerical  skill.  But  we  managed  to  get  on  to 
gether  and  keep  each  other  straight,  so  that  as  far  as  the  Colonel  knew 
no  report  was  ever  returned  to  the  148-th  for  correction,  and  so  far  as 
I  knew  but  one  trivial  error  was  ever  made  in  our  reports. 

The  school  of  instruction  for  officers  was  promptly  opened,  and 
remained  a  permanent  factor  in  the  Regiment.  From  the  first  day 
of  service  to  the  end,  every  officer  was  required,  and  if  need  l>e,  com 
pelled  to  make  and  forward  promptly,  every  report  of  every  kind 
required.  Especial  stress  was  laid  upon  property  returns,  so  that 
officers'  accounts  with  the  Government  were  always  complete  and  u- 
to  date.  The  daily  routine  of  duty  and  details  was  at  once  established 
and  faithfully  continued  to  the  end.  Reveille,  guard  mount,  picket 
duty,  camp  and  headquarter  guard,  camp  police,  dress  parade,  tattoo 
and  taps  followed  each  other  as  regularly  as  the  sun.  A  fine  drum 
corps  of  ten  fifes,  ten  kettle  drums,  a  bass  drum  and  several  buglers, 
under  the  skillful  direction  of  Bob  Cassidy  added  life,  inspiration 
and  beauty  to  our  dress  parades  and  other  movements.  Officers  and 
men  were  always  fully  armed,  uniformed  and  equipped — and  the 
uniform  was  UNIFORM.  A  slouch  hat  was  an  abomination  in  the 
Regiment,  and  not  one  was  ever  seen  on  dress  parade. 

The  headquarter  guard  was  always  composed  of  picked  men— 
at  least  for  a  time,  for  it  was  not  long  before  all  the  men  were  picked. 
Companies  very  soon  learned  that  it  was  useless  to  send  anyone  who 
was  not  up  to  the  standard  of  aibsolute  neatness  and  soldierly  bear 
ing.  Such  were  sure  to  be  sent  back  to  their  companies.  The  Colonel 
was  ubiquitous.  The  eye  and  hand  of  a  master  were  everywhere  in 
evidence.  Nothing  escaped  his  notice.  Alert,  forceful,  earnest — 
stern  at  times,  so  we  thought,  impulsive  but  with  magnificent  self- 
control,  always  a  gentleman,  he  did  not  know  the  taste  of  liquor  and 
he  never  uttered  a  profane  word.  T  have  so  far  emphasized  the 
splendid  character  of  the  material  side  of  our  training.  We  all  re 
member  how  old  veterans  passing  by  on  the  train  seeing  our  clean  and 
well  arranged  camp,  the  sentinel  on  the  beat  in  front  of  the  Colonel's 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          233 

quarters  and  all  the  evidences  of  perfect  order,  would  inquire  what 
regiment  of  regulars  it  was.  Said  one  of  them,  "Regulars  ?"  "No, 
Volunteers."  "Aw,  grab  a  root,  what  do  you  take  me  for?" 

A  single  incident  will  illustrate  one  method  of  enforcing  disci 
pline.  The  Colonel  was  sitting  in  the  doorway  of  his  quarters  one 
morning  when  a  Captain  and  a  Lieutenant  from  one  of  the  companies 
up  the  line  came  down  to  call  on  him.  They  sauntered  up  toward 
the  sentinel's  beat,  who  promptly  halted,  faced  outward  and  came  to 
a  salute.  The  officers  heedlessly  crossed  the  beat  and  had  got  half 
way  up  to  the  door  when  Beaver  thundered  out,  "Gentlemen,  do  you 
see  that  sentinel  ?  You  can't  come  in  here  that  way.  Go  back,  go 
right  back  across  that  beat,  and  acknowledge  the  salute.  If  I  were  a 
soldier  and  saluted  an  officer  and  he  did  not  recognize  it,  I  would 
never  salute  him  again."  And  they  were  obliged  to  retire  and  cor 
rect  the  error.  I  am  sure  neither  they  nor  the  soldier  ever  forgot 
the  lesson. 

But  there  was  something  deeper  and  more  commendable  in  all 
this  rigid  drill  than  any  of  us  realized  at  the  time.  It  was  not  the 
mere  love  of  power,  not  the  pride  of  command,  not  even  the  ambition 
to  gain  reputation,  make  a  name  and  win  promotion.  Later  on,  and 
more  and  more  as  the  years  go  on,  we  see  that  underlying  all  this 
severe  discipline  and  apparent  sterness,  was  a  high  sense  of  the  re 
sponsibility  of  a  Colonel  for  the  lives,  and  health,  and  morals,  and 
reputation  of  a  thousand  good  men,  all  dependent  upon  his  capacity 
and  fidelity.  For  just  so  surely  as  it  is  "Like  priest,  like  people,"  so 
is  it,  "Like  Colonel,  like  regiment"  I  well  remember  how  we  had 
been  imposed  upon  by  the  Government  in  our  armament  We  were 
furnished  with  the  old  Vincennes  musket  with  saber  bayonet — a 
clumsy  gun,  sure  to  be  more  dangerous  at  the  breech  than  at  the 
muzzle.  Colonel  Beaver  had  them  inspected  and  condemned.  He 
then  set  to  work  to  have  them  replaced.  He  wrote  letters  to  every 
body,  pleading  and  threatening,  saying  in  one  of  them  that  he  had  a 
regiment  of  as  good  men  as  ever  took  the  oath  of  service,  but  that  he 
would  never  consent  to  lead  them  into  action  to  be  helplessly  mur 
dered  with  no  chance  to  defend  themselves.  And  there  was  no  rest 
for  anybody  in  authority  until  we  got  our  Springfields. 


234  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

So,  too,  we  remember  how  he  weeded  out  a  number  of  men  who 
were  physically  unfit  for  service.  He  demanded  a  re^exarnination  of 
these  men,  who,  as  he  wrote,  "had  been  passed  by  the  carelessness  of 
a  drunken  examining  surgeon,"  and  persisted  in  his  efforts  until 
they  had  all  been  discharged. 

These  are  but  illustrations  of  that  constant  scrupulous  care  for 
the  wants  and  needs  of  the  men,  and  of  that  intelligent  attention  to 
details,  which  secured  for  them  every  attainable  thing  that  men  ought 
to  have.  There  is  much  in  a  good  start.  We  got  a  good  start  at 
Cockeysville  and  we  came  to  the  end  of  our  service  there  with  a  regi 
mental  character  well  formed.  We  were  fixed  in  soldierly  habits  of 
drill,  obedience,  orderly  conduct  and  regimental  pride  that  remained 
with  us  all  through  the  service,  that  stood  the  test  of  fire  and  blood 
and  gave  character  and  reputation  to  the  148th  Pennsylvania  \rolun- 
teers  to  the  last  day  of  its  service. 

The  achievements  and  the  record  made  by  the  Regiment  are 
facts  of  history  well  known  to  all  who  are  at  all  familiar  with  the 
events  of  the  Civil  War,  and  if  there  could  be  any  sort  of  question 
about  it,  a  single  incident  will  tell  the  whole  story.  In  "Fox's  Regi 
mental  Losses,"  at  page  302,  the  author  closes  his  sketch  of  our  Regi 
ment  with  these  words : 

"In  September,  1864,  the  War  Department  ordered  that  one 
regiment  in  each  Division  should  be  armed  with  breech-loading  rifles  ; 
the  148th  Regiment  was  selected  by  General  Hancock  as  the  deserv 
ing  one  in  its  Division  to  be  thus  armed." 

I  have  therefore  aimed,  thus  far  in  my  story,  not  so  much  to  set 
forth  the  fact  that  we  had  an  exceptionally  good  regiment  with  a 
most  brilliant  and  honorable  record,  as  to  try  to  show  how  it  came 
about.  I  write  in  the  cool  retrospect  of  forty  years,  and  in  the  mellow 
light  of  our  autumnal  days,  with  no  motive  or  purpose  to  fawn  or 
flatter ;  but  as  the  memories  of  the  old  days  of  our  glorious  past  rise 
before  me,  I  see  again  the  splendid  line  of  the  148th  on  dress  parade. 
The  troop  beats  off,  the  men  come  to  the  .shoulder  and  I  march  down 
the  line  to  the  center  and  out  to  the  front,  and  as  I  turn  and  command, 
"Present  arms,"  1  stand  between  the  men  and  the  commander — the 
two  factors  in  our  service,  our  glory  and  our  pride. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          235 

The  following  incident  is  from  Burr's  Life  of  Gen.  James  A. 
Beaver : 

Beaver  was  in  love  with  his  .Regiment  and  his  duty,  protected 
and  cared  for  it  with  great  earnestness,  and  this  spirit  breaks  out  in  all 
his  letters  to  his  friends,  and  his  official  communications,  with  a  force 
— even  an  affection — which  military  discipline  forbade  him  to  mani 
fest  to  the  men.  A  little  episode  will  illustrate  this  feature  of  his 
character. 

The  Quartermaster  of  the  Regiment,  a  modest  man,  new  to  mili 
tary  life,  went  to  Baltimore  to  draw  supplies  from  Colonel  Belger, 
then  Chief  Quartermaster  there.  Belger  was  a  blustering  officer  of 
the  Regular  Army,  who  took  delight  in  brow-beating  a  volunteer 
officer  when  he  could.  Irritated  by  something  the  Quartermaster  said 
or  did,  or  neglected  to  say  or  do,  Colonel  Belger  gave  the  officer  a 
round  cursing.  The  volunteer  Quartermaster  retired  in  dismay,  and 
went  back  to  camp  without  transacting  his  business  to  report  the 
occurrence  to  Colonel  Beaver.  The  indignity  put  upon  his  Regiment 
aroused  the  Colonel.  The  very  next  morning  early  found  him  in 
Baltimore,  walking  into  Colonel  Belger's  office  with  blood  in  his  eye. 
Approaching  that  august  ]>ersonage,  he  saluted  him  and  said: 

"Are  you  Colonel  Belger «" 

"1  am  !"  was  the  gruff  reply.     tkWho  are  you  ?" 

"T  am  Colonel  Beaver,  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania,"  was  the 
reply. 

"Well,  sir,  what  can  I  do  for  you  ?" 

"Yesterday,  sir,  T  sent  my  Quartermaster  here  to  transact  some 
business  with  you.  He  is  a  gentleman,  sir,  and  entitled  to  be  treated 
as  such.  He  reports  to  me  that  you  cursed  him,  and  refused  to  at 
tend  to  his  business.  T  am  here  to  say  to  you,  sir,  that  whatever 
swearing  is  to  be  done  at  the  148th  Regiment  must  be  done  at  me.  T 
will  never  permit  regular  or  volunteer  officer  to  illtreat  the  humblest, 
man  in  my  Regiment." 

Colonel  Bel<rer,  findino-  that  he  had  waked  up  the  wrong  man, 
undertook  to  explain  hi>  rudeness  of  the  day  before.  The  business 
was  attended  to.  and  thereafter  the  148th  had  no  trouble  with  Colonel 
Belger. 

The  days  of  our  regimental  schooling  at  Cockeysville  ended  on 
the  9th  of  December,  with  orders  to  join  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
at  the  front.  We  went  by  rail  to  Washington,  stopping  at  Baltimore 
on  the  way,  where  we  were  lodged  and  fed  by  the  Union  Relief  Asso 
ciation.  At  Washington  we  found  there  was  no  transportation  for  us, 
and  we  started  on  our  first  long  march — the  march  to  the  front.  We 


236  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

made  some  ten  miles  in  the  fraction  of  a  day,  and  bivouacked  in  the 
woods.  Here  our  gallant  Colonel  met  his  first  and  only  defeat.  It 
must  not  be  supposed  that  all  the  officers  and  men  would  or  did  sub 
mit  to  all  the  requirements  of  strict  discipline  without  any  of  the  im 
patience  common  to  all  new  recruits.  Of  course  there  had  been  more 
or  less  grumbling  all  along,  and  there  was  one  requirement  tha.t  met 
a  more  serious  resistance  than  all  others.  Finding  that  regulations 
required  enlisted  men  to  wear  shoulder  scales,  and  being  resolved  that 
the  Regiment  should  lack  no  single  point  of  a  full  equipment,  Colonel 
Beaver  had  ordered  and  insisted  on  our  wearing  them.  The  men  had 
submitted  with  ill-concealed  aversion,  and  on  the  morning  after  our 
first  night  on  the  march  the  first  squad  who  went  out  for  water,  took 
their  scales  along  and  left  them  in  a  ravine.  Others  followed  their 
example.  Presently,  abandoning  all  efforts  at  concealment,  they 
went  in  squads  and  platoons  and  boldly  threw  the  scales  down  the 
hill.  When  we  resumed  the  march  there  was  not  a  shoulder  scale 
left  in  the  Regiment.  The  camp  was  always  known  thereafter  as 
"Scale  Hill."  This  incident  passed  without  a  word  of  comment,  so 
far  as  I  ever  knew,  on  the  Colonel's  part. 

We  arrived  at  Acquia  Creek  Landing  on  a  raw  December  day. 
cold,  tired  and  hungry,  having  escaped  the  slaughter  at  Fredericks- 
burg  (which  it  was  probably  intended  we  should  have  shared)  by 
reason  of  the  lack  of  transportation  from  Washington.  We  marched 
to  the  front,  passing  through  the  camps  of  the  torn  and  bleeding 
fragments  of  the  Army,  greeted  on  every  hand  with  the  inquiry, 
"What  brigade  of  regulars  is  that?"  We  were  assigned  to  the  First 
Brigade,  First  Division,  Second  Corps,  and  went  at  once  into  camp. 

In  this  connection,  I  quote  again  from  "Burr's  Life  of  General 
James  A.  Beaver:" 

The  smoke  had  just  lifted  off  the  battlefield  of  Fredericksburg. 
The  Army  of  the  Potomac  had  shrunk  back  to  its  encampment  on 
the  northern  bank  of  the  Rappahannock,  out  of  the  bloody  tub-like 
space  into  which  Lee  had  tumbled  Burnside's  force  from  off  the 
heights  of  Fredericksburg,  stormed  with  matchless,  yet  fruitless 
valor.  The  fight  had  torn  great  rents  in  the  organization  of  the 
Army,  shattered  its  confidence,  broken  its  ranks,  here  and  there 
proved  its  weakness,  turned  the  thoughts  of  all  men  towards  another 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          237 

winter  of  patient  preparation  in  camp  and  on  parade.  Nothing  was 
left  but  by  'slow,  patient  discipline  to  prepare  again  for  action  the 
great  Army  defeat  had  dislocated. 

It  was  ait  this  juncture  that  a  Colonel  of  volunteers,  not  yet 
twenty-four  years  of  age,  first  caught  the  attention  of  General  Han 
cock,  who  records  now  the  matured  judgment  of  years  in  passing 
upon  the  military  record  of  the  young  officer  who  reported  to  him 
for  duty  on  a  dull  December  day  in  1862,  with  an  urgent)  plea  to  be 
put  where  distinction  was  to  be  had. 

He  had  just  arrived  at  the  front,  with  a  full  regiment  of  Penn- 
sylvanians,  when  he  rode  up  to  General  Hancock's  headquarters. 
He  looked  young  enough  to  have  passed  for  a  student  on  his  vacation. 
Lithe,  straight,  soldierly,  with  a  bearing  of  a  man  and  the  pale, 
beardless  face  of  a  boy,  he  carried  on  his  shoulders  the  eagles  won  in 
eighteen  months  of  actual  service,  which  had  placed  him  at  the  head 
of  a  Regiment  mostly  raised  in  the  county  which  knew  him  best.  To 
his  hands  had  his  neighbors  and  folk,  near  whom  his  kin  had  lived 
for  over  a  century,  committed  their  townsmen. 

''General  Hancock,"  said  the  young  officer,  "I  have  been  ordered 
to  report  to  you,  sir,  for  duty." 

"What  is  your  regiment,  Colonel  ?" 

•'148th  Pennsylvania  Infantry,"  was  the  reply ;  "and,  General, 
while  I  would  not  presume  so  much  as  to  suggest  the  disposition  that 
is  to  be  made  of  my  Regiment,  I  should  be  glad  if  it  could  be  placed 
in  a  Brigade  of  your  Division  where  the  men  can  see  a  daily  exempli 
fication  of  the  good  results  of  the  soldierly  discipline  I  have  endeav 
ored  to  teach." 

The  great  soldier,  not  more  surprised  than  pleased  to  find  in 
the  young  commander  of  a  raw  regiment  so  keen  an  appreciation  of 
the  first  military  requisite,  replied: 

"Colonel,  I  regret  to  say  that  we  have  no  such  Brigades.  I  only 
wish  we  had.  You  will  report  for  duty,  sir,  to  the  commander  of  the 
First  "Brigade  of  this  Division." 

The  request,  that  the  young  officer  had  made  naturally  led  Gen 
eral  Hancock  to  keep  a  careful  watch  upon  his  future  course,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  he  observed  that  in  camp  and  upon  parade  the 
Regiment  this  young  officer  commanded  was  a  model  for  all  the  others 
of  his  command.  So  conspicuous  was  its  excellence  that  long  before 
the  Army  was  again  prepared  for  battle  Joe  Hooker  had  predicted 
that  it  would  not  be  long  before  he  would  be  a  Major  General. 

Through  the  winter  the  Regiment  shared  in  the  slow  work  of 
discipline,  which  converted  the  Second  Corps  into  a  matchless  engine 
of  war.  When  Colonel  Beaver  joined  it.  General  Hancock  was  stil1 
commanding  a  Division,  General  Couch  was  at  the  head  of  the  Corps, 
snd  the  Brigade  to  which  the  148th  Pennsylvania  was  assigned  was 


238  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

commanded  by  General  Caldwell.  When  General  Beaver,  just  twenty 
months  later,  was  earned  off  the  field  at  Ream's  Station-,  his  leg  shot 
away,  a  wound  still  open  in  his  side,  his  body  scarred  with  a  bullet  from 
Chancellorsville,  and  pierced  with  the  shotthathad  sought  him  in  every 
general  action  in  which  lie  had  taken  part  but  one,  General  Hancock 
was  commanding  the  Corps  he  had  made  his  own  child  by  the  bloody 
baptism  of  the  field,  General  Barlow  was  chief  of  the  Division,  and 
General  Beaver  commanded  the  Brigade,  It  is  the  habit  of  Euro 
pean  armies  to  make  up  by  significant  decorations  for  the  rank  men 
miss  by  disabling  wounds.  It  is  enough  in  a  Republic  to  say  of  a 
man — a  Colonel  almost  at  the  opening  of  the  War,  and  mustered  out 
a  Brigadier  General  just  before  its  close — that  the  bullets  of  the 
enemy  were  his  brevets,  and  his  own  blood  blotted  the  commissions 
longer  service  would  have  brought  him. 

The  military  companionship  which  began  in  this  interview  after 
Fredericksburg,  lasted  through  more  than  two  years  of  active  warfare, 
and  ended  only  when  wound  after  wound  had  shattered  the  young 
Colonel  past  all  active  service.  The  personal  friendship  then  begun 
remains  unbroken.  The  high  opinion  of  the  commander  of  the  old 
Second  Corps  of  an  officer  who  materially  aided  him  to  make  it  fa 
mous  can  best  be  expressed  in  his  own  words : 

GOVERNOR'S  ISLAND,  NEW  YORK,  May  9,  1882. 

MY  DEAR  SIR:  In  reply  to  your  note  of  the  7th  inst.,  I  have  to 
state  that  General  James  A.  Beaver  joined  the  First  Division  of  the 
Second  Army  Corps  (then  commanded  by  me)  with  his  Regiment,  the 
148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  just  after  the  battle  of  Fredericks- 
burg,  December,  1862,  and  served  constantly  under  my  command  in 
the  Second  Corps  (save  when  absent,  from  wounds  received  in  battle) 
until  the  fall  of  1864.  During  that  period  he  was  engaged  in  som» 
of  the  most  important  campaigns  and  battles  of  the  Army  of  the  Po 
tomac,  and  took  a  conspicuous  and  distinguished  part  in  many  of 
them. 

I  considered  him  one  of  the  most  intrepid,  intelligent  and  effi 
cient  young  officers  in  our  service,  during  the  War,  and  on  several 
occasions  mentioned  him  in  my  official  reports  for  valuable  sen-ices 
and  distinguished  bravery.  He  was  wounded  at  Chancellorsville, 
again  while  gallantly  leading  his  fine  Regiment  and  Brigade  in  an 
assault  upon  the  enemy's  works  at  Petersburg,  Virginia,  Tune  16. 
1864,  and  at  Ream's  Station,  August  25,  1864.  On  this  latter  occa 
sion  he  had  just  joined  his  Regiment  on  the  battlefield,  arid  taken 
command  of  the  Brigade,  to  which  it  belonged,  after  an  absence 
caused  by  former  wounds,  when  he  was  struck  by  a  musket  ball  which 
shattered  his  thih,  and  disabled  him  for  life  b  the  loss  of  a  le1. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          259 

He  was  breveted  Brigadier  General  for  highly  meritorious  and 
distinguished  conduct,  and  for  valuable  services,  especially  at  Cold 
Harlwr,  Virginia,  where  he  commanded  a  Brigade. 

I  am,  very  truly  yours, 
WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

A  regulation  camp  for  winter  quarters  was  established  on  a  tract 
of  rolling  ground  showing  the  ridges  of  abandoned  cultivation  and 
covered  with  trees  of  many  years'  growth,  which  were  utilized  in  the 
construction  of  huts.  The  Regiment  was  soon  settled  as  comfortably 
as  soldiers  know  how  to  make  themselves,  and  the  winter  passed  in 
drill,  discipline,  guard  and  picket  duty,  parades  and  reviews.  Two 
drawbacks  to  our  comfort  in  "Camp  near  Falmouth"  that  are  vividly 
recalled  by  the  survivors  were,  first,  the  abominable  Virginia  weather. 
A  succession  of  rain,  snow,  freeze,  thaw  and  mud  prevailed  during  a 
large  part  of  the  season.  Second,  an  epidemic  of  severe  illness  amonp 
the  men,  attended  with  much  suffering  and  many  deaths. 

Adjutant  Lipton's  health  had  steadily  failed  while  in  camp  at 
Cockeysville  and  he  was,  in  consequence,  at  home  on  sick  leave  when 
we  moved  to  the  front.  He  never  rejoined  us,  but  in  the  latter  part 
of  April  we  received  notice  of  his  death  at  Milesburg.  During  all 
of  these  months,  with  a  Lieutenant  acting  Adjutant,  I  had  full  charge 
of  the  office  and  had  become  quite  familiar  with,  the  routine.  The 
First  Sergeants  and  the  company  and  staff  officers  had  all  become  pro 
ficient,  so  that  the  business  machinery  of  the  Regiment  was  working 
with  ease  and  good  order. 

On  the  morning  of  the  27th  of  April,  as  I  called  at  the  Colonel's 
quarters  for  the  orders  of  the  day,  he  handed  me  the  bundle  and  said, 
"Sergeant  Major,  you  will  find  an  order  there  of  personal  interest  to 

yo»." 

T  looked  over  the  package  and  read  the  following : 

"HEADQUARTERS  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS. 
Xear  Falmouth,  Virginia,  April  27,  1863. 
(ORDERS  Xo.  9.) 

(EXTRACT.) 

1.  Sergeant  Major  Joseph  W.  MufHy  is  hereby  promoted  to  be 
Adjutant  in  place  of  Lieut.  Robert  Lipton,  deceased.  The  appoint 
ment  being  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Governor  of  Pennsylvania. 

JAMES  A.  BEAVER, 
Colonel  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 

Com manding  Regiment." 


240  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

I  expressed  my  thanks  for  the  promotion  and  promised  my  best 
efforts  to  deserve  it.  The  Colonel  said: 

"That's  all  right,  Adjutant,  you  are  entitled  to  the  commission ; 
and  now  you  will  find  marching  orders!  among  the  papers,  so  take  off 
your  chevrons,  get  a  pair  of  shoulder  straps  and  be  ready  to  move." 

We  had  now  been  in  the  service  more  than  seven  months.  The 
first  three  months  of  detached  service  had  developed  the  individuality 
of  the  Regiment,  and  now  these  last  four  months  with  the  splendid 
Army  of  the  Potomac  had  opened  to  us  the  wide  horizon  of  War  and 
prepared  us  for  our  part  in  the  great  events  then  pending. 

Our  part  in  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville  is  very  graphically 
portrayed  by  many  contributing  comrades  in  their  stories.  I  shall 
pass  it  with  little  comment  of  my  own.  It  had  all  the  special  interest 
of  the  "first  battle."  At  the  most  acute  stage  of  the  fighting,  the  Regi 
ment  was  divided,  Companies  C,  D,  G  and  H  being  in  Brigade,  and 
the  other  six  on  the  skirmish  line.  The  former  battalion  under 
command  of  the  Colonel,  was  thrown,  with  the  Brigade  under  Gen 
eral  C  aid  well,  into  the  woods  in  rear  of  the  Chancellor  House,  soon 
meeting  the  enemy  in  full  force  in  rifle  pits.  After  a  sharp  battle, 
we  charged  and  drove  them  and  continued  the  figiht  until  ordered  to 
another  position.  After  the  wounding  of  the  Colonel,  the  command 
devolved  on  Major  Fairlamb,  Colonel  McFarlane  being  absent  on 
sick  leave. 

The  other  companies  had  quite  a  warm  time  on  the  picket  line. 
They  were  hotly  engaged  at  times  and  had  many  narrow  escapes  from 
being  cut  off  and  captured.  Our  loss  in  this,  our  first  battle,  was 
one  hundred  and  sixty-four,  of  whom  there  were  killed  two  officers 
and  twenty-nine  men ;  wounded,  nine  officers  and  one  hundred  and 
ten  men;  missing,  fourteen  men.  (Colonel  Fox  in  "Regimental 
Losses,"  page  302.  See  also  Major  Fairlamb's  report  in  Colonel's 
Story,  Chapter  II.)  The  official  reports  give  the  following  account 
of  the  Regiment  in  this  battle.  General  Hancock  says : 

On  May  2d  the  enemy  frequently  opened  with  artillery  from 
the  heights  toward  Fredericksburg  and  from  those  on  my  right,  and 
with  infantry  assaulted  my  advanced  line  of  rifle  pits,  but  was  al 
ways  handsomely  repulsed  by  the  troops  on  duty  there,  consisting  of 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  241 

die  57th,  64th  and  66th  .New  York,  and  detachments  from  the  52d 
Xew  York,  2d  Delaware  and  148th  Pennsylvania.  During  the  sharp 
contest  of  that  day,  the  enemy  was  never  able  to  reach  my  principal 
line  of  battle,  so  stoutly  and  successfully  did  Colonel  Miles  (Gen.  X el- 
son  A.)  contest  the  ground.  On  the  morning  of  the  3d  inst.  the  battle 
was  renewed  at  5 :30  A.  M.  The  line  was  frequently  assaulted  dur 
ing  the  morning  with  great  gallantry,  the  enemy  marching  their  regi 
ments  up  into  the  abatis.  The  04th  Xew  York  behaved  with  great  dis 
tinction,  repulsing  regiment  after  regiment.  The  same  may  be  said  of 
the  61st  and  66th  Xew  Y'ork,  the  detachments  from  the  53d  Pennsyl 
vania,  2d  Delaware,  140th,  145th  and  148th  Pennsylvania  and  27th 
Connecticut  — (Official  Rebellion  Records.  Serial  39,  pages  312, 
313.) 

General  John  C.  Caldwell  (commanding  Brigade)  says : 

The  next  morning  (April  30th)  we  marched  to  Chancellors- 
ville  and  out  on  the  road  toward  Fredericksburg,  a  distance  of  over 
a  mile  from  Chancellorsville.  I  here  formed  the  148th  Pennsylvania 
in  line  of  battle  on  tiie  right  of  the  road.  After  remaining  in 

our  position  for  more  than  an  hour,  in  obedience  to  orders  from  Gen 
eral  Hancock,  1  fell  back  along  the  road.  *  I  formed  my  bri 
gade  in  line  of  battle  in  the  open  field  near  Chancellorsville,  the 
148th  Pennsylvania  on  the  right.  My  troops  lay  down  and 
the  artillery  fired  over  them.  Otoe  man  of  the  148th  was  here  killed 
by  a  shell  and  a  few  wounded.  About  three  o'clock  on  the  morning 
of  the  2d,  I  received  from  General  Hancock  the  order  to  fall  back 
to  a  line  that  had  been  previously  designated  near  Chancellorsville. 
We  immediately  set  to  work  digging  intrenchments  and 
constructing  abatis,  and  before  noon  had  a  line  of  great  strength. 
Colonel  Miles  (Gen.  Xelson  A.),  of  the  61st  Xew  Y^ork, 
was  placed  by  General  Hancock  in  command  of  the  picket  line  of  the 
Division,  which  consisted  of  six  companies  of  the  148th  Pennsyl 
vania,  47th  Xew  Yrork,  two  companies  of  the  52d  Xew  York  and 
four  companies  of  the  2d  Delaware,  supported  by  the  llth  Massachu 
setts.  With  this  force,  Colonel  Miles  skirmished  all  day  long  with 
the  enemy,  and  at  3  :00  p.  M.  repulsed,  with  signal  loss,  a  determined 
attack  of  the  enemy,  made  in  two  columns  on  each  side  of  the  road. 
I  do  not  doubt  but  that  this  repulse  of  the  enemy,  which  kept  them 
from  our  main  lines,  was  due  principally  to  the  skill  and  o-allantrv 
of  Colonel  Miles,  who,  with  a  single  line  of  skirmishers,  deployed  at 
three  paces,  repelled  a  determined  attack  of  the  enemy  made  in  col 
umn,  a  feat  rarely  paralleled. 

We  lay  in  our  intrenchments,  under  a  heavy  artillery  fire,  on 
the  morning  of  the  2d  and  the  morning  of  the  3d,  the  men  behaving 
with  the  greatest  coolness.  "Between  nine  and  ten  o'clock  on  the  morn- 


242  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

ing  of  the  3d,  1  was  ordered  to  report  with  my  Brigade  to 

General  Hooker.  1  took  four  companies  of  the  148th  Penn 

sylvania,  the  other  six  being  on  picket,  the  61st,  52d  and  57th  New 
York,  in  all  between  five  hundred  and  six  hundred  men,  and  marched 
by  the  right  flank  down  the  road  toward  United  States  Ford  and 
halted  facing  the  woods,  on  the  right  of  the  road.  About  twenty  min 
utes  afterward  I  was  ordered  by  General  Hooker,  in  person,  to  con 
duct  my  Brigade  into  the  open  field  and  through  the  woods  from  a 
point  designated.  The  four  companies  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania 
under  Colonel  Beaver  were  on  the  right,  next  to  them  the  61st  New 
York.  The  57th  New  York  was  on  the  left,  with  the  52d 

New  York  on  their  right.  We  advanced  in  this  order  through  the 
woods,  under  a  fire  of  grape  and  canister  until  we  encoun 

tered  the  rebels,  in  rifle  pits  on  our  right,  who  opened  on  us  a  very 
severe  fire,  which  killed  and  wounded  many  of  the  officers  and  men 
of  the  148th  Pennsylvania,  among  others  Colonel  Beaver  of  this  Regi 
ment.  The  severity  of  the  fire,  and  the  fall  of  their  Colonel  produced 
a  momentary  confusion  in  the  148th,  but  they  rallied  almost  instantly 
and  poured  a  steady  and  most  destructive  fire  into  the  enemy,  who 
after  a  few  minutes  broke  and  fled.  Of  the  conduct  of 

officers  and  men  during  the  entire  movement,  I  can  not  speak  in  terms 
of  too  high  praise.  I  confess  I  was  somewhat  anxious  for  the  148th 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  it  being  a  new  regiment,  and  never  having 
been  exposed  to  fire.  It  behaved,  however,  throughout,  with  the 
greatest  coolness,  vieing  with  the  old  troops  in  steadiness.  Colonel 
Miles  speaks  in  high  terms  of  the  six  companies  that  were  on  picket, 
and  the  other  four  companies  fought  with  the  greatest  gallantrv  under 
my  own  eye.  I  have  seldom  seen  a  more  steady  or  better  directed 
fire  than  theirs  was  in  the  woods  on  Sunday.  f  Colonel  Beaver 

of  the  148th  Pennsylvania  deserves  the  highest  praise  for  the  disci 
pline  and  efficiency  which  he  has  secured  in  his  Regiment.  To  him 
belongs,  almost  exclusively,  the  praise  that  his  men,  in  their  first 
battle  did  their  work  so  handsomely.  He  was,  unfortunately,  wounded 
severely  at  the  first  fire,  and  was  borne  from  the  field  before  he  could 
see  the  heroism  of  his  men.  The  command,  however,  devolved  on 
worthy  shoulders.  Major  Fairlamb  rallied  and  fought  the  Regiment 
in  the  noblest  manner. — (Official  Rebellion  Records  Serial  30,  pages 
318-321.) 

The  afternoon  of  the  6th  found  us  in  our  old  camp  near  Fal- 
mouth,  where  we  remained,  with  Major  Fairlamb  in  command,  until 
the  return  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  McFarlane.  The  visit  of  Governor 
Curtin  soon  after  the  battle  was  an  incident  of  great  interest^*)  the 
Regiment.  With  the  regular  routine  of  camp  life,  plenty  of  rations 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          243 

and  rest,  our  wounded  beginning;  to  return  with  wounds  healed,  the 
Regiment  soon  recuperated  from  the  fatigue,  loss  and  disaster  of 
battle. 

I  recall  no  incidents  of  importance  during  our  six  weeks  rest, 
which  ended  on  the  14th  of  June,  when  we  broke  camp  and  started  on 
the  long  march  to  Gettysburg.  We  moved  by  way  of  Stafford,  Dum 
fries,  Fairfax,  Centerville,  across  Bull  Run  battlefield  reaching 
Thoroughfare  Gap  on  the  21st.  It  was  a  toilsome  inarch  in  dust  and 
heat.  It  was  on  this  inarch  that  I  first  met  that  inveterate  and  vora 
cious  enemy  of  the  Army — the  renowned  "gray back."  Hitherto  1  had 
entirely  escaped  his  personal  attentions,  but  now  I  found  them  by 
regiment,  brigade,  division  and  corps  making  free  use  of  my  per 
son  as  a  commissary  department,  and  I  was  obliged  to  join  the  rest 
of  the  comrades  in  a  skirmish  "en  dishabille."  A  few  days  later, 
there  was  an  issue  of  clothing  by  the  Quartermaster,  and  I  bought  a 
complete  outfit  of  government  clothes,  threw  away  every  stitch  of 
clothing,  blankets  and  all.  This  was  my  first  and  last  experience  with 
that  gang  of  parasites. 

On  the  26th  of  June  the  march  was  resumed  via  Gum  Springs. 
Edwards  Ferry,  Poolsville,  Sugar  Loaf  Mountain,  Frederick  City, 
reaching  Uniontown  on  the  evening  of  the  30th,  after  a  march  of 
thirty  miles  on  that  day. 

Up  to  this  time  I  had  not  been  able  to  procure  a  mount  and  had 
been  riding  a  horse  belonging  to  an  absent  officer.  At  Frederick  I 
learned  that  a  farmer  living  a  mile  or  two  off  the  road  had  horses  for 
sale.  I  rode  out  to  his  place,  found  the  man,  and  said : 

"I  am  told  you  have  horses  for  sale." 

He  replied,  "I  have  some  horses,  but  I  don't  know  as  I  have  any 
to  sell." 

"Oh,"  I  said,  "then  I  have  been  misinformed.  Good  day,  sir/' 
and  turned  toward  the  lane. 

"Hold  on  a  minute,"  said  he,  "I  have  one  that  I  might  sell." 

"Oh,  then,  you  have  a  horse  to  sell.  Well,  let's  see  the  brute.  I 
have  no  time  to  monkey,"  and  he  took  me  to  his  barn  where  there  were 
eight  or  ten  head  in  the  stalls.  He  brought  out  a  bay  horse  a  trifle 


244  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

under  size  and  rather  long  coupled.  I  asked  him  the  price,  which  he 
'put  at  $100.00. 

I  said,  "I  don't  know  much  about  horses,  but  I  guess  I  can  ride 
as  fast  as  he  can  go.  I'll  give  you  $95.00." 

He  took  the  money  and  I  mounted,  leading  my  new  purchase, 
and  soon  overtook  the  column.  In  the  evening  I  procured  a 
saddle  and  the  next  day  rode  my  own  horse.  He  proved 
to  be  all  right  and  served  me  quite  well  as  long  as  I  kept 
him.  How  we  parted  company  will  appear  in  the  story 
of  "Coffee  Hill."  In  our  bivouac  that  night,  Col.  E.  E.  Cross,  of 
the  5  ill  New  Hampshire,  commanding  the  Brigade,  assigned  Col.  H. 
B.  McKeen,  of  the  81st  Pennsylvania,  to  command  our  Regiment, 
relieving  Lieutenant  Colonel  McFarlane.  This  act  of  Colonel  Cross 
was  wholly  unjustifiable,  the  culmination  of  a  series  of  insults  and 
indignities,  which,  taking  advantage  of  Beaver's  absence,  he  had  in 
flicted  on  the  Regiment,  It  was  bitterly  resented  by  the  men  and  as 
I  passed  through  the  camp  late  at  night  I  found  men  gathered  in 
groups  discussing  the  act  and  expressing  their  indignation  in  ver\ 
strong  language.  For  a  full  account  of  this  incident  see  Major  For- 
ster's  address  at  the  dedication  of  our  monument  on  the  Gettysburg 
battlefield. 

On  the  first  day  of  July  we  entered  our  native  state  of  Penn 
sylvania  and  in  the  eveningwere  formed  in  line  across  the  Taneytown 
road  two  or  three  miles  from  Gettysburg.  On  the  morning  of  the 
2d  we  took  position  on  Cemetery  Ridge.  The  story  of  the  battle — the 
great  battle — Meade's  battle — the  battle  of  Gettysburg  that  marked 
the  high  tide  of  rebellion  and  its  logical  end,  has  been  told  many 
times  over,  and  the  part  taken  by  our  Regiment  will  be  fully  set  out 
by  the  comrades  in  the  following  pages.  They  will  fill  with  their  per 
sonal  experiences  and  with  incidents  the  outline — the  hours  of  rest 
lying  on  Cemetery  Ridge,  Hancock's  sharp  order  to  build  breast 
works,  the  galloping  Aide  with  orders  to  C  aid  well  and  Cross,  the 
"Fall  in,  Take  arms,"  and  double  quick  down  the  crest  to  the  cross 
road,  the  halt  and  malformation,  at  the  fence,  the  rush  into  the  wheat- 
field,  the  hours  of  hot  musketry  fighting  at  close  range,  the  relief  by 
other  troops  when  men  and  ammunition  were  alike  exhausted,  the 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          245 

passing  files  to  the  rear,  and  return  to  the  crest,  the  night  bivouac  in, 
line,  the  waiting  on  the  third,  the  ride  of  our  superb  Hancock  down 
the  corps  line,  the  signal  gun  and  the  terrific  impact  of  Pickett,  the 
slaughter  of  Wilcox's  Brigade  in  our  front — his  men  becoming  our 
prisoners,  and  the  night  closing  down  upon  the  failure  of  Lee's  dar 
ing  invasion  and  the  great  Union  victory  of  the  War — all  will  be  told. 
The  extracts  from  official  reports  bearing  upon  our  part  in  the  battle 
are  all  given  by  Major  Forster  in  his  address  and  need  not  be  repeated 
here. 

During  the  night  of  the  2d  as  I  approached  the  little  house- 
now  the  field  hospital — I  stepped  upon  something  that  felt  so  peculiar 
that  I  stopped  and  picked  it  up.  It  proved  to  be  an  arm.  Happen 
ing  to  look  at  the  west  window  I  saw  an  outline  of  a  pyramid  of  some 
sort,  which  on  examination  I  found  was  a  pile  of  hands,  arms,  feet 
and  legs  which  the  surgeons  had  thrown  out  in  their  work  and  which 
had  now  reached  the  window  sill.  In  front  of  the  house  lay  General 
Barksdale  mortally  wounded,  his  breast  torn  and  one  leg  shattered 
by  grape  shot.  Alternately  begging  for  water,  which  a  drummer  boy 
was  giving  him  with  a  spoon,  and  cursing  the  Yankees,  it  was  a  most 
pathetic  scene. 

"Bring  me  water,  cold  water,"  he  would  say.  "When  I  am  well 
I  am  a  great  lover  of  water,  and  now  when  I  am  shot  all  to  pieces  and 
burning  with  fever,  I  must  have  cold  water."  Then  he  would  break 
out,  "Yes,  you  think  you  have  whipped  us,  but  wait  till  morning  and 
you  will  hear  Ewell  thundering  in  your  rear."  He  died  during  the 
night,  (See  the  Surgeon's  Story  by  Doctor  Hamilton.) 

About  the  middle  of  our  battle  in  the  wheat  field  I  caught  a 
pie<?e  of  Confederate  shell  on  the  large  tendon  above  the  knee  with 
force  enough  to  give  me  quite  a  whirl,  and  with  shock  enough  to  make 
me  feel  down  to  find  if  the  leg  were  on  or  off.  I  limped  back  to  th,e 
rear  of  a  huge  rock  that  afforded  good  shelter  for  our  wounded,  where 
I  found  quite  a  number  of  the  boys  with  a  variety  of  wounds.  Just 
after  me  came  a  Sergeant  badly  hurt  in  the  shoulder,  who  begged  me 
to  remove  his  knapsack.  Next  came  another  with  blood  spurting 
from  a.  shot  through  the  wrist.  After  fixing  them  both  up  as  best  I 
could,  I  examined  my  own  case  and  found  it  to  be  only  a  bad  bruise 


246  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

of  the  tendon,  sore  enough  but  not  serious.  I  limped  back  to  the 
Regiment  and  "fought  it  out  on  that  line."  I  was  obliged  to  mount 
my  horse  for  a  week  on  the  right  side,  which  is,  of  course,  the  wrong 
side,  the  left  side  being  the  right  side — cavalry  paradox.  Coming 
out  of  thewhcat  field  the  men  showed  the  effects  of  the  relaxation  from 
the  terrible  strain  and  excitement  of  battle  in  an  unusual  degree.  We 
were  panting,  pale,  except  where  powder-marked,  and  in  a  state  of 
general  collapse.  A  good  comrade  seeing  my  difficulty  in  marching 
handed  me  his  canteen  and  said,  "Take  a  drink  of  this,  Adjutant,  it 
will  do  you  good.'7  I  took  two  big  swallows  of  commissary  whiskey — 
my  first  and  last  taste  of  liquor  during  the  service,  and  I  must  admit 
that  it  did  me  good. 

On  the  evening  of  our  first  march  from  Gettysburg  we 
bivouacked  in  a  fine  field  of  clover.  We  lay  down  with  every 
prospect  of  a  splendid  sleep,  but  I.  had  only  got  well  going  when  1  felt 
a  small  and  very  cold  river  creeping  down  my  back  and  woke  up  to 
find  that  we  were  having  a  soaking  rain — inevitable  sequence  of  a 
heavy  battle.  I  had  tethered  my  horse  near  by  but  when  daylight 
came  he-  wtas  nowhere  in  sight.  After  a  long  search,  I  found  him  in 
the  most  distant  corner  of  the  field,  and  worst  of  all,  lamer  than  I 
was.  However,  he  recovered  after  a  few  hours  marching,  but  when 
we  unrolled  our  blankets  the  next  evening,  having  been  compelled  to 
roll  them  up  very  damp,  we  found  them  so  foul  as  to  require  much 
airing  and  drying. 

Of  the  long  march  back  to  the  old  lines  in  \rirginia,  from  the 
5th  of  July  until  the  4th  of  August,  when  we  reached  Bealton,  T  re 
call  nothing  of  importance  that  is  not  told  in  the  stories  that  follow 
or  precede.  Colonel  Beaver  had  rejoined  us  on  the  23d  of  July  near 
Ashby's  Gap.  He  had  procured  a  mount  on  the  way  and  came  to  us 
as  we  were  on  the  march.  As  he  approached  the  head  of  the  column 
I  called  out,  "Look  here,  boys,"  and  in  an  instant  the  Regiment  broke 
out  with  cheer  upon  cheer,  welcoming  his  return  with  the  utmost  en 
thusiasm.  August,  September  and  part  of  October  wore  spent  in 
fruitless  manoeuvers,  which  finally  brought  us  to  Auburn  on  the  14th 
of  October.  The  Second  Corps  was  rear  guard  of  the  Army  during 
the  retrograde  movement  which  brought  the  Army  from  Culpepc-r 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          247 

nearly  to  Washington.  We  had  bivouacked  in  a  body  of  timber  on 
Cedar  Run,  and  in  the  morning  were  moved  out  and  halted  on  a  cone 
shaped  hill  covered  with  shocks  of  corn  where  we  were  to  breakfast. 
While  coffee  was  cooking  and  pork  frying,  we  noticed  a  battery  going 
into  position  on  a  hill  half  a  mile  east  of  us.  We  paid  no  attention 
to  it,  supposing  it  one  of  ours,  but  just  as  our  coffee  was  ready  a  shell 
came  from  the  other  hill,  followed  by  a  vigorous  cannonade,  which 
caused  a  lively  stir  and  ended  our  breakfast  before  it  began.  "Ike" 
had  my  two  horses  at  a  shock  of  corn  from  which  'they  were  feeding, 
and  as  I  turned  to  call  to  him  I  *aw  that  they  were  plunging 
frantically,  my  riding  mare  "Kate" — a  fine  English  hunting  animal 
that  1  had  bought  a  month  before — being  thoroughly  frightened.  In 
a  moment  they  broke  away  and  started  north  over  the  hill,  soon  get 
ting  mixed  up  with  one  of  our  batteries,  and,  with  Ike  following  hard 
after,  they  disappeared  over  the  hill  and  were  gone.  My  whole  march 
ing  outfit  was  packed  on  the  little  horse  and  I  was  left  dismounted 
with  my  sword  and  the  clothes  I  wore.  The  Regiment  was  promptly 
called  to  arms  and  moved  to  the  west  side  of  the  hill  under  cover  and 
our  battery  soon  drove  the  enemy  from  his  position.  This  was  our 
"€offee  Hill,"  and  I  quote  from  "Burr's  Life  of  Beaver :" 

"As  long  as  you  have  a  man  left,  hold  the  brow  of  the  hill  above, 
the  road  until  the  wagon-train  passes !"  This  imperative  order  was 
given  by  Gen.  G.  K.  Warren,  who  was  then  commanding  the  Second 
Corps,  to  Colonel  Beaver,  of  the  l-tSth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
who  was  at  the  moment  corps  officer  of  the  day. 

Colonel  Beaver  being  corps  officer  of  the  day,  had  command  of 
the  picket  line  which  first  and  last  met  the  advance  of  the  Confederate 
column.  His  duty  was  delicate  and  hazardous,  for  the  enemy  was 
after  the  wagon  and  ammunition  trains,  which  were  altogether  too 
near  his  grasp  for  safety.  At.  the  first  warning  of  danger  General 
Warren  was  upon  the  field,  and,  in  addition  to  the  force  already  at 
the  disposal  of  the  commander  of  the  outposts,  he  added  a  heavv  detail 
of  infantry  and  cavalry,  that  he  might  hold  the  road  until  the  wagons 
had  passed,  after  he  (Warren)  had  withdrawn  the  main  bodv  of  the 
troop".  Warren  deemed  it  all-important  that  Colonel  Beaver  should 
hold  the  hill  above  the  Warrenton  road,  and  so  gave  the  order  which 
opens  this  chapter. 

Colonel  Beaver  obeyed  hi*  orders  to  the  letter,  difficult  as  they 
were.  Before  he  withdrew  his  infantry  pickets  he  saw  the  Confed 
erates  steal  down  a  stone  fence  and  take  possession  of  the  only  ford 


248  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

on  the  stream,  which  he  must  cross  to  regain  his  Corps,  and  yet  he 
held  the  hill  and  kept  his  infantry  force  with  the  cavalry  until  every 
wagon  had  passed  and  was  safe.  The  result  demonstrated  the  wisdom 
of  General  Warren's  order,  and  he  thanked  the  young  Colonel  for  the 
manner  of  its  execution.  Some  time  after  the  event,  writing  of  Col 
onel  Beaver's  work  that  morning,  he  said : 

"It  was  one  of  the  finest  exhibitions  of  skirmish  line  fighting 
and  manoeuvre  I  ever  saw." 

Colonel  Beaver's  greaitest  peril  came  after  he  had  so  admir 
ably  handled  the  troops  at  his  command  on  the  hill,  and  saved  the 
wagon  train.  The  enemy  had  taken  the  only  ford  on  the  creek,  while 
he  was  holding  the  hill,  and  there  was  no  alternative  left  for  him  ex 
cept  to  take  to  the  stream  wherever  his  troops  could  get  into  it,  and  run 
chances  of  getting  across.  He  therefore  pushed  his  men  into  the 
creek  wherever  they  could  get  in.  It  was  a  scramble  for  safety  under 
fire,  but  he  got  them  all  over,  formed  on  the  other  side,  and  marched 
diagonally  across  the  country,  and  joined  the  main  body  of  troops 
while  <the  bullets  of  ttihe  enemy  were  still  dropping  'all  around.  He 
narrowly  escaped  death  during  this  combat  with  the  advancing  Con 
federates.  Besides  the  perils  already  related,  once,  while  in  advance  of 
his  picket  line  trying  to  sight  the  position,  and  movements  of  the 
enemy,  a  ball  from  a  sharpshooter's  rifle  pierced  his  saddle,  and  an 
other  destroyed  the  canteen  which  swung  from  his  shoulder. 

The  actual  condition  of  things  at  the  moment  was  not  so  bad 
as  reported.  *  *  Colonel  Carroll  gained  the  position  assigned 
him  and  found  Colonel  Beaver's  command  already  there  and  not  the 
enemy. — (Report  of  General  Warren,  Rebellion  Records,  48-239.) 

On  moving  across  the  run  in  the  morning,  I  had  left  my  picket 
in  position  under  the  able  command  of  Colonel  Beaver  of  the  148th 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  '" — (Report  of  Gen.  John  C,  Caldwell 
Rebellion  Records,  48-254.) 

It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  acknowledge  the  good  behavior  of 
officers  as  well  as  enlisted  men  of  this  Brigade — from  the  old  regi 
ments  and  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  and  their 
officers.  Nothing  else  could  be  expected,  they  having  gained  fame  on 
many  battlefields  before.  — (Report  of  Col.  Paul  Frank,  Rebellion 
Records,  48-266.) 

We  were  soon  on  the  march  toward  Bristoe  Station.  My  man 
Ike  overtook  the  column  and  reported  to  me,  "Foh  de  Lor's  sake. 
Adjutant,  you  nebber  see  dem  bosses  no  moh.  Dey  gone  to  de  debble 
shuah — I  foller  'em  and  foller  'em  till  I  see  de  rebs."  And  I  never 
did  see  them  again.  Some  years  after  the  War,  my  claim  for  them 
was  paid  by  the  Government. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  249 

We  soon  heard  the  tiring  at  Bristoe  and  struck  the  double  quick 
for  the  fight,  in  which  we  had  a  little  share  at  the  close. 

At  the  end  of  October  and  again  toward  the  middle  of  Novem 
ber  we  were  busy  receiving,  enrolling  and  assimilating  nearly  three 
hundred  recruits,  mostly  under  the  enrollment  act  They  were  in 
the  main  worthy  and  welcome  additions  to  the  ranks.  A  few  were 
worthless  and  depraved.  The  conduct  of  some  of  these  latter  called 
forth  a  characteristic  speech  from  the  Colonel,  which  will  be  referred 
to  hereafter. 

Tl^p  campaign  closed  with  the  Mine  Run  episode  and  by  the 
7th  of  December  we  were  in  winter  quarters  in  "Camp  near  Stevens- 
burg,'"'  and  here  began  five  months  of  the  Regiment's  most  delightful 
experience  of  all  its  three  years'  service.  It  was  a  veritable  oasis 
sandwiched  in  between  the  toilsome  marches  and  the  bloody  battles 
that  had  preceded  and  the  still  more  exhausting  marches  and  inex 
pressibly  horrible  and  bloody  carnage  that  were  to  follow. 

The  camp,  located  on  a  tract  of  level  ground,  heavily  timbered, 
was  as  pretty  a  soldier  village  as  you  could  picture.  At  the  head  of 
the  camp,  against  a  background  of  timber,  the  straight  row  of  neat  log 
huts  of  the  field  and  staff,  in  front  of  these,  a  wade  sentinel  beat,  and 
butting  against  this7 the  company  streets  running  at  right  angles  with 
the  line  of  headquarters,  and  fronting  on  either  side  of  the  company 
streets,  the  row  of  huts,  one  for  each  mess  and  the  company  officers' 
quarters  at  the  head,  all  well  built,  roomy  and  clean ;  the  big  log 
house  just  to  one  side  the  camp,  our  chapel,  where  good  Chaplain 
Stevens  preached  every  Sunday  and  held  prayer  meeting  every 
Wednesday  evening.  This  little  village  of  ours  was  but  a  small  pre 
cinct  in  a  great  military  city  which  spread  out  over  many  miles  of 
area  and  in  which  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  soldiers  were  en 
camped. 

On  the  23d  of  January  I  was  granted  my  first  leave  of  absence 
and  was  soon  on  my  way  for  a  longed-for  visit  to  home  and  "the  girl 
I  left  behind  me."  After  a  few  delightful  days  at  Howard,  I  hurried 
westward  to  visit  my  father,  brothers  and  sisters,  who  with  one  excep 
tion  had  removed  to  Dakota,  Illinois.  There  I  learned  that  my  older 
brother  Charles  had  enlisted  and  was  serving  in  the  46th  Illinois. 


250  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Returning  to  Howard,  I  stopped  just  long  enough  to  celebrate  St. 
Valentine's  Day  in  a  short  ceremony,  as  a  souvenir  of  which  I  took 
with  me  some  cards,  one  of  which,  bearing  the  name  of  Mary  Baker, 
was  tied  to  my  own  with  a  bit  of  white  ribbon.  The  knot  is  still  tied 
and  the  ribbon  still  white. 

Returning  at  the  end  of  my  leave,  I  found  the  Army  in  the 
midst  of  a  scene  of  life  and  gaiety  that  transformed  "grim-visaged 
war"  into  a  semblance  of  the  royal  court  of  France  in  the  time  of  the 
Empire. 

An  order  had  been  issued  passing  ladies  into  the  lines,  and  many 
hundreds  of  the  wives,  sisters,  daughters  and  friends  of  officers  had 
availed  themselves  of  the  privilege.  One  may  more  easily  imagine 
than  describe  the  effect  of  such  an  angelic  irruption  into  the  cam], 
of  an  army.  A  great  wigwam  was  built  at  our  division  headquarters 
where  balls,  theatricals,  literary  entertainments  and  social  functions 
of  all  sorts  were  had  almost  nightly.  At  one  of  these  balls,  I  remem 
ber  seeing  Grace  Greenwood  being  led  through  the  quadrille  by  the 
stout  and  florid  General  Caldwell. 

Mounted  parties  of  soldiers  and  ladies  were  everywhere  in  evi 
dence,  visiting  the  different  headquarters,  or  making  calls  on  acquain 
tances  in  distant  camps.  The  148th  came  in  for  a  full  share  of  the 
courtesies  of  the  time. 

Our  evening  dress  parade  was  a  leading  attraction.  On  these 
occasions  we  were  seldom  without  visitors,  and  often  very  largo 
parties  came  from  the  most  distant  camps  to  witness  our  display  in 
this  most  beautiful  of  all  military  forms.  And  so  the  winter  passed 
— a  long  season  of  rest,  in  comfortable  quarters,  with  abundant  ra 
tions  and  supplies  of  all  kinds  in  plenty. 

As  the  weather  began  to  moderate  toward  spring,  we  had  quite 
a  number  of  "ax-idents,"  and  half  a  dozen  or  more  men  were  in  the 
hospital  with  cut  feet.  O*ne  evening  at  dress  parade,  after  T  had 
formed  the  parade,  the  Colonel  ordered,  "Double  column  closed  ir 
mass,"  walked  down  to  the  colors  and  said : 

"Men,  we  have  had  a  hundred  axes  in  this  Regiment  all  winter. 
You  have  cut  down  trees  enough  for  quarters  and  fuel  and  there  never 
was  a  foot  cut  until  within  the  last  few  weeks,  when  there  is  prospect 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          251 

of  active  operations.  Xow,  1  want  it  understood  when  a  man  cuts  his 
foot  it  will  be  noted  on  his  muster  and  descriptive  roll,  on  the  books 
of  his  company  and  on  the  records  of  the  Regiment,  and  that  this  rec 
ord  will  follow  him  through  his  Armv  service  and  through  all  his 
civil  life  when  the  War  is  over ;  that  he  CUT  HIS  FOOT— that  he 
did  it  himself — tnat  he  did  it  on  purpose,  and  that  HE  IS  AX  IX- 
FERXAL  COWARD."  There  was  no  more  cutting  of  feet. 

On  the  10th  of  March  Lieutenant  General  Grant  made  his  offi 
cial  visit  to  General  Meade,  and  on  the  26th  established  his  head 
quarters  with  our  Army  at  Culpeper  Court  House. 

Major  Fairlamb,  with  his  Byronic  face,  fine  literary  turn  and 
brilliant  wit,  found  frequent  occasions  for  amusing  sallies  during  this 
winter.  Himself  a  physician  and  surgeon  of  high  repute,  he  took  es 
pecial  delight  in  firing  off  jokes  at  the  expense  of  the  surgeons.  Com 
ing  out  of  his  quarters  one  morning,  as  he  approached  a  group  of 
officers,  among  whom  were  two  of  the  surgeons,  he  looked  up  at  thb 
sky  and  around  at  the  horizon,  and  said : 

"Fine  morning,  gentlemen.  Clear  sky  and  balmy  weather. 
Everything  getting  ready  for  a  fight.  The  turkey  buzzards  and  sur 
geons  gathering  around,  all  ready  for  business." 

General  Hayes  was  somewhat  noted  for  extraordinary  profanity. 
One  day  on  the  march,  when  Fairlamb  was  in  command  of  the  Regi 
ment,  as  evening  approached,  the  head  of  our  column  came  up  to 
where  General  Hayes  had  gone  into  camp  for  the  night.  The  Major 
turned  to  me  and  said  : 

"Hello,  here's  General  Hayes,  all  fixed  up  f(>1*  ^ie  night,  tent  on 
the  hillside  and  headquarters  flag  flying.  All  he  needs  now  is  a  sign, 
'Lessons  given  in  plain  and  ornamental  profanity.' ' 

From  "Burr's  Life  of  Gen.  James  A.  Beaver:" 

More  than  a  year  of  hard  campaigning  had  left  its  ghastly 
mark  upon  the  148th.  Familiar  faces  were  missing  from  the  ranks. 
Some  were  lying  in  hospitals  nursing  their  wounds ;  some  had  now 
honorable  discharge  by  reason  of  permanent  disability ;  and  some 
had  gone  to  sleep  amid  the  din  of  battle.  But  others  came  to  take 
their  places,  perhaps  to  share  their  fate.  Pennsylvania,  whose  zeal 
never  flagged  throughout  the  long  conflict,  looked  well  to  her  shattered 
regiments  in  the  field;  and  while  the  148th  was  in  winter  quarters  at 


252  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Stevensburg  in  the  winter  of  1863,  fresh  recruits  had  come  in  and 
made  it  as  strong  as  when  it  left  Camp  Curtin. 

The  new  camp  was  pleasantly  situated,  the  site  having  been 
chosen  with  regard  to  the  health  of  the  command.  The  weather  was 
intensely  cold,  with  little  promise  of  any  abatement  before  spring, 
and  Colonel  Beaver  went  to  work  at  once  to  put  up  huts  and  provide 
the  men  with  such  comfort  as  the  rough  regimen  of  war  would  ]>er- 
mit.  A  neat  little  chapel  was  erected,  and  in  this  were  held  religious 
exercises  and  the  regimental  school  for  commissioned  and  non-com 
missioned  officers.  Great  interest  was  shown  in  the  prayer-meetings 
through  that  winter  of  preparation  for  the  hazardous  work  of  the 
spring  campaign,  and  the  effect  on  the  Regiment  was  marked. 

The  school  was  a  feature  of  the  camp,  and  very  largely  owing 
to  its  wholesome  influence  there  was  raised  up  from  the  ranks  of  that 
Regiment  some  of  the  very  best  of  company  officers  in  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac.  From  the  day  the  148th  was  organized  it  had  been 
Colonel  Beaver's  ambition  to  make  it  a  model  regiment,  In  camp  or 
on  the  march,  night  or  day,  he  had  never  lost  sight  of  the  fact  that, 
discipline  and  instruction  were  all  important  factors  in  reaching  per 
fection.  His  order  for  the  regimental  school  was,  when  in  camp,  im 
perative.  How  he  always  insisted  upon  its  observance  is  best  told 
by  an  occurrence  that  took  place  while  in  the  winter  cam])  at  Stevens- 
burg. 

He  went  to  the  chapel  one  evening  and  had  the  officers'  (tall 
sounded,  but  there  was  no  response.  The*  Colonel  waited  a  few  u  in- 
utes,  but  no  officer  came.  Calling  his  Adjutant  he  said: 

"Adjutant,  place  every  commissioned  officer  in  the  "Regiment 
under  arrest  for  twenty-four  hours !" 

The  surprised  officers  explained  that  they  were  issuing  clothing 
when  the  call  sounded. 

"Issuing  clothing!"  exclaimed  the  Colonel,  with  amazement. 
"Clothing  can  be  issued  at  any  time.  Here  is  a  standing  order — n 
regular  part  of  each  day's  duties." 

The  next  day  the  Regiment  went  on  dress  parade  without  a 
single  commissioned  officer  but  the  Colonel  and  the  Adjutant,  each 
company  commanded  -by  an  Orderly  Sergeant.  This  was  not  a  mere 
freak  or  whim.  The  order  was  known  to  every  officer,  the  duty  regu 
lar.  "It  showed  the  character  of  the  man,"  says  a  general  officer  of 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  in  speaking  of  the  occurrence.  "The  order 
was  for  the  welfare  of  the  Regiment,  reasonable  and  right,  and  the 
punishment  necessary  to  the  maintenance  of  military  discipline. 

Five  months  passed  of  thorough  drilling,  with  close  attention 
to  the  smallest  details.  The  dress  parades  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania 
became  famous,  and  it  was  known  the  Army  through  as  Hancock's 
pet  Regiment.  Commendations  were  freoly  bestowed  upon  the  splen- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          253 

did  command  and  its  young  Colonel.  Particular  attention  was  paid 
to  skirmish  drill  by  the  sound  of  the  'bugle — a  practical  accomplish 
ment  which  was  turned  to  telling  account  soon  after  in  the  Wilder 
ness  and  the  other  great  battles  in  which  it  bore  a  conspicuous  part. 
Well-clothed  and  equipped,  thoroughly  disciplined  and  drilled,  no 
finer  body  of  men  ever  marched  to  the  beating  of  a  drum.  Four 
months  of  schooling  for  officers  and  men  had  made  a  regiment  fit  for 
any  work. 

A  letter  written  by  Colonel  Beaver  shortly  before  breaking  camp 
in  the  spring  shows  that  while  he  was  a  strict  disciplinarian  he  had  a 
warm  personal  interest  in  every  man  in  his  Regiment,  and  was  ready 
to  do  a  good  friend's  part 

"One  of  my  boys/'  he  writes,  "is  sentenced  to  be  shot  for  desei- 
tion,  but,  as  he  has  behaved  very  bravely  at  all  times,  and  is  really 
not  guilty  of  desertion  in  its  bad  sense,  I  -will  make  every  effort  in  my 
power  to  have  him  pardoned  or  at  least  reprieved."     The  man  was 
spared. 

These  instances  of  care  for  each  individual  man  of  the  148th 
might  be  multiplied  by  each  day  of  its  service  while  Colonel  Beaver 
was  at  its  head.  But  the  record  it  made  after  Stevensburg  is  the  most 
interesting  and  brilliant  part  of  its  history  and  of  his  connection 
with  it. 

The  First  Division  of  the  Second  Corps  was  an  especially  strong 
one  in  the  personnel  of  its  officers.  Among  the  Colonels  were  many 
men  of  high  character  and  splendid  ability  as  commanders  of  regi 
ment  or  brigade.  There  were  Miles,  Brooke,  Beaver,  Mulholland, 
Smythe,  Brown,  McKeen,  Cross,  several  of  whom  died  nobly  in 
battle,  while  others  have  achieved  honor  and  distinction  in  military 
and  civil  life  since  the  War.  There  was  much  talk  antone:  the  friends 
of  these  Colonels  about  the  promotion  of  their  favorites,  and  a  spir 
ited  but  friendly  rivalry  as  to  which  one  should  first  win  the  star. 
Of  course,  we  of  the  148th  were  quite  sure  that  our  Colonel  ought  to 
be  the  first  to  win  the  coveted  rank.  While  Beaver  could  not  help 
hearing  something  of  these  remarks,  he  manifested  no  anxiety  on 
the  subject,  and  neither  said  nor  did  anything  to  further  his  ambi 
tion,  if  indeed  he  had  any.  The  great  review  of  the  Army  by  Gen 
eral  Grant,  which  occurred  shortly  before  the  march  to  the  Wilder 
ness,  afforded  him  an  occasion  for  a  very  frank  expression  of  his  feel 
ings  about  promotion.  I  had  read  the  order  calling  for  the  review, 
on  dress  parade  one  evening,  and  after  taking  command  of  the  Regi- 


254  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

ment,  he  walked  down  to  the  colors,  and  called  attention  to  the  order, 
and  said,  "You  know  what  that  means.  Now  get  ready."  And  we 
got  ready.  During  the  intervening  days,  there  was  such  cleaning  of 
uniforms,  burnishing  of  brasses,  and  polishing  of  weapons,  as  showed 
how  well  the  men  understood  the  admonition.  The  day  of  the  great 
review  dawned,  bright  and  clear,  and  the  Regiment  turned  out  with 
full  ranks,  and  every  officer  and  man  in  his  place,  all  in  dress  uni 
form,  with  white  gloves,  polished  shoes,  and  uniform  caps,  every  field 
officer  present  in  his  place,  the  Surgeon  and  two  assistants  on  hand, 
with  the  Chaplain  and  Quartermaster,  and  the  non-com  missioned  staff. 
On  the  way  to  the  review  ground,  as  we  descended  a  long  and  gentle 
slope  on  the  Virginia  road,  when  the  head  of  the  column  reached  the 
foot  of  the  descent,  the  Colonel  turned  in  his  saddle  and  commanded, 
"Right  shoulder  shift  arms."  The  guns  came  up,  the  band  struck  up 
the  music,  the  Regiment  took  the  step,  and  the  Colonel  pointing  back 
to  the  line,  said,  "Adjutiant,  look  at  (thiait.  Isn't  it  a  beauty  ?  Talk 
about  promotion.  I'd  rather  ride  at  the  head  of  that  Regiment  than 
to  command  any  Brigade  in  the  Army.  I'd  ra>ther  be  a  good  Colonel 
than  a  poor  Brigadier." 

The  3d  of  May,  1864,  marked  the  end  of  our  stay  at  Stevens- 
burg,  and  of  all  rest,  ease  and  comfort.  Thenceforward,  toil,  hard 
ship  and  slaughter  were  to  be  our  constant  experiences  to  the  end.  On 
that  day  we  crossed  as  we  had  crossed  one  year  before,  and  found  our 
selves  once  more  on  the  old  battle  ground  of  Chancellorsville.  The 
battle  of  the  Wilderness  was  fought  on  the  4th,  5th  and  6th  of  the 
month,  and  was  a  drawn  battle.  As  it  sometimes  happens,  our  own 
Regiment  did  not  become  engaged  on  this  field,  and  sustained  a  loss 
of  but  one  man  killed. 

In  connection  with  the  movements  in  the  Wilderness,  the  follow 
ing  from  "Burr's  Life"  will  be  found  of  interest : 

The  Regiment  swung  out  to  the  right,  reached  its  post,  and  took 
•its  station  in  the  line  of  battle,  against  which  Longstreet  was  to  dash 
the  next  day  in  vain.  Moving  by  shorter  lines  up  the  middle  fingers, 
to  recur  to  the  simile  of  an  outstretched  hand,  the  Second  Division, 
under  General  Gibbon,  was  already  in  place.  Its  commander  rode 
up  to  see  the  approach  of  the  vanguard  of  the  Corps  as  it  came  up 
the  road.  The  full  ranks  of  the  148th  swept  up  in  marching  order. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          255 

The  winter's  hard  drill  had  done  its  work.  Nine  hours'  march  in  a 
May,  Virginia  sun  left  it  still  fresh.  "I  was  always  very  particular," 
>aid  its  commander,  diffidently,  in  telling  the  story,  "when  we  came 
to  a  halt  to  dress  our  lines,  stack  arms,  unsling  knapsacks  and  put 
everything  in  perfect  shape  for  any  emergency  before  breaking 
ranks."  The  order  "break  ranks"  came  at  last,  and  the  voung  Col 
onel  rode  over  to  the  group  of  general  officers,  who  had  been  watching 
the  methodical  drill  of  nine  hundred  gleaming  bayonets,  while  al 
ready  the  sharp  snapping  roar  of  a  great  battle  could  be  heard  five 
miles  away.  "Colonel,"  said  General  Gibbon,  in  command  of  two 
divisions,  holding  an  advance  line  on  the  eve  of  a  great  battle,  "I'd 
rather  have  that  Regiment  in  its  splendid  condition,  and  command  it, 
than  occupy  the  position  I  do." 

But  in  the  Army,  as  in  the  world,  the  law  of  compensation  holds 
good,  and  as  we  moved  out  of  the  Wilderness  on  the  evening  of  the 
7th,  we  entered  upon  an  epoch  in  which  we  were  to  pay  dearlv  for 
our  exemption  in  the  Wilderness  From  the  8th  of  May  to  the  19th, 
we  were  prominent  factors  in  the  scenes  at  bloody  Spotsylvania.  This 
battle  will  be  so  fully  described  in  other  chapters,  including  a  special 
contribution  on  the  battle  by  the  editor,  that  I  need  not  in  this  place 
add  any  words  of  my  own.  Our  loss  was  thirty-three  killed,  two  hun 
dred  and  thirty-five  wounded  and  thirty-three  missing,  a  total  of 
three  hundred  and  one,  being  the  heaviest  loss  of  any  infantry  regi 
ment  on  that  field.  But  the  magnitude  of  the  operations  at  Spotsyl 
vania,  ranking  as  it  does,  next  to  Gettysburg,  the  greatest  battle  of 
the  Civil  War,  warrants  me  in  the  insertion  in  this  place  of  the  fol 
lowing  account  from  "Burr's  Life:" 

BREAKING  THE  REBEL  LINE  AT  SPOTSYLVANIA. 

"I  know  they  will  not  come  back !  They  will  not  come  back !" 
exclaimed  General  Hancock,  as  he  sat  on  his  horse  and  watched  those 
grand  soldiers  he  commanded  with  so  much  spirit  and  efficiency  upon 
so  many  battlefields,  as  they  slowly  and  silently,  in  solid  mass, 
marched  toward  the  strong  works  of  the  enemy  in  the  gray  of 
the  morning  of  the  12th  of  May,  1M>4.  His  manner  and  his 
words  betokened  not  only  a  confidence  in  the  valor  of  his  men 
but  that  love  for  the  old  Sei-ond  Corps  that  is  the  index 
to  its  success,  and  his  supreme  support  a*  a  man  and  a  com 
mander.  It  was  a  critical  moment  in  the  history  of  that  command, 
and  indeed  of  the  whole  Army,  for  a  movement  of  mighty  import 
began  when  Hancock  watched  his  troops  as  they  started  for  the  Con- 


256  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

federate  line  that  morning.  No  charge  of  the  War  had  been  planned 
with  so  much  care.  Troops  had  never  been  sent  against  an  enemy  in 
this  country  in  such  formation.  The  result  was  a  brilliant  episode 
of  war. 

Watching  the  massed,  line  as  it  swept  over  the  low  ground  and 
up  the  sloping  hill  was  a  duty  which  would  have  filled  even  a  less  im 
petuous  man  than  Hancock  with  enthusiasm.  The  morning  light  was 
not  yet  strong  enough  to  lift  the  fog.  The  further  the  men  went 
from  the  point  where  Hancock  stood,  the  more  faintly  were  their 
forms  seen.  When  they  began  to  ascend  the  hill  nothing  but  their 
heads  and  the  upper  part  of  their  bodies  could  be  distinguished.  The 
strange  billowy  motion  of  the  swaying  silent  line  suggested  to  the 
observer  an  army  of  turtles  cautiously  creeping  up  hill,  and  Hancock 
is  said  to  have  so  described  it.  Seeing  the  precision  of  the  march, 
which  was  guided  by  aj  compass  from  the  point  where  he  stood  to  a 
house  inside  the  Confederate  lines,  he  thrice  gave  vent  to  his  sincere 
satisfaction,  as  he  saw  them  near  the  enemy's  works,  by  the  earnest 
words  of  confidence,  "They  will  not  come  back !" 

It  was  Grant's  plan  to  assault  the  enemy  in  their  intrenched 
position  at  daybreak,  before  they  were  aware  of  the  presence  of  his 
troops,  and  his  orders  to  the  corps  commanders  were  given  with  that 
end  in  view.  Every  preparation  for  the  attack,  which  gave  all  officers 
much  solicitude,  ;and  called  from  Hancock  the  striking  expressions 
above  quoted,  had  been  made  under  the  cover  of  night.  Early  on  the 
evening  of  the  llth,  Hancock  had  assembled  his  division  commanclers, 
and  given  them  their  orders.  He  carefully  explained  the  plan  of  at 
tack,  and  spoke  with  earnestness  upon  the  minutest  detail  of  the 
march  and  assault.  But  important  as  was  his  council  with  his  imme 
diate  subordinates,  the  consultations  which  followed  between  division 
and  brigade,  and  between  brigade  and  regimental  commanders,  were 
no  less  dramatic  and  significant.  The  night  was  very  dark,  and  the 
rain  beat  mercilessly  down  upon  the  unsheltered  troops,  whether  they 
were  in  the  tangled  forest,  or  the  open  field.  It  was  between  eight  and 
nine  o'clock  when  the  brigade  commanders  of  the  Eirst  Division  oi 
the  Second  Corps  were  called  by  its  commander.  In  a  dense  and 
gloomy  forest,  in  a  secluded  spot  cleared  for  the  purpose,  Barlow  met 
his  Brigadiers — Brooke,  Brown,  "Milos  and  Smyth.  . 

The  desultory  firing  of  the  day  had  ceased.  No  sound  came 
from  the  bivouacs  where  the  weary  men  were  snatching  an  hour^  rest 
after  the  marching  and  fighting  of  the  Wilderness.  Barlow's  Division 
was  to  be  honored  with  a  position  of  great  peril  and  importance,  and 
now  his  Brigades  were  to  be  assigned  to  their  work.  The  flickering 
light  of  a  lantern  shed  its  dim,  uncertain  rays  over  the  dreary  woods, 
and  on  tho  little  group  huddled  together  in  the  dismal  storm  to  map 
out  the  plan  of  the  morrow's  desperate  business.  By  the  lantern's 


THE  i4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          257 

faint,  unsteady  beam,  now  flaring  its  red  glare  upon  a  thoughtful 
face,  almost  beaten  out  by  wind  and  rain,  Barlow  traced  upon  the 
moistened  earth  the  plan  of  the  deadly  assault  It  was  a  rude  map, 
but  the  Brigadiers  followed  each  outline  with  eager  eye,  and  when  the 
Druid  council  was  over,  each  understood  the  part  he  was  to  play,  and 
hastened  to  his  command  to  summon  his  Colonels  to  a  similar  council. 
Brooke  called  his  regimental  commanders,  among  them  Colonel 
Beaver,  and  gave  them  their  instructions  for  the  charge,  Not  a  gun 
was  to  be  fired  in  the  advance.  "Let  silence — dead  silence — be  the 
awful  menace !"  said  Brooke,  "and  break  it  only  with  the  bayonet!" 

Barlow's  Division  was  to  take  the  lead  of  the  Second  Corps,  in 
two  lines  of  masses,  Brooke's  and  Miles'  Brigades  in  -the  front,  each 
regiment  forming  double  column  on  the  center.  The  enemy  lay 
strongly  intrenched  in  his  works,  posted  on  an  elevation,  having  all 
the  advantage  of  position.  Colonel  Beaver  had  scarcely  turned  in  for  a 
few  hours'  rest,  when,  about  ten  o'clock  marching  orders  came.  The 
troops  moved  at  once,  and  never  did  men  start  upon  a  march  under 
circumstances  more  dispiriting.  To  the  inky  darkness  of  the  night 
was  added  a  chilling  rain,  the  more  depressing  because  it  came  in  the 
shape  of  a  dense  searching  mist,  that  wet  to  the  skin,  and  left  men 
with  a  sensation  of  having  been  varnished  with  fresh  mucilage.  It 
covered  the  country  with  a  fog,  and  made  the  woods  and  tangled  for 
ests  through  which  the  march  had  to  be  made  doubly  dismal  and  diffi 
cult  to  penetrate.  General  Beaver's  diary  records  the  fact  that  "the 
night  was  chilly,  and  that  the  storm  was  such  that  he  shivered  more 
than  ever  before  in  his  life." 

From  eleven  o'clock  until  nearly  one  in  the  morning  the  Second 
Corps  struggled  over  the  difficult  way,  led  by  the  unsteady  light  of  a 
lantern  which  Col.  C.  H.  Morgan,  Hancock's  chief-of-staff,  carried 
in  his  hand,  far  enough  in  advance  of  the  head  of  the  Corps  to  keep 
it  from  reflecting  the  long  line  of  gleaming  guns  which  followed  him. 
The  story  of  that  night's  march  of  the  Second  Corps  cannot  be  pic 
tured  with  words  or  brush.  Silently  the  men  struggled  on  over  the 
tangled  and  tortuous  path,  following  the  glare  of  a  candle.  Now 
and  then  one  would  whisper  beneath  breath  a  word  to  a  comrade,  or 
touch  an  elbow  to  make  sure  he  was  there.  Not  a  loud  word  spoken, 
or  a  noise  made  to  show  that  an  army  corps  was  on  its  way  to  desper 
ate  work.  At  last  the  silent  column  halted  and  went  into  line.  The 
148th  took  position  with  its  Brigade  to  the  left  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  in  full  face  of  the  enemy. 

Many  times  during  this  weary,  dangerous  march  around  the  bal 
ance  of  the  Army,  in  the  face  of  the  enemy,  did  the  men  of  the  Second 
Corps  give  significant  evidence  of  that  admirable  spirit,  discipline 
and  bravery  so  justly  the  pride  of  it?  commander  and  so  clearly  the 
foundation  and  creation  of  it?  brilliant  career.  Hancock's  order? 


258  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

were  that  perfect  silence  be  maintained  during  the  march.  Not  a 
loud  word  was  to  be  spoken  by  officer  or  man.  The  route  lay  within 
stone's  throw  of  the  enemy's  position.  A  loud  word,  the  rattle  of 
camp  equipage  or  the  shaking  of  a  canteen,  might  reveal  the  move 
ment  and  give  the  enemy  time  to  prepare  for  the  attack,  or  what  was 
worse,  to  assault  the  moving  corps  in  column  and  beat  it  back,  if  not 
destroy  it.  Everything  the  men  carried  that  could,  make  a  noise  was 
strapped  close  to  the  body,  and  the  column  moved  as  noiselessly  as  a 
well-ordered  machine.  The  leading  division  had  arrived  at  the  point 
where  it  was  to  go  into  line  when  an  incident  occurred  that  strikingly 
illustrates  the  wonderful  discipline  and  self-control  of  the  men  about. 
to  go  into  battle,  even  in  a  stampede.  Col.  W.  P.  Wilson,  of  the 
148th,  but  then  of  General  Hancock's  staff,  who  was  that  night  guid 
ing  the  Third  Division  of  the  Corps  (Birney's),  tells  the  story  in 
graphic  detail.  Colonel  Comstock,  of  Grant's  staff,  Colonel  C.  H. 
Morgan,  Hancock's  chief-of-staff,  and  Captains  Mitchell  and  Wilson, 
Aides  on  the  staff  of  the  commander  of  the  Second  Corps,  had  the  day 
before  located  the  line  of  march  and  point  of  assault,  and  of  course 
all  save  Comstock  played  an  important  part  in  the  events  of  that  mem 
orable  night, 

"The  First  Division  was  going  into  position,"  says  Colonel  Wil 
son,  "and  the  Second  came  to  a  hialt."  The  weary  men  drenched  to 
the  skin,  sunk  down  on  the  hillside,  and  were  asleep  as  soon  as  they 
touched  the  ground.  I  fell  asleep  on  my  horse,  and  awoke  suddenly 
to  find  that  the  column  was  moving,  man  by  man  silently  down  the 
hill.  1  shall  never  forget  the  sight.  It  seemed  as  though  the  line 
was  fading  away  into  the  darkness,  or  enveloped  by  a  cloud.  Per 
haps  a  line  of  phantom  soldiers,  moving  in  the  mist,  would  best 
describe  their  appearance,  as  I  awoke.  I  sought  General  Birne^ 
and  asked  in  a  whisper : 

"  What's  the  matter  ?' 

"  'I  don't  know/  he  replied,  looking  anxiously  at  the  moving 
line.  In  an  instant  his  staff  officers  and  commanders  of  regiments 
and  companies  were  after  the  disappearing  column,  bringing  the  men 
back,  man  by  man,  to  their  places.  In  either  movement  not  a  loud 
word  was  spoken." 

When  the  line  was  again  reformed,  an  inquiry  as  to  the  cause  of 
the  movement  down  the  hill  developed  the  fact  that  a  pack  mule  laden 
with  intrenching  tools,  that  had  brokep  away  from  the  sleeping  man 
who  had  been  leading  it,  was  grazing  down  the  hill  between  the 
Union  line  and  the  enemy's  position.  The  tools  rattled  a  little,  and 
thinking  that  the  enemy  had  discovered  the  movement  and  was  ad 
vancing,  the  men  stampeded,  each  man  moving  off  by  himself  without 
a  word.  They  even  in  their  fright  never  forgot  their  commander's 
orders  for  perfect  silence. 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          259 

When  the  division  of  the  corps  that  were  to  make  the  charge, 
the  First,  Second  and  Third,  got  into  position,  the  men  slept  upon 
their  arms,  ready  for  their  task.  When  the  hour  given  for  the  assault 
arrived,  the  men  were  called  to  begin  the  more  serious  day's  work  of 
the  War.  But  dense  penetrating  fog  hung  over  the  scene  of  the  com 
ing  battle,  and  Hancock  held  back  his  men  until  the  light  grew 
stronger  through  the  mist  of  the  early  morning.  At  4 :35  A.  M.  came 
the  order  to  advance.  With  a  word  of  cheer  to  his  men,  a  short,  ring 
ing  speech  that  kindled  the  fire  of  patriotism,  Colonel  Beaver  and 
his  Regiment  moved  forward  with  the  Brigade.  Through  the  only 
clearing  between  the  Armies,  up  the  rugged  ascent,  facing  without  re 
sponse  a  hot  fire  from  the  enemy's  picket  reserve,  the  148th  in  the 
front  line,  they  broke  through  the  enemy's  picket  line,  and  in  an  in 
stant  were  in  the  rifle  pits  on  his  skirmish  line.  Xot  a  shot  bad  been 
fired  from  the  Union  troops.  Barlow  pressed  on,  Birney  keeping 
pace  with  him.  But  the  men  were  burning  with  enthusiasm,  impa 
tient  for  the  decisive  clash.  They  were  half  way  up  the  slope — almost 
on  the  enemy's  works.  Not  a  sound  from  the  veterans,  strictly  disci 
plined  and  mindful  of  their  orders.  But  a  new  regiment,  thinking 
that  the  victory  had  been  won  when  the  picket  rifle  pits  were  taken, 
broke  into  a  cheer.  The  fire  had  been  lighted.  The  shouts  ran  through 
regiment  after  regiment,  until  the  whole  force  was  yelling  like  mad, 
and  soon  they  were  dashing  on  the  enemy  at  the  double-quick.  Down 
from  the  rebel  works  poured  a  galling  fire  of  musketry  and  grape  and 
canister — a  hot  and  deadly  blast  that  tore  great  rents  injhe  advanc 
ing  ranks.  Stunned  by  the  murderous  fury  of  the  sudden  and  con 
tinuous  fire,  the  column  wavered  for  an  instant,  only  to  rally  with 
louder  yells  and  accelerated  pace  for  one  of  the  bravest,  bloodiest 
charges  in  the  annals  of  war.  On  they  drove,  the  enemy  raking  them 
as  they  advanced,  marking  their  pathway  up  with  many  killed  and 
wounded.  But  the  torn  ranks  closed  as  fast  as  the  heroes  fell,  and 
when  the  crest  of  the  slope  had  been  reached,  two  whole  divisions 
threw  themselves  at  once  upon  the  works.  The  pioneers  had  been 
placed  along  the  front  of  the  line,  axes  in  hand.  WTien  the  abatis  was 
reached  they  cut  the  timber,  the  troops  dragged  it  aside  and  poured 
through  the  lanes  thus  made,  and,  against  a  gallant  and  obstinate 
defence,  hurled  themselves  fair  upon  the  enemy.  Xow  began  one  of 
the  boldest  and  deadliest  hand-to-hand  combats  of  the  War.  With 
sword  and  bayonet  our  troops  cut  their  way.  With  sword  and  bayonet 
and  hand-spike  the  rebels  replied,  until,  overborne  by  the  fury  of  the 
assault,  they  broke  and  £ave  up  the  works  to  Hancock's  veterans. 
Veteran  campaigners  had  never  looked  upon  such  a  sight  as  they  be 
held  when  the  enemy  had  been  driven  out.  Dead  and  dying  were 
heaped  in  piles. 


260  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

"In  one  little  spot,"  says  General  Brooke,  upon  whose  authority 
the  graphic  details  of  this  march  and  charge  are  given,  "I  saw  sixty 
bodies  lying,  every  one  of  them  pierced  with  the  bayonet," 

Xot  far  off  a  Union  and  a  Confederate  soldier  struggled,  each 
with  his  bayonet  fast  in  the  other's  body.  Captain  Anderson,  of  the 
53d  Pennsylvania,  was  felled  by  a  rebel  cannoneer's  hand-spike,  and 
picked  up  for  dead,  though  fortunately  he  recovered. 

General  Grant,  in  his  report  of  this  engagement,  says : 

"The  eighth  day  of  the  battle  closes,  leaving  between  three  thou 
sand  and  four  thousand  prisoners  in  our  hands  for  the  day's  work,  in 
cluding  two  general  officers  and  over  thirty  pieces  of  artillery.  The 
enemy  are  obstinate,  and  seem  to  have  found  their  last  ditch.  We 
have  lost  no  organization,  not  even  that  of  a  company,  whilst  we  have 
destroyed  and  captured  one  division  (Johnson's)  and  one  brigade 
(Dole's)  and  one  regiment  entire  of  the  enemy." 

General  Badeau,  in  his  "Military  History  of  Ulysses  S.  Grant," 
says: 

"During  the  War  the  rebels  never  made  so  important  and  suc 
cessful  an  assault  as  that  of  Hancock,  on  the  12th  of  May.  Indeed, 
they  rarely  attempted  to  assault  fortified  works,  and  never  captured 
one  when  Grant  was  in  the  field." 

Hancock,  in  his  report,  pays  this  tribute  to  the  gallantry  of  the 
men,  and  describes  the  pursuit  after  the  works  had  been  carried  : 

"They  rolled  like  an  irresistible  wave  into  the  enemy's  works, 
tearing  away  what  abatis  there  was  in  front  of  the  intrenchments 
with  their  hands,  and  carrying  the  line  at  all  points  in  a.  few  minutes, 
although  it  was  desperately  defended.  Barlow's  and  Birney's 
Divisions  entered  almost  at  the  same  moment,  striking  the  enemy's 
line  at  a  sharp  salient  point,  immediately  in  front  of  the  Lendrum 
House;  a  fierce  and  bloody  fight  ensued  with  bayonets  and  clubbed 
muskets ;  it  was  short,  however,  and  resulted  in  the  capture  of  nearly 
four  thousand  prisoners  of  Johnson's  Division  of  Swell's  Corps, 
twenty  pieces  of  artillery,  with  horses,  caissons,  and  material  com 
plete,  several  thousand  stand  of  small  arms,  and  upwards  of  thirty 
colors.  Among  the  prisoners  were  Major  General  Edward  Johnson 
and  Brigadier  General  George  H.  Steuart,  of  the  Confederate  service. 
The  enemy  fled  in  great  confusion  and  disorder,  their  loss  in  killed 
and  wounded  being  unusually  a^reat.  The  interior  of  the  intrench 
ments  presented  a  terrible  and  ghastly  spectacle  of  dead,  most  of 
whom  were  killed  by  our  men  with  the  bayonet  when  they  penetrated 
the  works ;  so  thickly  lay  the  dead  at  this  point,  that  in  many  places 
the  bodies  were  touching  and  piled  upon  each  other." 

After  taking  the  works  the  troops  could  not  be  held  back,  but 
pursued  the  fleeing  enemy  towards  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  where 
they  encountered  a  second  line  of  formidable  earthworks.  The  enemv 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          261 

heavily  re-enforced,  beat  back  our  wearied  ranks  to  the  first  line  of 
works,  that  had  been  so  gloriously  taken,  and  were  now  held  in  spite 
of  spirited  efforts  to  dislodge  them. 

Summing  up  his  report  of  the  day's  fighting,  Hancock  says: 
"A  cold,  drenching  rain  descended  during  this  battle,  in  which 
the  troops  were  constantly  under  heavy  and  destructive  musketry  fire 
for  nearly  twenty  hours.  Our  losses  in  killed  and  wounded  were  quite 
heavy,  but  we  had  inflicted  a  signal  defeat  upon  the  enemy.  E well's 
Corps  of  infantry  was  almost  destroyed ;  the  celebrated  'Stonewall 
Brigade7  was  captured  nearly  entire.  The  losses  of  the  enemy  dur 
ing  the  day  in  killed,  wounded  and  captured,  must  have  amounted  to 
at  least  ten  thousand  men." 

HOLDING  THE  SALIENT. 

Day  was  just  dawning  as  the  crest  of  the  National  advance 
broke  on  the  rebel  works  and  flooded  them.  The  swift  movement  had 
been  successful  along  the  line  in  front  of  General  Brooke's  Brigade, 
whose  commander  had  sprung  on  the  rebel  works  at  one  end  of  the 
line,  covered  by  the  two  Brigades  of  the  First  Division,  just  as  he 
saw  one  of  his  Colonels  leap  on  the  works  at  the  other  end.  "The 
first  T  knew/'  says  a  general  staff  officer  who  was  following  the  line 
of  battle  just  in  its  rear,  "was  the  prisoners  boiling  over  on  me,  and 
I  had  my  hands  full  taking  care  of  them."  Success  had  come;  but 
the  worst  of  the  battle  was  still  in  the  future.  General  Barlow's  Di 
vision  had  struck  full  on  its  center  a  broad,  flat  V-shaped  salient,  and 
swept  over  it.  The  flat,  open  cleared  space  behind,  turned  on  the 
instant  into  a  seething  cauldron  of  fighting  men,  was  in  the  undis 
puted  possession  of  the  National  forces.  Over  twelve  thousand  men 
jammed  in  the  narrow  space  of  a  few  acres,  swayed  hither  and  thither 
in  the  wild  delirium  of  success.  "For  the  first  and  for  the  last  time 
in  the  long  wrestle  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia,  an  intrenched  position  mounted  with  artillery 
well  chosen,  well  manned  and  well  armed,  had  been  taken  by  an  as 
sault  in  column.  It  remained  to  hold  it.  In  the  swarming,  struggling/ 
mass  of  men  and  officers,  lines  lost,  regiments  confused,  brigades  con 
founded,  cool  heads  were  at  work  putting  the  command  into  order 
for  the  inevitable  counter  assault.  The  recollection  of  the  actors  in 
the  great  struggle  is  hopelessly  confused  as  to  its  details.  It  is  easy 
for  widely  different  conditions  to  exist  along  the  front  of  a  long  line 
nearly  a  mile  in  breadth.  It  appears  to  be  unquestionable  that  the 
headlong  rush  of  assault  swept  part  of  the  attacking  force  against 
the  inner  works  of  the  enemy  half  a  mile  distant,  and  equally  clear 
that  elsewhere  the  Xational  forces  were  held  in  hand,  and  brought 
into  line  just  in  the  rear  of  the  works  they  had  carried.  It  is  now 
known  that,  screened  by  the  woods,  two  divisions,  Mahone's  and 


262  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Wilcox's,  were  falling  into  line  to  repel  Hancock's  advance,  within 
a  few  moments  after  the  assault.  Brooke's  Brigade,  with  the  148th 
on  its  left,  had  'been  the  first  to  cross  the  enemy's  works.  To  this 
day  it  is  a  disputed  point  whether  any  but  the  First  Division  actually 
carried  the  works  before  it.  However  this  may  be,  there  seems  to  be 
no  doubt  that  the  first  line  thrown  forward  to  hold  the  hard-won  posi 
tion  was  the  highly  disciplined  Brigade,  the  fortune  of  one  of  whose 
regiments  this  sketch  seeks  to  follow.  It  lost  in  the  trophies  of  the 
field  by  the  act ;  but  it  saved  the  fortunes  of  the  day. 

The  Salient  carried  by  the  National  forces  had  been  placed 
where  it  was  by  the  Confederate  engineers,  because  at  this  point  the 
slope  which  ran  down  to  the  creek  between  the  naked  ridge  on  which 
Hancock  formed  his  men,  and  the  ground  rising  towards  Spotsylvania, 
dipped  into  a  low  swale,  which  lower  sank  into  a  narrow  ravine.  In 
the  day-long  struggle  that  followed,  this  depression,  slight,  a  mere 
wrinkle  on  a  contour  map,  played  the  pant  of  a  covered  way,  and 
made  it  possible  for  the  Union  forces  to  hold  the  point  they  had  won. 
Lee  was  in  imminent  danger.  The  Second  Corps  had  cut  his  Army 
in  two.  The  joint  in  his  harness  had  been  found  by  the  keen,  highly 
tempered  blade  with  which  Grant  had  been  searching  his  armor  for 
a  fortnight. 

The  contracted  limits  of  the  Salient  became  a  great  slaughter 
pen,  swept  'by  one  continuous  blaze  of  musketry.  There  was  no  room 
to  bring  in  guns,  'and  no  space  to  use  them.  The  Second  Corps 
stretched  first  in  an  irregular  line  across  the  space  it  had  won — Mott, 
Birney,  Gibbon,  Barlow  from  right  to  left,  the  148th,  with  its  Bri 
gade,  pushed  sharply  to  the  left — volley  by  volley,  at  point  blank 
range,  beat  back  the  rebel  advance.  Inch  by  inch  the  line  fell  back,  it 
lay  on  the  works  it  had  won,  when  at  6  :00  A.  M.  the  Sixth  Corps 
brought  it  its  first  aid.  Great  trees  were  cut  off  like  reeds  by  the 
musketry  fire  which  swept  the  works  back  and  forth  like  canister. 
The  lines  Avere  reversed,  and  the  National  forces  fought  on  the  outer 
edge  of  the  works  they  had  early  won.  Ammunition  soon  ran  low, 
and  all  day  pack-mules,  the  ammunition  cases  slung  on  their  backs, 
were  passing  up  the  ravine,  and  across  the  dip  of  the  swale  the  Salient 
had  been  intended  to  command.  By  the  same  shelter  wounded  men 
went  to  the  rear,  and  supports  and  reliefs  came  to  the  front.  The 
presence  of  this  natural  covered  way  m>ad>e  possible  communication 
with  the  very  center  of  the  battle,  whose  hot  fire  the  War  did  not  see 
equaled.  Without  it  it  is  hard  to  see  how  the  difficulty  of  supplying 
an  advanced  line  through  twenty  hours  of  continuous  firing,  could 
have  been  surmounted. 

"The  ansrlp,"  says  Brigadier  Gen.  L.  A.  Grant,  of  the  Sixth 
Corps  of  the  defence  of  the  Salient,  "became  at  once  the  key-point  and 
scene  of  a  terrible  struggle.  Tt  was  apparent  that  if  we  held  it,  nil 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          265 

the  line  to  the  right  would  fall  into  our  hands,  and  equally  apparent 
that  if  we  failed  to  hold  it,  the  captured  lines  to  the  left  would  fall 
into  the  enemy's  hands.  Perhaps  there  was  not  a  more  desperate 
struggle  during  the  War.  it  was  not  only  a  desperate  struggle,  but 
it  was  literally  a  hand-to-hand  fight.  Xothing  but  breastworks  sep 
arated  our  force  from  the  enemy,  and  our  men  mounted  the  works, 
and,  with  muskets  rapidly  handed  them,  kept  a  continuous  fire  until 
they  were  shot  down,  when  others  would  take  their  places,  and  con 
tinue  the  deadly  work. 

' 'Several  times  during  the  day  the  rebels  would  show  a  white 
flag  above  the  works,  and  when  our  fire  slackened,  jump  over  and  sur 
render,  and  others  were  crowded  down  to  fill  their  places.  Scores, 
and  no  doubt  hundreds  of  men  are  now  living  who  were  engaged  in 
that  conflict,  and  whose  recollections  of  it  are  vivid.  It  was  there 
that  the  somewhat  celebrated  tree  was  cut  off  by  bullets ;  there  that 
the  brush  and  logs  were  cut  to  pieces  and  whipped  into  basket  stuff ; 
there  that  fallen  men's  flesh  was  torn  from  the  bones,  and  the  bones 
shattered ;  there  that  the  rebel  ditches  and  cross  sections  were  filled 
with  dead  men  several  deep.  It  was  there  that  General  Barlow  says ; 
'I  myself  saw  in  the  excavation  on  the  enemy's  side  of  the  log  breast 
works,  such  a  mass  of  the  dead  and  wounded  as  I  had  only  seen  once 
before,  and  that  was  in  a  sunken  road  at  Antietam,  which  is  still 
called  Bloody  Lane." 

Even  for  a  single  regiment  the  day  was  crowded  with  incidents. 
Every  group  that  was  formed  under  this  fire  had  its  casualty.  Dur 
ing  the  worst  fighting  of  the  day,  after  Brooke's  Brigade  had  been 
pushed  to  the  front  over  two  battle  lines  to  the  Sixth  Corps,  to  hold 
a  very  important  position,  their  ammunition  ran  out,  and  the  file 
closers  of  the  148th  ran  back  to  the  idle  troop?  behind  them,  and  car 
ried  cartridges  up  in  their  caps  to  the  fighting  men/"  Brooke  had  been 
ordered  to  hold  the  road  at  all  hazards,  and  while  he  was  making  a 
stubborn  fight  to  do  so,  he  rode  up  to  the  148th  for  a  word  of  confer 
ence  with  Colonel  Beaver.  While  they  were  consulting,  Beaver  fell, 
and  the  men  of  the  Regiment  shouted,  "The  Colonel  has  £Ot  it  again." 
The  shock  was  but  momentary.  A  spent  ball  flattened  itself  on  the 
note-book,  so  frequently  quoted  from  in  these  pages,  which  he  carried 
in  his  vest  pocket.  Later  the  Regiment  found  its  cartridge  boxes 
empty,  and  Major  Forster  went  back  and  informed  General  Brooke 
of  the  fact.  "Tell  Colonel  Beaver  that  he  must  hold  that  road,"  was 
the  reply.  "Let  his  men  fix  bayonets,  lie  down  and  hold  it  with  cold 
steel."  Beaver  obeyed  the  order.  The  148th  lay  in  the  woods 
ready  to  hold  the  road  with  the  bayonet,,  but  it  was  withdrawn  before 
the  necessity  of  doing  so  arose. 

While  the  fighting  was  hot  and  the  artillery  of  the  Second  Corps, 
massed  on  the  ridge  from  which  the  troops  started,  was  playing  over 
*  See  story  M  Lieutenant  McCartney. — EDITOR. 


264  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

the  heads  of  the  men  in  the  Salient  on  the  rebel  line  beyond,  it  was 
determined  to  place  two  pieces  at  the  angles  of  the  Salient,  and  sweep 
the  approaches  obliquely. 

"I  can't  take  my  pieces  there/'  said  the  artillery  officer  to  whom 
Colonel  Wilson,  General  Hancock's  Aide,  came  with  the  order. 

"My  horses  will  be  shot  down  before  we  get  there." 

"I  expect  you  to  take  them  up  there  by  hand,"  was  the  reply. 

"But  die  men  can't  under  that  musketry  fire,"  pleaded  the  officer. 

"Then  I'll  get  a  detail  from  the  148th  Pennsylvania,  lying  there 
that  will.  They'll  not  only  get  the  guns  up  there,  but  work  'em," 
said  the  Aide.  The  detail  was  made  up  before  the  officer  gave  way, 
and  the  pieces  were  started  out  to  their  post. 

Through  hours  and  hours  of  hard  fighting  the  long  forenoon 
wore  away  into  the  afternoon.  Night  even  came  on  and  still  the 
fighting  continued.  After  the  conflict  the  Regiment  was  marched 
back,  and  lay  down  under  the  shelter  of  the  ravine.  General  Han 
cock,  in  his  official  report,  speaking  of  the  share  of  the  work  of 
Brooke's  Brigade,  and  the  148th  Regiment  on  that  day  and  in  that 
fight,  says : 

"Although  it  had  taken  part  in  the  first  assault  of  the  morning, 
and  had  been  among  the  first  troops  to  enter  'the  works,  where  it  was 
hotly  engaged  for  hours,  when  General  Brooke  marched  to  re-enforct 
the  Sixth  Corps,  he  was  thrown  forward  on  the  front  line  of  battle, 
where  he  relieved  a  portion  of  Wheaton's  Division ;  his  Brigade 
fought  in  this  position,  losing  very  heavily,  until  it  had  again  ex 
hausted  its  ammunition,  when  it  was  returned  to  me." 

It  was  nine  before  firing  ceased,  it  was  midnight  before  the 
enemy  retired.  Thirty-six  hours  before  the  troops  had  broken  camp, 
after  hours  on  the  march,  they  had  been  kept  waiting  in  the  dull  soak 
ing  mist,  waiting  other  hours  for  the  attack,  a  few  hundred  yards 
from  the  enemy,  at  a  point  where  every  soldier  felt  that  delay  would 
mean  defeat.  No  better  proof  of  the  strain  under  which  the  troops 
lay  could  be  offered  than  the  fact  that  the  dull  clatter  of  a  pack  mule 
laden  with  intrenching  tools,  which  strayed  down  the  line,  sent  the 
men  dropping  singly  and  by  squads  to  the  rear.  As  the  line  melted 
away  in  the  dark  it  was  caught,  and  brought  back  by  its  officers. 
Discipline  was  strong;  but  even  discipline  was  not  proof  against  the 
chance  panics  of  the  darkness.  The  assault  followed,  the  long 
struggle  over  the  ground  won  lasted  through  the  day.  When  the 
battle  was  over  the  148th  had  lost  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  killed 
and  wounded,  one  man  out  of  five. 

General  Brooke,  who  commanded  the  Brigade  in  which  Colonel 
Beaver  served,  in  his  official  report  to  General  Hancock  of  the  rapid 
operations  of  the  12th,  and  the  few  preceding  days,  says: 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          265 

"Col.  James  A.  Beaver  distinguished  himself  on  every  occasion, 
but  most  particularly  at  the  battle  of  the  Po,  My  10th,  and  at  Spot- 
sylvania,  May  12th." 

So  conspicuous  had  been  his  gallantry,  and  so  valuable  his  serv 
ices  during  these  -days  of  tiresome  marching  and  hard  fighting,  that 
his  superior  officers  desired  to  do  more  than  compliment  him  in  official 
reports.  On  May  13th,  the  day  after  the  brilliant  work  at  the  Salient, 
General  Barlow  issued  the  following  order : 

"HEADQUARTERS  FIRST  DIVISION,  SECOND  CORPS, 

May  13,  1864. 
ORDERS. 

Col.  James  A.  Beaver,  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  is 
hereby  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Third  Brigade,  and  will  re 
port  to  these  headquarters  at  once. 

By  command  BRIGADIER  GENERAL  BARLOW, 

JOHN  HANCOCK, 
Assistant  Adjutant  General." 

He  of  course  reported,  but  asked  to  be  allowed  to  decline  the 
proffered  advancement  He  preferred,  he  said,  not  to  leave  his 
Regiment.  He  felt  it  his  duty  to  stay  by  the  men  he  had  brought 
into  the  field.  This  was  the  second  or  third  time  he  had  declined 
promotion,  and  Barlow  asked,  rather  sternly,  "when  he  would  be 
willing  to  take  a  Brigade  ?" 

"When  the  losses  of  war  leave  me  the  ranking  officer  of  the  Bri 
gade  in  which  my  Regiment  is  serving,"  was  the  prompt  reply. 

On  the  night  of  the  20th,  we  turned  our  backs  upon  the  bloody 
scenes  of  Spotsylvania,  and  resumed  the  flanking  movement  south 
ward  through  Guinea's  Station  and  Milford,  to  the  North  Anna 
River,  the  scene  of  our  next  engagement,  from  which  we  emerged 
with  a  loss  of  ten  men. 

Continuing,  Burr  says : 

Weakened  by  losses,  wearied  by  wearing  marches  in  mud  and 
rain,  the  Regiment,  Friday,  May  20th,  fell  into  line  at  daybreak  to 
begin  the  dangerous  and  hazardous  movements  of  the  next  fortnight, 
which  shifted  the  base  of  the  Army  from  the  Rapidan  to  the  James, 
the  Second  Corps  playing  the  part  of  the  advancing  h&lf. 
For  over  a  week  during  this  march  the  148th  shared  the  hazard  and 
anxiety  of  daily  movements,  in  which  the  entire  force  was  aware  that 
it  was  pushing  alone  into  the  enemy's  country,  with  its  flank  exposed, 
and  its  supports  distant,  liable  any  day  tr»  feel  the  weight  of  Lee's 
whole  Army.  It  started  across  the  Mat  River  after  almost  half  a 
week's  rest  from  actual  fighting.  It  was  the  turn  of  the  First  Di- 


266  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

vision  to  lead,  and  Saturday,  the  21st,  the  148th  had  the  front  of  the 
line,  its  march  lying  by  a  road  which  doubled  the  track  of  the  Rich 
mond,  Fredericksburg  and  Potomac  Railroad,  crossed  the  Mat,  lay 
through  Bowling  Green,  and  at  last  brought  the  Regiment  nt  Milford 
Station  to  the  Mattapony,  which  was  forded  waist-deep.  It  was  a 
long  march  for  a  single  day,  and  it  had  brought  the  command  out  of 
the  woods  and  tangled  thickets  of  the  region  back  of  Fredericksburg, 
into  the  rolling  land,  the  cultivated  fields,  and  sandy  soil  of  the  lower 
Virginia  rivers.  The  Corps  was  about  to  enter  the  second  series 
of  operation^  which  ended  with  the  dogged  siege  of  Petersburg. 

The  148th  led  off  with,  the  first  skirmish  of  the  march.  Fording 
the  stream  of  the  Mattapony  waist-deep,  it  captured  a  small  camp  at 
the  cross  roads  just  beyond  the  ford  opposite  Milford  Station,  made 
a  few  prisoners,  and  took  the  camp  equipage.  The  trifling  skirmish 
over,  the  Regiment  was  pushed  out  on  a  reconnaissance  towards 
Harris7  Store.  "A  very  pleasant  trip,"  says  Colonel  Beaver,  in  his 
diary ;  "scared  up  a  few  of  the  enemy's  cavalry,  and  were  fired  into 
by  our  own.  Returned  in  the  evening  without  losing  a  man." 

Wednesday  night  began  the  movements  which  were  to  end  at 
Cold  Harbor.  A  division  at  a  time  the  National  forces  were  started 
in  the  night,  and  a  strong  column  was  well  on  its  way  towards  the 
Pamnnkey  before  the  new  march  was  discovered.  The  Sixth,  the 
Fifth,  and  the  Ninth  Corps  were  successively  removed,  and  at  last 
the  Second  Corps  was  withdrawn  across  the  stream.  Again,  as  after 
the  Wilderness,  Colonel  Beaver's  Regiment  furnished  its  share  (two 
hundred  men)  of  the  last  thin  skirmish  line  left  to  veil  a  retreat  by 
two  bridges  across  a  deep  stream,  before  a  force,  which  now  that  the 
Second  Corps  lay  before  it  alone,  outnumbered  the  National  forces 
three  to  one.  Every  man  was  brought  off  in  safety.  "Our  Brigade 
crossed  the  river  to  the  north  bank  last,"  says  his  diary.  For  two 
days,  May  27th  and  28th,  steady  maching  continued,  the  Second 
Corps  occupying  the  center  of  the  advance.  The?  Pamunkey  was 
crossed,  Brooke's  Brigade  was  pushed  to  the  front,  in  the  series  of 
operations  which  brought  the  Corps  to  Cold  Harbor,  and  each  after 
noon  saw  a  skirmish  as  the  enemy's  advance  line  was  reached.  His 
main  position  was  still  a  day's  march  away,  and  the  Brigade  was 
hourly  moved  brief  distances  along  the  line  of  Totopotomov  until  the 
way  was  opened  for  a  movement  on  Cold  Harbor. 

The  assault  at  New  Cold  Harbor  was  an  attempt,  by  sheer  and 
furious  fighting,  to  force  the  advantage  which  march  and  manoeuvre 
had  missed.  Tt  failed  at  a  cost  of  life  matched  by  no  other  fifteen 
minutes  of  four  years  war.  Tt  left  the  Regiment  which  Colonel 
Beaver  commanded  at  the  opening  of  the  action,  and  the  Brigade  of 
which  he  was  in  command  at  its  close,  pushed  to  the  very  lip  of  the 
enemy's  position,  lying  in  a  work  thrown  up  under  fire,  at  a  biscuit 
toss  from  the  enemy's  works. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          267 

The  Army  once  across  the  P  aim  in  key  and  established  on  its 
southern  bank,  its  next  effort  was  to  extend  its  line  southward  towards 
the  James.  The  Second  Corps  marched  at  noon,  May  29th,  the  next 
day,  General  .Barlow's  Division  in  the  advance,  reaching  southward 
for  the  cross  roads  at  Old  Cold  Harbor  that  spread  towards  both 
rivers.  The  order  to  march  ''abridged  the  divine  service"  at  which  the 
148th  was  gathered,  and  in  the  Sunday  afternoon — to  turn  to  General 
Hancock's  report — ''the  enemy's  skirmish  line,  strongly  intrenched, 
was  handsomely  carried  without  much  loss,  by  skillful  manoeuvring 
by  Brooke's  Brigade  of  Barlow's  Division." 

General  Brooke,  in  his  official  report  to  General  Hancock  of  this 
movement^  says: 

UI  ordered  Colonel  Beaver,  whose  Regiment  was  deployed  as 
skirmishers,  to  drive  the  enemy  into  his  works  if  possible,  and  about 
4:00  P.  M.,  hearing  firing  on  our  left,  I  ordered  him  to  make  a  strong 
attack,  which  proved  successful." 

The  slow  advance  across  the  Totopotomoy  continued  all  day,  and 
just  at  dusk  a  brisk  rebel  attack  having  fallen  on  Warren,  Hancock 
was  ordered  again  to  attack  to  relieve  the  Fifth  Corps.  As  usual  the 
Brigade  of  which  the  148th  formed  a  part  was  selected,  particularly 
as,  to  quote  General  Hancock  again,  u there  was  no  place  on  my  line 
where  an  assault  could  be  made  with  success  at  short  notice.  Brooke's 
Brigade,  however,"  continues  General  Hancock's  report,  " advanced 
just  at  dark  over  obstacles  which  would  have  stopped  a  less  energetic 
commander,  and  carried  the  enemy's  advance  line  of  rifle  pits." 

The  two  Armies  now  lay  in  parallel  lines,  each  front  covering  an 
extent  of  about  nine  miles,  tihe  National  forces  daily  developing  to 
the  left,  and  the  Confederate  to  the  right,  the  Second  Corps  working 
along  with  the  rest,  throwing  up  works  almost  hourly,  and  making 
each  day  an  advance  which  brought  the  two  hinged  lines  closer  to 
gether.  The  Second  Corps  started  -a,t  11 :00  p.  M.  to  take  its  familiar 
place  on  the  left  of  the  line,  where  the  blow  of  battle  was  to  fall. 

It  was  hoped  and  intended  to  advance  the  Second  Corps  on  the 
enemy  immediately  on  their  arrival,  but  the  tired,  hungry,  heated 
troops  needed  rest  and  breakfast,  and  the  assault  was  postponed  until 
five  in  the  afternoon.  All  the  day  before  and  during  this  day  desul 
tory  fighting  was  in  progress  along  the  line;  but  as  Badeau  says  of 
the  Second  Corps  and  its  commander,  "all  but  Hancock  were  slower 
than  the  Lieutenant  General  desired."  The  assault  was  deferred 
again  until  early  the  next  morning. 

Before  day  broke  a  heavy  rain  fell,  "refreshing  us  exceedingly." 
The  low  mists  and  heavy  clouds  of  early  June  still  hung  about  the 
swa.mps  and  stunted  pine  thickets  when  three  Corps,  the  Second, 
Hancock's,  the  Sixth,  Wright's,  and  the  Eighteenth,  Smith's,  fell 
into  line  at  4 :00  A.  M.  Their  front  stretched,  with  intervals,  over 


268  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

two  miles,  and  led  up  to  the  low  rising  ground  on  the  part  of  which 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  stationed  when  Lee  attacked  McClellan 
in  the  early  days  of  the  War. 

Of  the  positions  before  the  Army  little  was  known,  save  that  for 
three  days  they  had  been  filling  with  rebel  troops  and  artillery.  The 
pickets  of  the  two  armies  were  touching.  A  reconnaissance  was 
deemed  impracticable ;  the  division  commanders  only  knew  that  they 
were  to  push  forward  until  they  struck  the  enemy's  works,  and  then 
carry  them.  The  attack  was  a  simple  brute  rush  in  open  day  on 
strong  works. 

It  cosit  the  National  forces  from  twelve  thousand  to  fourteen  thou 
sand  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing,  and  one-fourth  of  this  loss  fell 
on  the  narrow  line  of  the  two  divisions  of  the  Second  Corps  in  which 
the  118th  charged.  Into  the  wider  fortunes  of  the  field  it  is  not 
necessary  to  enter.  It  is  enough  to  describe  the  brief  space  in  which 
some  small  measure  of  success  was  won  by  the  First  Division  of  the 
Second  Corps  in  this  bloody  but  fruitless  struggle.  General  Barlow's 
Division,  as  it  pushed  forward  in  two  lines,  Brooke's  and  Miles'  Bri 
gades  in  the  First  and  Byrnes'  and  McDougall's  in  the  Second,  found 
itself,  as  it  emerged  from  shelter,  on  a  broad  and  level  field  running 
in  a  smooth  and  even  slope  up  to  the  enemy's  works.  The  right  of 
the  advance  passed  over  a  sunken  road  which,  played  its  part  in  ob 
structing  an  <advance.  The  left,  under  General  Brooke's  immediate 
direction,  went  over  the  same  road  on  a  level,  struck,  half  way  up  the 
hill,  a  rail  fence,  and  from  'this  point  had  no  further  obstruction  but 
the  hot  fire  of  a  nearly  equal  force. 

The  charge  at  Spotsylvania  had  been  made  in  a  dense  forma 
tion  which  swept  into  the  works  like  a  flood.  Here  in  broad  day  and 
on  open  ground,  a  full  fair  target  for  the  enemy,  this  was  out  of  the 
question.  Instead,  General  Brooke  spread  along  his  front  his  rawest 
troops,  the  7th  New  York,  placed  behind  them  at  an  interval  the  two 
Brigades  already  noted,  and  in  the  rear  the  supporting  second  line 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  Beaver.  A  battalion  of  the  148th 
Pennsylvania,  under  command  of  Major  Forster  of  that  Regiment, 
had  been  thrown  out  in  advance  of  the  assaulting  column  with  in 
structions  to  drive  the  enemy's  pickets  and  skirmishers  into  their 
works.  They  did  the  work  and  joined  their  Regiment  just  as  the 
front  line  made  its  final  rush  upon  the  works. 

The  brigade  flag  and  i/ts  commander  went  forward  with  the  first 
line  of  raw  men  through  the  damp,  tall,  wet  grass  and  clinging 
bushes.  Up  the  slope,  over  the  fence,  across  the  line  and  into  the 
works  the  line  went.  Tt  was  the  only  point  in  all  the  day's  fighting 
where  the  enemy's  works  were  carried.  Three  c^uns,  three  hundred 
prisoners  and  a  flag  were  picked  up  by  the  advancing  force.  The 
guns  were  turned,  a  hurried  attempt  was  made  to  get  the  men  in  hand, 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          269 

General  Brooke  sprang  back  to  change  the  direction  of  the  advancing 
line  that  it  might  strike  the  works  fair  and  not  obliquely,  caught  the 
strong,  manly  voice  of  Colonel  Beaver  as  he  gave  his  Regiment  a 
half-wheel,  "felt  all  was  well  if  he  was  alive,"  to  use  his  own  words, 
turned  to  rejoin  the  men  within  the  works  and  fell,  hit  by  canister. 

"Tell  Colonel  Beaver  he  is  in  command  and  to  push  into  the 
works.  The  7th  Xew  York  is  already  there,"  Brooke  whispered  to 
an  Aide,  and  was  carried  off  the  field. 

The  wound  deprived  General  Brooke  of  any  further  share  in 
active  military  service  during  the  War ;  but  he  had  already  won  the 
reputation  of  a  brigade  commander  who  had  at  once  learned  and 
taught  the  art  of  battle  during  the  War,  until  he  and  his  Brigade  were 
worthy  of  each  other  and  of  the  Second  Corps,  whose  charge  they  so 
often  led.  Higher  praise  it  would  not  be  easy  to  frame. 

The  staff  quickly  reported  to  Beaver  and  he  made  a  rush  to  gain 
the  salient,  but  before  he  reached  it  the  enemy's  supports  crowded 
into  the  works  which  had  just  been  carried;  the  assaulting  troops 
began  to  stream  back ;  the  assault  was  over ;  the  line  was  checked  at 
the  rail  fence  half  way  up  the  slope,  not  thirty  yards  from  the  enemy's 
position.  Any  one  of  a  thousand  chances  of  war  would  have  left  the 
advance  of  the  Second  Corps  again  within  the  enemy's  line,  but  the 
single  chance  was  gone. 

But  if  not  in  it  they  were  on  it,  and  to  hold  the  advantage  gained 
gave  Colonel  Beaver  another  brilliant  opportunity  which  he  readily 
grasped.  He  pushed  his  force  almost  up  to  the  summit  of  the  slope 
and  there  gave  battle  with  his  second  line,  while  his  first  gathered 
rails  and  threw  up  works  on  the  very  edge  of  the  rebel  position,  from 
which  they  could  not  be  driven,  even  under  the  converging  fire  of  a 
long  line  of  works  at  a  point  wnere  a  week's  sap  might  have  brought 
a  force.  "With  a  gallantry  rarely  exhibited  under  such  circum 
stances,"  says  General  Hancock's  Life,  written  under  the  direction 
of  his  staff,  "a  part  of  General  Barlow's  line,  particularly  the  148th 
Pennsylvania  Regiment,  Colonel  Beaver  commanding,  faced  to  the 
enemy,  within  a  short  distance  of  his  line,  and  held  their  ground 
until  they  had  constructed  with  their  bayonets  and  hands  a  cover 
which  enabled  them  to  hold  on  permanently." 

Plates  and  bayonets,  bare  hands  and  rails  from  the  fence,  ex 
tended  the  work,  deepened  and  established  it,  until  it  gave  a  precar 
ious  shelter.  How  precarious  Colonel  Beaver  soon  came  to  know. 

Early  in  the  day  he  was  hit  by  a  spent  bullet  which  had  just 
gone  through  the  body  of  an  Aide,  Capt  J.  B.  Brady,  who  stood  talk- 
ins:  to  him.  Later,  as  he  sat  talking  to  Colonel  Morris  of  the  7th 
"New  York,  he  learned  that  the  latter's  was  the  earlier  commission, 
and  that  he  should  have  commanded  the  Brigade  after  Brooke  was 
disabled  instead  of  himself.  He  was  apologizing1  for  having  taken 


270  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

command  by  Brooke's  orders  and  had  yielded  his  authority  to  Morris. 
An  incautious  movement  exposed  that  officer  and  he  fell,  shot  through 
the  heart,  leaving  Colonel  Beaver  still  in  command. 

The  day  was  full  of  these  things,  for  the  action  struck  from  the 
rolls  of  the  Second  Corps  many  of  its  best  officers — Tyler,  Brooke, 
Byrnes,  McMahon,  Ilaskell,  McKeen,  Porter  and  Morris  of  the  7th 
and  Morris  of  the  60-th  A:ew  York,  most  of  them  killed.  Two  Gen 
erals  and  seven  Colonels  fell  in  a  few  minutes,  officers  of  lower  rank 
were  shot  down  by  the  score.  "My  loss  in  commanders,"  said  Gen 
eral  Hancock,  in  his  report,  "was  unusually  severe;  it  was  a  blow 
from  which  the  Corps  did  not  soon  recover."  in  the  hour's  assault 
three  thousand  and  twenty-four  men  fell,  nearly  a  tenth  commissioned 
officers.  General  Hancock  might  well  speak  of  it  as  "a  loss  without 
precedent."  Indeed  since  the  Army  crossed  the  Rapidan  the  losses 
of  the  Second  Corps  had  been  "without  precedent."  Grant  had  used 
it  as  the  hammer's  head  with  which  he  had  pounded  at  Lee  for  nearly 
four  weeks.  It  was  no  wonder  that  a  few  days  after  Cold  Harbor, 
upon  the  banks  of  the  J'ames,  Hancock  should  have  said  to  an  officer 
who  asked  him  where  his  Corps  was,  "It  lies  buried  between  the 
Rapidan  and  the  James." 

Of  the  exceedingly  delicate  operation  of  withdrawing  from  our 
position  1  quote: 

The  days  in  the  trenches  soon  passed,  and  finally  Grant  and 
Lee  tired  of  watching  and  barking  at  each  other.  Grant  had  deter 
mined  to  make  a  bold  move  for  the  James,  and,  if  possible,  to  get 
far  enough  from  the  Confederate  lines  for  breathing  room.  Sunday, 
June  12th,  the  delicate  and  hazardous  movement  began.  It  was  no 
easy  task  for  any  of  the  Army  to  get  away  without  giving  notice  to 
the  enemy  of  the  movement.  To  that  portion  of  the  Second  Corps  in 
the  advance  the  hazard  was  increased ;  but  to  Colonel  Beaver's  com 
mand  the  move  was  full  of  peril.  To  get  the  pickets  off  without  loss 
was  the  most  delicate  of  military  operations. 

The  task,  hard  in  any  case,  is  hardest  of  all  when  a  partially 
intrenched  position,  a  few  yards  from  the  enemy's  works,  has  to 
be  silently  abandoned  by  the  thin  line  left  to  guard  it,  when  the  main 
body  of  the  Army  is  miles  away,  and  support  is  neither  provided  nor 
expected.  The  manner  of  the  manoeuvre  is  in  Colonel  Beaver's 
language: 

"Our  Brigade  was  the  only  one  so  near  tha  enemy  as  to  endanger 
it  materially.  We  kept  the  band  playing  its  liveliest  measures,  and 
moved  without  commands,  leaving  our  pickets  on  post.  The  pickets 
withdrewat  a  later  hourwithout  the  loss  of  a  man.  T  had  been  ordered 
to  leave  my  best  troops  on  picket,  and  was  disinterested  enough  to 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          271 

leave  my  own  Regiment.  I  was  therefore  very  anxious  about  the 
pickets.  They  came  in  all  right  some  hours  after  we  reached  here." 

Col.  W.  P.  Wilson,  who  was  then  an  Aide  to  General  Hancock, 
and  was  left  by  him,  with  Colonel  Hamil,  the  corps  officer  of  the 
day,  to  help  withdraw  the  pickets,  tells  of  the  delicate  operation,  and 
how  carefully  each  man  was  slipped  from  his  post,  and  the  force  con 
centrated  at  a  given  point. 

"The  order  to  each  man,"  said  Wilson,  "was  to  move  at  a  cer 
tain  moment  straight  to  the  rear.  Colonel  Hamil's  watch  had  been 
carefully  compared  with  all  the  time-pieces  on  the  line.  It  seemed 
an  age  after  the  Corps  moved  before  the  minute  came  when  the  criti 
cal  effort  was  to  be  made' to  withdraw  the  pickets.  When  it  did  come 
[  stood  in  the  woods  watching  the  men  as  each  carefully  obeyed  his 
instructions,  and  moved  directly  to  the  rear.  Every  man  reached  the 
point  for  uniting  before  the  er.emy  discovered  the  disappearance  of 
the  line. 

"I  sat« on  my  horse  in  tho  woods  in  plain  sight  of  their  position. 
At  last  one  man  looked  over  the  works,  and,  as  no  shot  greeted  him, 
another  poked  his  head  over,  and  in  halfl  a  minute  they  swarmed  over 
like  rats  and  into  our  abandoned  works.  When  their  officers  found 
we  were  gone  the  assembly! sounded,  and  they  were  on  the  march  al 
most  as  soon  as  we.  T  watched  them  a  moment  until  our  pickets  were 
well  under  way,  and,  finding  that  they  were  not  going  to  follow  us, 
rode  off,  and  Hancock's  position  at  Cold  Harbor  was  thus  successfully 
abandoned  without  the  loss  of  a  man." 

The  148th  Regiment  was  selected  as  the  picket  guard  to  be  left 
to  cover  the  front-  after  the  Second  Corps  withdrew.  Colonel  Wilson 
testifies  how  it  perforVned  the  delicate  and  hazardous  duty. 

The  situation  during  our  nine  days  in  these  trenches  was  stren 
uous  in  the  extreme.  So  close  were  the  lines  that  we  could  toss1  a  hard 
tack  from  one  to  the  other.  The  most  trivial  alarm  I  would  cause  a 
fusilade  of  cannon  and  musketry.  Shell?  would  explode  overhead 
and  fragments  would  drop  down  anywhere.  Mortars  were  used  on 
our  side,  sending  shells  in  beautiful  curves  to  drop  and  explode  among 
the  enemy.  We  kept  a  line  of  videttes  between  the  lines  at  night,  who 
would  crawl  out  very  cautiously  and  dig  pits  in  the  sand,  from  which 
they  kept  watch  against*  a  surprise  by  the  enemy. 

One  night  Private  Wm.  Acker,  of  Company  I,  was  detailed  for 
this  duty.  He  was 'a  model  soldier.-  Brave,  cool  and  cheerful,  he 
was  always  fully  equipped  and  ready  for  duty.  He  was  a  bright, 
witty  fellow,  full  of  quips  and  quirks,  songs  'and  stories,  the  life  of 
his  mess  and  his  company.  He  pushed  his  way  far  out  toward  the 


272  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

enemy's  line  ancTdug  his  pit  In  the  next  post  was  a  raw  recruit 
from  another  company,  who  did  not  advance  nearly  so  far,  and  dug 
his  pit.  During  the  night  this  man  took  fright1  at  some  little  noise 
and  blazed  away  with  an  awkward  oblique  aim,  and  put  his  bullet 
through  the  armv  of  Acker.  He  crawled  in  with  his  broken  arm  and 
the  Colonel  sent  a  man  to  relieve  the  other  vidette.  When  he  came 
in  the  Colonel  looked  him  through  with  blazing  eyes,  and  broke  out, 
"You  great  ass !  You  have  shot  a  man  worth  a  dozen  of  you.  You 
are  not  fit  to  carry  a  gun.  I'll  have  you  detailed  as  company  cook." 

One  day  Major  Forster  was  lying  in  a  shelter  tent  eating  his 
dinner,  when  a  piece  of  shell  dropped  from  the  sky  and  buried  itself 
in  the  ground,  striking  the  edge  of  a  plate  of  peas  on  its  way  and 
spattering  the  contents  over  the  Major's  face  and  breast. 

The  loss  of  my  horses  at  "Coffee  Hill"  had  made  me  rather 
chary  of  investments  in  horse  flesh,  and  I  had  been  riding  a  con 
demned  Government  animal  that  did  very  well.  My  man  rode  him 
up  as  neiar  as  he  thought  safe,  tied  him  in  the  timber  by  the  roadside, 
and  came  on  foot  to  the  front  with  my  dinner.  On  his  return  he 
found  the  horse  lying  dead  with  a  bullet  hole  through 'the  saddle  flap 
where  the  ball  had  entered  his  side. 

Here  at  Cold  'Harbor  I  lost  my  dear  friend  Lieut.  J.  Seydel 
Lander,  of  Company  C.  The  friendship  between  this  noble  gentle 
man  and  myself  was  most  congenial,  and  a  source  of  constant  enjoy 
ment.  It  was,  I  suppose,  an  illustration  of  the  theory  of  affinity  of 
opposites.  He  was  a  blonde  of  fair  face,  blue  eyes  and  light  hair, 
while  I  was  of  the  opposite  type  physically,  but  in  tastes,  habits  and 
mental  make  up,  we  were  in  perfect  accord.  His  was  a  charming  per 
sonality — a  gentleman  by  birth  and  breeding — an  only  son  in  a  most 
excellent  family 'of  parents  and  sisters,  whose  pride  and  joy  he  was. 

He  was  a  Sergeant  in  Company  C  and  was  promoted  First  Lieu 
tenant  after  all  its  officers  had  been  killed  in  battle.  He  had  been 
detailed  Acting  Quartermaster  during  the  absence  of  that  officer  and 
had  been  relieved  just  before  the  charge.  Company  K  being  without 
an  officer,  Lander  was  assigned  to  its  command.  He  led  the  com 
pany  through  the  bloody  assault  without  a  wound.  A  few  days  later 
we  sat  in  the  trench  and  talked  for  an  hour.  He  was  still  in  command 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS 

of  K,  and  with  a  remark  to  the  effect  that  he  must  go  to  his 
company  he  left  me.  On  his  way  to  the  company  he  came 
to  where  Colonel  Beaver  and  General  Barlow  were  seated,  in 
conversation.  As  the  Colonel  spoke  to  him  he  stopped,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  was  killed  by  a  piece  of  shell  from  a  battery  on  our  ex 
treme  left  fronit,  which  partly  enfiladed  our  line.  I  wired  the 
sad  event  to  my  wife,  who  carried  the  news  to  his  family,  and  has 
often  spoken  of  her  mission  as  a  most  painful  duty.  My  dear  com 
panion  Lander !  His  memory  has  been  ever  with  me  in  all  the  forty 
years  since  he  left  my  side  at  bloody  Cold  Harbor.  'No  purer  soul, 
no  more  winsome  personality,  no  nobler  patriot,  was  ever  offered  on 
the  nation's  altar. 

We  crossed  the  James  River  on  the  morning  of  June  14th  with 
haversacks  and  stomachs  empty.  We  had  been  told  that  a  transport 
would  be  there  to  supply  us  with  rations,  but  it  failed  to  appear.  We 
waited  several  hours  and  at  last  marched  without  supplies.  All  da^v 
on  the  16th  we  lay  on  a  ridge  facing  the  line  of  Confederate  out 
works  of  Petersburg,  watching  the  enemy  as  they  came  from  Lee's 
left  and  occupied  the  works.  At  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  when  they 
were  quite  ready  for  us,  we  made  the  assault,  and  even  then  might 
have  won  a  victory  but  for  the  wounding  of  Colonel  Beaver,  who 
was  in  command  of  the  Brigade.  Some  of  our  men  who  had  been 
captured  in  the  earlier  movements  and  who  escaped  on  the  way  to 
Richmond  and  came  back  reported  that  in  the  early  morning  of  the 
16th  there  was  not  a  line  of  battle  of  the  enemy  between  us  and 
Petersburg. 

About  this  time  I  was  detailed  as  Acting  Assistant  Adjutant 
General  of  the  Fourth  Brigade,  then  commanded  by  Lieut  Col.  John 
Hastings,  and  served  to  the  time  of  my  discharge  on  the  Brigade  staff. 
On  the  4th  of  July  I  was  relieved  as  Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  Gen 
eral  and  detailed  as  Acting  Aide-de-Camp,  and  on  the  24th  was  again 
detailed  as  Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General  and  so  continued  to 
the  end,  serving  under  Colonel  Hastings,  Lieut.  Col.  K.  O.  Broady, 
Col.  Wm.  Glenny,  Col.  St.  Clair  A.  Mulholland,  and  Gen.  John  Ram 
sey.  From  this  time  forward  I  had  no  personal  connection  with  the 


274  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Regiment,  and  can  only  speak  of  matters  which 'came  under  my  no 
tice  incidentally  as  a  staff  officer  of  the  Brigade. 

From  the  1st  to  the  26th  of  July  we  were  alternately  on  the 
line  (the  "firing  line"  in  the  phrase  of  the  day)  or  in  reserve.  The 
brigade  headquarter  camp  was  located  in  a  little  grove  on  the  sandy 
plateau  that  extended  over  most  of  the  line,  and  it  was  made  tolerably 
comfortable  by  supplementing  the  bit  of  shade  afforded  by  the  few 
trees.  Posts  were  set  up,  poles  laid  across,  and  the  whole  covered 
with  pine  boughs,  making  an  arbor-like  awning  of  perhaps  an  acre  in 
extent. 

On  the  22d  of  June  an  attempt  was  made  to  extend  our  lines  to 
the  left.  The  Division  under  command  of  General  Barlow  advanced 
into  the  woods  beyond  the  Jerusalem  road  in  front  of  "Fort  Mahone, 
where  we  halted,  stacked  arms,  and  the  troops  remained  at  rest.  Col. 
John  Eraser,  of  the  140th  Pennsylvania,  was  in  command  of  the  Bri 
gade,  having  been  assigned  the  day  before.  We  lay  quietly  for  sev 
eral  hours.  Colonel  Fraser  and  the  staff  forming  a  group  just  in  rear 
of  the  line.  We  soon  began  to  hear  a  racket  on  our  left,  and  presently 
a  scattering  fire  of  musketry  was  heard.  This  kept  up  increasingly, 
and  looking  as  far  as  we  could  see  through  the  woods,  the  line  on  the 
extreme  left  began  to  melt  away.  Now  an  occasional  minie  sang 
by  us  or  cut  a  twig  close  by,  and  then  a  line  of  battle  of  the  enemy 
appeared  over  the  brow  of  a  hill  away  on  the  left.  They  came  stead 
ily  on,  moving  right  up  on  our  rear,  firing  rapidly,  and  our  line  kept 
melting  away,  the  men  passing  rapidly  to  the  rear.  No  commands 
were  given  by  any  officer.  No  one  knew  where  General  Barlow  was, 
and  as  the  enemy  approached  the  left  of  our  Brigade,  T  asked  Colonel 
Fraser  what  he  intended  to  do.  His  reply  was  that  his  orders  were, 
to  remain  in  position  until  further  orders  from  the  division  com 
mander.  The  left  of  our  Brigade  now  began  to  melt  away,  and  Cap 
tain  Hamlin  of  the  145th  Pennsylvania  rode  up,  saluted  the  Colonel 
and  said : 

"Have  you  any  orders  for  my  regiment?" 

The  Colonel  replied,  "No,  sir;  my  orders  are  to  remain  here. 
You  can  do  as  you  think  best." 

Captain  Hamlin  saluted,  rode  to  the  front  of  his  regiment  and 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          275 

commanded,  "Fall  in — Take  arms — Forward  by  file  right — March," 
and  rode  off  at  the  head  of  his  command — the  only  regiment  that  left 
the  field  in  regular  order.  By  this  time  there  was  but  little  left  of  the 
Brigade  except  the  commander  and  staff.  I  again  appealed  to  the 
Colonel  for  orders,  but  he  declined  to  assume  any  responsibility,  say 
ing,  however,  that  the  staff  was  at  liberty  to  do  as  we  chose.  Having 
no  desire  for  prison  life,  I  said,  "Gentlemen,  I  think  we  had  better 
follow  the  troops,"  and  with  a  hasty  good-bye  we  left  the  Colonel  to 
the  courtesies  of  Mahone's  troops.  A  few  days  later  his  name  ap 
peared  in  the  list  of  prisoners  at  Libby. 

The  first  expedition  to  Deep  Bottom,  or  Strawberry  Plains, 
north  of  the  James,  began  on  the  26th  of  June,  and  lasted  until  the 
30th,  when  we  re-occupied  our  camp,  just  in  time  to  witness  the  ex 
plosion  of  Burnside's  Mine. 

The  second  Deep  Bottom  movement  continued  from  the  12th 
to  the  19th  of  August.  The  Regiment  and  part  of  the  7th  New  York 
was  loaded  on  a  transport  at  City  Point  and  moved  up  the  James 
River.  The  boat  ran  aground  on  the  way  and  we  were  delayed  several 
hours  in  reaching  the  point  where  the  troops  were  to  land.  The  oper 
ations  at  Deep  Bottom  were  very  fatiguing  and  very  unsatisfactory. 
General  Barlow  criticized  the  troops  quite  freely,  while  General  Han 
cock  mildly  questioned  Barlow's  conduct  in  failing  to  mass  his  Bri 
gades  and  Divisions  in  the  assaults,  while  commending  his  personal 
gallantry  and  devotion.  He  says  however,  that  the  troops  were  "en 
gaged  daily  in  skirmishing  with  the  enemy,  and  on  several  occasions 
in  considerable  affairs  which,  at  an  earlier  period  of  the  War,  would 
have  been  dignified  with  the  name  of  battles."  (Rebellion  Records 
No.  87,  p.  221.) 

We  began  the  return  movement  on  the  night  of  the  20th  and 
reached  our  old  camp  early  in  the  morning  of  the  21st,  Hancock 
says,  "This  march  was  one  of  the  most  fatiguing  and  difficult  per 
formed  by  the  troops  during  the  campaign" — a  statement  which  I 
can  very  fully  endorse.  Though  mounted,  I  was  never  so  utterly 
worn  out  and  exhausted.  I  slept  in  my  saddle  much  of  the  time  on 
the  march,  and  when  we  reached  the  site  of  the  old  camp,  where  we 
expected  to  remain,  I  sat  down  on  a  pile  of  tents  which  had  been  un- 


276  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

loaded,  and  debated  whether  to  eat  or  sleep.  I  was  unable  to  decide 
whether  I  was  more  tired  or  more  hungry.  Nature  soon  settled  the 
question  and  I  dropped  sound  asleep.  In  a  few  minutes  I  was  aroused 
by  an  orderly  with  orders  to  be  ready  to  march.  It  seemed  to  us  an 
impossibility  to  move  another  step,  but  we  were  soon  on  our  way  to 
the  left.  We  marched  until  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  bivouacked  in 
a  clover  field  near  the  Gurly  House,  not  far  from  the  Weldon  Rail 
road.  The  fragrant  clover  was  a  royal  bed,  and  the  men  got  a  much 
needed  night's  rest.  I  spread  my  poncho  and  wool  blanket,  and  with 
my  saddle  for  a  pillow  and  a  blanket  over  all,  was  soon  sound  asleep. 
But  I  was  not  to  be  left  undisturbed.  I  was  aroused  by  an  orderly 
from  division  headquarters  with  an  order  from  Captain  Driver, 
Assistant  Adjutant  General,  for  the  "Morning  Report,"  to  be  for 
warded  at  once.  This  meant  a  tour  of  all  the  regiments  to  procure  the 
reports,  a  ride  of  a  mile  or  more  to  the  rear  to  find  the  headquarter 
wagon,  the  consolidating  and  recording  of  the  report  and  its  trans 
mission  to  the  Division.  I  resolved  that  I  would  do  nothing  of  the 
sort.  I  was  so  far  gone  with  the  desperation  of  fatigue  that  a  repri 
mand  had  no  terrors.  I  simply  lay  sitill  and  yelled  "Orderly"  until 
he  appeared.  I  directed  him  to  call  on  each  regimental  commander 
with  my  compliments  and  tell  him  to  have  the  Morning  Report  made 
up,  being  sure  to  see  every  one.  When  he  had  given  the  order  to  the 
last  regiment  he  was  to  go  back  to  the  first  and  wait  till  he  got  the 
report,  and  so  on  to  the  last.  When  he  had  secured  all  the  reports  he 
was  to  ride  back,  find  the  brigade  wagon,  wake  up  Millard  (the  very 
capable  clerk),  have  him  consolidate  them  and  sign  Colonel  Broady's 
name,  and  send  them  up  to  division  headquarters.  "And  now,  Orderly, 
bt  sure  you  do  this  all  right,  and  don't  you  wake  me  up  tonight."  I 
never  heard  from  the  matter,  and  I  suppose  it  went  through  all  right. 
T  see  from  Comrade  Ramsey's  story,  that  he  was  as  badly  afflicted 
by  the  untimely  order  as  I  was. 

On  the  22d  we  were  employed  in  repairing  roads,  and  on  the  23d 
we  began  the  work  of  destroying  the  Weldon  Railroad.  In  the  eve 
ning  we  occupied  the  slight  breastworks  at  Reams  Station,  and  next 
morning  we  were  relieved  by  the  Second  Division,  and  continued  the 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          277 

work  of  destruction,  which  we  completed  to  a  point  about  three  miles 
tayond  the  station. 

The  battle  of  Reams  Station  was  fought  on  the  25th  of  August. 
A  slight  breastwork  extended  southwesterly  from  the  railroad  a  dis 
tance  of  several  rods,  turned  south  for  a  considerable  distance,  and 
then  ran  southeast  to  the  track.    This  part  of  the  line  was  held  by  our 
Brigade,  the  long  front  being  occupied  by  the  battery,  supported  by 
the  7 th  Xew  York  Heavy  Artillery.     The  148th  was  in  reserve.     In 
front  of  our  right  was  timber  with  slashing.     In  front  of  the  battery 
was  a  large  open  field.     Beyond  this,  timber,  fences  and  scattered 
trees.     Confederate  sharpshooters  were  posted  in  tree  tops  and  fence 
rows,  and  during  the  afternoon  were  very  active  in  picking  off  our 
officers  and  shooting  the  battery  horses.     So  effective  was  their  work 
that  the  artillery  suffered  the  loss  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-four 
horses.     It  now  became  evident  that  a  large  force  of  the  caiemy  was 
in  our  front,  and  that  a  battle  was  imminent.     Colonel  Broady,  how 
ever,  who  was  in  command  of  the  Brigade,  seemed  to  ba  of  the  opinion 
that  there  was  no  considerable  force  of  the  enemy  present.     Colonel 
Broady  and  staff  were  resting  on  the  embankment  of  an  ice  house  in 
side  the  lines,  when  he  directed  me  to  order  the  commanding  officer 
of  the  148 th  to  take  the  Regiment  in  front  of  the  works,  deploy,  ad 
vance  across  the  field  and  "'Drive  away  that  rebel  skirmish  line."  The 
Regiment  being  still  in  reserve  I  gave  the  order,  I  think,  to  Captain 
Rhinehart,  who  was  in  command,  although  Captain  Weaver  was  com 
manding  later  in  the  action.      The  Regiment   moved  out    at    once 
across  the  field.     A  few  men  halted  behind    a  small    house    near 
the  farther  side  of  the  field,  and,  when  Colonel  Broady  observed  it 
he  ordered  me  to  "Go  out  there  and  drive  those  men  away  from  that 
house,"    There  was  of  course  nothing  to  do  but  ob?y  the  order,  but  I 
thought  it  quite  useless  to  send  a  regiment  against  an  army  corps  of 
the  enemy,  and  wondering1  why  lie  wanted  to  have  mo  killed  on  a  use- 
k-ss  errand,  I  said,  "Good-bye,  Colonel,"  and  started.     The  field  was 
covered  by  the  firo  of  dozens  of  sharpshooters,  and  I  had  no  lack  of 
the  music  of  the  minies  on  the  way  out  and  back,  but  I  executed  my 
mission  and  got  back  without  a  scratch,  to  find  th.it  while  I  was  gone. 
Colonel  Beaver  had  arrived,  relieved  Colonel  Broady,  taken  command 


278  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

of  the  Brigade,  lost  his  leg  and  been  carried  off  the  field.  A'bout  five- 
o'clock  the  attack  'began.  The  enemy  appeared  at  the  further  edge 
of  the  field  in  double  column  and  moved  grandly  across  the  open 
space  with  officers  mounted  and  colors  flying.  It  Avas  Pickett's  Charge 
at  Gettysburg  on  a  smaller  scale.  The  148th  was  put  in  line,  at  the 
angle  on  the  right,  and  I  remained  with  it  through  the  fight.  The 
Brigade  held  its  fire  until  the  enemy  came  in  easy  range,  when  artil 
lery  and  infantry  opened  with  a  volley  that  tore  their  columns  with, 
awful  slaughter — all  'but  one  regiment  that  occupied  the  line  with  the 
batteries.  They  did  not  fire  a  -shot.  The  enemy  closed  up  ranks  and 
came  on  with  desperate  resolution.  On  our  left  they  pressed  up 
within  a  -half  dozen  rods  of  our  lino.  In  our  immediate  front  the 
slashing  had  broken  up  their  lines  and  our  fire  bad  practically 
slopped  their  advance.  The  148th  now  directed  its  fire  obliquely 
upon  the  enemy  10  our  left.  They  were  falling  by  scores — their  lin? 
wavered — victory  trembled  in  the  balance — in  two  minutes  more,  I 
11  m  sure,  they  will  be  in  retreat — but  just  then  the  regiment  referred 
to — a  full  regiment  mostly  drafted  men,  was  seized  with  panic,  broke 
from  the  line  and  ran,  like  a  flock  of  sheep,  to  the  cover  of  the  rail 
road  cut  a  few  rods  in  rear.  This  left  the  battery  with  no  support 
and  a  considerable  part  of  the  line  without  infantry.  With  a  yell  of 
triumph  the  enemy  rushed  to  the  attack.  They  rallied  in  our  own 
front  and  came  in  a  surging  mass  over  the  works.  The  148th  met 
them  with  steel  and  clubbed  muskets.  For  minutes  that  seemed 
hours  the  desperate  hand-to-hand  encounter  went  on  with  'all  the  fury 
of  the  Salient  at  Spotsylvania.  But  soon  the  enemy  were  over  the 
works  on  the  left — our  batteries  taken  and  turned  right  and  left 
sending  our  own  shrapnel  into  our  ranks,  and  retreat  was  inevitable. 
The  battle  of  Reams  Station — the  first  and  only  disaster  that  ever 
befell  the  splendid  Second  Corps — was  lost,  by  the  defection  of  a 
single  regiment. 

The  next  day  I  wa.s  sitting  with  Colonel  Beaver  in  the  field  hos 
pital  after  his  leg  had  been  amputated,  when  Colonel  Miles  came  in  to 
offer  his  condolences.  With  a  tear  in  his  eye  he  said,  "It's  too  bad, 
Colonel,  too  bad."  Beaver  looked  up  with  a  very  cheerful  expression 
and  said,  "Oh,  I  don't  know,  Colonel,  it  might  be  worse." 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  279 

On  our  retreat  from  Reams  a  spiteful  bit  of  shell  fired  by  the 
rebels  from  our  own  gains  caught  me  under  the  knee  and  inflicted  a 
bruise  which  afterward  became  very  painful  and  kept  me  in  hospital 
for  several  days.  On  the  29th  I  got  leave  of  absence  on  account  of 
wounds  and  went  home  for  twenty  days. 

On  the  7th  of  September,  Sergt.  Maj.  Joseph  E.  Hall  was  com 
missioned  Adjutant  of  tihe  183d  Pennsylvania.  Hall  had  been  ap 
pointed  Sergeant  Major  of  the  148th  at  the  time  of  my  promotion,  as 
I  remember,  at  my  request,  and  had  served  with  me  during  all  the 
time  I  remained  with,  the  Regiment.  He  was  a  very  young  man- 
beardless  and  boyish  looking,  but  he  was  a  manly  fellow,  capable, 
ambitious,  and  entirely  faithful  to  duty.  He  soon  became  quite  effi 
cient  and  was  always  my  reliable  assistant.  I  was  greatly  delighted 
at  his  well  earned  promotion.  See  his  story,  "The  Transferred 
Officer." 

During  the  quiet  that  prevailed  in  September  and  October,  I 
took  fifteen  days  leave  of  absence  and  made  a  short  visit  home,  start 
ing  on  the  22d  of  October.  On  my  return  I  learned  the  details  of 
the  brilliant  exploit  of  Capt,  Jerry  Z.  Brown  and  the  hundred  men 
of  the  Regiment,  which  won  him  a  Major's  brevet,  and  added  new 
stars  to  the  Regiment's  crown. 

On  the  8th  of  November  the  Regiment  indulged  in  the  novelty 
of  a  presidential  election  in  the  trenches  before  Petersburg.  The 
count  showed  199  votes,  of  which  127  were  for  Lincoln  and  72  for 
McClellan.  This  was  my  first  vote  for  a  President  and  it  was  counted 
with  the  127. 

The  siege  of  Petersburg  now  settled  down  to  a  winter  quarter  en 
campment.  The  headquarters  camp  of  the  Brigade  was  located  on  a 
ridge  of  ground  sloping  towards  the  west.  Here  we  put  up  very  com 
fortable  hut-  for  the  commander,  Colonel  Mulholland,  and  the  staff. 
My  own  quarters,  thanks  to  the  skill  and  kindness  of  Corporal  Baum- 
gardner,  of  the  pioneer  corps,  was  quite  palatial.  On  one  of  our  hard 
marches — perhaps  in  the  Gettysburg  campaign — as  I  was  riding  from 
the  rear  to  the  head  of  the  column,  I  saw  Baumgardner  lying  by  the 
roadside  panting  with  asthma,  with  which  he  was  badly  afflicted.  I 
stopped  to  talk  with  him,  and  he  asked  me  to  try  and  detail  him  to 


280  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

some  duty  that  would  be  less  arduous  than  serving  in  the  ranks.  He 
said  he  thought  he  could  stand  it  better  in  the  pioneer  corps,  and  I 
promised  to  detail  him  at  the  first  opportunity.  This  I  was  able  to 
do  in  a  short  time,  and  he  never  forgot  the  little  favor.  I  was  under 
obligations  to  him  for  many  helpful  services,  and  at  this  camp  he  was 
promptly  on  hand  to  put  up  my  quarters.  He  was  a  skillful  mechanic, 
and  he  laid  himself  out  on  the  job.  He  builtf  a  little  house  of  pun 
cheons  hewn  out  of  the  logs  from  a  barn  near  by,  put  in  a  puncheon 
floor,  set  up  a  ridge  pole  and  stretched  a  fly  over  it,  borrowed  some 
brick  from  a  house  chimney,  and  built  a  fire  place  and  chimney  at 
one  side.  He  hung  a  board  door  at  the  front,  and  whittled  out  a  knob 
latch  for  it,  and  built  a  neat  bunk  in  one  corner.  After  all  was  fin 
ished,  1  papered  the  walls  with  refuse  blanks,  white  on  one  side,  and 
had  a  wall  tent  set  up  adjoining  the  "house"  at  the  rear  with  a  back 
door  communicating,  for  use  as  a  clerk's  office.  In  these  cosy  quarters 
I  passed  the  time  in  routine  service  of  camp  life  to  the  end  of  my 
service.  We  had  the  usual  drills  and  inspections  and  an  occasional 
review,  and  nearly  every  night  I  would  receive  a  bundle  of  orders 
from  division  headquarters.  Lying  sound  asleep  in  my  bunk,  a  di 
vision  orderly  would  pound  on  my  door  until  I  waked  up  and  took  the 
dispatches.  Later  on  I  would  wake  up  at  his  first  step,  and  at  last, 
such  is  the  power  of  habit,  I  would  hear  the  first  clatter  of  his  horse's 
hoofs  and  be  out  of  bed  ready  to  receive  the  orders  as  soon  as  he 
reached  my  door.  With  a  bright  fire  burning  in  my  open  chimney, 
and  a  candle  light  at  my  side,  I  would  sit  down  at  my  little  desk  and 
look  over  the  orders,  noting  in  pencil  the  disposition  to  be  made  of 
each,  pass  them  back  to  the  clerk  to  make  copies,  or  otherwise,  and 
lie  down  and  be  asleep  in  a  minute.  When  the  clerk  brought  in  his 
work  I  would  be  awake  and  up  in  an  instant,  sign  the  orders  and  call 
an  orderly  to  carry  the  dispatches  to  the  regiments.  All  this  in  time 
became  so  much  a  habit  that  it  was  no  hardship  to  wake  up  at  any 
hour  of  the  night  and  attend  to  business. 

About  this  time  Colonel  Mulholland  was  relieved  from  the  com 
mand  of  the  Brigade  by  Gen.  John  Ramsey,  and  we  parted  with  the 
Colonel  with  sincere  regret. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          281 

On  the  28th  of  January  I  obtained  leave  of  absence  for  twenty 
days.  Some  time  during  the  night  preceding  the  day  on  which  I  was 
to  start  on  my  leave,  I  heard  a  clatter  of  hoofs  near  my  quarters,  and 
on  opening  the  door  I  found  an  Orderly  in  charge  of  an  ambulance. 
He  informed  me  that  he  had  a  lady  in  charge,  Mrs.  Beach,  the  wife 
of  our  Brigade  Commissary.  She  had  run  the  gauntlet  of  all  the 
authorities  and  sentinels  from  Washington  to  the  front,  and  had  come 
to  visit  her  husband.  He  inquired  where  Captain  Beach's  quarters 
were.  I  told  him  they  were  down  on  the  flat  in  front ;  that  it  was  a 
low  marshy  spot,  and  the  quarters  were  full  of  boxes  of  hard  tack, 
pickled  pork  and  commissary  supplies  of  all  kinds  and  wholly  unfit 
for  a  lady ;  and  that  he  should  bring  Mrs.  Beach  to  my  quarters,  and 
I  would  go  down  and  bring  the  Captain  up.  So  the  lady  took  a  seat 
at  my  fire  and  I  brought  her  husband  up,  and  turned  my  quarters 
over  to  them.  Xext  morning  I  packed  up  my  personal  effects  and 
took  my  leave  of  the  staff,  said  my  good-bye  to  Captain  and  Mrs. 
Beach,  bidding  them  to  occupy  my  house  till  my  return.  I  never  saw 
my  cosy  winter  home  or  the  Army  again,  and  have  never  heard  of 
Captain  Beach. 

On  the  way  home  I  took  a  severe  cold,  and  on  the  way  to  Illinois 
with  my  wife,  kept  on  taking  cold,  which  developed  into  pneumonia, 
so  that  I  was  not  able  to  return  within  my  twenty  days.  I  got  an 
extension  on  surgeon's  certificate,  but  was  no  better  at  the  end  of  the 
next  twenty  days.  At  the  advice  of  my  physician  I  forwarded  my 
resignation,  and  on  the  28th  of  March,  1865,  was  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  of  disability. 

This  acute  attack  of  illness  was  exceedingly  provoking,  depriv 
ing  me,  as  it  did,  of  a  part  in  the  closing  scenes  of  the  War,  besides 
causing  me  to  miss  the  Grand  Review  in  May,  by  which  time  I  had 
nearly  recovered  my  usual  health. 

My  story  is  done.  I  cannot  recall — and  would  not.  if  T  could— 
a  single  unpleasant  incident  in  all  the  years  of  my  association  with 
the  noble  comrades  of  the  148th,  while  the  retrospect  is  rich  in  mem 
ories  of  countless  acts  of  kindness,  courtesy  and  helpfulness  that 
welded  the  ties  of  soldierly  friendship.  Dear  old  comrades,  one  and 
all,  hail  and  farewell ! 


THE  QUARTERMASTER'^  STORY. 

By  Lieutenant  S.  D.  Musstr. 

In  September,  1862,  the  writer  was  a  merchant  in  Pine  Grove 
Mills,  Pennsylvania,  in  partnership  with  Dr.  Geo.  M.  Swartz,  when 
a  recruiting  office  was  opened  in  the  town.  Professor  Thomas,  of 
Pine  Grove  Academy,  which  was  then  in  prosperous  condition,  .en 
listed  with  quite  a  number  of  students,  among  them  William  Gemmill. 
who  was  a  warm  personal  friend  of  mine.  He  was  later  made  a 
Lieutenant  and  is  now  a  minister  of  the  Gospel.  I  owned  a  horse 
and  buggy  and  offered  to  take  my  friend,  Mr.  Gemmill,  to  Centre 
Hall,  Pennsylvania,  to  be  sworn  into  service.  The  evening  we  ar 
rived  at  Centre  Hall,  Capt.  Andrew  Musser's  Company  D  was 
found  to  be  short  six  men,  same  having  been  taken  away  from  him 
and  put  into  Company  F.  Previous  to  this,  an  order  had  been 
issued  that  a  company  could  not  be  sworn  in  unless  a  full  number. 
This  left  Captain  Musser  in  a  bad  shape,  as  he  was  to  have  been 
sworn  in  the  following  morning ;  men  all  present  except  the  six  men 
tioned  above. 

The  writer,  being  well  acquainted  with  the  young  men  of  the 
town,  remarked  to  the  following:  George  Boal,  John  Odenkirk,  Mr. 
Rankin,  John  H.  Fortney,  William  Ross  and  David  L.  Kerr- 
"Boys,  let  us  fill  this  gap  in  Captain  Musser's  company  and  go  to 
War."  And  I  think  it  was  comrade  Geo.  Boal  who  said,  "You  lead 
and  we  will  follow."  I  said,  "Boys  will  you  all  follow  ?"  The  re 
sponse  came  as  one  voice,  "Yes."  I  said,  "Come  boys"  as  I  knew 
the  enrolling  list  was  in  the  office  of  William  Wolf's  store.  We 
marched  six  strong  into  the  office  and  enrolled  our  names.  The  next 
morning  I  sent  my  horse  and  buggy  back  to  Pine  Grove  Mills,  sent 
word  to  my  partner  to  hire  Ellis  Burchfield  in  the  store,  that  I  was 
"going  to  fight  the  Johnnies." 

The  company  was  sworn  in  and  we  were  taken  to  Lewistown, 
the  nearest  railroad  station,  in  wagons.  We  arrived  in  Harrisburg 
and  were  soon  initiated  into  soldier  life.  While  there  T  was  promoted 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          285 

from  private  to  Orderly  Sergeant,  afterward  to  Quartermaster  Ser 
geant  and  later  to  Quartermaster. 

Our  Regiment  was  formed  as  the  148th  and  James  A.  Beaver 
was  appointed  Colonel.  The  Regiment  was  transferred  to  Cockeys- 
ville  and  Lutherville,  Maryland,  to  guard .  the  railroad,  which  the 
boys  thought  was  hard  and  laborious  duty,  but  after  we  got  into  ac 
tive  service  they  looked  back  upon  that  work  and  called  it  "Sunday 
soldiering. " 

At  this  camp  we  had  in  way  of  rations,  all  that  a  soldier  could 
wish  for.  Received  our  supplies  from  Baltimore.  The  fresh  beef 
was  killed  in  the  neighborhood  of  Lutherville,  and  fine  cattle  at  that, 
in  fact  it  could  not  have  come  to  us  any  better ;  yet  with  it  all,  the 
boys  were  dissatisfied  and  often  I  would  overhear  remarks  as  this, 
1  Well  this  is  not  what  we  were  used  to  at  home."  It  is  true,  we  did 
net  have  the  variety,  such  food  as  buckwheat  cakes  and  honey, 
spiced  cakes  and  peach  preserves,  etc.,  but  we  had  good  solid  sub 
stantial  food,  such  as  a  soldier  must  have  to  fit  him  for  marching 
and  fighting.  While  at  this  camp  we  had  many  visitors  from  Centre 
County,  Pennsylvania,  and  will  recite  a  little  incident  which  I  re 
call  to  mind  in  reference  to  Mr.  Jacob  Condo,  of  Woodward,  Penn 
sylvania,  who  was  among  our  guests.  One  morning  after  lie  had 
eaten  his  breakfast,  he  made  the  remark  "Musser,  you  know  my  wife 
is  a  good  cook?"  I  answered  "Yes;"  he  concluded,  "Well  when  I 
go  home  I  will  tell  her  that  I  ate  the  best  fried  potatoes  here  that  T 
ever  ate  in  all  my  life." 

From  my  quarters  he  went  to  Colonel  Beaver's  to  "give  the 
Colonel  a  little  information"  as  he  stated.  When  he  saw  the  Colonel, 
he  said,  "Colonel,  the  boys  tell  me  that  you  are  a  little  too  severe  on 
them."  The  Colonel  asked  him  in  whiat  way.  "Well  you  are  too 
particular."  The  Colonel  remarked,  "Mr.  Condo,  if  you  would 
break  a  colt,  would  you  break  him  with  a  loose  or  tight  rein  ?"  Condo 
replied,  "With  a  tight  rein."  The  Colonel  said,  "That  is  the  idea 
exactly,  after  the  colt  is  trained  with  a  tight  rein  and  the  rein  is 
afterward  slacked  up,  he  enjoys  it  all  the  more."  Mr.  Condo  saw  the 
point  and  said,  "That  is  right,  Colonel,  that  is  right." 


284  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

When  the  engagement  between  Burnside  and  Lee  began  at 
Fredericksburg,  our  Regiment  was  ordered  to  the  front.  We  ar 
rived  at  City  Point  and  from  there  marched  to  Falmouth  where  we 
went  into  winter  quarters  built  of  fine  tall  pine  trees.  Here  we  re 
mained  until  spring,  when  our  first  engagement  took  place  at  Chan- 
cellorsville,  in  which  engagement  our  Regiment  suffered  wonderfully 
and  where  we  learned  the  value  of  being  trained  and  drilled  with  a 
utight  rein'7  and  I  think  learned  to  appreciate  and  love  our  Colonel. 

In  the  engagement  of  Cold  Harbor,  I  received  my  commission  as 
Quartermaster,  our  Quartermaster,  Kurtz,  having  resigned  on  ac 
count  of  sickness.  Lieutenant  Lander  was  then  acting  Quarter 
master  (as  fine  a  man  as  carried  a  sword)  and  almost  at  the  mo 
ment  I  received  my  commission,  he  was  determined  to  go  to  the  front 
to  take  his  place  in  his  company.  I  tried  to  persuade  him  to  remain 
until  the  following  day,  but  could  not  do  so.  He  joined  his  com 
pany,  and  the  same  day  was  shot  through  the  head  by  a  rebel.  When 
1  received  the  news  I  could  not  have  been  more  affected  if  he  had 
been  a  brother. 

Xo  doubt  many  remember  that  there  were  often  complaints 
heard  that  soldiers  were  short  in  rations  on  a  march.  This  I  will 
say,  that  when  an  army  is  in  active  service  and  marching  from  place 
to  place,  it  is  almost  impossible  for  a  commissary  to  supply  the  men 
at  all  times  promptly,  and  naturally  wrhen  men  'are  f aitigued  from  hard 
inarching,  they  can  and  will  eat  more  rations  than  is  usually  al 
lowed  them,  in  which  event  we  would  sometimes  run  short.  Often 
the  roads  were  in  such  fearful  condition  that  it  was  almost  impos 
sible  to  get  a  team  through  to  where  the  Army  was  located,  and 
would  naturally  delay  the  supply  teams.  Take  for  instance,  when 
we  broke  camp  in  the  spring  after  Grant  took  charge  of  the  Army; 
we  would  get  into  places  where  a  number  of  teams  had  passed  before 
and  where  the  wagons  would  sink  in  mud  and  water  to  the  Box  of 
the  wagon.  The  mules  would  sink  in  and  stick  fast  in  the  mud  and 
fall,  so  that  we  were  obliged  to  wade  in  and  keep  their  heads  up  to 
prevent  them  from  smothering,  start  the  team  and  drag  them  out. 
All  this  was  a  great  delay.  Often  I  was  obliged  to  ride  in  advance 
and  find  new  routes  through  the  woods,  in  order  to  avoid  places  that 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          285 

were  cut  so  deep  it  was  impossible  to  get  a  team  through.  Knowing 
and  seeing  such  delays  is  enough  to  convince  anyone  that  supplies 
must  naturally  be  delayed. 

^Tever  will  I  forget  a  trip  I  made  from  Chancellorsville,  at  the 
time  of  the  battle  in  progress  there.  I  was  ordered  by  the  Brigade 
Qu artel-master  to  Falmouth  with  six  teams  after  forage.  When  I  ar 
rived  there  the  forage  was  all  removed  from  there  to  Acquia  Creek.  I 
started  to  Acquia  Creek  through  a  pouring  rain ;  all  the  streams  were 
swelling  like  rivers,  bridges  were  being  swept  away,  and  I  had  an 
awful  time  to  get  back  to  the  Army.  Traveled  all  day  and  all  night 
through  the  rain.  Before  I  got  back  to  where  I  started  from,  I  met 
the  Army  coming  back,  and  before  I  was  through  with  that  trip  I 
landed  near  Falmouth.  I  mention  these  facts,  which  are  but  a  few 
out  of  many,  to  show  what  delays  we  had  to  contend  with. 

When  I  read  of  the  difficulties  and  delays  in  getting 
supplies  and  rations  during  the  Spanish-American  War,  I  could 
readily  realize  the  condition  of  the  commissary  department.  It  is 
a  very  easy  matter  to  find  fault,  but  it  is  not  so  easy  to  remedy  it 
when  placed  in  the  same  situation. 

Speaking  of  my  trip  from  City  Point  to  Chancellorsville  with 
the  forage,  I  met  the  ambulances  coming  in  almost  by  the  hundred, 
and  one  incident  has  never  been  fully  erased  from  my  mind.  Com 
pany  D  will  remember  Charles  Hart,  As  one  of  the  ambulances 
was  passing  me  I  heard  a  voice  calling  "Quartermaster."  On  look 
ing  up  I  discovered  Charles  Hart  calling  my  attention  to  one  of  his 
legs  which  was  only  a  stump,  saying,  and  laughing  at  the  same  time, 
"Quartermaster,  this  is  what  you  get  up  there,  you  had  better  hurry 
up  or  you  may  not  get  one."  ~Next  time  I  saw  him  was  at  Pine 
Grove  Mills  when  I  was  home  on  a  furlough:  he  then  had  a  cork 
foot,  and  no  one  could  recognize  the  artificial  attachment 

Another  incident  I  feel  like  mentioning  here  which  was  similar 
to  the  case  of  Lieutenant  Lander,  was  when  Colonel  Beaver  returned 
from  a  furlough  on  account  of  a  wound.  He  arrived  at  my  quarters 
in  the  evening,  stayed  there  until  next  morning,  when  I  furnished 
him  a  horse,  and  accompanied  by  my  Sergeant,  Deviney,  he  went  to 
the  front  He  at  once  took  command  of  his  Brigade  and  rode  along 


286  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

the  line  to  take  in  the  situation,  when  he  returned,  he  remarked  to 
Sergeant  Deviney,  "Sergeant,  you  may  take  this  horse  back  to  the 
Quartermaster,  I  don't  think  it  is  healthy  here  on  horse  back."  The 
Sergeant  had  hardly  left  with  the  horse  when  Colonel  Beaver  sud 
denly  dropped,  and  his  right  leg  was  gone.  When  the  news  reached 
me,  I  went  at  once  to  the  front  and  found  the  leg  had  been  ampu 
tated  and  the  Colonel  was  asleep.  That  was  the  last  of  our  heroic 
General  serving  his  country  as  a  brave  soldier,  and  great  was  the 
loss  to  the  148th,  as  wrell  as  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  But  he 
still  lives  at  this  writing  and  is  serving  his  country  in  civil  life.  I 
learned  to  know7  him  as  Colonel,  next  as  General,  next  as  Gov 
ernor  and  at  this  writing  as  Judge  of  Superior  Court.  The  148th 
can  be  proud  of  its  officers  and  private  men,  many  of  whom  are  of 
great  prominence  in  the  world  at  this  time. 

August   7th,   1902,   Scranton,   Pennsylvania. 


THE  AMBULANCE  OFFICER'S   STORY. 

By  Capt.  J.  H.   Harpster. 

(The  following  letter  from  Captain  Harpster,  is  so  breezy  and  suggestive 
that  we  insert  it  as  an  introduction  to  the  story. — EDITOR.) 

REV.  J.  H.  HARPSTEE, 

Mission  Supt. 

A.  E.  L.  M.  RAJAHMUNDRY,  April  20,  1904. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL  :  I  have  just  come  in  from  a  three  months' 
tour  in  the  jungles.  I  have  your  last  letter.  I  am  thoroughly 
ashamed  of  myself.  My  only  apology  is  that  I  have  been  driven  like 
a  dog,  and  a  "yaller"  one  at  that.  I  start  for  the  Hills  to  take  my 
first  day  off  since  my  return  to  India.  I  will  get  "The  Ambulance 
Officer's  Story"  off  to  you  within  two  weeks.  It  is  due  the  History, 
however,  that  I  make  it  clear  beforehand  that  it  will  not  be  much 
of  a  story.  For  I  have  absolutely  no  data  whatever,  so  far  as  any 
written  record  is  concerned.  I  must  draw  the  story  entirely  from 
memory — after  39  years.  Still,  for  your  sake,  I'll  do  what  I  can. 

I  trust  the  years  are  dealing  kindly  with  you.  As  for  me, 
though  getting  decidedly  tthin  and  grey  a-top,  I  am  glad  to  report, 
myself  still  fit.  In  fact,  if  you  were  to  raise  a  regiment  for  the 
front,  I'd  join  without  a  moment's  hesitation.  I  would. 

With  kindest  personal  regards. 

Yours  sincerely, 

J.  H.  HARPSTER. 
GEN.  JAMES  A.  BEAVER,  Belief  on  te,  Pennsvlvania. 


HAT  grim  and  grizzled,  but  ideal  soldier.  Gen 
eral  Sherman,  is  quoted  as  saying  that  "War 
is  hell."  It  is  said  that  the  old  General 
could,  on  occasion,  employ  a  very  lurid  and 
even  sulphurous  vocabulary.  However  that 
may  be,  if  the  two  words  are  not  synony 
mous,  it  is  certain,  from  what  we  know 
of  one  and  from  what  we  have  heard  of  the 
other,  that  there  are  few  words  in  the  English 
language  that  come  nearer  being  so.  That  is  to 

say,  if  war  is  not  hell,  it  must  be  next  door  to  it.  When  the  grip  is 
on,  the  din  of  strife,  the  yells  of  defiance,  the  crash  of  exploding  fire 
arms,  the  charge  and  countercharge,  the  smoke-begrimed  features  of 
the  combatants,  as  with  frenzied  cries  of  rage  they  thrust  and  hack 
and  hew — surely  this,  as  far  as  we  know,  resembles  nothing  so  much 
as  hell. 


288  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Fortunately  for  the  man  mowing  on  the  front  line,  he  does  not 
see  much  of  the  red  swath,  of  death  which  he  piles  up  behind  him. 
Modern  warfare  has  enough  humanity  about  it  to  sweep  it  from  his 
sight  as  quickly  as  possible.  Organizations  are  attached  to  the  Army 
whose  special  duty  it  is  to  remove  the  wreckage  as  fast  as  it  accumu 
lates.  It  is  better  for  the  fighter  that  he  does  not  know  just  what 
carnage  has  been  made.  The  fact  is,  he  arrives  at  his  idea  of  the 
measure  of  the  ruin  that  has  been  wrought  mainly  by  the  absence  of 
his  comrades  at  the  next  roll  call. 

The  organization  whose  duty  it  is  to  get  the  wounded  and  the 
(lying  back  from  the  fighting  line  to  a  place  of  safety  and  under  the 
surgeon's  care,  is  known  as  the  ambulance  corps.  Ambulances,  in 
military  phraseology,  are  hospital  establishments  moving  with 
armies  in  the  field,  and  organized  for  providing  early  surgical 
assistance  to  the  wounded.  The  corps  consists  of  a  certain  staff  of 
officers  and  subordinates  and  a  certain  equipment.  The  ambulance 
system  which  now  prevails  in  all  civilized  armies,  is  not  much  more 
than  a  hundred  years  old.  Before  that  time,  any  systematic  pro 
vision  for  the  removal  of  the  wounded,  or  for  giving  the  requisite 
surgical  attention  while  the  battle  was  in  progress,  formed  no  part 
of  the  things  which  military  leaders  felt  themselves  bound  to  provide 
for.  The  wounded  were  either  carried  to  the  rear  by  comrades  or 
left  to  lie  exposed  to  the  chances  of  being  trampled  by  cavalry,  or  run 
over  by  artillery,  or  to  die  by  loss  of  blood — to  make  the  best  of  it 
until  the  battle  was  over.  The  means  of  surgical  assistance  did  not 
reach  the  battlefield,  ordinarily,  until  the  day  after,  or,  perhaps,  a 
number  of  days  after  the  engagement,  and  by  that  time,  a  large  pro 
portion  of  the  wounded  did  not  need  any  surgical  assistance;  they 
had  in  the  meantime,  been  assisted  by  grave  diggers. 

While  our  War  was  in  progress,  an  important  step  was  taken 
toward  the  amelioration  of  the  condition  of  the  wounded  of  armies 
in  the  field.  This  was  the  convention  signed  at  Geneva,  by  the  terms 
of  which,  subject  to  certain  regulations,  not  only  the  wounded  them 
selves,  but  the  official  staff  of  ambulances  and  their  equipment  were 
rendered  neutral ;  the  former,  therefore,  not  being  liable  to  be  re 
tained  as  prisoners  of  war,  nor  the  latter  to  be  taken  as  prize  of  war. 


REV.  JOHN  H.  HARPSTER.  D.  D. 
General  Superintendent  India  Missions,  Lutheran  Church 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          289 

It  is  true,  the  convention  was  of  too  recent  occurrence  to  affect  the 
service  during  the  Civil  War ;  for  when  an  ambulance  officer  or 
man  was  captured,  as  occurred,  he  went  South  all  the  same;  but 
since  then,  the  terms  of  the  Geneva  convention  have  been  universally 
recognized,  and  it  has  greatly  favored  the  development  of  the  ambu 
lance  service. 

In  the  Civil  War  in  America  the  ambulance  system  attained  a 
completeness  of  organization  never  before  reached  by  an  army  in 
the  world.  This  was  particularly  the  case  after  the  convention  re 
ferred  to,  when  an  Act  was  passed  by  Congress,  entitled  "An  Act  to  es 
tablish  a  uniform  system  of  ambulances  in  the  United  States."  This 
law  fixed  a  definite  and  single  system  of  ambula!nce  arrangements 
for  all  the  armies  of  the  United  States  at  that  time  in  the  field.  And 
this  brings  me  to  my  "story." 

As  one  of  the  less  important  results  of  Pickett's  terrific  charge, 
I  was  left  behind  at  Gettysburg.  I  got  my  legs  again,  and  rejoined 
the  Regiment  in  front  of  Culpeper,  but  far  from  fit.  Perhaps  a 
month  after  my  return  to  the  Regiment,  I  was  greatly  surprised  one 
day  to  get  an  order  detailing  me  for  detached  duty  as  ambulance 
officer  of  the  Second  Brigade.  Upon  reporting  to  division  head 
quarters,  I  was  given  a  horse,  an  orderly,  and  told  to  make  myself 
acquainted  with  the  business.  I  found  I  was  to  be  associated  with 
three  very  congenial  young  officers,  all  of  whom,  afterward,  rose  to 
unusual  distinction  in  civil  life.  Capt.  Charles  Mitchell,  the  com 
mander  of  the  division  corps,  who  became  a  prominent  political 
leader  in  the  state  of  Delaware ;  Lieut.  James  S.  Griggs,  the  noted 
Tammany  sachem,  and  Lieut.  John  R.  Paxton,  afterwards  the  bril 
liant  Presbyterian  theologian  and  pulpit  orator  of  Washington  and 
New  York.  They  were  men  of  fine  fibre  and  put  together  with  an 
extraordinarily  fine  quality  of  rivets — the  three  of  them. 

The  division  ambulance  corps,  which  we  were  to  manage  and 
make  as  effective  as  possible,  consisted  of  a  force  of  perhaps  four 
hundred  men,  a  body  of  non-commissioned  officers,  and,  may  be,  a 
hundred  and  fifty  ambulances.  Our  duties  were  not  prolix,  but 
they  were  mighty  pointed,  and  well  hammered  into  us  by  Capt. 
John  Pelton,  Chief  of  Ambulances  of  the  Second  Army  Corps.  The 


290          THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS 

instruction  run  something  like  this:  We  were  to  keep  in  the  rear 
of  the  Army,  but,  as  he  significantly  pointed  out,  not  too  far  in  the 
rear !  The  stretcher  bearers  were  to  be  allowed  to  take  shelter,  pro 
vided  they  did  not  have  to  hunt  too  far  from  the  line  for  it;  other 
wise  they  were  to  take  what  came,  just  as  the  men  on  the  front  line 
had  to;  for  they  were  in  error,  he  said,  if  they  thought  their  office 
was  to  carry  with  it  any  special  immunity  from  danger.  The  green 
band  around  their  caps  would  secure  them  against  being  laid  hold  of 
for  other  duty,  and,  possibly,  get  them  some  consideration  if  they 
were  to  fall  into  the  enemy's  hands;  but  the  green  band  and  the 
white  feather,  they  must  understand,  must  by  no  means  be  construed 
as  meaning  the  same  thing.  The  wounded  were  to  be  removed  be 
yond  the  line  of  fire  as  quickly  and  as  carefully  as  possible,  put  into 
the  ambulances  and  removed  to  the  field  hospital.  There  were  to  be 
two  men  to  each  stretcher  and  a  non-commissioned  officer  to  groups 
of  twenty.  The  drivers,  during  battle,  were  to  be  careful  not  to  get 
their  horses  shot,  but  not  too  careful.  They  were  to  keep  the  two 
water  kegs  in  their  ambulances  constantly  replenished,  and  were  to 
be  ready  to  move  the  instant  a  wounded  man  was  delivered  to  their 
charge.  They  were  to  drive  carefully,  taking  every  precaution 
against  causing  the  wounded  unnecessary  suffering,  and,  having  de 
livered  their  charge  at  the  field  hospital,  were  to  return  to  the  front 
as  rapidly  as  possible.  The  officers  were  expected  to  utilize  the  ser 
vices  of  muscia.ns  and  all  other  non-combatants  not  otherwise  offi 
cially  attached,  which  included  Chaplains.  Forty  years  have  come 
and  gone,  and,  presumably,  few  Chaplains  of  the  Civil  War  survive, 
but  absolute  candor  compels  me  to  say  that,  as  a  rule,  we  did  not 
get  much  help  from  them. 

There  was  one  Chaplain,  however,  whom,  after  all  this  lapse 
of  years,  and  dead  and  gone,  as  he  most  likely  is,  simple  fairness 
compels  me  to  except.  If  my  memory  is  not  at  fault,  he  was  the 
Chaplain  of  the  26th  Michigan.  That  Chaplain  had  the  stuff  in 
him  of  which  heroes  are  made.  I  have  seen  him,  a  non-combatant, 
mark  you,  amid  the  smoke  of  battle,  "  'mid  deathshot  falling  thick 
and  fast,  as  lightning  from  the  mountain  cloud,"  right  in  the  line- 
with  its  file  closers,  ready  to  catch  and  assist  to  the  rear  the  first  man 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          291 

struck,  or,  going  in  and  out  of  the  line  of  fire  loaded  down  like  an 
army  mule  with  the  boys'  canteens  strung  about  his  neck,  carrying 
water  to  them.  It  was  a  sight  to  see  that  remarkable  non-combatant 
in  battle.  I  ran  across  him  twenty  years  later  upon  the  battlefield 
of  Gettysburg,  and  I  told  him  what  I  had  seen  him  do ;  but  the  ab 
surd  man  did  not  seem  to  know  that  he  had  done  anything  out  of  the 
ordinary.  I  do  not  suppose  he  did.  Whether  he  knew  it  or  not,  I 
know  that  if  he  had  been  in  the  British  army,  say,  he  would  have 
had  the  \rictoria  Cross — awarded  only  for  the  most  conspicuous  and 
shining  act  of  heroism — hanging  from  the  left  breast  of  his  clerical 
coat,  to  tell  to  all  men  who  should  pass  him  on  the  street  what  a  con 
summately  brave  man  he  was. 

But,  as  a  rule,  I  say,  when  the  fight  was  on,  the  Chaplains 
were  not  much  in  evidence — not  where  the  hail  was  falling.  Un 
organized,  as  they  were,  and  without  any  distinct  regulations,  it  was 
perhaps,  unreasonable  to  expect  that  they  would  be.  I  only  mention 
the  matter  here  because  I  have  not  quite  gotten  over  a  sense  of  wrong 
which  I  think  the  Chaplains  did  me  in  reporting  me  to  headquarters 
for  insisting  at  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  rather  rudely,  I  fear,  that 
they  should  take  hold  and  help.  As  I  was  justified  by  my  superiors, 
I  should,  perhaps,  have  allowed  the  incident  to  pass  from  memory 
long  ago. 

Since  the  Civil  War,  now  upward  of  forty  years  ago,  the  ar 
rangements  for  the  care  of  the  wounded  have  been  greatly  improved. 
Such  organizations  as  the  White  Cross,  the  Red  Cross,  various  vol 
unteer  organizations  and  national  societies  have  done  better  service, 
because  more  systematically  organized,  but  the  work  done  by  the  am 
bulance  organization  of  the  Second  Army  Corps,  and,  I  think,  par 
ticularly  that  of  the  First  Division  of  that  iron  corps,  in  that  war. 
deserves  to  be  writ  large.  I  do  not  know  that  it  has  ever  been  done. 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  men  who  had  to  stand  on  the 
fighting  line  and  take  the  pounding  looked  upon  a  position  in  the 
ambulance  corps  as  a  rather  soft  and  secure  place  in  the  army  or 
ganization.  They  were  in  error;  it  was  neither  the  one  nor  the  other. 
No  doubt,  as  in  every  other  department  of  the  Army,  there  were 
shirks  and  shysters  in  the  ambulance  corps ;  but  I  know  of  no  job 


292  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

that  a  man  could  work  harder  at,  and  had  to  work  harder  at,  to  get 
properly  done.  I  remember  conducting  a  train  load  of  wounded 
from  Cold  Harbor,  to  the  base  of  transportation  at  Belle  Plain,  when 
I  was  in  the  saddle  eighteen  hours  of  twenty.  The  man  on  the  line 
after  his  brave  fight  has  been  made,  may  ordinarily  lie  down  and  go 
to  sleep.  The  ambulance  force  must  keep  at  it  until  the  last  wound 
ed  man  is  cared  for  if  it  takes  all  day  and  all  night.  Moreover, 
whilst  an  ambulance  officer  need  not  be  a  General  in  point  of  rank, 
he  needs  to  have  a  good  many  of  the  qualities  of  a  General.  He 
needs  to  be  a  strategist.  One  of  the  first  and  foremost  rules  he  is  to 
observe,  and  one  of  the  most  difficult,  is  to  keep  his  ambulances  and 
stretcher  bearers  up  with  the  troops,  and  yet  keep  out  of  their  way 
so  as  not  to  interfere  with  their  movements.  I  was  once  cursed  by  a 
profane  Major  Genera]  for  the  most  consummate  idiot  in  the  Army 
for  getting  my  train  in  the  way  of  the  movement  of  a  brigade.  No 
doubt  I  was  idiot  enough,  in  all  conscience,  at  the  same  time  he  him 
self  could  not  have  done  better  in  the  frightful  rush  and  rout  of  that 
unfortunate  day.  The  ambulance  officer  needs  to  be  strenuous,  con 
stantly  on  the  alert.  If  the  troops  advance,  he  is  to  be  ready  at  any 
moment  to  accompany  them.  When  the  battle  begins,  he  is  to  keep 
his  ambulances  as  near  the  line  of  battle  as  possible,  and  yet  not 
near  enough  to  get  them  knocked  to  pieces  by  the  enemy's  cannon  , 
and  who  .with  an  intelligence  anything  short  of  omniscient  can  tell 
where  that  place  is  going  to  be  ?  If  he  keeps  them  too  far  away,  he 
is  stupid,  or  white-livered,  which  is  worse.  If  he  keeps  them  too 
close,  so  as  to  get  holes  bored  through  them,  he  is  an  ass  and  ought 
to  wear  a  hide.  He  is  to  keep  his  corps  of  bearers  in  the  immediate 
rear  of  the  troops,  moving  with  them,  and,  therefore,  under  fire.  A 
single  ambulance  officer  must  frequently  cover  a  line  of  battle  a  mile 
or  more  in  length,  and  is  expected  to  keep  hustling  himself  around  on 
every  ten  feet  of  the  line  at  once.  He  is  to  keep  his  orderlies,  am 
bulance  drivers,  stretcher  bearers  and  subordinates  generally  at  their 
highest  efficiency.  If  the  front  of  battle  changes,  he  must  change  the 
whole  arrangement  of  his  force,  and  that  instantly ;  and,  as  I  have 
said,  without  getting  his  "bone-carts"  in  the  way  of  the  movements 
of  the  troops.  If  -the  troops  fall  back,  he  is  to  get  out  of  the  scrape 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          293 

the  beet  he  can,  but  if  he  commits  a  blunder,  he  stands  a  good 
chance  of  having  his  case  committed  to  a  court  martial. 

I  submit  therefore,  that  the  ambulance  officer  has  not  as 
easy  a  place  as  those  not  familiar  with  his  duties  may  be  led  to 
imagine. 

As  to  comparative  immunity  from  danger,  that,  as  in  the  case 
of  any  other  man  who  is  expected  to  risk  his  life  for  duty,  depends 
entirely  upon  the  fibre  of  the  man.  Xo  doubt,  there  are  oppor 
tunities  to  play  the  poltroon  which  do  not  obtain  in  the  case  of 
the  man  on  the  front  line;  but  from  my  experience  on  the  front 
line  and  on  the  ambulance  line,  I  cannot  say  that  I  discovered  the 
disposition  in  the  one  case  more  than  in  the  other.  Of  the  three 
officers  whose  names  I  have  given,  every  one  of  them  was  under 
fire  in  every  battle  in  which  the  First  Division  was  engaged  from 
the  Wilderness  to  Appomattox.  One  of  the  first  officers  wounded 
in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  was  an  ambulance  officer.  It  was 
said,  that  when  it  was  reported  at  corps  headquarters  that  an 
ambulance  officer  had  been  wounded,  the  commanding  general 
laughed  boisterously  and  expressed  a  curiosity  to  see  so  interesting 
i>  specimen  of  the  genus !  This  may  be  true,  and  it  may  not  be. 
At  least,  I  have  always  had  my  doubts  whether  the  report  of  my 
little  exploit  ever  reached  ears  so  exalted;  but  the  fact  that  the 
report  got  currency  at  all,  bore  testimony  to  a  more  or  less  general 
sentiment  that  an  ambulance  officer  who  could  not  keep  himself 
from  getting  shot  was  a  rather  rare  bird. 

Still  further  on  this  point:  The  soldier  on  the  fighting  line  is 
concerned  only  with  the  battle  immediately  in  front  of  him,  but  the 
ambulance  officer  is  concerned  with  a  whole  mile  of  fighting.  In 
this  whole  mile  of  battle,  wherever  the  crash  of  the  guns  is  the 
heaviest,  and  the  hiss  of  flying  projectiles  is  the  sharpest,  and  the 
thunder  of  their  explosion  is  the  loudest,  to  that  place  he  is  to 
rush  with  his  corps  of  helpers,  for  there  the  harvest  of  death 
is  at  the  highest  As  is  well  known,  the  elevation  of  artillery  firing 
is,  proverbially,  too  high  rather  than  too  low.  The  projectile, 
therefore,  that  goes  hissing  harmlessly  over  the  line  of  battle  is 
frequently  just  at  the  right  elevation  to  catch  the  ambulance  train, 


294  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

stationed,  as  it  ought  to  be,  from  eight  hundred  to  nine  hundred 
yards  behind  the  troops  engaged.  It  is  hard  work  to  keep  a  battery 
from  limbering  up  and  getting  away  when  the  opposing  battery 
gets  its  exact  range  and  begin  to  plump  shot  and  shell  into  them ; 
it  is  a  mighty  -sight  harder  to  hold  a  lot  of  non-combatants  up  to 
the  regulation  distance  when  the  enemies  fire  is  knocking  their 
ambulances  about  their  ears. 

There  is  another  test  of  the  mettle  of  a  man  to  which  only 
ambulance,  together  with  staff  officers,  are  put.  I  mean  the  neces 
sity  of  passing  again  and  again  in  and  out  of  the  line  of  fire.  The 
man  on  the  fighting  line  makes  his  grand  rush,  or  his  historic 
charge  amid  the  shouts  and  cheers  of  charging  comrades,  with 
heart  beating  high  and  wrought  to  the  highest  pitch  of  jubilant 
enthusiasm.  I  helped  to  make  several  myself.  It  was  the  most 
exalted  moment  of  my  life.  But  to  go  in  and  out  of  that  withering 
line  of  death  in  cold  blood  again  and  again  in  the  same  batitle,  with 
no  comrade's  blood  contagion  to  carry  you  forward,  with  nothing 
but  the  stern,  inexorable  voice  of  duty  at  your  ear  crying,  "do  it 
or  stand  forever  after  a  dishonored  man  and  a  coward  before  the 
tribunal  of  your  own  manhood;"  and  to  do  this  not  with  comrades, 
but  without  comrades,  to  grip  the  black  death,  not  in  hot  blood, 
but  in  cold  blood,  this  is  not  so  easy,  as  anyone  who  has  had  to 
do  it  knows.  Hundreds  of  Pickett's  men  would  not  cross  that 
line  of  concentrated  artillery  fire  at  Gettysburg,  but  turned  back  and 
surrendered. 

There  is  another  test  of  the  stuff  a  man  is  made  of  to  which  the 
ambulance  men  are  put,  and  to  which  no  other  men  in  the  Army  are. 
I  have  said  that  the  man  on  the  fighting  line  sees  comparatively  lit 
tle  of  the  horror  and  havoc  of  war ;  for  it  is  as  rapidly  as  possible 
removed  out  of  his  sight.  It  is  well  for  his  fighting  qualities  that  it 
is.  Very  few  men  can  look  on  however  slight  a  surgical  operation 
without  growing  pale  about  the  gills.  Bearing  this  in  mind,  it  will 
be  conceded  that  to  take  a  train  load  of  mangled  and  mutilated  men 
back  to  the  field  hospital  and,  having  delivered  your  charge,  stand 
a  while  watching  the  surgeons  cutting  and  sawing  at  human  bodies, 
and  see  the  holes  dug  at  the  foot  of  the  amputating  tables  gradually 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          295 

filling  up  with  dissevered  arms  and  legs,  and  then,  with  the  horror 
of  it  all  before  your  eyes,  and  in  cold  blood,  approach  again  that 
fatal  line  of  fire,  ride  through  it  and  out  of  it  again,  and  this,  per 
haps,  a  half  dozen  times  in  one  day — this,  I  say,  will  be  con 
ceded  to  be  a  pretty  stiff  test  of  the  amount  of  iron  that  is  in  the 
blood  of  a  man. 

So  that  it  is  hardly  correct  to  say  that  the  ambulance  officer 
does  not  come  in  for  his  full  share  of  the  things  that  test  a  man's 
mettle,  whether  it  ring  true  or  false. 

Then,  there  is  another  thing  that  tests  the  ambulance  officer 
as  a  leader  and  organizer.  The  force  given  him  to  work  with  comes 
under  the  designation  of  motley.  The  men,  whilst  not  inferior  to 
the  general  run  in  physical  courage,  in  most  cases,  belonged  to 
the  "awkward  squad"  in  their  companies ;  likely  could  not  tell 
hay-foot  from  straw-foot^  and  like  Falstaff's  recruits,  " walked  wide 
'twixt  the  legs."  The  corps  was  a  heterogeneous  conglomeration  of 
Irish,  German,  Yankee,  Pennsylvania  Dutch,  and  the  Lord  knows 
what  not.  Far  be  it  from  me  to  cast  any  reflection  upon  their 
mettle;  I  only  say  that,  as  a  rule,  the  bulk  of  the  subordinate 
ambulance  force  was  composed  of  men  who,  for  some  reason  or 
other,  could  not  well  be  worked  into  the  harmonious  and  effective  mass 
oJ  the  company.  Moreover,  coming  together  from,  perhaps  a  dozen 
different  regiments,  there  was  not,  and  in  the  mature-  of  the  case, 
could  not  be,  that  esprit  de  corps,  the  animating  spirit  of  a  body  of 
men,  which  generally  characterized  the  company  and  regiment  and 
made  a  hero  of  many  a  man  who  was  not  naturally  a  hero.  We 
had  to  train  them  to  work  together,  and  certainly,  to  a  large  extent, 
succeeded;  but  it  was,  at  best,  a  rather  precarious  hold  we  had  upon 
them.  There  was  little  attachment  to  us  as  officers,  for  they  had 
their  own  officers.  There  was  little  personal  attachment  to  each 
other;  they  quarreled  and  swore  a.t  each  other  and  were  generally 
walking  about  with  a  chip  upon  their  shoulder. 

There  were  very  few  shirks,  however.  There  were  many  shin 
ing  examples  of  indifference  to  danger  and  devotion  to  duty  on 
the  part  of  these  non-combatants.  Shoffner,  of  my  own  company, 
was  shot  through  the  neck  doing  >all  that  a  man  could.  Phillips, 


296  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

of  the  140th  Pennsylvania,  was  shot  dead  whilst  carrying  a  wounded 
man  on  his  back  at  the  attack  on  Petersburg.  Evans,  a  Sergeant., 
lost  an  arm  at  Mine  Run.  Page,  another  man  of  my  company,  who 
was  detailed  for  this  'Service  mainly  because  he  would  not,  or  could 
not,  keep  off  the  lieels  of  the  man  in  the  rank  in  front  of  him,  was 
a  really  brave  man.  They  tell  how,  at  Chancellorsville,  when  the 
148th  went  down  "into  the  jaws  of  death,  into  the  gates  of  hell," 
Page  with  his  stretcher,  did  deeds  as  brave  as  any  of  them.  He 
would  not  fall  back  until  the  troops  fell  back,  and  then  sullenly, 
carrying  a  wounded  man. 

They  carried  no  weapons,  these  men.  They  were  not  there  to 
kill,  but  to  save;  and  that,  often,  when  every  savage  instinct  of  the 
human  heart  prompted  them  to  throw  down  the  stretcher  and  rush 
in  and  kill  rather  than  save.  There  were  men  who,  when  the  fight 
was  on,  and  the  scent  of  blood  in  the  air,  had  to  be  held  to  duty 
like  a  dog  in  leash.  Riding  along  the  line  one  day  whilst  heavy 
tiring  was  going  on  in  front,  I  came  across  a  group  lifting  a  wounded 
man  into  the  ambulance.  Among  them  was  a  soldier  who  had 
helped  to  carry  the  man  back,  and  the  ambulance  driver,  an  Irish 
man,  was  begging  him  like  a  baby  to  drive  his  ambulance  and  let 
him  take  his  gun  and  go  into  the  fight.  It  was  the  same  feeling 
that  led  Anthony  Knopf,  of  G  Company,  after  he  had  carried  the 
medical  field  knapsack  all  the  way  from  Falmouth  to  Gettysburg, 
when  the  battle  began,  swap  his  instruments,  and  dressings,  and 
medicines,  and  restoratives,  and  stimulants  to  a  comrade  for  his 
gun,  and  rush  with  his  company  at  the  side  of  Little  Round  Top. 
Tt  is  the  old  not  yet  outgrown  savagery  in  the  hearts  of  us  all 
which,  when  the  tackle  comes,  makes  it  so  much  easier  to  fight 
than  to  stand  and  take  it. 

Nothing  impressed  me  more  than  the  gentleness  and  humanity  of 
these  ambulance  men  with  the  wounded.  I  do  not  think  that  a 
single  case  of  cruelty  or  even  unkindness  ever  reached  our  ears. 
The  mother  instinct  was  strong  in  these  men.  Their  horny  hands 
were  as  tender  as  a  mother's.  How  kind  they  were  to  the  poor 
wounded  fellows !  How  careful  not  to  cause  unnecessary  pain ! 
How  quick  their  feet  to  run  on  their  blessed  errands  of  mercy! 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          297 

Rough  as  a  chestnut  burr — some  of  them;  crabbed  as  a  bear  with  a 
sore  head;  swearing  "like  the  army  in  Flanders,"  but  in  their  care 
of  the  wounded,  as  gentle  as  a  mother  hovering  over  the  bed  of  her 
sick  child.  There  were  many  cases  of  desperate  risks  taken  to 
recover  the  wounded. 

At  the  battle  of  Obancellorsville,  a  sorely  wounded  Confederate 
appealed  to  one  of  our  stretcher  bearers  to  carry  him  from  the 
field.  He  replied  that  our  own  wounded  had  not  all  been  removed. 
The  Johnny  cursed  'him  for  a  leather-headed  Yankee;  he  cursed 
him,  in  return,  for  a  foul-mouthed  and  evil-smelling  rebel;  but  in 
the  night  he  went  out  and  found  him  and  brought  him  to  the  hospital. 
At  Po  River  I  saw  a  stretcher  bearer  leap  upon  a  soldier  who  was 
helping  him  carry  a  wounded  man  to  the  rear  and  smite  him  in  the 
face,  because  when  a  shell  hissed  overhead,  he  had  dropped  his  end 
of  the  stretcher  and  the  wounded  man  had  rolled  groaning  to  the 
ground.  How  shockingly  they  swore  at  each  other  when  one  of 
their  number,  however  unintentionally,  was  a  little  rough,  or  how 
ever  unavoidably,  gave  a  sufferer  pain.  In  the  rear  of  the  little 
house  to  the  left  -f  our  line  at  Spotsylvania,  I  saw  that  savage 
old  boar,  Sergeant  Joyce,  kneeling  by  the  side  of  a  man,  to  whom 
no  more  earthly  help  could  be  given,  praying.  I  am  not  sure  that 
Joyce  'himself  believed  in  prayer;  from  what  I  knew  of  him,  I 
doubt  it ;  but  as  the  dying  man  had  asked  him  to  pray  for  him,  and 
as  he  could  do  nothing  more,  he  was  not  the  man  to  go  back  on 
him.  Joyce  was  an  insubordinate,  sullen,  old  sore-head,  but  he  evi 
dently  believed  that  an  ambulance  officer's  duties  took  a  very  wide 
range.  I  bore  much  from  him  for  that  sight  I  got  of  him  on  his 
knees.  One  could  fill  pages  with  illustrations  of  the  kindliness 
and  often  touching  humanity  of  these  men. 

A  ludicrous  scene,  in  which  I  was  personally  the  principal  actor 
ccmes  to  my  mind  as  I  write.  It  should,  perhaps,  have  cost  me 
my  place.  After  forty  years  I  can  never  recall  that  extraordinary 
scene  without  holding  my  sides.  In  the  winter  of  1863  I  was  de 
tached  from  the  main  corps,  together  with  a  force  of  men  and 
ambulances,  and  ordered  to  accompany  General  Brooke's  Brigade 
to  the  vicinity  of  Ely's  Ford,  where  we  went  into  winter  quarters. 


298  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

~Now,  an  order  -had  come  down  from  corps  headquarters  to  the 
effect  that  the  'ambulance  corps,  horses  and  wagons,  as  well  as  the 
men,  should  be  drilled  something  after  the  manner  of  the  troops. 
I  have  often  wondered  what  hopeless  idiot  first  suggested  that  idea; 
but  that  is  neither  here  nor  there.  Well,  when  an  order  is  given 
what  is  a  subordinate  to  do  but  to  carry  it  out — or  try  to  ?  So  one 
fine  day  toward  spring,  the  earth  still  held  in  the  grip  of  frost,  and 
the  hoofs  of  half  a  hundred  horses  rattling  over  the  frozen  ground, 
1  moved  out  my  force  to  drill  ambulances,  as  troops  are  drilled.  A 
field  near  by,  containing  perhaps  twenty  acres,  seemed  to  offer  an 
excellent  arena  for  the  purpose.  I  say,  seemed  to  offer,  for,  as  sub 
sequent  events  proved,  it  was  not  so  well  adapted  to  the  purpose  as 
at  first  sight  appeared,  as  we  shall  see.  After  explaining  the  evolu 
tion  to  the  men,  and  a  good  deal  of  animated  conversation  with 
the  ambulance  drivers,  who  were  mostly  Irishmen,  and  who  knew 
enough  about  horses  that,  if  told  to  give  them  corn  in  the  ear,  would 
have  done  their  best  to  force  it  into  their  auditory  apparatus,  I 
drew  up  the  gallant  corps  in  single  line  to  the  front,  preparatory 
to  the  brilliant  manoeuvre  I  had  in  mind.  So  far  the  thing  looked 
well;  but  as  the  Old  Guard  which  "foamed  itself  away'7  at  Water 
loo,  had  not  taken  into  the  account  that  fatal  sunken  road,  so  I  had 
not  planned  for  those  confounded  frozen  corn  rows.  It  is  true, 
if  I  had  conformed  my  movement  parallel  with  the  rows,  it  would 
not  have  been  so  bad,  but,  woe  the  day !  I  struck  them  at  right 
angles. 

The  horses  made  restive  by  the  nipping  cold,  .and  excited 
by  the  bad  driving  of  the  Irishmen,  who,  as  I  have  already  inti 
mated,  could  not  drive  a  donkey  hitched  to  a  wheelbarrow  without 
disgracing  themselves,  were  ^already  almost  beyond  control.  At  the 
word  g'o,  we  went;  we  certainly  did.  No  man  could  ever  afterward 
stand  ii])  in  front  of  us  and  say  we  did  not  go.  Why,  Jehu,  the  son 
of  Xinishi,  would  have  been  left  behind  eating  dust,  or  more  accu 
rately  speak i ii<r,  fro/on  clods.  The  "Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade" 
at  Balaklava,  so  far  as  peril  to  life  and  limb  was  concerned,  could 
not  have  been^very  much  worse.  I  am  sure  the  1'ke  of  the  charge 
of  that  ambulance  corps  was  never  seen  before — or  since.  After 


THE  I4&TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          299 

all  these  years,  L  see  that  devoted  ambulance  train  careering  across 
those  frozen,  transverse  corn  rows  as  vividly  as  if  it  had  happened 
yesterday ;  the  curtains  of  the  vehicles,  shaken  from  their  fastenings, 
waving  in  the  wind,  as  we  rushed  forward,  like  an  army  with 
banners;  the  drivers,  not  only  not  able  to  guide  their  horses,  but 
mightily  put  to  it  to  stay  in  the  ambulance  at  all;  one  moment 
shooting  toward  the  top  as  if  fired  from  a  mortar,  the  next  hurled 
back  upon  the  seat,  or  sprawling  at  the  bottom  of  the  ambulance, 
only  to  be  fired  and  returned  as  before;  the  stretcher  bearers 
dodging  hither  and  thither  to  escape  the  flying  ambulances,  fleeing 
as  a  man  for  his  life;  the  water  kegs  breaking  loose  from  their 
fastenings  and  flying  through  the  air,  making  the  already  frantic 
horses  more  frantic  still.  The  indescribable  up  and  down  movement 
of  those  ambulances  as  they  struck  sixty  of  those  frozen  corn  rows 
to  the  minute,  and  over  all  die  awful  din  and  tumult,  a  hundred 
despairing  voices  calling  upon  me,  by  as  many  different  impreca 
tions  as  there  were  men,  to  stop  it.  Stop  it  I  I  should  only  have 
been  too  glad  to  stop  it.  1  would  have  given  almost  anything  if 
I  had.  never  started  it.  But,  things  can't  go  on  forever,  an  ambu 
lance  more  than  anything  else.  Just  as  we  got  the  stampede  rounded 
up,  and  the  men  came  crawling,  some  of  them  out  of  the  ambulances 
and  some  from  under  them,  looking  as  if  they  had  gone  through  a 
western  cyclone  and  a  house  had  fallen  on  them,  a  voice  behind 
me  demanded,  "Harpster,  what  in  heaven's  name  are  you  doing?" 
It  was  Captain  Pelton,  the  chief  of  the  ambulances.  "'Doing?" 
said  I,  in  the  midst  of  broken  sobs,  "I  am  carrying  out  orders;  I 
am  drilling  this  ambulance  corps."  We  sat  on  our  horses,  looked 
at  each  other,  and  laughing  till  the  tears  actually  ran  down  our 
cheek*.  "Well,"  said  Pelton  finally,  "this  beats  the  devil."  1 
acknowledged  that,  in  my  judgment,  it  did ;  for  I  did  not,  and  do 
not  now  believe,  that  the  personage  he  mentioned  could  get  up 
an  exhibition  quite  up  to  that.  Pelton  could  not  look  at  me  for 
the  next  six  months  without  laughing. 

I  have  always  felt  that  my  service  in  the  ambulance  corps 
was  as  useful  as  any  I  rendered  in  the  War.  It  gave  many  oppor 
tunities  for  doing  that  kind  of  work  which  never  leaves  a  bad 


300  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

taste  in  the  mouth. — the  memory  of  which  is  never  fraught  with 
regret.  Perhaps  my  "story"  will  not  be  thought  too  long  if  I  give 
a  personal  reminiscence,  or  two. 

During  the  campaign  of  the  Wilderness,  that  long,  flanking 
movement  to  the  left,  with  its  pitching  and  breaking  of  camp  al 
most  every  day  for  months,  we  had  taken  down  the  hospital  and 
were  about  to  follow  the  troops.  As  my  custom  was,  I  took  a  final 
look  over  the  ground  to  see  that  nothing  had  been  abandoned  through 
neglect.  At  the  foot  of  a  tree,  where  he  had  evidently  been  carried 
by  comrades,  near  where  the  hospital  had  stood,  I  found  a  youth, 
lying  prone  upon  his  back,  and  gazing  with  unblinking  eyes  into 
the  sky.  I  spoke  to  him;  asked  him  what  he  was  lying  there  for 
when  the  whole  Army  was  moving.  I  got  no  reply.  I  said,  "Get 
up  and  go  on ;  what  is  the  matter  with  you  anyhow  ?"  Not  a  word 
in  reply  gave  he,  nor  relaxed  that  vacant  stare  into  space.  I  stooped 
down  and  examined  him;  not  a  thing  could  I  find  thei  matter  with 
him.  "This  is  very  extraordinary,'7  I  said.  Mounting  my  horse, 
I  rode  after  the  hospital  train  which  had  now  moved  off,  and  find 
ing  Doctor  Vandeveer,  brought  him  back.  He  discovered  that  a  piece 
of  shell  had  crushed  the  posterior  part  of  the  skull  in  upon  the 
brain,  doing  little  more  than  to  render  him  unconscious.  The  good 
doctor  soon  had  the  necessary  operation  performed ;  we  put  him  in 
an  ambulance  and  seat  him  .to  the  rear.  About  six  months  afterward 
he  came  to  my  tent,  a  Lieutenant's  straps  upon  his  shoulders,  as 
handsome  and  well  groomed  a  young  fellow  as  you  could  well  seo, 
to  thank  me,  as  he  put  it,  "for  having  cheated  the  buzzards  out 
of  him." 

In  one  of  the  attacks  on  Petersburg,  a  boy  belonging  to  a  Mary 
land  regiment — a  mere  child,  he  was — was  horribly  wounded ;  both 
of  his  legs  and  his  left  arm  being  shattered  by  the  bursting  of  a 
shell.  The  stretcher  bearers  had  laid  him  down  at  the  foot  of  a  tree 
and  were  making  off.  I  examined  him  and  found  his  heart  still  beat- 
iug.  I  called  after  the  bearers : 

'(Come  back  here;  what  do  you  mean  by  leaving  this  boy  here?" 

"He  is  dead,"  they  called  back. 

"He  is  not  dead,"  I  said. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          501 

"Sure,  he  is  dead.7' 

"He  is  not  dead,  I  say,  his  heart  is  still  beating;  take  him  up 
and  carry  him  to  the  hospital." 

I  saw  him  afterwards  in  the  hospital,  under  the  influence  of 
opiates,  with  both  legs  and  arm  amputated.  Fifteen  years  after 
ward  I  saw  a  man  sitting  in  a  hand-cart  behind  a  news  stand  in 
Oalvert  Street  Station,  Baltimore,  with  his  legs  and  an  arm  gone, 
and  a  Grand  Army  badge  on  his  breast.  I  went  over  to  his  stand 
and  bought  a  paper. 

"I  think  you  got  that,"  1  said — for  I  did  not  think  there  could 
have  been  another  case  like  it  in  the  War ;  at  least,  no  other  recovery 
— "I  tihink  you  got  that  damage  at  Petersburg." 

"Bight  you  are;  there's  where  they  did  it." 

I  told  him  what  I  knew  about  it.  He  had  heard  what  an  ambu 
lance  officer  had  done,  and  made  me  lose  my  train  by  insisting  that  his 
wagon  be  trundled  right  home,  and  that  I  do  him  a  comrade's  kind 
ness  by  allowing  him  to  show  to  his  wife  and  three  handsome  boys  the 
officer  of  whom  he  had  heard,  and  of  whom  he  had  often  told  them, 
but  had  never  seen. 

It  is  all  over.  The  smoke  of  the  battle  has  died  away.  The 
bivouac  fires  have  burned  low  and  expired.  Sectional  animosity 
has  been  merged  into  a  better  brotherhood  than  the  country  ever 
knew  before.  The  good  God  has  wrought  blessing  out  of  a  great 
evil.  The  actors  in  the  scene  have  grown  old  -and  gray.  Good 
boys,  tender  hearts,  gallant  comrades,  I  send  a  comrade's  greeting 
from  my  far-off  home  in  India.  If  my  little  story  can  help,  in  any 
degree,  to  keep  in  men's  memories  the  brave  things  you  did,  I  shall 
be  glad. 


THE  TRANSFERRED  OFFICER'S  STORY. 


PART  T. 

Sergeant  Major  J.  E.  Hall  as  Adjutant  18 id  Pennsylvania  Vols. 
The  Army  of  the  Potomac  began  a  siege  of  Petersburg,  Vir 
ginia,  about  the  middle  of  June,  1864.  During  a  temporary  ces 
sation  of  active  operations  on  the  last  day  of  that  month,  the  148th 
Pennsylvania  was  inspected  and  mustered  for  pay  by  Col.  James 
G.  Lynch,  of  the  183d  Pennsylvania.  Colonel  Lynch  had  quite 
recently  received  his  promotion  from  a  captaincy  in  the  T2d  Penn 
sylvania,  whose  veterans  had  been  transferred  to  the  183d  Penn 
sylvania.  He  had  been  doing  duty  as  Assistant  Inspector  General 
on  the  staff  of  the  Second  Division  of  our  Second  Corps  until  the 
promotion  came  which  placed  him  at  the  head  of  a  regiment  After 
his  inspection  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania  in  line,  and  an  examina 
tion  of  the  records  and  workings  of  the  Adjutant's  and  Quarter 
master's  departments,  Colonel  Lynch  was  free  to  express  his  un 
qualified  admiration  of  the  general  efficiency  of  the  Regiment  as 
exhibited  to  him  in  the  neatness  and  soldierly  bearing  of  its  officers 
and  men,  the  condition  and  care  of  arms  and  equipage,  and  the 
business  methods  as  well  as  accuracy  of  records  of  staff  departments. 
He  was  particularly  interested  in  the  records  and  details  of  the  Adju 
tant's  office  which  he  spent  some  time  in  examining.  In  this  de 
partment  Colonel  Beaver  had  an  able  superintendent  in  the  person 
of  J.  W.  Muffly,  who  first  .as  Sergeant  Miajor  and  later  as  Adjutant 
had  been  able  to  apply  his  knowledge  of  bookkeeping  and  his  ability 
to  grasp  and  manage  all  the  details  of  the  office  so  as  to  make  an 
excellent  showing.  Since  the  death  of  Adjutant  Lip  ton  and  the 
v.ell  merited  promotion  of  Sergeant  Major  Muffly  in  April,  1863, 
the  writer  had  been  serving  as  Sergeant  Major,  and  for  over  a 
year  had  been  under  the  tutorage  of  Adjutant  Muffly.  It  would 
be  reasonable  to  expect  that  an  apprenticeship  of  that  length  of 
time  would  familiarize  the  new  Sergeant  Major  with  the  workings 
of  the  office,  and  to  the  credit  of  tihe  new  Adjutant  it  may  be  re- 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          305 

marked  that  he  took  pains  to  instruct,   and  time  to  see  that  his 
instructions  were  properly  carried  out      Colonel  Lynch  in  his  in 
vestigation    of    the    records    of  the  Adjutant's  office  had  a  special 
purpose  in  view.     In  addition  to  submitting  his  rej)ort  of  the  regi 
mental  inspection,  he  made  known  to  the  Colonel  commanding,  as 
well  as  to  his  friend  Captain  M,arlin,  Acting  Inspector  General  of 
First  Division,  that  the  183d  Pennsylvania  had  no  Adjutant  and  he 
was  trying  to  find  some  competent  person  to  fill  the  place.     This 
fact  the  writer  learned  later,  upon  the  receipt  of  a  note  asking  him 
to  call  at  Colonel  Lynch's  headquarters.     In  response  to  the  sum 
mons  I  was  ushered  into  his  presence  next  day  where,  after  being 
looked  over  and   questioned  somewhat,     I    was    informed    that     I 
had  been  recommended  for  the  adjutancy  of  his  regiment.      With 
a  suspicion  that  I  looked  young  and  that  my  appointment  was  a 
doubtful  experiment  I  was  excused.     Whatever  misgivings  Colonel 
Lynch  may  have  felt,  however,  were  more  than  compensated  for  by 
the  orderly  arrangement  of  the  records  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania  as 
he  saw  them,  and  my  appointment  was  requested  by  him  and  made, 
and   on   September  7th  with  my   new  commission   I   was   properly 
mustered  into  the  new  office.     An  opportunity  to  buy  a  horse  having 
presented  itself  the  purchase  was  made,  and  next  day,   September 
8th,  I  rode  over  and  reported  for  duty  'at  the  headquarters  of  the 
183d  Pennsylvania.     It  did  not  take  long  to  discover  that  Colonel 
Lynch's  belief  that  he  had  no  officer  competent  to  act  as  Adjutant, 
was    noit    shared    by    the   officers    themselves,    and    when    the    new. 
beardless,  and  verdant  looking  officer  was  introduced  by  the  Colonel 
to  the  Acting  Adjutant  asl  his  successor,  the  new  official  was  greeted 
by  scant  courtesy,  and  a  prompt  retirement  of  the  Lieutenant   in 
charge,  leaving  the  new  Adjutant  to  his  reflections  and  the  exercise 
of  his  wits. 

It  soon  became  known  at  army  headquarters  that  an  Adjutant 
had  been  appointed  for  183d  Pennsylvania,  and  requests  for  reports, 
and  for  information  from  the  origin  of  the  regiment  to  the  present 
date  began  to  pour  in  upon  the  new  official.  In  the  absence  of 
written  records  these  demands  from  superior  officers  required  to 
be  made  up  from  oral  statements  in  great  measure  from  the  different 


304  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

officers  of  the  regiment.  The  willingness  of  the  officers  to  tell 
what  each  knew,  made  it  possible  before  a  great  while  to  write  a 
record  of  the  origin  of  the  regiment  and  a  fairly  satisf acitory  'history 
of  its  campaigns.  Company  histories  and  rosters  were  in  time 
brought  into  shape  so  ias  to  give  data  for  what  might  be  required. 
The  regiment  had  been  officered  at  its  organ ization  in  Philadel 
phia  by  men  who  seemed  indisposed  for  'an  active  military  career,  and 
the  resignation  of  their  Colonel,  Lieutenant  Colonel,  Major  and 
Adjutant  upon  the  opening  of  the  campaign  of  1864  was  unfor 
tunate  for  its  efficiency.  Colonel  Lynch  entered  upon  the  command 
of  the  regiment  with  a  determination  to  make  it  such  a  working 
organization  as  to  bring  it  in  line  with  the  best  for  practical  service. 
His  appointment  of  an  Adjutant  outside  his  regiment  was  in  pur 
suance  of  this  purpose,  and  his  selection  of  an  officer  from  what  he 
considered  an  ideal  regiment  was  a  compliment  to  his  sagacity,  for 
it  would  be  supposed  that  one  trained  in  field  duties  by  the  com 
mandant  of  such  an  organization,  and  in  office  work  by  the  skilled 
Adjutant,  would  be  able  to  give  satisfaction.  It  is  therefore  out 
of  tribute  to  these  worthy  officers  that  the  statement  follows  that 
before  a  very  long  association  with  the  officers  and  men  of  the 
183d  Pennsylvania  they  were  willing  to  concede  that  the  new  Ad 
jutant  understood  his  business.  This  concession  proved  an  im 
portant  factor  in  establishing  cordial  relationship  which  continued 
during  the  subsequent  history  of  the  regiment.  Colonel  Lynch  soon 
took  advantage  of  a  general  order  allowing  commissioned  officers 
of  over  three  years  service  to  be  mustered  out  of  service  upon  their 
request  and  we  parted  with  regret.  His  successor,  Col.  George  T. 
Egbert;  has  brother,  Lieut  Col.  Aug.  T.  Lynch,  and  the  new 
Colonel's  brother,  Major  H.  P.  Egbert,  proved  an  agreeable  trio  of 
field  officers,  who  each  endeavored  to  keep  up  the  standard  of  regi 
mental  efficiency  which  Col.  James  Lynch  had  worked  to  establish. 
These  officers  survived  ithe  vicissitudes  of  the  War,  and  were  all 
mustered  out  with  the  regiment  in  Philadelphia  at  its  close.  While 
in  the  city  at  this  time  the  officers  of  the  entire  regimenlt  were 
invited  to  a  reception  at  the  club  rooms  of  the  splendid  Union 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          305 

League  building  on  Broad  Street.  Here  our  field  service  was  com 
mended,  and  our  valor  and  devotion  to  duty  most  eulogistically 
mentioned.  It  is  safe  to  affirm  that  the  product  of  the  148th  Penn 
sylvania  felt  no  small  share  of  gratification  as  with  his  brother 
officers  he  listened  to  these  expressions  of  appreciation,  and  felt  he 
had  tried  to  do  his  duty. 


306  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


THE  TRANSFERRED  OFFICER'S  STORY. 


PART  II. 

By  Lieut.  George  M.  Boat. 

Sergeant  George  M.  Boal,  Company  D,  being  detailed  on. 
general  recruiting  service  and  stationed  in  Camp  Curtin,  Harris- 
burg,  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  quartermaster  stores  of  the  camp. 
While  there  he  became  acquainted  with  Col.  C.  P.  Rogers,  who 
was  on  special  recruiting  service  for  the  83d  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers,  a  regiment  which  was  raised  in  thei  northeastern  part  of  the 
state,  which  had  been  reduced  to  a  battalion  through  losses,  occa 
sioned  by  the  expiration  of  term  of  enlistment  of  the  original  three 
years  mem  who  had  not  enlisted  as  "veterans."  The  Colonel  while 
having  his  recruits  furnished  with  clothing,  etc.,  in  Camp  Curtin, 
made  up  his  mind  that  Boal  would  make  a  good  Regimental  Quar 
termaster,  and  that  office  being  vacant  in  his  regiment,  he  recom 
mended  and  requested  Governor  Curtin  to  appoint  and  commission 
him  as  First  Lieutenant  and  Quartermaster  of  the  83d  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  which  was  done  March  10,  1865.  Boal  at 
once  reported  to  his  regiment  for  duty,  which  was  in  camp  near  City 
Point,  Virginia.  Arriving  there  late  in  the  evening  and  not  being 
acquainted  with  any  member  of  that  regiment  excepit  Colonel 
Rogers,  amongst  the  first  persons  to  meet  him  was  his  friend. 
Dr.  J.  Penrose  Burchfield,  whom  he  had  not  seen  for  several 
years  when  they  were  both  boys  at  Pine  Grove  Mills.  The 
Doctor  took  the  new  Quartermaster  to  his  quarters  and  from  that 
time  on  until  ,tihe  regiment  was  mustered  ouit  of  sendee  they  both 
quartered  in  the  same  tent.  The  next  morning  he  was  met  by 
another  Centre  County  boy,  Lieut.  Lewis  Mason,  whom  he  did  not 
know  as  a  member  of  that  regiment.  After  meeting  and  l>eing  intro 
duced  to  the  other  officers  of  tihe  organization  he  was  taken  to  divi 
sion  headquarters  and  mustered.  The  following  day  Boal  reported 
to  the  commanding  officer  of  the  148th,  Col.  James  F.  Weaver, 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          507 

showed  him  his  muster-in  papers,  when  he  was  properly  entered  in 
the  records  of  the  Regiment  as  "discharged  to  receive  promotion." 

In  the  meantime,  as  he  looked  around  for  a  good  horse,  he  was 
recommended  to  Musser  &  Fortney,  dealers  in  good  horses.  He  finally 
struck  a  bargain  with  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  and  rode  away 
fully  equipped  for  light  marching  orders.  This  horse  did  not  prove 
very  satisfactory  and  after  many  attempts  he  finally  made  an  ex 
change  with  an  Ambulance  Sergeant  and  secured  a  very  excellent 
horse,  which  he  brought  home  with  him  at  the  close  of  the  War, 
riding  him  from  Harrisburg  to  his  home  near  Center  Hall  and  ~kept 
him  for  twenty-two  years,  when  he  died  of  old  age,  supposed  to  be 
about  thirty  years.  Boal  was  accompanied  from  Harrisburg  to  his 
home  by  Lieut  Col.  W.  O.  Coth,  of  the  83d  Regiment,  who  rode 
his  horse  to  his  home  in  Waterford,  Erie  County,  Pennsylvania. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  DRUM  CORPS. 


PART  I. 

By  R.  A.  Cassidy,  Principal  Musician. 

The  field  music  or  drum  corps  of  the  148th  Regiment  Penn 
sylvania  Volunteers  was  originally  composed  of  the  regulation  quota 
of  two  musicians — a  fifer  a.nd  a  tenor  drummer — from  each  of  its 
ten  companies,  a  base  drunxmer — Billy  Ishler  of  Company  G — and 
the  writer  as  Chief  Musician  or  Drum  Major.  Two  musicians  were 
enlisted  as  such  in  each  company  but  in  some  oases  they  were  not 
fitted  for  the  duties  of  the  position  for  which  they  were  enlisted; 
in  others  they  preferred  to  serve  in  the  ranks  with  the  musket 
and,  in  some  cases,  a  deficiency  in  one  company  was  made  up  by  an 
extra  detail  from  other  companies.  Each  company,  however,  carried 
two  musicians  upon  its  rolls,  who  although  mustered  as  such,  may 
not  always  have  served  in  that  capacity.  No  opportunity  was 
offered  for  the  regular  organization  of  the  drum  corps,  and  con 
certed  drill  and  discipline  therein  until  after  the  arrival  of  the 
Regiment  at  Cockeysville,  Maryland.  The  incidents  attending  our 
transportation  from  Camp  Curtin,  Harrisburg,  to  Camp  Beaver, 
Cockeysville,  are  sufficiently  portrayed  in  those  papers  which  treat 
of  the  general  regimental  organization  and  movements. 

Our  indescribable  lack  of  knowledge  of  military  tactics  at  that 
time  can  hardly  be  better  depicted  than  by  a  brief  description  of 
the  first  guard  mount  at  Camp  Beaver.  Next  morning,  after  going 
into  camp,  Sergeant  Major  Muffly  passed  up  and  down  the  company 
streets  proclaiming  "guard  mount"  and  ordering  the  required  de 
tails  from  the  several  companies  to  assemble  at  a  designated  point 
on  the  east  side  of  camp.  We  don't  recall  who  it  was  that  sum 
moned  me  to  assemble  the  drum  corps,  but  it  was  done  and  the 
scene  disclosed  to  Colonel  Beaver,  when  he  came  on  the  ground  to 
witness  the  first  formal  evolution  of  his  Regiment,  in  the  language 
of  the  Apostle,  literally  "beggars  description."  There  was  an  entire 
absence  of  uniformity  in  the  attire  and  equipment  of  the  men  de- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          509 

tailed  for  duty.  Several  of  the  fellows  who  "knew  something  about 
war"  exercised  the  precaution  to  bring  their  arms  with  them. 
Others,  not  apprehending  any  danger  from  resident  "secesh"  or 
prowling  "rebels,"  did  not.  Some  were  in  their  shirt  sleeves ;  others, 
as  happened  to  be  easiest,  were  attired  in  blouses,  dress  coats  or 
overcoats,  etc.  We  remember  Colonel  Beaver  administered  his  first 
rebuke  to  the  Drum  Major  for  appearing  on  that  "auspicious  occa 
sion"  in  his  shirt  sleeves,  without  equipment  of  any  kind,  and  topped 
out  with  a  brilliantly  variegated  sleeping  cap  for  a  head-gear.  He 
was  in  such  a  state  of  exasperated  military  disgust  that  his  early 
piety  and  soldierly  restraint,  we  thought  then  and  still  think,  alone 
prevented  a  sulphurous  explosion  such  as  we  frequently  heard  later 
in  our  armiy  experience  from  officers  of  all  grades  under  much  less 
provoking  conditions.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  remark  that  "guard 
mount"  the  following  morning  was  "turned  off"  with  an  exactness 
of  attire  and  equipment  and  precision  of  ceremony  that  would  have 
challenged  the  criticism  of  much  older  commands,  and  there  wus 
seldom  occasion  thereafter,  on  that  score,  for  special  trial  of  faith 
of  the  religiously  disposed,  whether  of  rank  or  file. 

As  nearly  as  we  can  recall,  the  formal  composition  of  the  field 
music  was  Company  A,  fifer,  Philip  Woodling;  drummer,  Simon 
Harper.  B,  fifer,  Xathaniel  Beerly;  drummer,  Emory  Hutton; 
C,  fifer,  William  P.  Harpster;  drummer,  Samuel  D.  Otto.  D, 
fifer,  Abram  Mattern;  drummer,  John  B.  Holloway.  E,  fifer, 
Johnson  Hamilton ;  drummer,  David  N.  Henry.  F,  fifer,  Lawrence 
B.  Bat-hurst  (from  C  Company)  ;  drummer,  Thos.  Minnich.  G. 
fifer,  Matthias  Rider;  drummer,  Daniel  Schreffler.  H,  fifer,  Wil 
liam  Yeager;  drummer,  R.  A.  Cassidy.  I,  fifer,  Thaddeus  Rum- 
berger  (also  of  C  Company)  ;  drummer,  Joseph  Arthurs.  K,  fifer, 
Abram  Courson  (long  division)  ;  drummer,  John  A.  Lee.  As  this 
roster  is  made  up  from  memory,  with  uncertain  aid  from  other 
members  of  the  corps  with  whom  we  have  been  able  to  confer,  and 
without  recourse  to  official  records,  (not  available)  it  may  not  be 
entirely  correct  as  to  personnel,  company  attachment  and  assign 
ment 


310  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

The  first  death,  and  the  only  one  that  occurred  during  our 
connection  witih  the  corps,  was  that  of  Johnny  Lee,  drummer  of 
Company  K,  in  winter  quarters  at  Falmouth,  and  he,  as  we  recollect, 
was  succeeded  by  Preston  MaGee  of  the  same  company.  There  were 
other  details  to  the  Corps,  after  our  location  at  Falmouth,  notably 
that  of  Charley  Held  (of  A  Company)  representing  H,  tenor 
drummer,  a  most  valuable  acquisition,  but  we  are  unable  to  recall 
now  distinctly  from  what  companies  they  came  or  what  they  rep 
resented. 

The  writer  was  appointed  Chief  Musician  at  the  organization 
of  the  Regiment,  By  reason,  however,  of  an  order  of  the  War 
Department,  issued  about  the  time  of  the  formation  of  the  Regi 
ment,  mustering  out  all  regimental  bands,  but  which  was  subse 
quently  modified  so  as  to  exclude  regimental  chief  musicians  from 
ils  operations,  we  were  not  mustered  as  such  until  after  our  return 
from  Chaneellorsville. 

The  field  music  shared  largely  in  the  benefits  of  Colonel 
Beaver's  assiduous  attention  to  the  most  minute  details  of  discipline 
and  organization  of  his  command.  Soon  after  our  arrival  at 
Cockeysville  he  determined  that  we  should  have  a  complete  equip 
ment  of  fifes  and  drums,  instead  of  the  ordinary  contract  issue  of 
the  Government,  and  authorized  the  writer  to  arrange  for  the  outfit 
with  a  Baltimore  manufactory.  Thus  in  due  season  we  were 
equipped  with  a  splendid  complement  of  drums  (including  a  basso 
profundo)  and  fifes,  on  the  former  of  which  were  emblazoned  the 
United  States  coat  of  arms,  with  appropriate  regimental  designation. 

The  dispersion  of  the  Regiment,  by  assigment  of  detachments 
to  different  points  for  guard  duty  on  the  line  of  the  Northern  Cen 
tral  Railroad,  greatly  hindered  contemplated  plans  for  instruction 
and  drill  that  were  indispensable  to  the  proper  harmonizing  of  the 
varied  musical  "dialects"  of  individual  members,  but  sufficient 
progress  had  been  made  by  the  time  of  re-assembling  at  Cockeys 
ville  preparatory  to  our  departure  to  the  front  that,  when  the  148th 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers  marched  through  the  streets  of  Baltimore 
on  that  well  remembered  winter  day  in  1862,  enroute  to  Wash 
ington,  the  resounding  echoes  of  the  martial  harmonies  of  its  ten 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          311 

fifes,  ten  snare  drums  and  Billy  Ishler's  big  bass  drum  drew  to  the 
line  of  our  march  much  more  popular  attention  and  applause  than 
was  usually  accorded  passing  troope,  which  had  become  to  the  citi 
zens  a  monotonous  experience. 

As  soon  as  practicable  after  the  Regiment  became  settled  in 
winter  quarters  near  Falmouth,  the  field  music,  in  common  with  all 
of  its  now  (then)  consolidated  elements,  began  to  show  the  effects 
of  united  and  harmonious  drill  and  discipline  and  we  need  not 
remind  the  survivors  of  that  winter's  (1862-1863)  schooling  in  all 
the  duties  of  real  soldiering  how  rapidly  the  148th  advanced  in  the 
estimate  of  the  more  experienced  troops  with  whom  we  were  asso 
ciated  in  the  general  formation  of  the  Army.  The  field  music  at 
tracted  such  attention  from  the  officers  in  general  command  that 
about  two  weeks  after  our  assignment  to  the  Brigade  the  following 
order  was  promulgated : 

HEADQUARTERS  FIRST  BRIGADE,  HANCOCK'S  DIVISION, 
Xear  Falmouth,  Virginia,  January  7th,  1863. 

SPECIAL  ORDERS  Xo.   1. 

Drum  Major  R.  A.  Cassidy,  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
is  hereby  ordered  to  take  command  of  the  musicians  of  the  several 
regiments  in  this  Brigade  for  the  purpose  of  drill  and  instruction. 
The  various  drum  corps  will  report  to  him  accordingly. 

By  order  of  COT..  G.  VAX  SCHAACK. 

Colonel  Commanding. 
GEORGE  W.  SCOTT,  A.  A.  A.  G. 

In  obedience  to  this  order,  our  field  music  thereafter — at  least 
as  long  as  we  were  actively  identified  with  it,  took  precedence  on  all 
occasions  of  general  parade  and  ceremony  in  the  brigade  and  divi 
sion  formations — Genertal  Hancock  having  subsequently  designated 
cur  Chief  Musician  to  take  charge  of  the  consolidated  field  music 
of  the  Division  when  the  troops  paraded  for  drill  or  review,  etc. 

The  limits  to  which  this  paper  must  of  necessity  be  confined 
forbid  that  amplification  which  a  due  estimate  of  the  field  music's 
value  in  the  regimental  organization  might  seem  to  justify,  but 
this  much  at  least  ought  to  be  allowable  in  recognition  of  the  worth 
of  the  boys  of  which  it  was  composed.  Of  its  about  twenty-five 
I  members — which  number  includes  details  made  at  Falmouth  as 


312  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

buglers — we  cannot  recall  a  single  case  of  insubordination  or  the 
infliction  of  punishment  for  violation  of  the  regulations  or  proprie 
ties  of  the  service.  Uniformly,  every  man  was  prompt  in  the  per 
formance  of  ordinary  duty,  gentle  and  considerate  in  intercourse 
with  associates  and  unfaltering  in  the  discharge  of  customary  re 
quirements  on  the  field  and  in  hospital.  Personally,  we  cannot 
recall  a  single  instance  of  unfriendliness  between  ourselves  and  any 
member  of  the  field  music  during  our  connection  with  it,  while 
among  the  most  cherished  of  life's  memories  are  those  springing 
from  our  association  with,  the  boys  who  furnished  the  martial  "har 
monies  to  which  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  kept  step  in  its 
high  mission  of  aiding  in  the  preservation  of  the  Union. 

One  of  the  deepest  regrets  of  my  life,  which  has  intensified 
as  the  years  have  increased  since  that  event,  was  my  enforced  re 
tirement  from  active  service  and  consequent  separation  from  the 
Regiment  after  Gettysburg. 

It  is  proper  perhaps  that  the  circumstances  under  which  this 
occurred  should  be  briefly  explained:  Billy  Mayes,  acting  hospital 
steward,  and  myself  were  directed  by  Surgeon  Davis  to  remain 
when  the  Army  left  and  care  for  the  wounded  of  the  Regiment, 
whom  we  had  collected  from  the  field  and  other  field  hospitals, 
at  the  First  Division  Hospital  on  'the  east  bank  of  Rock  Creek,  a 
short  distance  south  of  the  town  of  Gettysburg.  Our  instructions  were 
to  make  the  men  as  comfortable  as  wholly  inadequate  shelter  and 
food  supplies  would  permit.  An  "Autenreith,"  in  charge  of  Billy 
Berry,  brigade  hospital  siteward  detailed  from  Company  G  of  our 
Regiment,  afforded  us  excellent  advantages  in  the  matter  of  hospital 
supplies.  By  collecting  abandoned  shelter  tents  wherever  obtain 
able  and  appropriating  uncut  wheat  from  an  adjacent  field  for  bed 
ding,  we  were  enabled  to  protect  and  render  our  wounded  more 
comfortable  than  those  of  any  other  command  in  the  Division. 

In  respect  to  the  treatment  of  the  wounds,  they  were  not  less 
fortunate,  so  that  mortality  among  our  wounded  was  much  lighter 
than  among  those  of  other  commands  less  fortunately  provided 
for.  As  soon  as  rail  communication  was  re-established,  necessary 
tentage  was  brought  in  and  a  thorough  hospital  system  established 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          313 

near  the  town.  Our  wounded,  in  common  with  those  of  both  Armies, 
were,  as  speedily  as  possible,  concentrated  in  these  hospitals  and 
as  soon  as  we  were  free  to  do  so  Berry,  with  his  "Autenreith," 
myself  and  others  from  other  commands,  who  had  been  similarly 
detained,  started  to  join  our  several  regiments  at  the  front,  then  on 
the  Potomac,  our  Corps  being  reported  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Berlin.  On  reaching  the  river  we  were  forbidden  to  cross,  the 
Army  'having  proceeded  so  far  south  that  the  officer  in  command  of 
the  district  deemed  it  unsafe  to  expose  so  small  a  detachment  to 
the  risk  of  capture  by  the  enemy's  cavalry,  which  was  raiding  ac 
tively  in  the  rear  of  our  Army.  We  were,  consequently,  sent  to 
the  front  by  way  of  Washington,  rail  transportation  being  provided 
for  our  entire  outfit. 

In  making  the  march  from  Washington  to  Alexandria  the  heat 
from  sun  and  sand  was  so  intense  that  I  was  prostrated  by  some 
thing  akin  to  sunstroke  and,  when  the  detachment  started  for  the 
front,  the  officer  in  charge  refused  to  allow  me  to  proceed,  escorting 
me  instead  to  a  hospital  in  the  town,  from  w'hich,  after  a  short  de 
tention,  I  was  sent  to  rendezvous  distribution  near  by  and  there  held 
until  pronounced  by  an  examining  board  unfit  for  further  field 
service  and  transferred  to  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  and  assigned 
to  the  19th  Regiment,  in  which  I  served  until  discharged  at  Elmira, 
New  York,  July  20,  1865. 

It  is  vain  now  to  waste  words  in  expressing  regrets  over  what 
might  have  been,  but  I  can't  refrain  from  saying  how  deeply  I  must 
always  deplore  the  seemingly  trivial  circumstance — a  slight  delay 
iu  our  march  from  Gettysburg  to  the  river — which  prevented  me 
fiom  overtaking  and  thereby  permanently  separated  me  from  com 
rades  fondly  cherished,  turned  the  course  of  duty  into  an  entirely 
unlooked  for  channel  and  dissipated  the  anticipation  of  completing 
my  military  duties  with  those  associated  with  whom  I  could  best  work 
and  with  whom  I  could  most  happily  agree. 

I  leave  to  my  associate,  Chief  Musician  Billy  Harpster,  the 
task  of  completing  this  altogether  imperfect  sketch  of  the  organiza 
tion  and  sendees  of  the  field  music,  after  Gettysburg,  of  that  model 
of  military  efficiency  and  patriotic  consecration — the  148th  Penn- 
svlvania  Volunteers. 


314  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


THE  DRUM  CORPS. 


PART  II. 

By  William  P.  Harpster,  Principal  Musician. 

At  the  time  of  my  promotion  to  Principal  Musician  of  the  148th 
Regiment,  August  1,  1863,  the  Regiment  was  in  camp  with  the 
rest  of  the  Brigade  and  Division,  near  Bealton  Station,  Virginia. 
The  weather  was  exceedingly  dry  and  warm,  and  we  remained 
during  the  entire  month  quietly  in  camp  improving  ourselves  in 
all  the  training  for  the  duties  required  of  us.  Our  drum  corps  at 
this  time  consisted  of  the  following  members:  William  P.  Harp- 
ster,  Principal  Musician;  Charles  IT.  Held,  drummer,  Company 
A;  Nathaniel  Beerly,  fifer,  and  Emory  Hutton,  drummer,  Com 
pany  B;  Lawrence  B.  Bathurst,  fifer,  Thaddeus  L.  Rumbarger, 
fifer,  Samuel  D.  Otto,  drummer,  Company  C ;  Johnston  Hamilton, 
fifer,  and  David  N.  Henry,  drummer,  Company  E;  Thomas  J. 
Minnich,  drummer,  Company  F;  Matthias  Rider,  fifer,  Daniel  H. 
Shreffler,  drummer,  and  Thomas  J.  Lee,  bugler,  Company  G; 
Joseph  A.  Arthurs,  drummer,  Company  I ;  Abram  C.  Courson, 
fifer,  and  Preston  M.  Magee,  drummer,  Company  K;  and  John  G. 
Robinson,  bass  drummer  Company  C.  During  the  next  winter 
there  were  added  to  the  corps,  T.  H.  Law,  Company  E,  and  Jacob 
Fox,  Company  K,  as  buglers;  Samuel  Mottarn,  Company  F,  fifer, 
and  John  B.  Zeigler,  Company  A,  drummer. 

During  our  stay  at  this  camp  we  took  a  new  impetus  in  musia 
which  gave  us  the  reputation  for  proficiency  second  to  no  martial 
music  in  the  Army.  Colonel  Beaver  secured  for  us  enough  new 
drums  and  fifes  to  replace  some  .that  had  become  unserviceable,  and 
we  adopted  regular  hours  for  practice  and  soon  began  to  show 
an  unmistakable  improvement.  We  were  indebted  greatly  to  a 
private  from  an  adjoining  regiment  (whose  name  I  am  sorry  to  say 
I  have  forgotten)  who  was  an  expert  drummer  in  fancy  beats,  and 
in  which  he  very  kindly  instructed  our  drummers,  so  that  in  a 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          515 

short  time  we  had  quite  a  repertoire  of  fancy  tunes  such  as  "Faded 
Flowers,"  "Gentle  Annie,"  "Wrecker's  Daughter,"  "Village  Quick 
step,"  and  others,  with  which  we  were  accustomed  to  entertain  our 
toys  after  tattoo,  and  which  attracted  to  our  camp  visitors  from 
surrounding  camps  by  the  score.  Colonel  Beaver  always  took  great 
pride  in  his  drum  corps  and  if,  like  the  rank  and  file  of  his  Regi 
ment,  they  did  not  measure  up  to  the  standard,  it  was  no  fault  of 
his,  for  he  kept  a  critical  eye  upon  us,  and  was  as  ready  to  com 
mend  discipline  and  proficiency  as  to  rebuke  for  the  want  of  them. 

Our  camp  duties  were  imperative,  and  strictly  under  the  sup 
ervision  of  the  Adjutant  and  controlled  directly  by  the  Principal 
Musician,  who  was  held  responsible  for  their  accuracy.  They  con 
sisted  of  reveille  at  daybreak,  first  by  the  drummer's  call  by  the 
bugler,  followed  after  the  musicians  all  assembled  on  the  color  line 
in  front  of  the  Colonel's  headquarters,  by  the  reveille  call  by  the 
bugler,  and  immediately  by  the  entire  drum  corps.  This  call 
consists  of  variations  of  about  ten  or  twelve  selections  including  all 
the  different  kinds  of  time  used  in  the  service,  and  requiring  about 
ten  minutes  for  the  rendering  and  during  which  time  the  companies 
assembled  in  line  in  their  company  streets ;  when  the  music  ceased, 
the  rolls  were  called  by  the  Orderly  Sergeant  and  the  companies 
dismissed.  The  calls  for  meals  were  executed  by  one  fifer  and 
one  drummer  at  the  hours  specified  by  the  commander  of  the  camp. 

At  8  :00  A.  M.  the  sick  call  was  sounded  by  one  fifer  and  drum 
mer  or  a  bugler  and  at  nine  o'clock  the  call  sounded  by  the  bugler  for 
guard  mount,  when  the  entire  drum  corps  turned  out,  and  played 
during  inspection  of  arms.  Then  they  "beat  off  troop"  and  played 
\\hile  the  guards  marched  away.  The  musicians  then  had  two 
hours  for  practice  and  drill  and  in  the  afternoon  accompanied  the 
battalion  (or  regiment)  on  drill.  At  six  o'clock  dress  parade  took 
place,  which  is  all  the  term  indicates,  as  every  one  not  on  detailed 
duty  is  required  to  be  present  in  the  best  possible  condition  as  to 
dress  and  equipments.  At  sunset  retreat  was  played,  when  the  flag 
was  taken  down  for  the  day.  At  9 :00  P.  M.  tattoo  was  beaten, 
when  the  same  formula  was  enacted  as  at  reveille,  except  the  differ 
ent  selections  constituting  it  are  distinct  from  the  earlier  call. 


316  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

At  half-past  nine  the  bugler  blew  the  call  "lights  out,"  which  con 
cluded  the  schedule  for  the  day. 

In  the  remainder  of  the  campaign  of  1863  during  the  manoeuv 
ring  of  the  Army,  the  discipline  of  the  drum  corps  was  lax ;  being 
in  the  rear  of  the  lines  and  left  frequently  to  their  own  resources, 
their  duties  consisted  principally  in  drawing  rations  and  eating 
them. 

When  the  spring  campaign  opened  in  1864,  a  reformation  took 
place  in  our  field  music.  It  was  General  Hooker,  I  believe^  who 
offered  a  reward  for  a  dead  cavalryman,  and  he  might  have  also 
included  a  dead  musician  without  being  made  any  poorer.  It  was 
Major  General  Barlow  who  first  introduced  a  system  to  utilize 
the  wasted  energy  of  the  "sheep-skin  batteries"  as  (they  were  often 
called,  by  consolidating  all  the  musicians  of  the  Division  (the  First 
Division  of  the  Second  Corps)  which  he  commanded,  into  one  body 
and  placing  a  mounted  Lieutenant  in  command  with  a  Sergeant 
detailed  from  some  company,  in  charge  of  the  musicians  of  each 
of  the  four  brigades,  and  as  there  were  on  an  average  four  regiments 
in  each  Brigade  making  sixteen  regiments  in  the  Division,  or  six 
teen  drum  corps*  of  about  'ten  'boys  in  each,  there  were  about  one 
hundred  and  sixty  musicians  in  the  Division.  The  outranking  of 
the  Sergeants  by  the  Principal  Musicians  was  not  considered  in  the 
matter.  AH  musicians  who  had  lost  or  thrown  away  their  instru 
ments  as  some  frequently  did  during  a  summer's  campaign,  were 
sent  to  their  companies  and  placed  in  the  ranks  as  privates.  The 
others  were  marched  in  a  body  in  the  rear  of  the  Division  and 
immediately  on  the  opening  of  an  engagement  were  put  to  work 
erecting  hospital  tents  under  the  direction  of  the  Surgeons.  Details 
were  made  and  sent  to  the  front  to  bring  the  wounded  to  the  hospital 
for  treatment.  Many  were  detailed  as  nurses,  and  others  kept  con 
tinually  at  hand  for  any  emergency  that  might  occur.  Much  fric 
tion  occurred  between  some  of  the  boys  and  the  Sergeants  in  charge, 
owing  partly  to  the  disinclination  to  be  restrained^  and  partly  to 
the  assumption  of  authority  by  the  Sergeants;  however,  severe  pun 
ishments  were  rare,  only  one  of  which  I  can  now  recall.  Five  of  the 
boys  were  caught  by  the  provost  guard  while  on  a  foraging  expedi- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          517 

tion.  They  had  captured  a  Confederate  calf  and  appropriated  it 
to  their  own  use,  being  short  of  rations.  Taken  to  division  head 
quarters  they  were  "bucked  and  gagged"  and  all  the  musicians  of  the 
Division  assembled  to  witness  the  penalty  imposed  by  General  Bar 
low.  Six  strokes  on  the  shoulders  with  an  ox  gad  as  they  sat  in 
their  cramped  :md  helpless  position,  were  given  each,  and  as  the 
last  stroke  lell  the  tall  form  of  the  General  crowded  through  the 
outer  circle  and  inquired : 

"Who  administered   those  blows?" 

The  executioner  saluted  and  replied,   "1  did,  General." 

"Well,  Sergeant,"  retorted  the  General,  "you  may  report  to 
your  company ;  I  will  not  have  a  Sergeant  in  my  provost  guard  who 
does  not  obey  orders.  Those  blows  were  not  nearly  so  heavy,  nor 
the  stick  so  large  as  I  ordered." 

Fortunately,  none  of  the  boys  of  the  148th  were  among  the 
victims ;  not  because  they  were  innocent  of  foraging,  but  that 
they  were  too  sharp  to  be  caught  in  the  act,  wherein  lay  the  chief 
cause  of  disgrace,  as  foraging  was  common.  The  mode  of  punish 
ment  was  humiliating  to  a  United  States  soldier  and  should  have 
been  beneath  the  dignity  of  a  General  in  our  Army. 

The  writer  was  at  one  time  placed  under  arrest  for  neglecting 
to  report  two  members  of  his  company  for  taking  "French  leave," 
until  after  they  had  gone  home,  but  he  was  released  after  a  few 
hours  nominal  detention  and  an  admonition  from  .he  Colonel,  which 
preserved  the  manhood  of  the  offender  and  made  a  true  and  lasting 
friend  of  the  Colonel.  The  worst  case  of  insubordination  of  which 
we  plead  guilty  occurred  under  our  former  Drum  Major,  Bob  Cas- 
sidy,  while  in  camp  in  the  early  spring  of  1863  near  Falmouth.  A 
very  muddy  wagon  road  ran  directly  through  the  center  of  our 
camp,  and  one  dark  and  disagreeable  night,  the  Drum  Major  wanted 
tattoo  beaten  on  the  north  side  of  the  road,  while  I  wanted  to  stay 
on  the  south  side,  my  quarters  being  on  that  side.  I  had  two  con 
federates,  one,  the  leading  drummer,  and  as  I  was  leading  fifer,  we 
claimed  the  majority  out,  of  about  twenty  members.  The  result 
was  what  might  be  expected  of  two  divisions  of  a  band  of  music 
thirty  feet  apart  trying  to  play  so  complicated  a  production  as 


318  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

tattoo  at  one  and  the  same  time.  Before  we  were  half  through  the 
stentorian  voice  of  the  Colonel  was  heard,  "If  you  don't  stop  that 
infernal  racket  I'll  put  you  all  in  the  guard  'house."  We  slunk  away 
in  the  dark,  but  not  far  enough  to  prevent  our  hearing  the  Drum 
Major's  report  to  the  Colonel,  nor  the  sending  by  the  Adjutant 
for  the  Corporal  of  the  guard,  nor  the  orders  to  the  Corporal  to  take 
i\  file  of  men  and  arrest  Harpster  and  Otto,  of  Company  C,  and 
Mattern,  of  Company  D,  and  put  them  in  tihe  guard  house.  It  is 
needless  to  say,  Harpster  and  Otto  could  not  be  found,  but  Mattern, 
not  being  so  well  posted,  languished  in  the  guard  house  until  the 
next  day.  The  other  two  turned  up  for  duty  the  next  morning  and 
were  so  meek  and  obedient  that  they  must  have  been  pardoned 
through  pity,  as  the  Corporal  did  not  trouble  them  further. 

While  musicians  often  escaped  deserved  punishment,  they  were 
frequently  used  to  punish  others.  I  do  not  think  any  one  in  our 
Army  was  truly  despised  unless  he  proved  himself  a  coward.  ^vVhen 
a  pitiable  object  of  that  kind  was  found,  the  brigade  to  which 
he  belonged  was  formed  in  -hollow  square  and  he  was  placed  inside 
with  half  his  head  shaved,  a  placard  on  his  breast  labeled  "Coward" 
while  the  musicians  of  the  brigade  followed  behind  a  file  of  guards 
with  bayonets  fixed  close  to  the  culprit,  to  the  tune  of  the  "Rogue's 
March."  After  making  a  complete  march  around  the  square,  his 
uniform  was  taken  from  him  and  he  was  turned  out  to  make  his 
own  way  out  of  the  Army. 

The  rank  of  musician  in  tihe  Army  was  too  often  considered 
trivial  and  somewhat  degrading;  so  much  so,  that,  some  were  loath 
to  accept  it,  if  allowed  their  own  choice.  My  own  tendencies  were 
in  that  direction  to  such  an  extent  that  when  I  was  later  offered  the 
rank  of  Orderly  Sergeanit  by  Captain  Edmonds,  of  Company  C,  I 
accepted,  feeling  I  could  be  of  more  service,  and  in  the  line  of  pro 
motion.  But  the  Colonel  objected  to  the  transfer  for  reasons  best 
known  to  himself.  I  always  had  the  warmest  admiration  for  the 
man  who  carried  the  gun,  believing  him  to  be  a  part  of  the  real 
engine  of  war,  though  his  duties  were  harder  than  that  of  an  officer, 
arid  his  privileges  more  restricted.  And  yet,  the  vacancy  in  the 
ranks  of  musicians  was  not  always  easily  filled,  as  was  noted  in 


THE  H8TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          519 

some  of  the  older  regiments,  which  had  less  than  a  half  dozen,  and  no 
musical  talent  in  their  ranks  to  draw  from.  The  148th  was  for 
tunate  in  having  in  its  ranks  sufficient  available  material  to  replace 
its  losses,  and  as  our  Colonel  considered  a  good  drum  corps  an 
indispensable  factor  in  a  well  disciplined  regiment  our  corps  was 
kept  comparatively  well  filled.  In  April,  1864,  I  was  requested  by 
the  Colonel  to  recommend  a  drummer  for  promotion  to  Principal 
Musician,  two  being  required  for  a  full  corps.  My  choice  was  S. 
D.  Otto,  of  Company  C.  If  finest  accomplishment  had  been  the  re 
quirement,  he  might  not  have  been  the  choice,  as  our  corps  con 
tained  several  very  fine  drummers,  but  Otlto  was  up-to-date  in  all 
that  was  needed  to  keep  up  the  standard,  and  the  promotion  being 
made,  was  never  regretted  by  me.  The  boys  of  our  drum  corps 
possessed  peculiarities  as  varied  and  extensive  probably,  as  any  other 
corps  in  the  Army.  Their  ages  varied  from  that  of  Shreffler  the 
oldest  (about  thirty)  down  to  sixteen,  that  of  Hutton,  who  claimed 
to  be  the  youngest  member  in  the  Kegiment. 

While  all  were  perfectly  amenable  to  discipline,  the  majority 
were  rollicking,  mischievous  and  tricky  when  off  duty,  and  many 
were  the  pranks  played  on  each  other  which  at  home  would  scarcely 
have  been  accepted  as  sport.  I  here  quote  from  a  letter  received 
from  Emory  Hutton  above  mentioned,  just  previous  to  my  be 
ginning  this  writing.  Hutton  says: 

"I  have  received  numerous  letters  in  my  time,  some  of  them 
very  good  ones  at  that,  but  none  that  equaled  yours  in  point  of 
genuine  interest.  Your  brief  but  exceedingly  interesting  account 
of  the  members  of  the  old  drum  corps  revived  tender  memories 
of  'camp  and  field'  that  had  laid  dormant  for  a  quarter  of  a  century. 
I  could  almost  imagine  myself  again  under  the  pines  of  'Old  Vir 
ginia,  answering  'to  roll  call'  when  I  read  the  old  familiar  names 
of  Arthur,  Bierly,  Courson  (the  practical  joker),  Fox  (the  prize 
victim  of  said  joker),  Henry  Mottarn,  Mattern,  Minnich  (the 
dead  game  sport),  and  Rider  (who  when  not  engaged  in.  eating 
was  thinking  most  seriously  about  it),  and  those  of  our  dear, 
departed  comrades  who  have  answered  the  'last  call/  Held,  Shref 
fler,  Holloway,  Lee  and  Bathurst.  Peace  to  their  ashes.  In  reading 
over  your  list  I  failed  to  see  any  mention  of  a  very  prominent 
member  of  our  corps,  bass  ("base")  drummer,  Oscar  Runk,  (I. 


520  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

A.  B.  P.  A.)  you  know  what  these  initials  stand  for;  also  of  Hamil 
ton,  Yeaffer  and  Ishler.  What  of  them  ?  And  I  think  there  is  yet 
another — Philip  Woodley  from  'Corp'ler  John  A.  Miller's  come 
and  letch  your  pork'  company.  You  will  probably  recall  him  as 
the  man  who  when  he  saw  a  bandman  wearing  some  sort  of  a  red 
jacket,  remarked,  'such  coats  we  all  ought  to  have.'  ' 

Hutton  might  have  continued  indefinitely  in  describing  the 
peculiarities  of  the  boys,  for  instance,  Rumbarger,  who  was  always 
getting  up  some  special  dish  from  our  limited  bill  of  fare;  little 
Danny  Shreffler,  who  carried  the  biggest  knapsack  and  stepped  twice 
to  our  once ;  Arthurs,  who  carried  next  to  nothing  and  never  worried 
about  anything.  Hamilton  and  Otto  who  were  always  the  cleanest 
and  tidiest  members  of  our  corps,  though  they  did  occasionally 
associate  with  "gnaybax"  as  well  as  the  rest  of  us.  Little  Johnny 
Zeigler,  the  prizie  laugher,  <as  every  member  of  the  Regiment  can 
attest.  Charley  Held,  the  quiet,  inoffensive  one,  whom  everyone 
would  scorn  to  molest,  Bathurst,  the  conscientious  Christian  man, 
who  was  the  only  member  who  never  "straggled"  but  once,  and  who 
usually  messed  with  the  Chaplain. 

Hutton,  himself,  who  was  encyclopedia  for  the  settling  of  all 
disputes  as  to  important  events,  commanders  of  corps,  brigades, 
regiments  and  all  matters  pertaining  to  history,  and  his  invariable 
antipathy  to  Sergeant  Wilson,  he  of  the  Division  consolidation,  who 
was  instrumental  in  having  Hutton  Specially  detailed"  to  dig  a 
useless  ditch  in  the  hot  sun;  and  last  but  not  least,  our  dear  old 
comrade,  Abe  Courson,  the  butt  of  all  fun,  six  feet  tall,  left  handed, 
his  cap  always  over  the  left  eye,  his  blouse  sleeves  four  inches  too 
short,  and  his  pants  about  three  inches  from  his  Xo.  11  shoe, 
his  big  Roman  nose,  scarcely  ever  without  a  scab  from  the  effect  of 
some  scuffle,  never  in  an  ill  humor,  but  always  ready  and  willing 
for  sport  or  duty,  and  a  splendid  fifer  withal.  He  frequently  was 
detailed  as  bass  drummer  and  then  he  got  in  his  best  licks — for  when 
he  wheeled  down  the  line  on  dress  parade  there  was  correct  time 
in  every  stroke  of  that  long  left  arm,  even  if  he  did  advance  some 
what  obliquely.  All  these  peculiarities  of  the  members  of  that 
to  us,  never  to  be  forgotten  organization,  stand  out  distinctly  in 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          321 

our  memories  as  bright  spots,  bedimmdng  the  hardships  of  almost 
three  years  of  army  life.  And  now,  to  those  of  us  who  are  yft 
living  and  are  scattered,  never  again  to  assemble  at  the  old  familiar 
"drummer's  call,"  nothing  remains  but  the  kindest  and  most  tender 
feeling  toward  our  dear  old  comrades,  and  the  dearest  wish  of  our 
hearts  is,  that  when  afte7*  we  have  all  ceen  "mustered  ou',"  one  by 
one  from  this  life  of  enlistment,  we  may  assemble  at  the 
last  great  roll  call  on  the  "eternal  camping  ground"  pre 
pared  for  the  faithful.  We  have  much  to  regret  in  re 
viewing  our  army  life — that  we  were  not  more  faithful  to  our 
obligations,  that  we  were  not  kinder  to  each  other,  that  we 
did  not  labor  harder  to  relieve  our  dear  wounded  comrades  who 
were  often  in  our  charge,  and  that  we  were  not  better  soldiers  in 
every  way. 

Our  story  is  almost  ended.  When  the  enemy's  lines 
were  broken  at  Petersburg,  we  took  up  the  march  to  follow  his 
retreat  southward  which  terminated  at  Apponiattox,  and  where  we 
shared  in  the  rejoicing,  and  prospect  of  going  home.  In  a  few  days 
we  returned  to  Burkesville  Junction,  where  our  hearts  were  sad 
dened  by  news  of  the  death  of  Lincoln. 

On  the  second  day  of  May,  1865,  we  broke  camp  and  started 
on  the  march  northward.  On  the  6th  we  passed  through  Richmond, 
and  on  the  10th  Fredericksburg,  and  went  regularly  into  camp  in 
sight  of  Washington  on  the  15th. 

Our  last  act  in  the  war  drama  occurred  on  the  2  3d,  being 
the  great  review  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  in  Washington.  On 
the  3d  of  June  our  Regiment  started  homewiard,  and  on  the  next 
morning  (Sunday)  we  marched  down  Market  Street,  Harrisburg, 
to  the  time  of  "Village  Quickstep/'  to  the  admiration  of  the  citizen?. 
We  landed  in  Gamp  Curtin  the  same  day.  The  last  act  of  our  drum 
corps  as  an  organization,  was  the  participation  by  request  of  the 
citizens  of  Harrisburg,  in  the  dedication  of  a  Triumphal  Arch  in 
Market  Square,  on  the  evening  of  the  5th.  On  the  7th  we  received 
our  discharges,  bade  each  other  farewell,  and  started  in  different 
directions  for  our  homes,  and  the  drum  corps  of  the  148th  Penn 
sylvania  ceased  to  exist. 


322  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


THE  DRUM  CORPS. 


PART  III. 

By  Nathaniel  Becrly,  Company  B. 

Our  drum  corps  was  inspired  by  the  same  spirit  that  was  dis 
played  and  diffused  through  our  Regiment  by  our  gallant  Colonel, 
and  his  example  was  always  an  incentive  to  higher  attainment.  We 
did  excel  and  received  many  compliments — even  from  General  Han 
cock  at  Fredericksburg,  Virginia,  on  grand  review.  He  said  he  was 
glad  to  see  such  a,  full  drum  corps  and  complimented  us  on  our  ap^ 
pearance.  On  another  occasion,  while  on  the  battlefield,  of  Chancel- 
lorsville,  Virginia  (he  very  well  knew  what  we  were  intended  for), 
seeing  the  unfavorable  impression  that  the  ghastly  remains  of  hu 
manity  had  on  the  troops,  and  being  close  to  the  enemy,  he  ordered 
every  band  and  drum  corps  to  play  "Rally  Round  the  Flag,"  and,  in 
a  moment,  had  the  enemy  made  their  appearance,  they  would  have 
met  with  a  warm  reception.  We  can  console  ourselves  that  we  did 
our  duty  in  the  same  spirit  the  man  did,  not  behind  the  guns,  but  with 
the  guns,  and  have  no  apology  to  make  because  we  were  musicians. 
We  did  whatever  we  were  commanded  to  do,  and  there  must  be  an 
Orpheus  to  cheer  and  inspire,  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave.  We  came 
in  this  world  and  one  of  the  first  things  we  hear  is  the  cradle  song  of 
our  mothers,  and  all  along  our  pathway,  we  are  amused  and  finally 
ushered  out  with  some  solemn  dirge.  Our  repertoire  was  somewhat 
limited  and  not  very  artistic.  Tt  commenced  with  the  "reveille"  and 
ended  with  "retreat"  and  "tattoo,"  and  consisted  principally  of 
marches  and  quick-steps— "The  Girl  I  Left  Behind  Me,"  "Larry 
O'Gaff,"  by  Woodly;  "Old  Dan  Tucker,"  by  "Danny"  Shreffler ; 
"The  Rogue's  March,"  and,  last  but  not  least,  "Hell  on  Oil  Creek," 
by  Abraham  Corson,  the  left  handed  joker  or  fifer  of  Company  K. 
Another  incident  T  well  remember,  while  guarding  the  railroad  at 
Cockeysville,  Maryland,  when  on  regimental  drill,  the  Colonel  sta 
tioned  us  in  a  grove  adjacent  to  a  field,  simply  requesting  the  bass 
drummer  to  beat  time.  The  day  was  very  stormy  and,  the  Colonel  not 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          523 

making  allowance  for  its  defective  acoustics  on  account  of  the  state 
of  the  atmosphere,  threatened  destruction  to  the  drum  and  poor  Ishler 
and  we  were  actually  afraid  he  would  carry  out  his  threat  with  his 
vicious  looking  sword. 

Our  duty,  in  time  of  engagement,  was  to  assist  the  surgeons  in 
dressing  wounds  and  at  times  to  help  the  ambulance  corps  to  carry 
off  the  wounded. 

THE  FIRST  ENGAGEMENT. 

The  first  engagement,  wherein  we  were  participants,  occurred  on 
the  2d,  3d  and  4-th  days  of  May,  1863,  and  is  known  as  the 
battle  of  Chancellorsville.  I  cannot  help  expressing  my  disapproval 
of  the  management  of  the  same,  with  the  inglorious  and  disastrous 
results  following.  Arriving  there  on  the  2d,  our  drum  corps  en 
camped  at  the  fence  enclosing  the  chancellor's  house,  and  in  the 
evening  we  were  saluted  with  a  rebel  battery  the  first  time.  Fortu 
nately  the  shells  did  not  explode,  but  were  thrown  at  some  headquar 
ter  teams  close  by.  The  next  day  the  battle  opened  in  earnest  and  we 
were  ordered  to  go  with  the  surgeons  and  help  to  establish  a  field  hos 
pital  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  the  rear  in  the  woods,  and  while 
there  assisting  the  surgeons,  I  delivered  an  official  order  enclosed  in 
an  envelope  placed  under  my  belt  to  the  Colonel  or  Adjutant  of  our 
Regiment.  I  found  them  temporarily  entrenched  to  the  left  and  in 
the  woods  about  two  or  three  hundred  yards  from  the  chancellor's 
house,  I  returned  an  order  of  some  kind  to  the  surgeon.  Later  in 
the  day  we  were  ordered  to  carry  fresh  beef  to  the  Regiment  at  the 
same  place.  The  next  thing,  according  to  the  best  of  my  recollec 
tion,  was  a  battery  opening  a  terrific  fusilade  on  the  hospital,  wound 
ing  and  killing  some  that  had  been  wounded,  which  necessitated  our 
removal  to  the  bank  of  the  Rappahannock.  At  that  time  I  did  not 
think  Stonewall  Jackson  capable  of  being  such  a  miserable  disturber 
of  the  peace  and  dignity  of  the  surroundings.  On  the  road  leading 
to  the  river  we  got  mixed  up  with  the  inglorious  "skedaddle"  of  the 
Eleventh  Corps.  Infantry,  artillery,  cavalry,  panic-stricken  cattle, 
accompanied  with  the  shrieks  of  the  wounded  and  groans  of  the  dying, 
with  a  hail  storm  of  shells  from  Jackson's  victorious  guns,  moving  at 


324  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

a  rapid  rate  and  in  hot  haste  and  also  serenaded  by  the  rebel  yell, 
with  officers  cursing  and  everything  in  a  chaotic  state,  was  an  experi 
ence  I  will  never  forget  and  this  was  the  result  of  the  strategic  and 
fertile  brain  of  our  commander  of  the  Army.  What  did  I  think  ? 
Why,  I  thought  the  god  of  battle  had  deserted  us  and  the  swallows 
homeward  flew.  While  on  the  river  bank,  we  were  compelled  to 
cross  on  the  other  side,  and  I  assisted  Michael  Lebkecher,  who  was  so 
weak  from  the  loss  of  blood  caused  by  the  wound  in  his  arm  that  he- 
could  not  walk  without  assistance.  Said  wound  necessitated  ampu 
tation  of  his  hand.  On  this  celebrated  "skedaddle,"  leading  from  the 
chancellor's  house  to  the  river,  on  the  disused  road  covered  with 
autumn  leaves,  I  saw  more  blood  than  iat  any  time  during  the  War. 
William  Ishler  had  Samuel  Orris  in  his  care  and  I  am  satisfied  that 
Orris  owes  his  life  to  Ishler,  as  he  could  not  have  survived  the  ugly 
wound  without  the  best  possible  care  given. 

The  following  day  we  were  shelled  again  by  a  battery  in  the  rear 
of  our  line  of  battle,  but  our  cavalry  soon  captured  it  and  brought  it 
across  the  river.  After  that,  I  recollect  our  Army  recrossing  the 
river  and  on  the  bank  of  the  same,  on  the  left  hand  side  of  the 
road,  Emory  Hutton  and  I  buried  a  Rhode  Island  batteryman,  who 
was  wounded  through  his  intestines,  by  simply  laying  him  on  the 
sod  and  covering  his  face  with  the  cape  of  his  great  coat  and  shoveling 
sand  over  him.  We  were  at  this  when  our  Regiment  recrossed  the 
pontoon  bridge.  This  ends  my  recollection  of  this  miserably  man 
aged  engagement.  I  sincerely  regret  the  useless  effusion  of  blood  of 
our  gallant  comrades,  including  our  Colonel,  and  all  the  sacrifice  due 
to  the  incompetency  of  our  commander  of  the  Army. 

An  amusing  incident  happened  at  the  Grand  Review  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac,  at  Stevensburg,  Virginia,  by  President  Lincoln.  As 
is  the  custom,  the  musicians  of  the  entire  Division  form  at  the  head 
of  the  column,  falling  out  and  facing  the  reviewing  officer,  while  the 
entire  Division  passes.  In  the  manoeuvre  to  face  the  President,  an 
eccentric  Frenchman,  belonging  to  the  division  headquarter  band, 
playing  a  slide  trombone,  took  advantage  of  the  muddle  and  ran  his 
bow  through  the  head  of  a  drum  to  the  chagrin  and  amusement  of  us, 
but  of  course  quiet  and  good  order  prevailed,  and  I  still  remember 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          325 

President  Lincoln's  troubled  and  hazard   look,  as  the  time  of  the 
review  was  about  the  darkest  of  the  Rebellion. 


AT  GETTYSBURG. 


I  remember  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania, our  Regiment  was  com 
manded  by  Colonel  MeKeen,  of  the  81st  Pennsylvania.  On  the  2d  day 
of  July,  1863,  at  4:00  p.  M.,  the  battle  opened,  and  Colonel  McKeen 
told  us  to  go  to  a  certain  rock  that  afforded  some  shelter,  to  assist 
Doctor  Hamilton  in  dressing  <the  wounds  of  those  who  were  wounded 
on  the  field.  While  there  the  .ambulance  corps  came  along  with 
some  twenty  stretchers,  one  mor*;  than  they  had  men  for,  so  Lawrence 
Barthurst  called  on  me  to  go  along,  and  we  followed  our  Division  into 
the  wheat  field  close  to  Little  Round  Top,  and  on  the  right  of  me 
about  five  or  six  feet,  an  orderly  Sergeant  was  shot  through  the  thigh. 
We  took  him  about  one  mile  to  the  field  hospital,  returned  and  helped 
others  until  the  sun  set  on  that  terrible  day.  The  next  day  our  time 
was  employed  at  the  amputating  table  and  in  getting  hay  or  straw 
to  lay  the  wounded  on,  and  a  squad  of  men  were  detailed  to  procure 
the  same  and  the  Doctor  told  me  to  estimate  the  cost  or  damage  and 
report  the  amount  and  the  owner's  name,  but  the  farmer  refused  to 
let  us  have  any,  so  we  forcibly  opened  the  barn  and  took  the  same  and 
I  reported  the  amount  taken,  with  the  owner's  name  to  the  Doctor. 
On  another  occaision,  while  assisting  the  ambulance  corps  carrying 
off  the  wounded,  some  of  the  boys  were  amazed,  after  carrying  a  sup 
posed  wounded  man  to  the  rear,  partly  out  of  danger,  yet  still  under 
shell  fire,  while  resting,  to  see  the  soldier  get  off  the  stretcher  and 
run  out  of  danger.  Evidently  he  did  not  belong  to  our  Regiment. 

Some  time  prior  to  General  Grant  taking  command,  Major  Han 
cock  organized  a  band  recruited  at  Boston,  Massachusetts,  for  our 
Division  with  a  drum  corps  annexed.  For  some  cause  unknown  to 
me,  I  received  an  order  to  join  them.  Members  of  this  band  took 
an  interest  in  me  and  to  them  I  am  indebted  for  my  musical  educai 
tion  and  training.  Had  it  not  been  for  this  training,  the  contest  at 
Hecla  Park  in  1894,  composed  of  the  musicians  of  several  counties 
of  Central  Pennsylvania,  in  which  I  was  successful  as  musical  di 
rector,  might  have  ended  differently. 


326  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  WILDERNESS. 

This  fight  was  initiatory  to  a  series  of  engagements  following 
closely  culminating  at  Cold  Harbor,  with  the  gage  of  battle  varying 
yet  in  our  favor.  The  last  day  of  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  proper, 
I  was  detailed  to  assist  the  ambulance  corps.  On  the  road  leading 
to  the  front  to  the  line  of  battle,  I  passed  General  Barlow,  our  division 
commander,  and  staff,  who  were  dismounted.  In  the  rear  of  them, 
about  four  or  five  rods,  was  a  rebel  field  officer,  sitting  on  a  stump,  a 
prisoner  of  war,  under  guard,  the  impersonation  of  dignity  and  re 
venge.  We  were  ordered  between  tihe  line  of  battle  and  skirmishers 
and  remained  there  all  day  assisting  a  few  wounded  skirmishers  to  the 
ambulance  in  the  road.  On  the  right  of  this  road  the  woods  were  still 
burning,  caused  by  exploding  shells  the  day  before.  In  this  woods  I 
saw  a  number  of  nude  bodies  lying  as  they  fell  in  battle  and  by  the 
remains  of  some  of  the  clothing,  I  saw  they  belonged  to  the  Ninth 
Corps.  Said  corps  joined  us  on  the  right.  To  the  left  of  this,  about 
three  or  four  hundred  yards,  I  saw  our  Regiment,  but  could  not  see 
it  all  the  time,  yet  I  could  locate  it  all  day  by  the  sound  of  our  Col 
onel's  sonorous  voice.  The  entire  day  was  passed  in  skirmishing, 
picket  firing  and  reconnoitering,  without  a  general  engagement  My 
observation  of  joining  the  Ninth  Corps  on  the  right  is  corroborated 
by  General  Grant's  Memoirs,  second  volume,  page  200. 

AT   PETERSBURG,   VIRGINIA. 

General  Grant  celebrated  the  fall  of  Atlanta,  Georgia,  by  the 
musicians  of  the  entire  Army  playing  patriotic  airs  and  the  firing 
of  one  hundred  shot  and  shell  from  each  battery  at  the  enemy,  who 
were  in  close  proximity.  Commencing  at  midnight,  with  the  enemy's 
artillery  responding  in  like  manner,  this  uproarious  racket  continued 
until  dawn  of  day  and  could  have  been  fittingly  given  to  the  devil, 
while  conspiring  with  Mephistopheles  to  increase  the  temperature 
of  hiades.  Lieut.  Gen.  Nelson  A.  Miles,  our  division  commander 
here,  had  several  comicail  coons  who  were  as  merry  as  the  bumble 
bee  in  the  honeysuckle,  to  sing  and  dance  for  the  amusement  of  him 
self  and  staff  at  his  headquarters.  We  received  an  order  to  play, 
with  these  coons  dancing  to  the  music,  for  the  amusement  of  lady 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          327 

visitors.  This  fun  was  suddenly  interrupted  by  the  enemy  opening 
a  battery.  This  persistent  meddlesomeness  of  the  enemy,  I  presume, 
was  due  to  our  being  considered  trespassers  on  the  sacred  soil.  We 
dispersed  by  common  consent,  Miles  not  saying  a  word.  All  I  remem 
ber  of  this  was  the  General  buckling  on  his  sword  and  calling  the 
orderly  to  bring  his  horse.  What  became  of  the  ladies,  I  do  not  know. 
We  returned  to  our  quarters.  Life  in  winter  quarters  was  not  so  dull 
after  all. 

Battery  officers  organized  an  amateur  minstrel  troupe,  also  fur 
nished  large  headquarter  tents,  which  were  joined  together  and  which 
served  as  an  auditorium  for  rehearsals  and  performances,  but,  before- 
we  had  rehearsed  sufficiently  for  a  performance,  we  received  marching 
orders.  On  another  occasion,  we  were  to  play  at  the  headquarters  of 
a  California  regiment.  Arriving  there  in  the  evening,  we  found  the 
headquarters  illuminated  by  a  fire  in  the  chimney,  the  improvised 
furniture  consisting  of  rude  chairs  and  a  table  in  the  center 
loaded  -with  tftie  choicest  fighting  spirits  the  market  afforded 
and  the  table  groaned  under  its  weight — no,  it  didn't,  it  reeled 
and  staggered  under  the  weight  of  these  intoxicants.  The  pro 
gram  for  the  evening  consisted  of  music,  interspersed  with 
comical  orations,  with  the  Major  getting  so  hilarious  that  the  Adju 
tant,  with  great  difficulty,  prevented  him  from  forming  the  regiment 
to  charge  the  enemy,  alleging  that  if  Grant  couldn't  take  Petersburg 
he  would  with  his  fighting  Californians.  The  last  I  remember  of  this 
Belshazzar  feast  was  the  Major  lying  on  the  broad  of  his  back  on  the 
floor  fast  asleep,  and  we,  like  the  Arab,  folded  our  traps  and  quietly 
stole  away. 

I  lost  a  brother,  who  died  at  Fredericksburg,  Virginia,  and  a 
first  cousin,  James  Bierly,  who  died  in  the  same  place,  also  Wesley 
Bierly,  who  was  killed  here.  Henry  Myer  lost  a  hand,  Cousin  Solo 
mon  Bierly  and  Charles  were  shot  in  the  legs.  All  were  members  of 
our  Regiment. 

Thunder  we  always  have  and  is  ever  present,  but  I  prefer  the 
description  of  sunshine.  The  memory  of  the  eccentric  French  trom 
bonist  still  haunts  me  and  sticks  as  close  as  lightning  to  a  thunder 
cloud.  In  appearance  he  resembled  one  of  Shakespeare's  witehes 


328  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

dancing  around  the  boiling  cauldron.  He  would  get  me  to  taste  his 
innumerable  dishes  of  hash,  made  of  the  same  ingredients  only 
slightly  varied  in  their  proportion,  and  to  save  my  life  I  could  not  tell 
the  difference  in  taste,  yet  he  was  as  happy  as  the  day  was  long  with 
his  variety  of  food.  The  eccentricities  of  this  individual  were  re 
markable.  In  a  storm  of  shells  at  Petersburg,  tradition  says  he 
turned  his  back  on  the  wicked  scene,  saying  a  living  hero  was  worth 
more  than  a  dead  coward.  The  last  tiling  I  remember  of  this  eccen 
tric  individual  was  his  farewell  address  to  the  leader  of  the  band. 
On  this  occasion  he  was  serious.  Whether  he  fell  off  the  stage,  leaped 
off  or  was  kicked  off,  is  mere  conjecture,  or  transformed  into  a  demon 
or  an  angel,  the  good  Lord  only  knows. 

The  first  man  I  saw  who  was  killed  in  action  was  a  Captain  in 
Sykes'  Division  of  regulars,  ait  ChanoelldffBviiBe;  the  laet  one  was 
Bugler  Joseph  H.  Law,  whose  body  was  almost  severed  by  a  cannon 
ball.  The  blood  bespattered  brigade  marker  carried  by  him  at  the 
time  was  brought  home  in  the  same  car  I  came  in  to  be  presented  to 
his  bereaved  widow.  He  was  a  member  of  our  Regiment. 

I  close  with  a  salute  to  the  gallant  Colonel,  including  the  pru 
dent  Lieutenant  Colonel  Weaver,  the  soldierly  and  jovial  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Bayard,  the  dashing,  daring  Major  Fairlanib  and  »a  bow  to 
the  scholarly  Adjutant  Muffly,  a  cheer  for  the  living  comrades,  and  a 
tear  for  the  departed. 

Finally,  I  hope  that  the  reader  of  this  thrilling  tragedy  will  not 
attribute  vainglory  to  the  actors  and  writers  hereof,  as  it  was  accomp 
lished  when  Time  was  young  and  full  of  anticipation,  and  the  records 
written  late  on  the  road  leading  from  East  to  West. 


J.  B.  HOLLOWAY 


THE  i4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          329 


THE  DRUM  CORPS. 


PART  IV. 

By  J.  B.  Holloway^  Drummer  of  Company  D. 

Our  Regiment  was  recruited  in  the  summer  of  1862  and  organ 
ized  at  Camp  Curtin,  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania.  We  left  Camp 
Curtin  on  the  10th  day  of  September,  about  one  thousand  men  strong. 
Our  destination  was  Cockeysville,  Maryland. 

Perhaps  the  most  noted  incident  at  this  place,  the  Cockeysville 
camp,  was  the  insubordination  of  Company  I.  We  will  not  call  it 
mutiny  as  that  would  be  too  harsh  a  term.  At  the  present  age  of  the 
world  we  would  say,  " Company  I  went  on  a  strike."  They  utterly 
refused  to  do  duty  for  the  reason  that  they  were  not  paid  all  of  the 
state  bounty  that  was  their  due.  The  matter  was  reported  to  the 
Colonel  and  he  was  not  slow  in  coming  to  the  quarters  of  Company  I 
and  making  -a  speech  to  the  boys.  Among  other  things  he  said  some 
thing  about  ball  and  chain  and  Baltimore.  This  made  the  boys  wilt 
and  the  strike  was  over.  It  happened,  however,  that  soon,  after  this, 
Captain  Merlin,  of  Company  I,  had  business  'away.  He  likely  went 
tc  Harrisburg.  At  all  events  he  did.  not  stay  long  and  the  I  boys  soon 
received  their  dues.  Then  Jim  Cockran,  the  sport  of  Company  I  and 
of  the  camp,  wrote  verses  describing  the  incidents  of  this  affair  and 
the  boys  would  sing  these  verses  in  camp  day  after  day. 

We  reached  the  camp  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  on  the  18th 
of  December.  From  Point  Liverpool  we  crossed  the  Potomac  to 
Acquia  Creek  on  a  steamer  in  a  fearful  rain  storm,  and  when  we 
landed  we  got  a  complete  drenching.  Here  we  camped  for  the  night, 
and  when  the  camp  guards  were  to  be  mounted  I  refused  to  go  with 
the  music  for  my  drum  was  thoroughly  soaked,  and  I  could  get  no 
music  out  of  it.  I  suppose  I  was  reported  to  regimental  headquarters 
by  Major  Cassidy.  At  all  events  the  Colonel  came  along  the  lines 
and  said,  "Captain  Musser,  I  want  you  to  put  your  drummer  under 
arrest"  I  thought  I  saw  a  smile  on  the  Colonel's  face  as  he  turned 
away.  But  I  quickly  got  my  drum  and  joined  the  rest  of  the  drum 


330  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

corps,  so  no  guards  came  to  arrest  me.  This  was  the  closest  to  any 
punishment  for  me  during  my  three  years  of  service. 

In  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  we  were  assigned  to  the  First  Bri 
gade,  First  Division  of  the  Second  Corps.  A  few  days  after  this  our 
Regiment  was  reviewed  by  Gen.  W.  S.  Hancock  who  was  then  our 
division  commander.  I  imagine  I  can  yet  see  him  as  he  rode  along 
the  line  and  came  up  to  the  drum  corps  and  gave  us  some  instruc 
tions  as  to  how  we  should  do  when  some  superior  officer  came  along, 
"Play  some  appropriate  music,  such  as  'Hail  to  the  Chief/  ' 

The  winter  of  1862  and  1863  was  a  very  severe  one  on  troops 
in  camp.  We  toad  a  great  deal  of  rain,  snow  and  cold  weather.  The 
first  engagement  fox  our  Regiment  was  Gfoaiicellorsville.  Here  we 
suffered  more  in  killed  'and  wounded  than  in  any  subsequent  engage 
ment  of  the  War.* 

I  will  relate  only  the  casualties  in  this  battle  of  the  mess  to 
which  1  belonged.  There  were  ten  men  of  us  when  we  left  our  old 
camp  and  started  on  this  campaign,  namely :  David  Acher,  William 
Knorr,  David  Wance,  J'aeob  Dunkle,  David  Young,  Thaddeus  Stover, 
Cornelius  Stover,  Samuel  H.  Holloway,  William  P.  Holloway  and 
John  B.  Holloway,  the  writer.  Of  these,  Samuel  H.  Holloway  and 
William  Knorr  were  killed,  David  Acher  iand  Cornelius  Stover  mor 
tally  wounded,  each  of  them  having  a  leg  amputated,  Stover  dying 
the  17 tli  of  May  and  Acher  the  3d  of  June.  David  Wance,  Jacob 
Dunkle,  David  Young  'and  Thaddeus  Stover  were  severely  wounded 
neither  of  them,  I  believe,  ever  getting  back  to  the  Regiment.  Wil 
liam  P.  Holloway  and  myself  were  the  only  two  left  out  of  the  ten, 
when  we  recrossed  the  river  and  went  back  to  our  old  quarters.  Dan 
iel  C.  Holloway,  who  had  also  belonged  to  our  mess,  was  sent  to  the 
rear  on  account  of  sickness.  William  P.  Holloway  and  Samuel  H. 
Holloway  were  brothers  and  I  was  cousin  to  them.  Samuel  H.  Hol 
loway  was  the  first  man  out  of  the  Regiment  killed  in  action,  and  he 
by  one  of  our  own  guns.  A  battery  of  six  guns  was  stationed  in  the 
open  space  in  front  of  the  Chancellorsville  house,  shelling  the  rebels 
in  the  woods  beyond.  In  support  of  this  battery  our  Regiment  lay 

*Fox's  Regimental  Losses  gives  the  following  figures  of  losses  in  the  regi 
ment :  Chancellorsville,  killed  31,  wounded  119,  missing  14,  total  164 ;  Spot- 
sylvania,  killed  33,  wounded  235,  missing  33,  total  301.— EDITOR. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          331 

on  the  ground  in  front  of  it.  The  shells  from  one  dl  these  guns  ex 
ploded  as  soon  as  they  left  the  gun,  and  a  piece  of  one  of  these  shells 
went  clear  through  his  body,  killing  him  instantly.  The  balance  of 
Company  D  suffered  nearly  as  much  in  killed  and  wounded,  in  this 
engagement,  as  did  our  mess. 

Five  or  six  weeks  after  this  disastrous  campaign  came  the  march 
to  Gettysburg  and  then  the  great  battle  of  that  place.  I  recall  some 
of  the  scenes  and  incidents  as  I  saw  and  experienced  them  while 
helping  to  take  care  of  the  wounded  and  assisting  the  doctors  at  *the 
operating  tables  on  the  field  hospitals.  As  a  musician  this  was 
my  work  during  a  battle,  and  on  the  most  bloody  of  all  the  campaigns 
of  the  War,  through  the  Wilderness  and  on  to  Petersburg,  the  musi 
cians  of  our  Division  were  formed  into  a  squad  or  command  under  a 
Sergeant  and  Lieutenant,  for  the  purpose  of  caring  for  the  wounded, 
and  assisting  the  surgeons  in  their  work.  During  most  all  of  this 
campaign  I  was  on  detail  to  assist  at  one  of  these  operating  tables. 
Our  work  here  was  to  put  up  and  take  down  the  hospital  tents  and 
arrange  the  tables  for  operations  ;  provide  a  plentiful  supply  of  water, 
clean  up  the  operating  instruments,  hold  the  limbs  while  being  ampu 
tated  and  bury  these  amputated  limbs.  We  usually  dug  a  hole  a  few 
rods  away  from  where  the  operations  were  performed,  and  in  these 
holes  we  put  limb  after  limb  until  sufficiently  full,  then  covered  them 
up  and  made  an  additional  limb  grave.  More  than  one  lawn  or  yard 
in  front  of  a  southern  slave  drivers  palatial  residence  did  we  thus 
convert  into  a  burying  place  for  the  limbs  of  loyal  heroes  of  the 
North.  It  also  frequently  fell  to  our  lot  to  go  out  on  the  baittle  lines, 
during  an  engagement,  with  stretchers  'and  gather  up  the  wounded. 

At  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  I  saw  many  distressing  inci 
dents.  Colonel  Cross,  of  the  5th  New  Hampshire,  who  was  a 
large,  fine  looking  man,  had  command  of  our  Brigade.  He 
was  fatally  wounded  in  this  engagement,  in  the  edge  of  the 
woods  near  the  wheat  field.  He  was  taken  to  the  rear,  an<i 
his  sufferings  were  so  great,  during  the  night,  that  he  begged  for 
some  one  to  shoot  him  so  he  might  be  relieved  from  his  great  suffer 
ing.  Before  morning  death  relieved  him.  Perhaps  the  most  dis 
tressing  case  of  suffering  I  saw  was  at  this  battle,  in  the  case  of  a 


532  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

man  who  was  shot  through  the  throat  from  side  to  side,  and  his  throat 
was  swelling  shut.  He  was  at  the  field  hospital  in  the  woods  by  the 
hillside.  He  would  roll  and  crawl  and  tumble  about  on  the  ground, 
then  get  up  and  walk  back  and  forth,  beckoning  with  both  of  his 
hands  to  all  who  were  about  him.  This  continued  until  a  surgeon, 
I  think  Doctor  Vishart,  went  to  him,  laid  him  on  the  ground,  run  an 
instrument  into  his  throat  and  wind  pipe,  and  inserted  a  silver  tube. 
Then  the  man  was  relieved  of  his  great  sufferings,  but  he  died  in  a 
short  time. 

General  Hancock  was  brought  to  this  same  hospital  in  an  ambu 
lance,  after  being  wounded,  and  I  saw  the  blood  from  his  wound  as 
it  dripped  from  the  wagon  to  the  ground.  In  the  great  battles  of  the 
Wilderness  the  losses  on  both  sides  were  most  appalling.  And  after 
Hancock's  charge  at  Spotsylvania  there  was  a  continuous  stream  of 
wounded  to  the  rear.  But  for  the  number  of  men  engaged,  Cold 
Harbor  was  the  most  bloody  of  all.  Our  mode  of  caring  for  these 
men  who  could  not  care  for  themselves,  was  to  lay  them  on  the  ground 
in  rows  side  by  side  and  row  after  row,  with  space  enough  between 
the  rows  so  we  could  get  through  to  supply  their  wants,  and  the  one 
great  want  was  water.  We  usually  chose  some  convenient  place  in 
the  woods  for  this  purpose,  and  the  more  severely  wounded  were 
placed  in  tents  so  far  as  tents  were  available.  From  these 
field  hospitals  the  wounded  were  sent,  in  ambulances  and  army 
wagons  to  the  nearest  boat  landing  or  railroad  point,  and  from 
there  shipped  north.  I  helped  load  many  a  big  army  wagon 
with  these  woomded.  We  placed  them  in  a  sitting  posture 
with  the  back  to  the  side  of  the  wagon  box,  alternating  them 
from  side  to  side  till  the  box  was  full ;  then  the  end  gate  would  be 
put  in  and  away  they  would  go  through  the  mud  and  over  corduroy 
roads.  Here  in  the  Wilderness  I  had  charge  one  night  of  twenty  or 
twenty-five  of  these  severely  wounded  men  in  tents.  Among  them 
was  one  man  who  was  shot  centrally  through  the  forehead,  the  ball 
coming  out  at  the  back  of  his  head,  and  his  brains  were  oozing  from 
both  bullet  holes ;  and  with  his  hands,  in  his  delirious  condition,  he 
would  wipe  the  brains  from  his  forehead.  The  man  was  quite  strong, 
and  often  tried  to  get  up,  and  it  was  all  I  could  do  to  lay  him  down 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          333 

and  keep  him  in  place.  I  worked  with  him  in  this  way  all  night  and 
until  I  was  relieved.  How  long  this  man  lived  or  what  became  of 
him  I  never  learned. 

In  connection  with  this  hospital  the  surgeons  were  amputating  a 
man's  leg  near  the  hip.  He  lost  a  great  deal  of  blood,  and  was  in  a 
much  reduced  condition,  so  much  so  that  the  surgeon  who  was  per 
forming  the  operation  walked  away  and  said,  "He  is  gone."  Doctor 
Vishart,  who  was  standing  by  then  turned  the  man  over  and  with  his 
hands  and  fists  punched  him  in  the  side,  turning  him  frequently  and 
serving  him  the  same  way,  then  taking  a  hooked  instrument  he  slashed 
it  into  the  man's  tongue  and  pulled  his  tongue  back  and  forth  as  far 
as  possible.  He  brought  the  patient  back  to  life  and  the  operation 
was  finished. 

At  this  same  place  was  lying  on  a  stretcher  the  young  Grenoble 
of  Company  I,  our  Regiment,  with  his  leg  shot  off.  The  doctors  had 
set  him  aside  for  he  was  too  weak  and  too  much  reduced  to  admit  of 
an  operation.  I  talked  with  him  a  little  while  and  then  left  him 
thinking  he  would  never  survive  his  wound.  After  the  War,  while 
sitting  at  my  home  one  day,  in  Aaronsburg,  Pennsylvania,  I  saw  a 
man  drive  through  town  to  the  hotel.  I  thought  he  looked  like  the 
boy  Grenoble.  But  I  could  not  believe  that  it  was  he.  I,  however, 
went  to  the  hotel  and  found  that  he  was  part  of  Company  I  wearing 
an  artificial  limb. 

I  often  thought  no  one  could  place  his  finger  on  any  part  of  the 
human  body,  but  what  I  could  say,  "I  saw  a  man  wounded  there." 
The  largest  flesh  wound  I  saw  was  a  man  at  the  battle  of  Totopotomoy 
Creek.  This  man  was  shot  through  the  buttocks  with  a  shell  or  some 
large  missile,  and  the  flesh  was  laid  open  as  if  some  one  had  plowed  a 
furrow  through  it.  Your  two  hands  would  not  have  covered  the 
wound. 

As  is  usually  the  case  among  so  many  persons  as  there  were  even 
in  one  Regiment  we  had  some  unique  characters.  Among  them  were 
Lieutenant  McGuire,  Wash  Watson  and  Bill  Henry,  all  of  Company 
I.  Watson  and  Henry  were  giants  of  men,  they  were  not  boys,  for 
they  must  have  been  upward  of  sixty  years  of  age,  and  toward  the 
last  of  the  War  were  quite  gray.  They  served  mostly  in  the  pioneer 


354  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

corps.  The  last  I  saw  of  Henry  was  at  Gettysburg,  where  he  was 
wounded  and  had  his  foot  or  leg  amputated  above  the  ankle.  Lieu 
tenant  McGuire  was  an  Irishman,  a  good  military  man  and; a  good 
drill  master.  During  regimental  drill  his  Irish  brogue  could  be 
heard  above  all  the  other  officers.  Poor  fellow  gave  up  his  life  in 
the  Wilderness. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  HEADQUARTER  CLERK  AND 
SERGEANT  MAJOR. 

By  Adjutant  Charles  A.  Ramsey. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  28th  of  August,  1862,  in  an  open  space 
nearly  in  front  of  the  hotel  in  Center  Hall,  Pennsylvania,  a  com 
pany  numbering  one  hundred  and  fifteen  men  held  up  their  right 
hands,  and  taking  the  oath,  were  mustered  into  the  service  of  the 
United  States  for  the  defence  of  the  general  Government. 

Some  of  them  were  bronzed  and  bearded  men,  a  few  were  be 
ginning  to  show  the  grey  of  advancing  years ;  but  by  far  the  larger 
part  were  beardless  youths,  with  fresh  faces  and  bright  eyes,  from 
the  farms  or  from  one  or  another  of  the  excellent  private  schools,  gen 
erally  styled  academies,  then  comjnon  in  Central  Pennsylvania. 
Belonging  to  the  latter  contingent  was  quite  a  number  from  the  school 
at  Pine  Grove.  The  Professor  himself,  afterward  First  Lieutenant, 
J.  E.  Thomas,  Capt.  Andrew  Musser,  Comrade  Gemmill  and  myself 
were  among  those  who  came  from  Pine  Grove.  About  one  hundred 
of  the  one  hundred  and  fifteen  constituted  one  company,  afterward 
known  as  D  Company  of  the  148th  Regiment.  The  remainder  were 
assigned  to  A  Company  and  were  probably  recruited  for  that  purpose. 
Just  ten  days  before  this,  I  had  accompanied  some  of  my  chums  who 
had  enlisted  in  Captain  McFarlane's  G  Company  across  the  Seven 
Mountains  to  Lewis  town,  and  now  D  Company  prepared  to  make  this 
same  journey.  At  Lewistown,  we  took  train,  the  first  experience  of 
the  kind  for  many,  no  doubt,  and  reached  Harrisburg  shortly  after 
noon.  To  my  inexperienced  observation,  Camp  Curtin  was  a  scene, 
of  the  wildest  disorder.  It  seemed  to  me  nobody  was  in  charge, 
and  that  neither  system  nor  method  anywhere  prevailed ;  and  the 
whole  camp  created  in  my  mind  much  the  same  impression  that  I 
imagine  must  exist  in  the  mind  of  a  countryman  suddenly  brought 
into  a  scene  of  great  activity  in  a  large  city  or  ushered  into  one  of  our 
up-to-date  board  of  trade  halls.  In  the  course  of  a  few  hours  in  camp, 
however,  I  went  up  against  a  circumstance  or  two  that  caused  me  to 
materially  change  my  mind  in  this  particular  regard.  The  afternoon 


356  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

of  that  first  day  was  spent  in  putting  up  our  "A"  tents,  dividing  up 
into  messes,  and  otherwise  learning  some  of  the  rudiments  of  a  sol 
dier's  education. 

The  night  of  that  first  day  in  camp,  as  I  lay  vainly  trying  to 
sleep,  I  overheard  the  following  dialogue  between  the  officer  of  the 
day  and  the  sentinel  on  duty  just  back  of  our  line  of  tents. 

"H-a-l-t,"  said  the  sentinel.     aYou  must  not  cross  this  bate." 

"But  I'm  the  officer  of  the  day." 

"O-h-oo,  you're  officer  of  the  day  ar-re  you  ?  Well,  moind  ye 
now,  I'm  officer  of  the  noight,  and  ye  moost  not  cross  this  bate." 

"But  I'm  the  officer  of  the  day,  I  tell  you  and  have  a  right  to 
cross  your  beat  if  I  see  fit" 

"I  don't  care  a  domm  if  ye  ar-re ;  I'm  officer  of  the  noight,  I  tell 
ye  and  if  ye  cross  my  bate,  I'll  break  your  back  wid  this  cloob." 

And  then  as  the  officer  of  the  day  giving  up  the  contention, 
walked  away,  this  doughty  sentinel  declared  himself  a  "Bould  Amer 
ican,"  and  that  "he  knew  his  jooty."  A  year  later  this  whole  proceed 
ing  would  have  seemed  entirely  ludicrous,  but  I  took  it  as  a  matter  of 
course,  and  to  this  day  I  do  not  know  who  was  the  most  ignorant — 
myself,  the  guard,  or  the  officer  of  the  day. 

At  Camp  Curtin  so  long  as  we  retained  our  citizen's  clothes,  we 
went  and  came  at  our  own  sweet  will.  We  walked  out  when  we 
pleased ;  we  rushed  the  guards  (who  only  had  clubs)  to  go  bathing  in 
the  river,  and  we  did  duty  generally  when  it  was  convenient  On  the 
second  or  third  day,  I  was  invited  to  accompany  a  couple  of  civilian 
friends  on  a  visit  to  Middletown.  We  were  gone  three  days  with 
never  a  thought  on  my  part  of  the  duty  I  owed  to  my  company,  or 
that  I  was  absent  without  leave.  I  was  brought  up  with  a  sharp  turn, 
however,  when  upon  my  return  Lieutenant  Thomas  said  to  me, 
"Young  man,  you  came  pretty  near  being  reported  as  a  deserter." 
All  this  time  I  do  not  recollect  that  we  had  any  idea  of  our  future 
regimental  status.  In  a,  general  way  we  expected  or  believed  that 
the  Center  County  companies  would  be  put  into  one  organization,  but 
who  else  would  be  with  us,  what  our  number  would  be,  or  our  destina 
tion,  when  we  left  camp  or  who  our  commander,  I  at  least  did  not 
know  until  the  evening  before  we  embarked  for  Cockeysville,  Mary- 


^fctULm^ 

'*    Of  THE 

/UN1VERSIT\ 

V^ALIFOP^ 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          337 

land.  After  a  night's  ride  of  many  miles  with,  brief  snatches  of 
sleep  taken  as  best  we  could,  I  waked  out  of  one  of  these  to  look  out 
through  the  grey  fog  of  a  September  morning  upon  "Maryland,  my 
Maryland.77 

It  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  been  out  of  my  native  state,  and 
as  I  looked  across  the  valley,  and  saw  here  and  there  a  little  cottage 
or  homely  farm  house  resting  on  the  hill  sides,  no  other  sign  of  life 
in  or  about  them  except  perhaps  here  and  there  an  ascending  column 
of  smoke,  my  mind  went  back  to  the  home  I  toad  left  in  idhe  Kishoco- 
quillas  Valley,  and  a  feeling  of  loneliness  and  utter  homesickness 
came  over  me,  as  impossible  to  shake  off,  it  seemed  to  me,  as  it;  now 
is  to  describe  it.  However,  we  soon  reached  Cockeysville,  and  in  the 
bustle  of  unloading  ourselves  and  our  camp  equipage  from  the  train, 
and  forming  and  setting  up  our  camps,  this  feeling  wore  away.  Here 
for  the  first  time,  I  saw  our  future  commander,  Colonel  Beaver. 
Young1  as  I  was  and  little  skilled  in  reading  or  weighing  men  he  never 
theless  impressed  me  at  once  as  he  must  have  done  every  one  with  his 
apparent  youthfulness,  his  positive  and  energetic  manner,  his  knowl 
edge  of  the  business  in  hand  and  general  executive  ability.  At  this 
time,  I  also  had  a  first  glimpse  of  our  Major  Fairlamb,  whom  I  re 
member  as  a  quiet,  pleasant  and  gentlemanly  officer,  in  whose  better 
acquaintance  I  never  made  further  progress. 

About  the  second  day  in  camp,  I  was  on  the  detail  for  picket 
duty  and  we  were  sent  out  northwest  of  the  station  to  the  near  vicin 
ity  of  an  old  furnace,  when  we  all  stood  guard  all  night  long,  no  re 
liefs  and  for  our  pains  captured  an  old  darkey  who  declared,  ''Fore  de 
Lawd  Massa,  Ise  jist  gwine  over  hyer  to  Mars  Lewis  to  see  Marfa 
Washington,  sah." 

Only  a  few  nights  after  this,  it  once  more  became  my  duty  to  go 
on  picket  This  time  we  were  sent  south  along  the  road  toward 
Texas,  and  our  line  was  established  at  right  angles  to  the  road  extend 
ing  to  the  timiber  on  the  east  About  10  :00  P.  M.,  it  began  to  rain, 
pour  perhaps  better  expresses  just  how  the  rain  came  down  that  night. 
It  seemed  as  if  the  very  windows  of  heaven  were  open,  and  the  water 
pouring  out  all  night  We  stood  around  because  the  ground  was  cov 
ered  with  water  and  the  next  morning,  we  returned  to  camp,  tiredx 


338  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

soaked,  steaming,  bedraggled,  our  clothes  and  blankets  wet  and 
heavy,  our  spirits  broken  and  our  tempers  altogether  out  of  joint. 
The  next  day  and  night,  I  was  sick  and  the  succeeding  morning,  I 
was  informed  by  Lieutenant  Thomas,  who  felt  for  some  reason  a  spe 
cial  interest  in  me,  that  Colonel  Beaver  wanted  a  man  from  D  Com 
pany  to  act  as  orderly  at  his  headquarters.  The  only  orderly  I  had 
knowledge  of  was  the  Orderly  Sergeants  and  I  supposed,  of  course, 
Colonel's  orderly  outranked  that  and  would  carry  with  it  increase  of 
pay.  I  brightened  up  my  brasses,  brushed  up  my  blue  uniform, 
blacked  my  shoes,  put  on  a  paper  collar  and  went  down  to  the  station 
to  report  to  the  Colonel,  who  told  me  to  take  a  seat  on  a  box  near  the 
door  to  his  quarters  and  further  enlightened  me  as  to  my  duties  by 
stating  that  when  he  had  occasion  to  use  me  he  would  call  me.  Sitting 
on  that  box  through  the  long  afternoon  became  monotonous  before 
dark,  but  T  had  plenty  of  leisure  to  review  the  situation,  and  after 
looking  at  it  from  every  point  of  view,  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
of  the  two  the  Colonel  had  the  better  job,  still  I  was  not  altogether 
cast  down.  That  evening  at  supper,  1  astonished  my  mess  with  stories 
of  the  great  position  I  had  secured,  and  for  a  day  or  two  was  the  envy 
of  the  entire  company. 

It  was  about  this  time  the  battle  of  Antietam  was  fought,  and 
way  off  to  the  northwest  the  sound  of  distant  cannonading  could  oc 
casionally  be  heard.  But  whether  proceeding  from  the  battle  itself, 
or  caused  by  scouting  parties  of  cavalry  with  light  artillery,  we  could 
not  tell.  I  had  been  at  regimental  headquarters  but  a  few  days  when 
Colonel  Beaver  received  a  telegram  that  his  brother  was  among  the 
slain  of  that  hard  fought  engagement.  1  remember,  as  if  it  was  but 
yesterday,  the  awe  with  which  I  saw  the  first  manifestation  of  the 
great  grief  that-  came  with  this  sudden  news.  And  I  walked  a.way 
from  the  office  with  an  undefined  feeling  that  I  had  no  right  there. 
More  than  once  after  that,  when  I  heard  the  Colonel  criticised  for  the 
sternness  of  his  discipline,  and  the  rigorousness  of  his  drilling,  this 
instance  came  to  my  mind :  I  knew  that  behind  the  sternness  and  aus 
terity  of  manner  was  great  and  hearty  sympathy  and  that  the  first 
consideration  was  the  good  of  his  men  knowing  that  training  and 
discipline  were  the  prime  requisites  of  a  good  soldier.  Six  months 


THE  I48TH  PEXXSYLPdNU  VOLUNTEERS          339 

afterward  when  the  Regiment  had  gone  through  their  first  baptism 
of  fire,  at  Chancellorsville,  the  boys  recognized  this  fact,  and  these 
criticisms  were  heard  no  more. 

The  days  went  swiftly  by  at  Cockeysville,  at  Gunpowder 
Camp  and  at  Luthersville,  where  the  various  companies  were 
stationed  and  although  a  great  deal  of  squad,  company  and 
battalion  drill  was  constantly  being  practiced,  it  was,  all  in 
all,  perhaps,  the  most  pleasant  era  of  our  term  of  service.  An 
incident  I  remember  quite  well  was  the  occasion  of  the  presen 
tation  of  the  state  flag  to  the  Regiment  by  Col.  Samuel  B. 
Thomas,  Deputy  Secretary  of  State,  accompanied  by  a  number  of 
ladies  from  Bellefonte  and  Harrisburg.  The  Regiment  at  its  finest, 
spick  and  span  and  as  bright  and  shining  as  the  brasses  on  its  uni 
forms,  was  drawn  up  in  a  meadow  near  the  station,  massed  on  division 
front.  It  fell  to  my  part  to  stand  some  distance  to  the  left  and  rear 
of  the  Colonel,  holding  the  banner  about  to  be  presented ;  and  no  one 
on  that  field  had  a  more  exalted  opinion  of  his  own  importance  than 
myself  upon  that  occasion.  One  sentence  only  of  the  Colonel's  ad 
dress  in  receiving  the  flag  is  fixed  in  my  memory  to  this  day.  "Boys," 
said  he,  "if  in  the  vicissitudes  of  war  it  shall  happen  that  the  silken 
sheen  of  this  flag  shall  be  stained  with  the  life  blood  of  anyone  of  us, 
let  no  coward's  blood  grudgingly  taint  its  folds." 

It  was  while  at  this  camp  an  epidemic  of  yellow  jaundice  broke 
out.  I  am  not  sure  now  if  the  other  camps  had  it,  but  I  know  that 
nearly  every  man  in  our  camp  turned  a  deep  saffron  color,  getting 
deeper  as  the  complaint  progressed,  and  the  customary  salutation  for 
a  time  was  not,  "How  is  your  health  ?"  but,  "How  is  your  complex 
ion  ?"  It  was  while  on  this  duty  too  that  the  first  deaths  occurred. 
Private  Chas.  M.  Condo,  of  G  Company,  was  the  first — drowned 
while  bathing  in  Gunpowder  River.  Private  W.  T.  Orr,  of  Com 
pany  I,  was  the  next,  a  hearty  looking  rugged  man,  who  went  down 
with  no  apparent  disease,  a  victim,  I  always  believed,  of  sheer  home 
sickness.  As  the  time  passed,  the  efforts  of  the  Colonel,  Lieutenant 
Colonel  and  Major  and  the  several  company  commanders  began  to 
be  apparent  in  the  proficiency  of  the  Regiment,  which  was  very 
marked.  The  Colonel  never  passed  an  opportunity  to  give  a  lesson 


540  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

in  military  bearing  or  conduct  or  to  correct  a  slovenly  style  of  either 
manner  or  dress.  Generally  these  efforts  were  decidedly  effective  and 
the  results  could  be  seen  all  through  the  Regiment.  But  once  at  least 
in  my  hearing  his  subject  failed  to  take  a  hint.  A  middle  aged  man 
from  Company  E  came  lounging  down  to  headquarters,  and  accosted 
the  Colonel  as  follows: 

"Say,  Kurnel,  can  you  tell  me  vere  I  can  find  the  olt  doctor." 
"Here,  my  man,  let  me  show  you  how  you  should  make  such  an 
inquiry.    You  be  Colonel,  and  I'll  ask  you." 

With  that,  he  walked  off  a  few  steps,  turned,  came  back  and 
making  a  military  salute,  said, 

"Please,  Colonel,  do  you  know  where  I  can  find  Doctor  Davis  ?" 
"Got  in  himmel  no;  dait's  choost  what  I'm  trying  to  fine  out  my 
ownself  alretty." 

On  the  7th  day  of  December,  the  coldest,  roughest  and  most 
blustry  day  we  had,  since  we  came  to  Maryland,  orders  were  received 
for  the  Regiment  to  break  camp  and  proceed  via  Baltimore  and  Wash 
ington  to  join  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  I  carried  the  order  to  the 
detachment  at  Gunpowder,  and  handed  it  to  Major  Fairlamb,  whom 
I  found  surrounded  by  a  tent  full  of  line  officers,  discussing  the  ques 
tion  of  winter  quarters.  He  immediately  opened  the  envelope  and 
before  signing  and  returning  to  me,  as  was  the  custom,  stopped  to  read 
the  contents  of  this  communication  from  regimental  headquarters. 
"Gentlemen,"  said  he,  "it  is  not  necessary  to  make  further  plans  as  to 
winter  quarters.  Here  are  marching  orders,"  At  once  the  Major 
was  deluged  with  a.  flood  of  questions  as  to  our  destination,  route  and 
other  matters  pertinent. 

For  some  time,  the  idea  had  prevailed — the  wish  being  probably 
father  to  the  thought — that  we  should  remain  in  this  same  camp  all 
winter,  and  extensive  preparations  had  been  going  on  looking  to  the 
creation  of  comfortable  winter  quarters.  The  local  tinner  had  been 
kept  exceedingly  busy  ito  supply  a  certain  sheet  iron  stove;  and  the 
local  shoemaker  had  miade  boots  for  about  twenty  per  cent  of  the  men 
in  the  four  companies  atCockeysville,  and  they  had  no  pay  for  most  of 
these  articles,  and  of  course  were  interested  in  the  future  of  the  Regi- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          341 

inent  in  exact  proportion  to  the  amount  standing  on  their  books 
against  it. 

I  remember  seeing  the  stove  man  watch  us  off  and  I  knew  that 
at  least  one  citizen  saw  us  go  with  feelings  of  sincere  regret.  To  the 
credit  of  the  Regiment,  be  it  said  that  these  bilk  were  paid  almost 
without  exception  out  of  the  first  pay  we  received. 

Not  having  to  march  with  my  company  through  Baltimore  and 
Washington,  I  had  an  opportunity  to  hear  and  see  some  things  that 
did  not  come  within  the  purview  of  the  men  in  the  ranks  and  I  knew 
that  in  both  cities  the  Regiment  excited  much  'admiration  and  elicited 
much  favorable  comment  upon  their  military  appearance,  the  pre 
cision  with  which  they  marched  and  manoeuvred,  the  personal  bear 
ing  of  the  men,  their  cleanliness  and  tidiness ;  for  that  had  been  one 
of  the  lessons  strictly  taught  during  the  previous  autumn,  and  the 
very  apparent  high  state  of  discipline  that  prevailed. 

In  Baltimore  two  comrades  and  myself  went  into  &  restaurant 
to  get  breakfast,  and  when  we  returned  the  Regiment  was  no  where 
in  sight  We  asked  a  big  Irish  policeman  on  the  corner  if  he  had 
seen  a  regiment  of  soldiers  about  there  lately  ? 

"An'  was  it  a  foine  big  noo  rigimint;  an7  did  the  byes  have 
brasses  a-shoinin'  and.  their  caps  nate  and  clane?" 

I  assured  him  they  were  the  very  men  we  wrere  looking  for. 

"An*  was  the  koornel  shlim  like  a  gurrel  ?" 

"Yes,"  we  answered. 

"They're  over  on  the  second  strate  beyant,"  said  he,  indicating 
the  direction  and  adding,  k'illigant  byes  they  arre  too." 

We  passed  through  Washington  without  stopping  over  night  and 
crossing  that  arm  of  the  Potomac,  extending  out  to  the  Navy  Yard 
were  once  more  in  Maryland,  and  that  night  for  the  first  time  in  our 
military  experience,  the  entire  Regiment  camped  out  under  the  open 
sky  without  tents  or  other  covering  than  our  blankets  and  ponchos. 
It  was  a  sharp,  frosty  December  night,  but  in  the  main  our  boys  en 
joyed  it  thoroughly. 

During  the  march  across  this  Maryland  peninsula,  we  could  fre 
quently  hear  the  guns  at  far  off  Fredericksburg  and  the  knowledge 
came  to  us  by  intuition  that  we  were  being  hastened  forward  to  re-en- 


342  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

force  the  troops  in  front  of  the  town.  When  we  crossed  the  river  at 
Liverpool  Point,  we  learned  the  result  of  this  engagement  and  the 
general  gloom  that  was  spread  like  a  pall  over  everything  and  every 
body  about  the  landing  at  Acquia  Creek  extended  to  our  Regiment. 

For  most  of  us  the  aftermath  of  battle  was  a  revelation.  Hos 
pitals  full  of  wounded  men,  open  flat  cars  with  their  consignments  of 
the  same  in  every  stage  of  misery,  here  and  there  beside  a  hospital,  a 
heap  of  arms  and  legs  afforded  us  a  nearer  view  and  a  clearer  realiza 
tion  of  the  horrors  of  war  than  ever  we  had  before.  But  the  Colonel 
commanding  did  not  allow  us  much  time  to  speculate  on  these  matters 
— as  quickly  as  all  were  safely  over  and  our  transportation  looked 
after,  the  Regiment  was  formed  and  started  for  camp  at  Falmouth. 
I  concluded  to  follow  the  railroad,  thinking  it  would  get  me  to  Fal 
mouth  Station  quicker,  but  night  coming  on  (and  having  to  abandon 
the  railroad  to  avoid  a  high  trestle)  my  sense  of  the  whereabouts  of 
the  Regiment  (and  myself  relatively)  became  confused  and  I  war? 
as  completely  lost  as  1  ever  wasi  or  ever  expect  to  be  until  I  reached 
that  depot.  1  here  got  permission  from  a  provost  guard  to  make  a 
bed  between  some  hay  bales  in  the  quartermaster  department  and 
spent  a  night  of  extreme  discomfort. 

Early  next  morning  1  resumed  search  for  the  Regiment  and 
after  making  inquiry  at  grand  division,  corps  and  division  headquar 
ters,  and  finally  came  up  with  it  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
in  the  wood,  which  was  afterward  our  camp  until  the  movement  to 
Chancellor sville  began  nearly  five  months  later. 

Almost  forty  years  have  passed  since  then,  but  my  memory  is 
distinct  as  to  the  feeling  of  satisfaction  and  pride  with  which  I  heard 
compliments  passed  upon  the  appearance  of  our  Regiment  at  these 
various  headquarters. 

It  was  true  that  many  who  thus  grudgingly  acknowledged  our 
superiority  as  to  appearance  and  discipline  cynically  modified  their 
judgment  by  saying  that  when  we  had  passed  through  what  they  had 
undergone,  we  wouldn't  be  nearly  so  "tony,"  but  that  only  emphasized 
the  genuineness  of  their  first  opinion. 

The  camp  at  Falmouth  was,  when  we  reached  it,  a  forest  of  large 
pine  trees  with  a  small  sprinkling  of  undergrowth  mostly  oak.  The 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          343 

entire  ground  had  a  furrowed,  billowy  appearance  somewhat  like  a 
long  unused  cornfield,  and  1  have  been  told,  though  I  cannot  vouch 
for  the  truth  of  the  statement,  that  these  had  once  been  well  culti 
vated  tobacco  fields,  worn  out  and  abandoned  so  long  that  these  tree* 
many  of  them  seventy-five  feet  high  and  more  than  a  foot  through 
had  time  to  grow  to  their  present  proportions  since. 

A  very  few  days  after  we  reached  this  camp,  1  had  the  first  sight 
of  Colonel,  now  Major  General,  John  R.  Brooke,  who  came  to  visit 
Colonel  Beaver,  his  warm  personal  friend.  He  appeared  to  me  to  be 
about  twenty-eight  or  thirty  years  old,  large  and  erect,  a  broad  high 
forehead  and  a  rather  restrained  and  distant  manner,  and  1  was  im 
pressed  with  his  show  of  latent  force  and  the  idea  that  he  could  be 
very  cool  and  collected  upon  occasion.  Afterward  I  had  an  oppor 
tunity  to  know  something  of  his  views  as  to  certain  commands,  and 
I  knew  he  was  always  a  good  friend  of  the  148th  Regiment. 

One  of  the  notable  events  while  in  this  camp  was,  I  think  con 
nected  with  our  first  pay  day.  We  had  received  no  pay  since  enlist 
ment  and  when  the  paymaster  reached  us,  we  received  four  or  five 
months  pay  each  and  a  $25.00  installment  of  our  bounty,  making, 
including  all  ranks,  if  my  memory  serves  me  right,  over  $75,000  in 
cash.  A  greater  portion  of  the  men  had  some  more,  some  less  money 
to  send  home.  And  the  question  was  how  to  get  it  there.  Our  Chap 
lain,  Rev.  W.  IT.  Stevens,  volunteered  to  take  it.  Each  man's  in 
stallment  was  done  up  in  a  package  marked  with  his  name,  company 
and  regiment,  the  amount,  the  name  and  address  of  the  partv 
to  whom  it  was  to  be  delivered.  These  packages  were  placed  together 
in  a  stout  muslin  bag  about  the  size  of,  and  much  resembling  a  pillow 
case,  and  with  this  under  his  arm  our  Chaplain  proceeded  up  the  river 
to  Washington,  through  that  city,  Baltimore  and  Harrisburg  and 
delivered  more  'than  four  hundred  packages,  in  the  majority  of  cases 
personally  to  the  parties  addressed,  without  the  loss  of  a  single  one. 
It  might  not  be  out  of  place  here  for  me  to  bear  testimony  to  the  gen 
eral  reliability  and  worth  of  Chaplain  Stevens,  of  which  this  act  was 
a  single  illustration. 

Some  time  inMarch  I  was  detailed  for  duty  in  the  Assistant  Adju 
tant  General's  office  at  brigade  headquarters  and  ordered  to  report  to 


344  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Capt,  Geo.  H.  Caldwell,  Assistant  Adjutant  General.  The  duties 
devolving  upon  me  as  clerk  were  soon  mastered  and  I  began  to  get 
acquainted  with  and  size  up  the  people  around  me.  Captain  Cald 
well  was  an  easy  going,  good  natured  man,  but  no  braver  man  held  a 
position,  such  as  his,  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  if  I  mistake 
not  he  laid  down  his  life  on  that  disastrous  'afternoon  of  the  2d  of 
June,  in  front  of  Petersburg.  General  Caldwell,  his  brother  and 
brigade  commander,  was  a  portly,  fine  looking  man  with  a  great  beam 
ing  face,  whom  most  people  who  came  in  contact  with  liked,  though 
I  do  not  think  his  ability  as  a  general  officer  was  rated  very  high  by 
his  superior  officers.  He  hiad  belonged  to  >a  Maine  regiment,  iand  as  his 
old  command  did  not  belong  to  our  Division  he  had  no  pets  and  was 
disposed  to  give  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  full  credit  for 
all  she  did,  and  his  report  of  the  Regiment's  part  in  the  battle  of 
Chancellorsville  was  especially  strong  in  terms  of  commendation  of 
the  steadiness  and  valor  of  Colonel  Beaver  and  his  men. 

General  Meagher,  Colonel  Van  Schaack  and  Colonel  Miles,  who 
frequently  came  to  brigade  headquarters,  are  all  characters  whom 
nearly  every  man  of  our  Regiment  will  remember.  Colonel  Van 
Schaack,  a  furloughed  officer  of  the  German  Army,  was  an  ideal  Ger 
man  soldier.  Tall  and  straight  as  an  arrow,  he  sat  on  his  horse  as  if 
grown  there.  General  Thomas  Francis  Meagher,  an  exile  from  his 
native  land  for  political  reasons  was  a  representative,  turbulent,  gen 
erous,  quick-witted  Irishman.  The  two,  though  of  very  different  na 
tionalities,  had  many  traits  in  common.  Both  men  were  impulsive, 
dashing,  fond  of  horses  and  fond  of  show ;  and  my  memory  of  them 
both  is  most  strongly  associated  with  St.  Patrick's  day  celebration  in 
which  they  had  leading  parts.  General  Miles  is  the  only  one  of  these 
three  now  living  and  the  long  and  honorable  career,  which  he  has 
rounded  up  as  a  General,  commanding  the  Armies  of  the  United 
States,  though  not  a  West  Pointer,  is  his  best  testimonial  and  removes 
any  necessity  for  a  word  from  me. 

Of  the  visit  of  President  Lincoln  to  and  review  of  the  Army,  and 
of  Burnside's  Mud  Campaign  in  the  early  spring  of  1863,  it  is  not 
perhaps  necessary  to  more  than  say  that  my  recollection  is  still  very 
vivid  of  the  tall  ungainly  figure  of  the  President  on  horseback,  and 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          545 

his  little  boy  following  as  they  rode  swiftly  along  the  line,  and  of  the 
later  incident  of  seeing  the  other  corps,  troops,  wagons,  artillery  and 
ambulance  floundering  through  mud  that  seemed  deep  enough  to 
almost  engulf  both  men  and  guns  while  we  placidly  held  our  camps 
and  watched  them  both  go  and  return  on  this  abortive  campaign. 

I  have  spoken  of  Caldwell's  report  of  the  battle  of  Chancellors- 
ville,  and  our  Regiment's  part  in  it,  and  I  will  leave  to  other  pens  all 
description  of  that  important  but  undecisive  battle.  In  fact,  the  only 
part  which  I  had  opportunity  to  witness  was  the  assault  and  carrying 
of  Marye's  Heights,  and  the  lines  to  the  left  of  it  by  the  Sixth  Corps. 
When  the  rush  of  business  that  had  accumulated  in  the  Assistant  Ad- 
jiutant  General's  office  at  brigade  headquarters  during  the  fight  was 
well  out  of  the  way,  I  went  over  to  the  Regiment  I  found  my  own 
Company  D  nearly  wiped  out  It  with  C,  H  and  G  had  withstood  a 
withering  flank  fire,  and  the  casualty  list  was  very  large.  Many  of 
my  schoolmates,  among  them  Durst,  Bible,  Koch  and  Weaver,  were 
dead.  Many  more  men  badly  wounded.  In  Bates'  Pennsylvania  \7ol- 
unteers  our  loss  in  this  engagement  is  given  at  twenty-five  killed,  but 
counting  the  few  who  were  mortally  wounded  and  died  of  their 
wounds  within  a  week  the  four  companies  above  named  alone  lost 
forty-one  men.  Subsequent  to  or  shortly  after  the  battle,  however, 
other  changes  had  come  to  Company  D.  Captain  Musser  and  Second 
Lieutenant  Musser  were  dead  and  Lieutenant  Thomas  had  resigned 
and  gone  home.  Only  one  vacancy,  that  of  the  Second  Lieutenant, 
had  been  filled  by  the  promotion  of  Sergt  A.  A.  Rhinehart,  who 
commanded  the  company  in  the  first  fight. 

Not  many  weeks  passed  in  the  new  camps  we  had  taken  after 
Chancellorsville  until  we  knew  Lee  was  moving  northward  and  we 
were  forced  to  follow  him.  Nothing  of  special  note  took  place  on  the 
long  march  to  Gettysburg  until  we  came  to  Monocacy  Junction,  near 
Frederick,  Maryland,  when  we  made  the  unusual  march,  thirty-two 
miles  bet-ween  daylight  and  dark  from  Frederick  to  beyond  Union 
City. 

The  next  day  we  rested  and  then  the  Army  first  knew  of  the 
change  in  its  commanders.  At  brigade  headquarters,  this  change  cre 
ated  much  satisfaction.  Julv  1st  we  resumed  the  march  and  that 


546  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

afternoon  I  had  the  opportunity  of  witnessing  a  phenomenon  that  I 
had  never  seen  before.  About  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  some  one 
near,  in  looking  upward,  caught  sight  of  a  star.  Immediately  a  num 
ber  of  us  saw  it,  and  then  on  looking  closely  we  caught  the  dim  twinkle 
of  five  or  six  more.  We  accepted  it  as  auguring  success  for  the  under 
taking,  in  which  we  were  then  engaged.  Very  shortly  afterward  as 
we  neared  Taneytown,  we  could  hear  the  cannonading  at  Gettysburg. 

Just  before  the  third  day's  fight  began,  I  left  brigade  headquar 
ters  to  make  a  visit  with  the  Regiment.  I  had  scarcely  reached  their 
work,  wfhen  a  fearful  thunder  of  artillery  and  storm  of  shot  and 
shell  from  more  than  three  hundred  guns,  that  will  always  be  one  of 
the  famous  incidents  of  that  famous  battle,  began.  As  I  remember 
it  most  of  the  enemy's  shot  went  over  the  part  of  the  line  where  we 
were  and  did  but  little  harm,  but  the  horses  &nd  caissons  in  the  rear 
suffered,  and  I  have  in  mind  now  hearing  horses  cry  like  human 
beings.  When  the  firing  ceased  the  smoke  cleared  and  we  could  see 
Pickett's  troops  moving  with  majestic  strength  and  perfect  alignment 
toward  us.  At  first,  it  appeared  as  if  they  were  coming  straight  for 
our  line,  but  when  they  resumed  movement,  after  halting  on  the  Em- 
mitsburg  Road  they  obliqued  toward  Cemetery  Hill,  which  carried 
them  off  to  our  right.  It  happens  that  but  few  private  soldiers  have 
the  opportunity  to  so  fairly  see  an  engagement  as  was  presented  on 
this  occasion.  The  batteries  from  Little  Round  Tbp  and  Cemetery 
Hill  were  making  great  gaps  in  the  enemy's  lines,  and  yet  on  they 
came.  So  absorbed  were  we  in  watching  this  mighty  death  struggle 
that  we  almost  overlooked  what  was  transpiring  nearer  to  us,  when 
Doubleday  captured  almost  entire  the  supporting  column,  which  had 
not  gone  so  far  to  the  right  as  Pickett. 

For  its  part  in  this  battle,  and  more  particularly  the  fight  ID 
the  wheat  field  and  near  Devil's  Den,  our  Regiment  received  the 
warmes't  praise  from  both  Colonel  McKeen,  who  commanded  the 
Brigade  after  the  death  of  Colonel  Cross,  <and  from  General  Caldwell 
in  command  of  the  Division. 

We  were  still  classed  as  a  new  Regiment,  and  I  remember  some 
of  the  headquarter  force  chaffing  me  desiring  to  know  just  when  we 
expected  to  become  veterans. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          347 

The  return  march  from  Gettysburg,  the  crossing  at  Harper's 
Ferry,  and  the  race  with  Lee  down  the  lines  of  the  Blue  Ridge  are 
matters  of  history  and  are  better  told  by  those  most  intimately  con 
nected  with  them.  On  one  of  these  marches  it  transpired  that  we  of 
the  headquarter  detachment  passed  through  a  little  place,  called 
Haymarket,  after  nightfall.  This  town  the  winter  before  by  order 
of  General  Seigel,  I  'believe,  had  been  burned  to  the  ground  on  ac 
count  of  the  people  harboring  rebel  sharpshooters  who  fired  on  our 
soldiers  from  their  houses.  The  burning  had  left  all  the  old-fashioned 
Virginia  chimneys  one  at  each  end  of  the  house  standing  and  when 
we  came  through  the  place  these  chimneys,  their  outlines  showing 
dimly  in  the  gathering  darkness  and  scattered  here  and  there  on  both 
sides  of  the  highway  .had  much  the  appearance  of  immense  monu 
ments  or  grave  stones,  and  it  required  very  little  exercise  of  the  imag 
ination  to  suppose  ourselves  marching  through  some  weird  and  fan 
tastic  burying  ground  of  a  giant  race.  As  we  looked  and  pondered 
and  talked  about  it  one  of  the  headquarter  clerks  stepped  into  an  open 
well,  from  which  we  quickly  fished  him  out  lest  he  should  fall  a  prey 
to  giant  ghouls. 

After  sundry  halt  ings  and  campings  the  Corps  finally  brought 
up  on  the  Rapidan  beyond  Culpeper  and  it  was  while  in  this  camp 
that  our  Regiment  was  transferred  from  the  First  to  the  Fourth  Bri 
gade.  This  of  course,  relieved  me  from  duty  at  First  Brigade  head 
quarters,  but  I  was  immediately  detailed  in  the  Fourth  Brigade,  and 
upon  reporting  thither  almost  the  first  work  I  did  was  copying  an 
order  from  division  headquarters  detailing  me  for  duty  in  the  Assist 
ant  Adjutant  General's  office  there.  I  reported  to  Maj.  John  Han 
cock,  a  brother  of  General  Hancock,  at  headquarters  on  the  south  side 
of  Cedar  Mountain,  already  historic  as  being  the  initial  point  of  Gen 
eral  Pope's  disasters  of  the  year  before. 

It  was  while  in  this  camp  that  I  was  a  witness  for  the  first  time 
of  a  military  execution.  A  member  of  a  New  York  regiment  under 
sentence  of  death  by  court  martial  for  desertion  was  in  charge  of  the 
provost  guard,  and  on  the  day  of  the  execution  all  of  the  clerks  in  the 
different  departments  at  headquarters  were  ordered  to  fall  in  behind 
them  to  witness  it,  The  prisoner  was  an  undersized,  stoo^  shouldered, 


348  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

black  haired  man  with  a  furtive  restless  look  in  his  eyes,  without  a 
suggestion  of  color  in  his  face,  who  was  seated  on  his  coffin  and  shot 
to  death  with  a  relentless  promptness  and  dispatch  that  seemed  to  me 
revolting  to  the  last  degree.  It  fell  to  my  lot  to  see  many  executions 
after  that,  but  none  of  them  impressed  me  as  this  one  did. 

When  we  came  back  to  the  vicinity  of  Culpeper  after  the  neck 
and  neck  race  with  Lee  to  gain  the  defenses  of  Washington,  I  was 
well  satisfied  with  what  I  heard  of  our  Regiment,  particularly  at 
Bristoe  Station  and  Coffee  Hill,  and  after  the  Mine  Run  Campaign 
was  well  over  we  were  all  glad  to  think  of  winter  quarters.  The  camp 
of  the  148th  at  <Stevenburg  was  many  times  in  my  hearing  that  win 
ter  spoken  of  as  a  model  cantonment  as  clean  and  well  policed  as  any 
regimental  camp  in  that  great  Army.  At  division  headquarters,  the 
winter  was  given  over  largely  to  social  features.  A  large  hall  had 
been  erected  here  from  lumber  felled  and  sawed  on  the  banks  of 
Mountain  Run,  and  thither  during  the  winter  came  many  celebrities 
to  talk  and  lecture  and  otherwise  entertain  those  who  were  so  for 
tunate  -as  to  be  able  to  gain  admittance.  Anna  Dickinson,  Grace 
Greenwood,  Hannibal  Hamlin,  the  Vice-P resident  and  others  whom  I 
cannot  recall  were  among  them.  Many  ladies,  wives  'and  daughters  of 
officers  and  men  were  in  camp  and  when  not  in  use  for  a  lecture, 
this  hall  answered  the  purpose  of  a  ball  room.  Many  of  the  staff 
officers  were  so  taken  with  this  form  of  enjoyment  as  fell  little 
short  of  infatuation.  I  remember  on  one  occasion  the  clerk's  mess 
had  "Ike,"  who  was  our  cook,  make  some  codfish  balls,  and  while  at 
dinner  one  of  our  number  called  out  to  Captain  Hobart  who  was 
passing : 

"Captain,  do  you  like  codfish  balls  ?" 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  the  Captain,  "I  never  attended  one/' 
and  another  clerk  commented,  "Where  a  man's  heart  is  there  will  his 
tongue  be  also." 

With  the  coming  of  the  spring  of  1864,  we  knew  that  Grant 
was  to  personally  direct  the  movements  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
and  many  were  the  conjectures  as  to  what  disposition  would  be  made 
of  the  Second  Corps,  and  great  was  our  satisfaction  when  we  knew 
its  organization  would  be  retained.  However,  General  Caldwell  was 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          349 

to  leave  the  command,  and  I  don't  believe  there  was  an  officer  or 
enlisted  man  about  headquarters  that  did  not  regret  the  approaching 
change.  One  morning  in  late  March,  he  rode  away,  the  whole  head 
quarters  populace  turning  out  to  give  him  a  parting  cheer.  In  a 
few  days  his  successor,  General  Barlow,  arrived  and  assumed  com 
mand.  General  Barlow  was  a  smooth  faced,  pale  man  of  slight 
build  and  rather  youthful  appearance.  He  had  made  a  record  for 
bravery  and  fearlessness  in  the  Peninsular  Campaign  and  with  the 
Eleventh  Corps,  and  was  accounted  a  good  General;  but  I  always 
tried  to  keep  out  of  his  way  as  much  as  possible  and  he  had  the 
hearty  good  will  of  few  of  the  enlisted  men  about  headquarters. 

Before  starting  on  the  great  campaign  of  1864,  General  Grant 
personally  reviewed  the  Second  Corps  as  reorganized  by  the  addi 
tion  of  two  divisions  of  the  Third  Corps.  Of  this  review,  General 
Walker,  in  his  history  of  'the  Second  Corps,  says : 

"The  appearance  of  the  troops  was  brilliant  in  the  extreme, 
but  of  all  the  gallant  regiments  that  marched  in  review  that  day, 
two  excited  especial  admiration ;  one  was  the  40th  Xew  York, 
Colonel  Egan,  from  the  famous  Third  Corps,  the  other  was  th« 
148th  Pennsylvania,  Colonel  Beaver,  from  the  old  Second  Corps." 

And  now  the  beginning  of  that  last  gigantic  struggle,  that  year 
of  fierce  fighting  and  hard  inarching,  of  desperate  advance  and  re 
cession  and  re-advance,  of  assault  and  repulse,  of  flank  and  counter 
movements,  of  wounds  and  deaths  that  began  at  the  Wilderness  and 
ended  at  Appomattox  was  fairly  on.  Through  it  all  and  on  every 
field  the  148th  Regiment  won  golden  opinions  from  all  for  its  valor, 
its  discipline  and  its  staying  qualities,  and  at  P<>  "River  and  Spot- 
sylvania  had  tlie  sad  distinction  of  having  the  heaviest  percentage 
of  loss  of  any  Reginieiut  in  the  Army.  In  both  of  these  battles  it 
won  high  praise  from  General  Brooke,  who  never  bestowed  credit 
v/hem  it  was  not  first  fairly  earned. 

About  the  first  of  August  of  this  year,  I  was  summoned  to 
regimental  headquarters,  by  Lieut.  Col.  Ja?.  F.  Weaver,  who  offered 
to  appoint  me  Sergeant  Major  if  I  would  return  to  the  Regiment. 
After  giving  the  matter  a  day's  thought,  I  accepted  the  promotion 
thankfully  at  Colonel  Weaver's  hands. 


550  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Shortly  after  returning  to  the  Regiment,  we  were  ordered  to 
City  Point  and  aboard  transports,  and  the  usual  speculation  that 
we  were  going  back  to  Washington  was  well  aired.  The  fact  that 
the  old  Second  Corps  was  worn  to  a  frazzle  gave  color  to  the  con 
jecture.  We  at  least  thinking  that  we  had  more  than  done  our  duty 
and  fairly  earned  some  rest.  After  standing  down  the  James  River 
for  an  hour  or  so,  our  vessel  got  aground  and  we  were  there  the 
next  morning;  the  balance  of  the  Corps  having  turned  and  gone  up 
to  Deep  Bottom  and  there  were  awaiting  us.  It  is  needless  to  say 
that  this  expedition,  like  the  previous  one  that  summer  was  fruitless, 
but  we  were  in  a  pretty  close  place  for  about  thirty-six  hours,  never 
theless. 

I  have  in  mind  how  Lieutenant  Burchfield,  who  was  Acting  Ad 
jutant,  insisted  on  my  making  out  a  daily  report,  "Present,"  "Present 
for  Duty,"  etc.,  right  under  the  fire  of  a  rebel  battery  that  had  our 
range  perfectly  and  was  peppering  us  with  a  shell  every  few  minutes 
with  frightful  regularity  and  excellent  execution. 

From  Deep  Bottom,  a  long  hot  march  took  us  clear  around  to 
the  extreme  left  of  our  Army  at  Reams  Station  and  here,  after 
destroying  the  railroad  for  several  miles,  we  were  attacked  by  Hill's 
Corps  and  practically  driven  from  our  works,  but  not  until  we  had 
given  the  enemy  a  stiff  fight  and  great  punishment.  The  line  of 
defense  at  Reams  was  essentially  vicious  and  the  weakness  of  one 
regiment  at  a  critical  moment  lost  the  day.  Here  again  Lieutenant 
Burchfield  called  on  me  to  prepare  a  daily  report,  much  to  my 
disgust,  at  a  moment  when  I  felt  we  had  weightier  matters  on  hand, 
and  circumstances  did  not  favor  either  steadiness  of  hand  or  clear 
ness  of  thought.  Here  Lieutenant  Ralston,  an  old  friend,  was 
killed,  adding  one  more  to  the  mortality  list  of  Company  C's  un 
lucky  officers,  and  here  Colonel  Beaver,  who  had  just  reached  the 
command  from  sick  leave  received  the  bad  wound,  which  cost  him 
a  limb  at  the  very  moment  he  assumed  command  of  the  Brigade, 
and  here  Captain  Rhinehart,  who  commanded,  and  our  Regiment 
who  constituted  the  reconnoitering  detail  that  twice  went  out  into 
the  woods  against  Hill's  line  and  uncovered  their  plan  of  battle, 
displayed  great  courage  and  coolness. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          351 

When  our  lines  were  driven  back  across  the  railroad,  I  came 
upon  Sergeant  Fox,  of  G  Company,  who  was  groping  his  way  like  a 
blind  man  and  who  claimed  his  eyes  were  put  out.  The  fact  was  he 
had  received  several  bayonet  wounds  about  his  face  in  the  close 
struggle  at  our  works  and  the  blood  and  powder  smoke  had  filled  his 
eyes  and  caused  them  to  smart  to  such  a  degree  that  he  thought  his 
eyes  were  out.  I  led  him  back  and  turned  him  over  to  someone  who 
conducted  him  to  an  ambulance,  where  he  found  out  his  eyes  were 
all  right  and  he  was  back  with  his  Regiment  in  a  few  days. 

Shortly  after  returning  from  Reams  Station,  our  Regiment  was 
taken  to  Fort  Haskel,  and  after  occupying  that  stronghold  for  one 
night  and  day,  we  were  moved  at  night  to  Fort  Stedman,  which 
we  garrisoned  for  some  time.  Two  events  of  our  stay  at  Fort  Sted 
man  are  prominent  in  my  memory;  one  was  the  arming  of  our 
Regiment  with  Spencer  seven-shot  breech  loading  rifles,  to  replace 
the  old  Springfield  rifle.  We  all  felt  this  exchange  to  be  in  an 
especial  manner  complimentary  to  our  Regiment.  General  Han 
cock  was  furnished  enough  of  these  arms  to  equip  one  regiment  in 
each  division  of  his  corps  and  from  all  the  valiant  regiments  in  the 
First  Division,  who  had  fought  under  him  on  many  a  desperately 
contested  field  he  saw  fit  to  choose  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers.  When  our  boys  went  on  picket  line  with  these  new  arms 
they  created  quite  a  sensation,  not  only  in  our  own  line,  but  along 
the  rebel  line  not  far  away  as  well,  and  more  than  one  "Johnny" 
was  reported  to  have  yelled  out  after  a  rather  close  call  from  the 
second  shot  of  one  of  these  guns,  "Say,  Yank,  what  kind-o  guns 
you  all  got  over  thar  ?  You  all  load  on  Sunday  and  shoot  all  week." 

The  other  incident  mentioned  was  the  raiding  of  the  sutler. 
One  evening  just  after  one  of  those  periodical  bursts  of  fierce  picket 
firing  joined  by  artillery  and  the  cohorn  mortars,  very  frequent  at  this 
point,  and  subsiding,  Captain  Rhinehart  noticed  a  number  of  men 
apparently  tumbling  over  the  line  of  works  in  our  rear  a  little 
to  the  right  of  the  open  way  into  the  fort.  Some  one  was  directed 
to  go  down  and  see  what  was  up.  He  discovered  it  was  some  of  our 
men  with  bags  of  cookies,  firkins  of  butter  and  other  eatables  and  at 
once  concluded  there  had  been  a  raid  somewhere.  Bv  the  time 


352  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

this  was  reported  to  Captain  Rhinehart  and  he  had  secured  a  guard 
to  take  possession  of  the  goods,  these  men  had  mingled  with  the 
rest  of  their  comrades  and  could  not  be  identified,  while  the  goods 
had  also  completely  disappeared.  Pretty  soon  the  sutler  came  up  from 
the  hollow  in  the  rear  to  make  complaint  but  he  could  not  name 
any  of  the  men  engaged  in  the  raid.  Captain  Rhinehart  who  was 
commanding  the  Regiment  made  an  earnest  effort  to  discover  and 
bring  to  justice  the  guilty  parties,  but  without  success.  We  had 
the  bomb  proofs  and  quarters  searched  without  results.  I  was  told 
afterwards  that  most  of  the  plunder  was  buried  under  the  beds  in  the 
bomb  proofs  and  one  or  two  more  fertile  in  resource  than  their 
fellows  hung  bags  out  on  the  face  of  the  work  in  full  view  of  the 
enemy's  picket  line  where  it  was  worth  a  man's  life  to  stand  and 
look  over  in  the  day  time.  But  even  this  ingenuity  did  not  in  this 
instance  avail,  for  others  observing  their  movements  went  around  the 
works  in  the  moat,  cut  the  rope  that  held  their  stolen  treasure,  allow 
ing  it  to  drop  into  the  moat  and  at  their  leisure  they  despoiled 
the  despoilers. 

We  were  relieved  from  duty  ait  Fort  Stedman  after  some  time 
by  the  5th  New  Hampshire.  During  the  time  we  lay  at  this 
fort,  we  had  some  mien  killed  on  picket  but  none  in  the  fort,  and 
our  boys  took  occasion  to  warn  the  relieving  comrades  to  look  out 
for  a  certain  ridge  at  the  west  end  of  the  work,  directing  them  to 
use  a  covered  way  there;  but  this  warning  in  the  nature  of  things 
could  not  be  made  altogether  general,  and  we  were  informed  that 
five  men  were  killed  on  this  ridge  that  first  day  by  sharpshooters. 
From  Fort  Stedman,  we  went  into  camp  in  a  hollow  in  the  rear 
of  Fort  Morton  and  from  there  to  Fort  Meikle.  It  was  while 
lying  at  this  last  place  that  the  famous  assault  and  capture  of  the 
rebel  lines  with,  'thirty  persons,  one  field,  and  two  line  officers,  ordered 
by  General  Miles,  directed  by  General  Mulholland,  brigade  com 
mander,  and  made  by  one  hundred  men  of  the  Regiment,  under 
Captain  Brown,  of  Company  K,  occurred.  I  have  often  heard  the 
detail  that  made  this  sortie  referred  to  as  one  hundred  picked  men 
from  the  148th  Pennsylvania.  I  made  this  detail  under  the  direc 
tion  of  Lieutenant  Burchfield,  who  was  still  acting  as  Adjutant,  and 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          555 

my  recollection  is  that  the  men  and  officers  detailed  were  those  whose 
turn  for  picket  duty  would  have  come  next  and  that  they  were 
not  picked  within  the  meaning  of  that  word.  I  am  sure,  however, 
that  most  of  the  men  had  some  idea  of  the  hazard  of  the  duty  on 
which  they  were  about  to  enter,  but  not  one  of  them  flinched  and 
not  one  as  I  now  remember  it,  asked  to  be  excused. 

From  Fort  Meikle,  we  moved  with  our  Corps  to  the  Peebles 
Farm  and  went  into  winter  quarters.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Weaver 
had  returned  and  was  in  command  and  Lieutenant  Burchfield  was 
still  acting  as  Adjutant.  The  personnel  of  the  line  officers  had 
changed  greatly  since  we  left  the  camp  of  the  winter  before  at 
Stevensburg.  Captains  Harpster,  Harper,  Rhinehart,  Beimer,  Sut- 
ton,  and  Brown  were  still  with  their  companies;  but  many  officers 
had  gone  never  to  be  with  us  again.  Among  these  was  Colonel 
Beaver.  The  winter  passed  quickly  away,  the  men  generally  em 
ployed  in  drilling,  doing  police  and  picket  duty  always  enough  to 
keep  them  busy.  Either  General  Grant  or  General  Meade  or  Gen 
eral  Humphrey  conceived  the  idea  that  matters  with  the  enemy 
were  becoming  desperate,  night  assaults  were  considered  among  the 
probabilities,  and  orders  were  given  to  keep  one^half  of  the  men 
always  under  arms  through  the  night.  While  this  imposed  ad 
ditional  hardships  on  the  men,  it  seemed  that  the  events  at  Fort 
Stedman  on  the  21st  of  March  justified  the  precaution.  During 
the  fighting  that  followed  Gen.  Jno.  B.  Gordon's  assault  on  that 
stronghold,  General  Humphreys  advanced  his  Second  Corps  and 
drove  the  rebels  out  of  their  picket  line  in  front  of  the  right  of 
us,  but  withdrew  and  sent  us  back  to  our  camps  after  dark,  having 
accomplished  his  object  in  the  meantime. 

In  a  few  days  we  broke  camp  once  more,  Brigadier  General 
John  Ramsey,  now  commanding  the  Division.  From  this  until  the 
end  came  stirring  events  followed  each  other  in  quick  succession. 
Our  first  brush  with  the  enemy  was  at  Gravelly  Run  or  White  Oak 
Road,  where  Lieaiit,  Samuel  Eveha.rt,  of  C  Company,  a  brave  and 
thorough  officer  and  a  personal  friend,  and  six  men  were  killed, 
and  Captain  Rinehart  was  wounded.  The  second  day  there,  after 
we  were  engaged  at  Sutherland  Station  and  drove  the  enemy  from  a 


354  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

position  where  they  had  repulsed  two  efforts  to  dislodge  them.  The 
fire  of  the  Spencers  on  their  flanks  was  too  much  for  them.  A 
day  or  two  later  our  Division  was  in  hot  pursuit  of  the  enemy's 
wagon  train  from  Sailor  Creek  toward  High  Bridge.  It  was  a 
sort  of  running  fight;  as  fast  as  their  rear  guard  took  position,  we 
were  hurried  forward  to  drive  them  out  and  just  at  sundown  they 
abandoned  a  large  number  of  wagons  and  some  artillery  at  a  bridge 
across  a  branch  of  Sailor's  Creek,  but  cut  the  horses  loose  and  rode 
rapidly  away.  In  the  wagons  were  quantities  of  mail  among  other 
g.'iods,  and  I  remember  seeing  groups  of  our  boys  reading  letters, 
by  their  camp  fires  far  into  the  night.  Next  morning  we  came  to 
High  Bridge  near  Farmville  just  in  time  to  prevent  the  destruction 
of  the  wagon  bridge,  though  two  spans,  I  think,  of  the  railroad 
bridge  had  been  destroyed.  The  Second  Division  crossed  first,  our 
Regiment  was  in  the  lead  of  our  Division,  and  as  we  stood  on  the 
bank  the  rebels  fired  a  parting  shot  at  us  from  a  redoubt  at  the 
farther  end.  When  we  reached  there,  however,  they  had  disappeared, 
and  an  old  darkey  with  a  kinky  gray  head  and  a  toothless  mouth 
was  the  sole  occupant.  We  asked  what  became  of  the  rebels  who 
had  been  there. 

"Dey  gone,  s>ah,  dey  gone/'  was  the  reply. 

"Did  they  run  ?"  someone  queried. 

"Gora  mighty  massa,  dey  just  flewed,  dey  flewed." 

After  crossing  the  Appomattox,  our  Regiment  was  detailed  by 
order  of  General  Ramsey  to  forage  for  the  remainder  of  that  day,  and 
it  is  to  that  fact  we  owe  it  that  we  did  not  participate  in  the  fight, 
which  General  Humphreys  forced  with  Lee's  whole  Army,  and  in 
which  our  neighbor  regiment,  140th  Pennsylvania,  and  some  othera 
sustained  grave  losses.  It  was  in  this  engagement  that  Joseph  H. 
Law,  of  Company  E,  who  was  General  Miles'  bugler  at  division  head 
quarters,  was  killed.  He  was  our  last  loss  of  the  War.  So  hard  was 
Lee  trying  to  got  away  and  so  sharply  were  our  troops  following  that 
we  did  not  acrairi  overtake  our  Brigade  until  the  morning  before  thai 
eventful  day,  when  Lee  gave  up  the  struggle  and  surrendered  hi- 
Armv. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          355 

As  we  marched  to  overtake  them  we  had  opportunity  to  note  a 
new  feature  of  the  campaign  and  of  the  War.  Here  and  there  we 
passed  groups  of  our  stragglers  interspersed  with  numbers  of  John 
nies  following  the  Army  and.  busily  comparing  notes  and  occasion 
ally  by  the  roadside  would  be  a  party,  perhaps  about  as  many  from 
one  Army  as  the  other,  having  their  coffee  and  rations  together  and 
talking  their  battles  over  in  the  greatest  good  fellowship. 

The  feeling  that  the  end  was  near  was  very  prevalent,  and  we 
were  not  one  whit  surprised,  when  about  four  o'clock  in  the  after 
noon,  an  officer  rode  rapidly  down  the  road  along  which  we  were  lying 
and  announced  that  Lee  had  surrendered.  A  few  minutes  later  an 
ambulance  containing  the  rebel  commissioners  of  exchange  and  a  gen 
eral  officer  came  down  the  same  road  and  passed  to  our  rear.  Very 
few  I  think  of  our  Regiment  caught  even  a  glimpse  of  the  rebel  Army 
at  the  last,  and  I  have  regretted  that  I  did  not  add  that  to  my  experi 
ences,  but  we  were  glad  enough  that  this  was  the  end  and  next  morn 
ing  about  faced,  and  by  easy  daily  stages  marched  back  to  camp  near 
Burkesville  Junction. 

On  the  evening  of  May  2d,  we  broke  camp  on  the  return  inarch 
to  Washington;  the  moon  was  nearly  full,  the  sky  clear;  the  trees 
along  the  way  were  beginning  to  put  on  their  verdure  and  the  air  was 
redolent  of  the  breath  of  spring.  As  we  inarched,  the  drum  corps  and 
regimental  bands  played  popular  airs  and  finally  struck  up,  "When 
Johnny  Comes  Marching  Home."  The  stress  of  discipline  was  still 
too  strong  to  allow  a  general  cheer,  but  here  and  there  the  bolder  men 
did  cheer  and  every  man  marched  with  more  elastic  step  and  upright 
bearing.  Behind  us  was  the  past,  its  marches,  and  its  battles,  its 
hunger  and  thirst,  its  thrill  of  victory  and  sting  of  defeat,  all  in  the 
shadow  of  the  unchangeable.  Before  us  were  home,  friends,  honor 
able  careers,  fame,  the  rewards  of  ambition,  the  joys  of  hope. 

In  passing  through  Richmond,  we  marched  by  Castle  Thunder 
and  Libby  Prison,  and  an  officer  pointed  out  to  some  of  us  General 
Lee  and  his  daughter  watching  us  from  an  open  window.  On  our 
march  north,  we  crossed  the  Po  River  on  the  9th  of  May,  the  very 
day,  and  some  of  the  men  say  the  very  hour,  at  which  the  Regiment 
crossed  the  year  before,  but  not  at  the  same  spot.  When  we  reached 


556  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

camp,  near  Fairfax  Seminary,  i  received  a  commission  as  Adjutant. 
Sergeant  Lucas  and  another  received  commissions  at  the  same  time, 
and  it  became  a  question  whether  we  should  be  mustered  or  not.  Some 
suggesting  that  if  mustered  again  we  might  be  held  after  the  Regi 
ment  went  out,  but  I  had  long  been  ambitious  to  wear  shoulder  straps 
home  and  at  once  made  up  my  mind  to  muster  as  Adjutant  and  the 
others  followed  my  example. 

With  Lieutenanta  Fox  and  Stuart  to  assist  me  by  their  counsel 
and  advice,  I  proceeded  to  purchase  a  uniform,  and  for  fifteen  days- 
reveled  in  the  glory  of  being  a  full  fledged  and  properly  equipped 
Adjutant,  Sergeant  Sloan,  of  Company  K,  was  promoted  to  Ser 
geant  Major  at  this  same  time. 

From  this  camp,  we  early  one  morning  crossed  the  river  to  take 
part  in  that  memorable  last  appearance  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
the  grand  review  by  the  President  and  General  Grant.  1  had  no 
horse  of  my  own,  but  John  Fortney,  of  D  Company,  who  had  come 
into  possession  of  one  about  the  time  of  the  surrender  and  had  been 
loaning  it  to  the  acting  Adjutants,  came  to  my  rescue  in  this  particu 
lar.  He  was  a  fine  large  bay  horse,  which  bad  one  serious  fault,  how 
ever  ;  when  going  down  hill  he  showed  unmistakable  signs  of  string 
halt,  and  as  we  nuardhed  down  Capitol  Hill  to  get  to  Pennsylvania 
Avenue,  I  could  hear  the  boys  behind  me  siay,  "left,  left,"  and  "hay 
foot,  straw  foot,"  and  I  well  knew  what  it  meant.  The  great  crowds 
along  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  in  every  window,  on  every  house  top,  the 
flags  everywhere  flying,  the  children  singing,  the  long  line  of  march 
ing  men  both  before  and  behind  us  impressed  us  profoundly  that  this 
was  no  common  event,  that  it  was  in  fact  a  sight  never  before  wit 
nessed  on  this  continent  and  possibly  never  to  be  again.  When  we 
had  passed  the  reviewing  stand,  crossed  the  aqueduct  bridge  and 
were  winding  our  way  toward  camp  along  the  Heights  of  Arlington, 
we  caught  a  glimpse  now  and  again  through  shrubbery  and  trees, 
between  steeples  and  roofs,  of  the  troops  still  steadily  marching.  It 
was  the  last  view  we  were  ever  to  have  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
that  magnificent  body  of  soldiers  with  which  we  had  been  associated 
for  so  long,  through  every  vicissitude  of  the  fortunes  of  war. 
Five  days  later  we  were  ordered  to  Ilarrisburg  to  be  mus 
tered  out  and  the  gallant  148th  Regiment  came  to  an  end  as  an  organ 
ized  bodv  Ira  vine:  its  deeds  to  history. 


THE  COLORED  REGIMEXT  OFFICER'S  STORY. 

By  Capt.  Robert  A.  7  r avis. 

After  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  as  a  Sergeant  of  Company  E, 
148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  the  casualties  of  the  battle  left  me  in 
command  of  the  company  until  the  following  fall.  Some  time  after 
the  battle  I  received  a  commission  as  Second  Lieutenant,  but  on  ac 
count  of  losses  our  company  had  not  enough  men  to  permit  me  to  be 
mustered. 

Along  in  September,  1863,  both  Armies  were  quiet,  and  during 
this  inaction,  Sergeant  Sutton  and  myself  made  application  for  per 
mission  to  go  before  General  Casey's  board  to  be  examined  for  com 
missions  in  a  colored  regiment  I  passed  the  examination,  was  com 
missioned  Captain  and  instructed  to  report  to  Col.  Louis  Wagner  at 
Camp  William  Penn,  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania.  It  was  the  one 
time  in  my  life  I  regretted  success  ;  I  was  very  sorry  to  leave  my  corp- 
rades  to  go  among  entire  strangers.  My  old  comrades  raised  a  fund 
to  purchase  me  a  sword  (which.  I  have  yet  and  value  very  highly)  and 
while  I  appreciated  this  mark  of  their  esteem  it  made  it  still  harder 
to  say  good-bye.  Here  terminates  my  connection  with  the  old  Regi 
ment,  but  not  my  interest.  I  have  always  been  proud  of  the  148th 
and  rejoice  as  sincerely  as  any  one  in  her  well  merited  distinction. 

Tn  my  new  regiment  I  found  an  efficient  corps  of  officers,  the 
ordeal  through  which  they  had  to  pass  to  secure  a  commission  at  that 
time  was  a  guarantee  that  they  had  the  intellectual  qualifications  for 
the  places  assigned  them.  Here  again  I  had  reason  to  be  thankful  for 
the  training  I  had  received  in  my  old  Regiment  in  tactics,  discipline 
and  army  regulations.  I  took  my  position  with  confidence  and  feel 
I  acquitted  myself  with  credit,  although  I  was  well  aware  that  I  did 
not  compare  with  many  of  my  brother  officers  in  scholarly  attainments 
as  several  of  them  were  college  graduates,  yet  when  it  came  to  mili 
tary  questions  I  felt  no  inferiority,  and  my  company  in  drill,  disci 
pline  and  condition  of  clothing,  arms  and  equipments  was  my  voucher 
that  I  had  been  an  apt  student,  and  had  profited  by  my  training. 

My  first  experience  in  the  colored  regiment  to  which  I  was 
transferred  followed  immediately  on  my  reporting  for  duty.  T  ar- 


358  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

rived  at  headquarters  about  4 :00  p.  M.,  reported  to  the  Colonel  and 
was  taken  to  my  quarters  and  introduced  to  my  Lieutenants  who  had 
reported  some  days  in  advance  of  my  arrival.  That  night  I  was  de 
tailed  as  officer  in  charge  of  the  camp  for  the  next  day  to  report  at 
guard  mount  at  9  :00  A.  M.  to  relieve  the  retiring  officer  and  receive 
my  instructions.  It  seemed  to  me  that  they  were  very  prompt  in 
putting  me  into  harness  and  that  night  I  must  confess  1  regretted 
leaving  the  148th.  There  was  but  'one  person  in  the  new  regiment 
that  I  had  ever  met  before  and  with  him  I  could  scarcely  claim 
acquaintance,  as  I  had  met  him  but  a  few  times  when  a  boy — so  T 
was  lonesome  and  homesick  for  my  old  comrades. 

On  reporting  for  duty  next  morning  I  received  the  usual  instruc 
tions,  but  was  cautioned  to  be  especially  careful  and  not  allow  any  in 
toxicating  liquors  to  be  sold  to  men,  as  they  became  ungovernable 
and  disorderly  when  under  the  influence  of  drink.  I  tried  faithfully 
to  carry  out  these  instructions,  but  the  hucksters,  many  of  whom  were 
women,  were  entirely  too  sharp  for  me.  They  had  bottles  in  their 
underskirt  pockets,  in  the  bottom  of  baskets,  etc.,  and  before  night 
almost  everyone  of  the  men  who  had  the  price  and  the  will,  was  more 
or  less  under  the  influence  of  liquor  and  the  guard  house  was  full  of 
the  worst  cases.  One  of  these  became  very  abusive,  striking  and 
otherwise  abusing  the  other  prisoners.  The  Lieutenant  of  the  guard 
ordered  the  Sergeant  to  handcuff  him ;  the  man  resisted,  striking  the 
Sergeant.  The  Lieiitenarnt  then  stepped  forward,  not  thinking  for  .a 
moment  the  intoxicated  man  would  resist  him,  and  was  about  to  hand 
cuff  him,  when  the  man  aimed  a  blow  at  the  Lieutenant.  At  this  the 
Lieutenant  drew  his  sword  and  with  a  ringing  blow  felled  him  to  the 
ground.  The  man  was  unconscious,  was  carried  to  the  hospital  and 
the  news  went  through  the  camp  that  the  Lieutenant  had  killed  one 
of  the  men. 

All  this  had  transpired  without  my  knowledge.  The  camp  was 
more  than  usually  quiet  and  I  had  gone  to  my  quarters  to  retire,  con 
gratulating  myself  that  one  of  the  worst  ordeals  I  had  passed  through 
was  about  over,  when  I  heard  an  unusual  commotion  in  the  com 
pany  streets,  loud  talking  and  the  fixing  of  bayonets.  I  went  out  and 
found  the  mm  in  frenzy  of  rage  at  the  supposed  death  of  their  com- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          359 

rade,  swearing  they  would  ride  the  "white  livered  s —    -  of  b — 
officer  out  of  camp.     Fortunately  for  us,  Colonel  Wagner  had  used 
the  precaution  not  to  issue  any  ammunition  to  the  men. 

In  less  time  than  it  has  taken  me  to  tell  you  of  it  I  had  grasped 
the  situation.  I  sent  my  man,  Strojig,  to  the  Lieutenant  of  the  guard 
with  the  message  to  send  me  three  or  four  files  of  men  with  loaded 
muskets  if  he  had  them  that  could  be  trusted.  The  men  came.  With 
my  pistol  and  squad  I  cleared  the  company  streets  before  they  had 
time  to  plan  their  attack  on  the  officers.  I  had  to  arrest  and  hand 
cuff  a  few  of  the  loud  mouthed  and  boisterous.  These  were  after 
ward  court  martialed  and  punished  and  it  was  the  last  effort  at  mut 
iny  we  had. 

I  flatter  myself  that  by  prompt  and  positive  action  I  averted 
what  might  have  been  an  ugly  affair,  and  I  feel  that  to  my  training 
in  the  148th  Regiment  was  due  the  ability  to  grasp  the  situation  and 
handle  it.  The  situation  was  more  grave  than  you  might  imagine. 
.There  were  only  thirty  officers  and  about  nine  hundred  colored  men, 
many  of  them  intoxicated,  and  with  a  little  time  to  arrange  for  con 
certed  action  on  their  part  we  would  have  been  at  their  mercy.  That 
evening  I  was  more  homesick  for  my  old  Regiment  than  on  the  pre 
vious  evening. 

My  after  experience  was  much  better.  The  men  developed  into 
good  soldiers  and  our  discipline  was  excellent. 


THE  PRISONER'S  STORY. 


PART  I. 

By  Lieut.  Col.  George  A.  Bayard. 

1  was  captured  on  the  22d  day  of  June,  1864,  near  Petersburg, 
Virginia,  during  an  effort  to  extend  the  lines  of  our  Corps  to  the  left, 
as  is  told  elsewhere  in  the  general  history  of  the  Regiment.  We  lay 
in  an  open  field  during  the  night  and,  on  the  morning  of  the  23d, 
marched  to  Petersburg  in  charge  of  the  provost  guard.  From  there, 
with  other  prisoners,  I  was  taken  in  a  box  car  to  Libby  Prison  and 
was  examined  by  the  famous  Dick  Turner,  a  former  citizen  of  New 
York,  who  was  in  command.  He  told  me  if  I  had  any  money  I  should 
give  it  to  him  and  at  the  end  of  my  destination  he  would  send  me  two 
of  their  dollars  for  one  of  ours.  I  fortunately  didn't  have  any,  except 
ten  cents,  and  it  was  probably  well  that  I  didn't,  as  the  money  he  got 
from  other  officers  was  never  returned.  The  ten  cents  came  in  well 
afterwards  for  a  little  purchase  in  Augusta. 

I  was  kept  in  Libby  about  seven  days.  The  building  was  a  rude 
brick  structure  and  was  crowded.  On  the  second  floor  there  were 
about  two  hundred  prisoners.  While  there  I  received  a  note  from 
Colonel  Fairlamb,  who  had  been  badly  wounded  and  was  lying  in  a 
room  below  me  on  the  first  floor.  I  have  unfortunately  mislaid  the 
note,  but  in  it  he  complained  of  the  fare  which  he  was  receiving.  I 
intended  writing  him,  congratulating  him  upon  being  so  well  pro 
vided,  because  he  was  getting  much  better  than  I.  The  rations  served 
to  the  prisoners  were  very  slim  and  ill-served.  Thin  bean  soup  was 
brought  up  in  old  fish  tubs,  made  by  cutting  fish  barrels  in  two.  In 
order  to  get  my  quota  of  soup,  I  was  compelled  to  break  my  canteen 
in  tiwo  and  use  the  parts  as  dishes  so  as  to  hiave  something  to  hold  my 
quota  of  the  fluid.  I  never  was  able  to  see  Colonel  Fairlamb,  being 
taken  out  before  I  had  the  opportunity. 

From  Libby  prison  I  was  taken  to  Lynchburg  and,  while  there, 
was  given  five  hard  tacks  as  large  as  a  conirnon  bread  plate  and  a 
small  piece  of  bacon  which  was  to  last  me  five  days.  It  was  at  that 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  561 

place  that  our  cavalry  got  in  and  tore  up  the  railroad  and  burned  the 
depots  for  a  distance  of  about  seventy-five  miles,  so  when  we  were 
taken  from  Lynchburg  to  Danville  we  were  compelled  to  walk  the 
entire  distance.  The  parts  of  my  canteen,  previously  referred  to, 
served  me  well  here,  for  on  the  march  I  would  take  my  hard  tack  and 
cut.  up  some  green  apples  and  make  a  stew  out  of  them,  using  the  one 
side  of  my  canteen  for  a  stew  pan.  It  took  us  over  five  days  to  make 
the  trip.  While  on  the  march,  the  soles  of  my  shoes  came  off  and  I 
was  compelled  to  tie  them  on  with  strings.  We  arrived  at  Danville 
on  the  4th  day  of  July.  Grant  had  boasted  of  his  taking  Rich 
mond  that  day.  As  we  were  marching  through  the  streets,  the  Con 
federates  wanted  to  know  whether  Grant  had  taken  Richmond  yet. 
By  reason  of  the  bad  condition  of  my  shoes,  I  dropped  to  the  rear 
and,  while  marching  through  the  town,  stopped  to  get  a  drink  of 
water  from  an  old  colored  woman  who  stood  on  the  sidewalk.  While 
there,  a  citizen  of  the  town  came  up  to  me  and,  with  much  profanity 
and  abuse,  wanted  to  know  why  I  was  standing  there  and  why  I 
didn't  keep  up  with  my  comrades.  I  learned  afterwards  that  he  was 
from  Bedford  County,  in  Pennsylvania,  and  the  incident  simply  illus 
trates  what  is  often  said — that  the  most  rabid  of  the  southern  people 
were  those  who  came  from  the  North. 

At  Danville  they  put  us  on  box  cars — about  forty  in  a  car — 
closed  the  doors  and  shipped  us  to  Macon,  Georgia.  We  were  five 
days  and  five  nights  on  the  road,  with  hardly  anything  to  eat. 
We  arrived  at  our  destination  and,  before  we  were  taken  to  the 
stockade,  we  were  searched  and,  if  we  had  anything  of  any  account, 
it  was  taken  from  us.  When  the  gates  were  opened,  we  saw  a  sight 
that  was  wonderful.  Inside  those  walls  were  over  seventeen  hun 
dred  officers.  When  we  entered,  they  yelled  as  loud  as  they  could 
"Fresh  fish !"  In  my  ignorance  I  thought  it  was  very  warm  to 
have  fresh  fish,  not  knowing  that  they  were  yelling  at  us.  I  was  in 
the  stockade  only  a  few  minutes  when  I  met  Captain  Breon  who 
had  been  taken  prisoner  a  few  days  before  me.  He  asked  me  to 
go  and  take  dinner  with  him,  as  he  and  four  of  his  other  comrades 
had  formed  a  mess.  I  accepted  the  invitation.  Our  bill  of  fare 
was  corn  meal  and  some  kind  of  berries  mixed  together.  It  took 


562  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

the  shape  of  a  roly-poly  pudding  of  very  primitive  form,  the  meal 
and  berries  being  boiled  together  in  a  leg  of  Captain  Breon's  draw 
ers  sewed  at  one  end  and  tied  at  the  other.  We  certainly  did  enjoy 
that  meal,  as  we  were  very  hungry.  The  stockade  that  we  were  in 
was  called  Camp  Winthrop  and  we  remained  there  about  six  weeks. 

The  Confederates  expected  some  of  Sherman's  advance  guard 
who  were  on  that  wonderful  march  to  the  sea  at  that  time.  They 
put  us  in  squads  of  six  hundred  and  the  squad  I  was  in  was  sent 
to  Savannah,  Georgia.  We  were  encamped  in  a  stockade  at  the 
Marine  Hospital  grounds  and  were  there  nearly  six  weeks.  We 
were  furnished  tents  here  but  were  compelled  to  raise  them  from 
the  ground,  so  thait  tihey  could  see  under  the  floors  that  there  was 
no  tunneling  for  escape.  The  grounds  were  lighted  by  huge  bonfires 
upon  elevated  platforms.  We  were  treated  better  here  than  at  most 
of  the  camps  which  we  occupied.  I  recall  distinctly  a  service  held 
by  an  old  Scotch  Chaplain  who  preached  for  us  one  night  before  he 
was  exchanged.  During  the  service,  he  prayed  for  President  Lin 
coln  with  great  earnestness,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  was 
heard  by  the  sentinels  who  surrounded  the  stockade. 

We  were  then  moved  to  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  and  placed 
in  a  jail  yard  where  we  were  under  constant  fire  from  our  guns 
at  James'  Island.  We  were  there  from  four  to  five  weeks.  Each 
morning  about  three  o'clock  our  people  began  shelling  the  city. 
The  jail  being  centrally  located,  and  of  stone,  was  constantly  being 
hit  by  our  shells.  The  prisoners  being  afraid  of  the  balls  and 
stone,  would  go  up  and  lie  near  the  jail  walls,  so  as  to  be  protected. 
The  jail  yard  was  so  filthy  dirty  that  many  of  the  officers  took  the 
yellow  fever  and  died.  I  had  the  itch  and  body  lice  and  was  nearly 
starved  to  death. 

We  were  removed  later  to  higher  grounds  back  of  Columbia, 
South  Carolina,  where  all  the  prisoners — 1,700 — were  mobilized 
again.  They  called  this  "Camp  Sorghum,"  where  we  were  kept  for 
f<ur  weeks.  While  there,  a  great  big  hog  came  into  camp  and 
the  prisoners,  not  having  had  any  meat  for  months,  surrounded  the 
hog  and  killed  him.  They  skinned  him  and,  when  they  cooked  him, 
you  could  smell  the  odor  all  over  the  camp.  At  another  time  two 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          363 

bloodhounds  came  into  the  camp  and  they  were  likewise  captured 
and  killed  but  were  thrown  into  a  sink  hole.  There  was  hardly 
a  night  passed  that  some  of  the  prisoners  did  not  try  to  escape  and 
as  soon  as  one  sentinel  fired,  all  the  sentinels  began  firing,  and  many, 
officers,  while  sitting  around  the  camp  fire  thinking  of  loved  ones 
at  home,  were  killed  by  these  shots.  To  protect  ourselves,  we  dug 
ditches  large  enough  to  hold  five  men  each  and  in  that  way  we 
would  pass  the  night  safely. 

We  were  removed  from  that  camp  to  a  stockade  at  Columbia, 
South  Carolina,  which  was  some  time  during  December,  when  it 
was  beginning  to  get  very  cold.  The  place  in  which  we  slept  was 
nothing  but  a  rude  shed,  the  upper  story  being  used  for  a  hospital. 
There  was  great  suffering  here  from  the  cold  and  hunger.  Each 
man  would  receive  a  pint  of  corn  meal  a  day  and  three  small  sticks 
of  wood  for  five  men  to  last  twenty-four  hours  to  burn  to  keep  them 
warm.  On  Christmas  day  we  hadn't  anything  at  all  to  eat  but  be 
tween  Christmas  and  New  Year  my  mess '  received  some  Confed 
erate  money.  The  mess,  all  told,  bad  raised  $2,700.00 
in  Confederate  money.  I  do  not  know  exactly  how  all  of  it 
was  obtained.  I  secured  $600.00  in  this  way.  General  (tihen  Colonel) 
Frazer,  of  the  140th  Kegiment,  was  in  prison  at  the  same  time. 
He  had  been  a  professor  in  Jefferson  College,  Canonsburg,  Penn 
sylvania,  an  institution  which  was  well  known  in  the  South  and 
from  which  many  of  the  southern  people  had  graduated.  He  intro 
duced  me  to  a  gentleman  who  was  doing  an  exchange  business  with 
the  prisoners,  as  one  of  his  students.  I  drew  a  draft  upon  the 
First  Xational  Bank  of  Belief  onto  for  $100.00,  payable  in  gold? 
and  for  this  received  $600.00  in  Confederate  money.  To  follow 
the  draft  to  its  destination:  when  I  was  exchanged  and  got  my 
pay,  I  was  carrying  home  $300.00  in  currency,  with  which  to 
pay  the  draft.  Boarding  the  train  at  Harrisburg  one  morning,  I  met 
Abram  Sussman,  Frank  Wilson  and  other  friends  from  Bellefonte, 
who  told  me  that  the  draft  had  been  presented  but  that  my  friends, 
fearing  that  it  was  either  a  forgery  or  that  I  had  been  coerced  into 
signing  it,  declined  to  pay  k  and  it  had  been  returned.  Xot  knowing 
how  to  send  the  money  for  tihe  repayment  of  the  draft,  I  fear  that  the 


364  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

gentleman  who  did  the  exchange  business  was  short  at  least  to  the 
extent  of  that  draft.  A  part  of  my  money  was  expended,  as  here 
inafter  described.  I  regret  to  say  that  a  goodly  portion  of  what 
was  received  by  other  members  of  the  mess  was  lost  in  fighting  the 
tiger  at  a  faro  bank  which  was  run"  by  some  thrifty  Confederate's, 
\vithin  the  prison  limits. 

New  Year's  day  was  my  cook  day  and  then  the  mess  told  me 
to  get  up  a  good  dinner.  I  went  to  the  Confederate  sutler,  who  had 
his  place  within  the  bounds  of  the  prison,  and  bought  two  round 
steaks,  one  pound  of  butter,  nine  loaves  of  bread  and  a  half  peck 
of  sweet  potatoes.  After  I  had  the  dinner  ready  a.nd  the  table  seit, 
I  told  Captain  Breon  there  was  just  one  thing  needed  and  that  was 
mustard.  He  said  he  would  soon  get  that  He  went  to  the  hospital, 
almost  doubled  up,  and  told  the  doctor  he  wanted  some  mustard  for 
the  pain  in  his  back.  He  secured  it,  but  instead  of  a  plaster  for 
his  back  we  used  it  to  help  plaster  the  interior  of  our  stomachs. 
That  was  the  only  square  meal  we  had  while  we  were  in  the  Con 
federate  prisons  and  that  cost  us  $100.00  in  Confederate  money. 

I  had  $100.00  left  of  the  money  I  had  borrowed.  I  had  pre 
viously  made  myself  a  pair  of  slippers  out  of  my  old  blouse,  as  my 
shoes  had  been  worn  out  months  before.  The  sutler,  previously 
referred  to,  had  English  shoes  for  sale,  but  he  asked  $100.00  a 
pair  for  them.  I  visited  his  place  a  dozen  times  a  day,  considering 
v-hether  I'd  buy  shoes  or  something  to  eat.  One  day,  when  un 
usually  hungry,  I  saw  a  part  of  a  hog's  head,  known  in  Pennsylvania 
as  the  "jowl,"  and  asked  him  what  he  wanted  for  it.  He  said, 
"I'll  take  $36.00  for  it."  I  did  without  the  shoes  and  took  the 
jowl. 

We  were  kept  in  that  stockade  until  three  o'clock  on  the  14th 
day  of  February,  when  we  were  quickly  taken  out  of  one  end  of  the 
town  as  Sherman's  advance  guard  was  marching  in  at  the  other. 
We  were  put  in  box  cars  and  some  of  Sherman's  advance  guards 
were  captured  and  put  in  with  us  and  were  all  sent  to  Charlotte, 
North  Carolina.  We  were  kept  there  but  a  few  days,  for  Sherman 
was  following  close  behind.  We  were  then  taken  to  Raleigh,  North 
Carolina,  where  we  remained  over  night  and  the  following  day 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          365 

were  reviewed  by  Gov.  Zeb.  Vance,  of  that  state.  One  of  the  offi 
cers  told  us,  after  it  got  dark,  that  we  could  go  up  town.  Captain 
Evans  and  Lieutenant  Stover,  both  of  the  184th  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers,  and  myself  took  advantage  of  this  opportunity  and  went 
to  town.  While  there  we  met  a  Confederate  guard  and  asked  him 
where  we  could  get  some  apple  jack.  He  told  us  he  had  some  in 
his  canteen  and  charged  us  $15.00  in  Confederate  money  for  three 
drinks.  We  asked  him  where:  we  could  buy  a  quart  and  he  said 
around  the  corner  at  a  grocery  store.  We  purchased  a  quart  of  the 
Huid  and  paid  the  grocer  $60.00  in  Confederate  money  for  it.  We 
saw  a  part  of  the  town  but  by  the  time  we  got  back  to  camp  we 
couldn't  see  anything  else. 

We  left  Raleigh  and  went  to  Goldsboro  and  there  they  kept  as 
many  as  they  could  of  us  at  the  court  house.  We  were  there  only 
a  night  and  the  next  day  we  signed  a  parol  of  honor  not  to  take 
lip  arms  until  we  would  be  exchanged  as  prisoners  of  war.  That 
afternoon  we  boarded  the  train  and  went  within  nine  miles  of 
Wilmington,  Xorth  Carolina.  The  next  morning,  when  the  train 
stopped,  we  wrere  marched  between  the  ranks  of  a  regiment  of  our 
cavalry.  We  were  given  something  to  eat  and  then  taken  to  Wil 
mington.  This  was  on  the  1st  day  of  March,  1865.  On  the  2d 
of  March  I  embarked  on  a  vessel  for  Annapolis  and  reached  that 
city  about  the  5th.  I  bought  myself  a  hat  a  suit  of  clothes  and  a 
pair  of  shoes  and  gave  the  storekeeper  my  name  and  regiment,  as 
1  had  not  received  any  money,  but  promised  to  pay  him  when  I 
received  my  pay  from  the  Government  before  I  left  the  city,  which 
I  did.  The  clothes  1  was  captured  in  I  threw  away  that  day.  I 
received  a  leave  of  absence  for  thirty  days  from  the  loth  of  March 
until  the  15tih  of  April;  also  received  two  months'  pay  and  came 
home. 

At  the  end  of  my  leave,  I  went  back  to  Annapolis  and  from 
there  we  were  ordered  to  Washington  to  participate  in  the  funeral  of 
our  martyred  President,  Abraham  Lincoln.  I  joined  my  Regiment 
beyond  Alexandria,  Virginia,  where  I  was  mustered  as  Major,  hav 
ing  been  promoted  during  my  absence  in  prison.  I  participated  in 
the  Grand  Review  at  Washington  and  from  there  went  to  Harris- 
burg  where  I  was  mustered  out  the  1st  day  of  June,  1865. 

Comrade  Bayard  survived  the  dangers  of  battle  and  the  hardships  of  cap 
tivity,  returned  to  his  home  in  Bellefonte,  Pa.,  where  he  lived  for  many  years 
an  honored  and  worthy  citizen,  and  was  killed  by  a  switch  engine  July  7,  1903. 
—EDITOR. 


366  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


THE  PRISONER'S  STORY. 


PART  II. 

By  Sergeant  T.  P.  Meyer,  Co.  A. 

The  following  "  Prisoners  Story,"  by  Sergeant  T.  P.  Meyer,  it  will  be  noted, 
begins  just  after  the  battle  at  Auburn  Mills  or  "Coffee  Hill,"  and  will  be  better 
understood  if  introduced  by  the  following  extracts  from  a  serial  article  published 
by  him  in  the  Centre  Reporter,  Centre  Hall,  Pennsylvania. — EDITOR. 

In  moving  off,  the  dead  and  wounded  were  left  lying  on  the 
field.  I  came  to  a.  "conscript"  lying  dead  beside  a  great,  bulging, 
new  knapsack,  which  a  comrade  had  cut  from  his  shoulders  to  free 
him.  It  was  a  dangerous  place  to  halt,  but  I  halted,  and  after  mak 
ing  sure  that  he  was  dead  I  swung  his  knapsack  over  my  shoulder 
and  carried  it  with  me  to  where  wre  formed  the  line  behind  the  fence. 
I  examined  the  contents  of  my  prize  and  found  there  was  a  full  new 
uniform,  underwear,  a  complete  soldier's  outfit,  worth  about  thirty 
dollars.  I  concluded  that  if  I  would  hurry  I  could  put  on  the  new 
uniform  before  the  battle  would  begin  again.  So  there,  in  line  of 
battle,  I  quickly  threw  off  everything  I  had  on,  even  the  shoes,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  I  was  dressed  new  and  clean  from  head  to  foot.  I 
wore  this  entire  outfit  from  this  day  (October  14th)  to  the  spring  of 
the  following  year  without  change  or  washing,  as  will  appear  further 
on  in  this  narrative. 

I  left  my  own  outfit  lying  there  and  packed  the  minor  articles  of 
the  prize,  combs,  thread,  needles,  razor,  paper,  envelopes,  stamps, 
etc.,  into  my  own  knapsack. 

The  First  Division  of  the  Second  Corps  (ours),  under  General 
Warren  did  the  rear  guard  fighting ;  we  were  hard  pressed  and  were 
cut  off  from  the  rest  of  the  Army.  For  awhile  our  Brigade  was  con 
sidered  captured.  We  dodged  around  among  the  hills  and  in  the  woods 
and  formed  lines  of  battle  in  all  directions  of  the  compass.  The 
Fourth  Brigade,  to  which  the  148th  was  attached,  formed  the  rear 
guard  and  the  148th  the  rear  of  all ;  the  pioneers  to  the  rear,  as  the 
Regiment  moved  out  "left  in  front,"  Wherever  we  turned  the  Confed 
erates  were  ready  for  us.  Once  more  we  shifted  and  on  the  "double 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          567 

quick"  left  the  field,  determined  to  make  our  escape.  We  moved  by  a 
road  running  along  a  wood.  The  Confederates  pushed  a  line  of  battle 
through  this  woods,  reaching  the  road  just  in  time  to  fire  a  terrific 
volley  into  the  rear  of  our  column  and  rush  it  in  flank. 

We  bolted  out  of  the  road  and  went  pell  mell  across  a  small  field, 
for  a  strip  of  woods  beyond.  ''What  are  the  orders,"  the  pioneers 
asked.  a^To  orders,"  I  said,  "every  man  that  can  will  save  himself 
from  capture."  Many  never  reached  the  woods  but  were  shot  down  in 
the  field  because  we  did  not  heed  the  enemy's  challenge  to  halt  and 
surrender.  About  two  hundred  of  us  reached  the  woods  in  a  rush,  to 
find  it  in  possession  of  the  enemy  'and  all  were  captured  ;  while  many 
others,  keeping  the  field  to  the  left,  escaped. 

This  series  of  fights  went  into  history  as  the  battles  of  Auburn 

and  Bristoe  and  the  entire  movement  as  the  campaign  of  manoeuvres. 

#  *    -x- 

On  recovering  the  Auburn  battlefield  some  of  my  comrades 
went  to  the  spot  where  in  the  tumult  they  had  last  seen  me.  There 
were  many  shallow  soldiers'  graves  scattered  around.  They  uncov 
ered  one  which  they  imagined  might  shelter  me  and  identified  the  re 
mains.  They  cut  the  chevrons  from  the  coat  sleeves  and  sent  them 
to  my  home,  together  with  the  story  of  my  killing. 

Three  months,  during  all  of  which  time  I  had  been  dead  to  my 
people,  passed  by  before  I  succeeded  in  getting  a  letter  through  to  my 
home,  from  Belle  Island  Prison  Encampment,  in  the  J'ames  River,  at 
Richmond,  Virginia,  informing  them  of  my  condition  and  "place  of 
abode." 

•*-*####-X-* 

As  before  stated,  quite  a  number  of  us  were  captured  in  the 
fights  of  Auburn  and  Bristoe  (October  14th)  and  closely  interrogated 
by  the  Confederate  officers  as  to  the  number  of  men  we  had  here,  etc. ; 

*  *    *    always  winding  up  with  a  short  talk  on  the  absolute  useless- 
ness  of  continuing  the  War  on  the  part  of  the  National  Government 
and  that  the  southern  people  would  never  yield  but  would  sacrifice 
their  last  dollar  and  the  last  man  to  secure  their  independence.     A 
General,  whose  name  I  did  not  learn,  rode  up  and  asked  me : 

"Are  you  not  all  tired  of  the  War  ?" 


368  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

"Yes,  sir!  We  are  tired  of  the  War/'  I  answered.  "But  it 
is  on  now  and  we  must  win  to  end  it." 

He  smiled  pleasantly  and  asked,  "How  many  troops  do  you 
think  are  beyond  those  hills  ?" 

I  said,  "Our  main  Army  is  there,  and  if  you  go  out  there  you 
will  come  back  faster  than  you  went." 

Every  new  arrival  of  prisoners  were  similarly  questioned. 
Their  questions  were  generally  evasively  answered. 

The  Confederate  officers  were  genteel,  clever,  chivalric  and  all 
round  good  fellows.  The  rank  and  file  were  more  given  to  sectional 
animosity  and  ready  to  jangle  with  us.  *  We  got  very  loud 

during  the  argument.  The  Confederate  officers  drove  their  men  away, 
saying  that  they  must  take  what  we  say,  or  stay  away  from  us.  Then 
there  was  peace. 

The  Confederate  Army  had  very  little  to  eat.  They  had  captured 
some  flour  at  our  abandoned  commissaries;  this  was  distributed  at 
night,  about  half  a  pound  to  a  man,  Confederate  soldiers  and  Union 
prisoners  receiving  equal  shares. 

Next  day,  half  famished,  we  managed  to  get  small  fires  of  chips, 
grass  and  dry  manure.  We  mixed  up  our  flour  with  water,  shaped 
the  dough  into  balls  and  buried  them  in  the  hot  ashes  under  the  fire ; 
they  would  not  bake ;  they  burned  on  the  outide ;  .the  inside  was  hot 
dough  that  would  pull  out  like  taffy ;  we  rubbed  off  the  ashes  and  dirt 
tli at  readily  came  off  and  ate  the  steaming  ash  and  dirt  begrimed 
pittance  of  dough.  For  two  days  longer  there  was  no  more. 

All  night  long  and  every  night  while  we  were  with  the  Con 
federate  Army  their  men  seemed  to  be  up  and  at  work,  baking  flour 
into  biscuite  for  next  day.  They  had  nothing  else. 

Many  of  their  men  were  barefooted  and  in  rags.  I  was  told  that 
some  of  them  had  marched  from  Fredericksburg,  Virginia,  to  Gettys 
burg,  Pennsylvania,  and  back  to  Culpeper,  over  five  hundred  miles 
barefooted. 

The  soles  of  their  feet  were  black  and  so  tough  that  they  marched, 
over  stone,  stubble  and  briars  as  indifferently  and  freely  as  other  men 
did  with  shoes  on  their  feet,  I  thought  were  I  so  destitute,  I  would 
strip  the  first  dead  soldier  I  met,  so  that  my  feet  and  back  might  be 


T.  P.  MEYER 
Sergeant  Company  A.  14£th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          569 

covered  for  it  was  very  cold.     At  that  same  time  I  was  comfortable 
in  the  uniform  of  a  dead  soldier  myself. 

They  said  they  had  not  been  paid  for  eighteen  months  ; 
others  had  never  seen  a  "pay  day"  and  were  penniless.  With  all  this 
destitution  they  seemed  to  render  service  cheerfully.  *  *  *  This 
was  to  the  highest  degree  illustrative  of  the  true  American  military 
spirit  common  throughout  the  United  States  and  so  often  manifested 
by  the  southern  soldiers  in  every  War  in  which  our  country  ever  had 
apart  *  *  * 

The  prisoners  were  all  gathered  into  one  great  squad,  just  to  the 
rear  of  the  Confederate  supporting  line  of  battle ;  this  gathering  was 
discovered  by  a  Union  battery  a  mile  away,  and  fifteen  or  twenty 
twelve-pound  Union  shells  followed  each  other  in  rapid  succession, 
screaming  viciously  over  our  heads  and  passed  to  our  rear.  There  was 
great  excitement  among  tine  "Johnnies"  for  a  little  while.  The  fire 
of  this  battery  suddenly  ceased  and  comparative  quiet  once  more  pre 
vailed. 

A  Confederate  Major  rode  up  to. me,  took  off  his  yellow,  hard- 
worn  butternut  hat,  in  which  crown  and  rim  had  "agreed"  and  hung 
in  the  same  slant.  I  thought  he  was  wonderfully  polite ;  he  held  out 
his  hat  to  me  and  said,  "Here,  my  boy,  take  this  hat,"  I  took  it  and 
wondered  what  next  ?  "Give  me  your  cap."  I  gave  him  my  beauti 
ful,  new  McClellan  cap,  which  he  put  on,  saying,  "It  fits  me  nicely." 
I  put  on  his  yellow  hat ;  it  "drooped"  so  that  I  could  scarcely  see  out 
from  under.  He  smiled  and  said  I  looked  very  well  in  it ;  then  asked, 
"Are  you  satisfied  ?"  "Oh,  yes,"  I  said,  "I  guess  it  is  a  fair  trade, 
under  the  circumstances." 

Another  mounted  Confederate  officer,  by  his  side,  said  to  me, 
"Here,  lad,  let  me  have  that  canteen."  I  handed  over  my  canteen; 
but  he  paid  me  a  dollar  for  it  The  dollar  was  Confederate  money, 
worth  ten  cents  in  greenbacks ;  about  five  cents  in  "sound  money."  For 
that  dollar  I  bought  a  wooden  canteen  from  a  Confederate  soldier. 
This  same  canteen  is  to  this  day  one  of  my  war  relics. 

All  day  of  October  15,  1863,  we  were  kept  with  the  Confederates 
at  the  front,  under  the  fire  of  our  own  Army,  which,  however,  was 
high  and  did  little  damage  to  us  or  the  Confederates. 


370  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Next  day,  October  16th,  they  marched  us  from  Bristoe  to  Beal- 
ton  Station,  eighteen  miles,  in  heavy  rain,  through  deep  mud  and 
water.  We  forded  a  number  of  streams  from  one  to  three  feet  deep. 

We  were  thoroughly  soaked  and  plastered  with  mud ;  the  night 
turned  cold  and  we  had  an  awf ul  night  in  our  wet  clothes ;  unshel 
tered  and  no  fires,  we  nearly  froze. 

About  midnight  I  determined  to  try  my  luck  at  escape.  The 
night  was  very  dark.  I  lay  down  close  to  the  beat  of  one  of  our 
guards ;  when  he  had  passed  me  I  rolled,  log  fashion,  quietly  over  his 
beat ;  then  I  arose  and  walked  slowly  away.  I  was  nervous  and  lis 
tened  amid  some  suspense  for  his  "halt"  or  the  report  of  his  gun.  If 
the  latter  came  first,  I  mused,  how  and  where  will  his  bullet  strike 
me?  And  to  what  extent  will  I  be  injured?  I  walked  slowly  on. 
None  of  the  guards  had  seen  me  and  I  struck  out  for  a  strip  of  woods 
half  a  mile  away.  I  walked  with  and  passed  through  squads  of  Con 
federate  soldiers,  passing  as  one  of  them  in  the  darkness.  They  spoke 
to  me.  I  had  planned  to  hide  in  the  woods  and  await  the  passing  of 
the  Confederate  Army,  but  in  looking  for  a  hiding  place  I  was  dis 
covered  and  returned  to  the  guard  without  punishment  or  reprimand. 
It  was  not  considered  a  crime  to  attempt  escape.  But  shooting  fol 
lowed  a  refusal  to  halt  when  detected.  There  were,  however,  vicious 
men  among  them  who  would  shoot  an  escaping  prisoner  without  "halt 
ing"  him.  I  fully  understood  this. 

The  battle  of  Bristoe  was  ended  and  the  Confederates  were  de 
feated.  Our  squad  of  prisoners,  about  a  thousand  in  num 
ber,  reached  the  Rappahannock  in  the  evening  and  lay  there  all  night. 
Sunday,  October  18th,  was  quite  a  lively  day.  The  Union  Army 
pressed  the  Confederate  Army  hard  at  all  points,  crowding  them  to 
the  river,  which  was  high  and  impassable.  They  built  a  temporary 
bridge  on  the  piers  of  the  burned  railroad  bridge,  a  hastily  built, 
rickety  structure. 

General  Lee  with  his  staff,  rode  up.  He  dismounted  and  closely 
watched  the  building  of  the  bridge,  now  and  then  offering  sug 
gestions.  He  was  <a  fine  looking  man,  of  dignified  and  commianding 
presence.  *  *  * 


"  Castle  Thunder."  Confederate  Prison.  Richmond.  Va.     Capacity, 
2.000.  used  chiefly  for  Union  prisoners  in  transit 


THE  I4&TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          371 

The  bridge  finished,  we  crossed  the  Rappahaimock  in  the  after 
noon  and  were  marched  to  Culpeper,  twelve  miles,  where  we  arrived 
at  8  :00  P.  M.  and  some  time  later  were  given  three  crackers  for  supper. 

We  were  quartered  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  on  Main  Street, 
from  which  the  seats  had  been  removed.  Monday,  October 

19th,  dawned  clear  and  beautiful  yet  cold.  The  day  was  delightful, 
and  was  spent  in  the  church  and  the  adjoining  grave  yard.  This 
morning  we  received  three  crackers  and  a  little  bacon  for  our  day's 
ration.  This  we  ate  in  two  minutes,  and  were  more  hungry  than 
before. 

During  the  forenoon  of  the  20th  we  were  searched,  more  for 
concealed  weapon  than  for  valuables.  There  was  very  little  taken 
from  the  men  beside  pistols  and  daggers.  No  clothing  or  blankets, 
notwithstanding  the  old  story  to  the  contrary.  In  the  afternoon  we 
were  marched  out  of  the  church,  through  the  town  and  along  the 
wagon  road  to  the  Eapidan  Kiver,  which  we  crossed  by  a  rickety 
trestle  military  bridge,  after  night,  reached  Orange  Court  House, 
eighteen  miles  from  Culpeper,  about  midnight.  Here  we  were  put 
on  a  freight  train  for  Richmond. 

At  Bealton  I  met  a  sick  Union  soldier,  among  the  prisoners, 
whose  name  I  never  learned.  He  said  he  was  dying  for  a  drink  of 
water.  I  gave  him  my  canteen  containing  a  quart  of  water.  He 
drank  it  all ;  he  was  burning  with  fever.  I  kept  him  supplied  with 
water  which,  under  the  circumstances,  was  hard  to  get.  There  was 
no  chance  for  a  doctor  or  medicine  for  him. 

I  led  him  on  the  march  to  Culpeper,  I  waited  on  him  in  our 
church  prison ;  he  was  very  sick  but  kept  his  feet.  His  face,  hands 
and  feet  were  greatly  swollen.  When  we  left  Culpeper,  afternoon 
of  the  20th,  he  came  with  us.  A  mile  out  of  town  we  halted  for  a 
little  while;  there  was  commotion  behind  the  end  of  a  stone  fence. 
Some  one  yelled  "fight,"  I  was  near  and  rushed  in  to  see  what  the 
fracas  meant,  A  soldier  was  lying  on  the  ground  in  convulsions.  It 
was  my  sick  companion ;  in  a  few  minutes  more  he  lay  quiet  Life 
had  gone  out. 

I  straightened  the  body  of  the  poor  boy  and  covered  his  face 
with  his  cap.  *  *  *  He  was  left  lay  where  he  died.  * 


372  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

This  was  the  first  death  in  our  squad  of  prisoners.    But  we  soon  fur 
nished  victims  rapidly. 
#•*#•*•*•*** 

We  had  a  slow  and  tiresome  trip  on  the  train  from  Orange 
Court  House  to  Richmond,  by  way  of  Gordonville  and  Louisa  Court 
House.  We  reached  Richmond  late  in  the  afternoon  and  were 
marched  through  the  city  to  Libby  Prison  where  we  lodged. 
Many  of  the  people  gave  us  frowning  glances  as  we  marched  by  them ; 
and  it  was  easily  seen  that  we  had  few  friends  here. 

"Libby"  was  a  very  large,  four-story,  plain  and  quaint  old  brick 
building.  It  was  formerly  used  as  a  sihip  chandler's  estab 

lishment  and  tobacco  factory  and  ware-house,  many  of  the  machines 
and  presses  still  remaining  in  the  rear  basement  rooms.  The  sign  of 


LIBBY  & 

SHIP   CHANDLERS. 


still  swung  and  creaked  on  the  corner  of  the  building,  on  Carey  and 
TWentieth  Streets. 

"Libby"  was  guarded  by  a  regiment  called  tihe  "Richmond 
Grays,"  a  stylish  regiment,  made  up  of  clerks  and  young  business 
men  of  the  city,  who  would  stand  guard  around  Libby  Prison  two 
hours,  then  spend  four  hours  in  their  business  places,  then  back  to 
guard  duty  two  hours,  and  so  on.  In  this  way  attending  to  business 
and  doing  the  work  of  a  soldier  beside.  They  were  fine  looking  fel 
lows,  beautifully  uniformed  in  gray  and  wore  scarlet  caps  of  the 
McClellan  pattern. 

We  entered  Libby  October  21st,  when  we  received  a  fair  ration 
of  wheat  bread  and  boiled  beef,  nothing  more.  We  had  been  prisoners 
just  one  week,  during  which  we  -ate  three  times.  It  was  long 
between  meals  and  the  meals  were  light.  I  will  be  explicit  here.  On 
October  15th  we  had  nothing  and  marched  four  miles.  On  the  morn 
ing  of  the  16th  we  had  half  a  pound  of  real  dough  each  and  then 
marched  eighteen  miles  in  heavy  rain  and  deep  mud.  We  were  hol 
low  as  a  blacksmith's  bellows  and  tired  eaisily.  But  the  worst  was  yet 
to  come.  Next  day,  the  17th,  we  had  nothing  to  eat  and  marched  twelve 
miles,  while  the  day  following,  Sunday,  October  18th,  we  had  nothing 


LIBBY  PRISON.  RICHMOND.  VA. 

Capacity,  five  thousand.  A  permanent  prison  for  Commissioned  Officers, 
having  generally  from  1.500  to  2.000  in  it.  Libby  Prison  was  also  extensively 
used  for  non-commissioned  officers  and  men  in  transit. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          373 

to  eat  and  marched  twelve  miles  more.  Now  we  were  hungry  for  a 
fact,  and  "had  a  pain."  We  no  longer  marched  with  the  youthful 
spring  of  our  boyish  legs.  We  tottered  and  staggered  and  fell  down 
frequently;  some  stayed  down  and  I  never  heard  what  became  of 
those.  At  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  this  day  we  reached  the 
Church  Prison  in  Culpeper  and  at  ten  we  received  three  Union 
Army  crackers  each.;  how  good  these  ''hard  tack"  tasted.  On  the 
morning  of  the  19th  they  gave  us  three  crackers  and  a  little  bacon. 
No  more  that  day,  while  on  the  20th  we  had  nothing  and  marched, 
eighteen  miles ;  on  the  21st  we  had  nothing  and  were  on  the  freight 
train  eighteen  hours. 

To  sum  up:  From  the  15th  to  the  21st  of  October  (1863)  seven 
days,  each  of  us  had  half  a  pound  of  flour  and  six  crackers  to  eait,  and 
during  which  time  we  marched  sixty-four  miles. 

The  "Johnnies"  were  too  poor  to  feed  us.  They  had  no  "grub" 
for  themselves.  Their  supply  trains  at  this  time  were  nothing  more 
than  long  lines  of  empty  wagons  and  bony  horses. 

We  remained  in  Libby  a  few  days,  during  which  time  we  were 
very  unruly,  and  often  'amused  ourselves  in  dropping  lousy  shirts 
and  brickbats  on  the  stylish  guards  'below.  We  never  blamed  them 
for  shooting  at  us  through  the  windows  when  we  hit  them  with  brick 
bats.  And  we  grinned  when  we  read  in  northern  papers  about  the 
"inhuman  custom"  of  the  Confederate  guards  of  shooting  at  the 
Union  prisoners,  through  the  windows  of  Libby  Prison.  They  knew 
not  the  provocation. 

Five  hundred  of  us  were  transferred  to  "Castle  Thunder,"  a 
large  three-story  brick  building  on  Carey  Street. 

In  the  forenoon  of  October  24th,  about  five  hundred,  with  my 
self,  were  marched  across  the  James  River,  over  the  Danville  Rail 
road  bridge  to  Manchester,  thence  up  along  the  river,  crossing  a 
bridge  of  the  Tredegar  Iron  Works  to  Belle  Island  Prison  Encamp 
ment. 

This  was  a  cold,  dreary  and  rainy  day,  and  our  transfer  from  a 
fireless,  stoveless,  cold  and  dreary  building  to  a  shelterless  camp  out 
doors,  in  the  rain  on  a  wet  island  in  the  James  River,  was  a  change 
still  greatly  for  the  worse. 


374  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Belle  Island  is  a  large  Island,  in  the  James  River  between  Rich 
mond  on  the  north,  and  Manchester  on  the  south  and  was  a  noted 
prison  pen  during  the  entire  War. 

In  peace  times,  during  the  summer,  a  delightful  spot. 
The  prison  camp,  about  four  acres  in  area,  was  a  miserable 
place.  Much  rain  of  late,  and  the  tramp  of  many  feet,  had  produced 
a  slush.-  mud  in  the  streets  of  the  camp,  several  inches  deep  with  filth 
and  dirt,  and  stench,  and  human  offal  everywhere.  Our  five  hundred 
men  were  not  given  a  single  tent^  or  shelter  of  any  kind.  They  had 
none  to  give  us.  We  were  simply  ushered  into  the  Prison  Pen,  to 
become  a  part  of  th£  four  thousand  already  there.  When  we  entered 
the  gate  of  this  pen  my  war  spirit  nearly  died  out- 
Here  we  found  hundreds  of  men  absolutely  without  shelter,  and 
all  without  fuel.  Rain-soaked  to  the  skin;  without  overcoats  or 
blankets  of  any  kind.  Gray,  ashy,  pallid  complexions.  Thin,  skinny 
woe-begone  shadows  of  slowly  moving,  erstwhile  rugged  men  and 
boys,  standing  alone  here  and  there  in  idiotic-like  silence,  or  in 
groups,  in  the  deep  mud,  and  the  cold,  downpouring  winter  rain. 

Hundreds  of  others,  emaciated,  cadaverous-looking  men  and 
boys,  splashing  hither  and  thither  through  mud,  covered  all  over  with 
mud  and  dirt,  filth  and  lice;  while  here  and  there  in  filth  and  rags, 
lone  soldiers  were  standing  like  statues,  grim  and  silent,  in  a  state 
of  dementia,  stiaring  wildly  on  those  laround  them,  then  talking  loudly, 
incoherently,  to  theonselves,  bemoaning  their  condition,  none  of 
them  paying  the  slightest  attention  to  the  other  prisoners  around 
them. 

Here  were  talented,  cultured,  highly  educated  men  of  every  call 
ing,  profession  and  trade  in  life.  Here  were  the  college  professors 
and  their  students,  ministers  and  their  laymen ;  doctors  and  their 
former  patients ;  teachers  and  pupils,  down  on  a  common  level  of 
degradation  and  filtih,  and  manner  of  life. 

I  thought,  alas !  Already  I  have  readied  a  point  in  life  from 
wihich  I  can  easily  see  the  end.  I  have  reached  the  goal.  Here  I 
stay;  and  I  wondered  not,  when  my  comrade  asked  me,  "Is  this  an 
annex  of  a  civilized  war,  or,  are  we  in  hell  ?"  "A  chilly  hell,"  I 
said.  This  comrade's  name  was  Brooks;  he  was  a  highly  educated, 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          375 

pious,  rugged  young  man,  a  theological  student.  But,  like  many 
others,  he  was  unable  to  face  the  conditions  here.  He  let  go  of  hope 
and  courage,  and  was  tortured  with  an  insatiable  longing  for  home 
and  friends.  He  was  broken  in  spirit,  and  could  not  be  cheered  up. 
He  did  not  sleep  or  eat  or  rest  He  was  not  sick ;  he  simply  gave  up, 
broke  down  and  died  at  the  end  of  the  first  week.  Hundreds,  in  the 
same  way,  gave  up  and  died  of  despondency  alone.  Those  who  bore 
up  with  brave  hearts  and  strong  will,  came  out  best. 

Personally,  I  was  still  in  fair  condition.  I  still  had  my  knap 
sack,  with  all  its  varied  contents  on  my  back.  On  my  shoulder  hung 
my  empty  haversack,  and  canteen  half  full  of  water.  Here,  at  least, 
I  was  " presentable,"  in  a  fine,  new  uniform.  My  head  was  well  cov 
ered  with  the  hat  the  rebel  Major  "traded  to  me."  This  hat  was 
always  in  place.  A  night  cap  when  I  slept,  and  a  "dress  bonnet" 
when  I  went  out.  On  my  arm  hung  a  splendid  new  United  States 
army  blanket,  which  was  my  salvation. 

After  standing  with  these  wretched  comrades  in  misery,  in  mud 
and  rain,  for  hours,  I  woke  up  as  from  a  dream.  Night  was  coming 
on,  and  the  cold  rain  was  still  falling.  I  resolved  that  I  would  waste 
no  time  in  brooding.  If  I  must  die  here,  which  I  realized  was  prob 
able,  I  would  die  "game."  I  would  "die  in  action,"  and  not  of  de 
spondency.  Nothing  was  to  appall  me ;  I  turned  at  once,  and  walked 
rapidly  down  a  muddy  camp  street,  by  and  through  packs  of  half 
drowned,  and  mud  plastered,  lousy  soldiers,  whiskered  men,  and 
young  boys  like  myself. 

I  came  to  a  fair  semblance  of  a  tent  and  went  in :  it  was  full  of 
bony,  ash  colored,  fleshless  men,  from  New  Jersey,  Maryland,  Penn 
sylvania  and  Illinois.  I  was  surprised  to  find  them  in  fairly  good 
spirits.  I  said: 

"I  am  a  new  arrival,  and  am  looking  for  a  home.  I  have  a  good 
blanket  here,  which  will  cover  three.  I  will  share  it  with  you  as  far 
as  it  will  reach,  if  you  will  make  me  one  of  your  mess." 

The  proposition  was  accepted,  and  I  had  a  home.  I  was  blessed 
above  hundreds  in  that  camp. 

Night  set  in  very  dark,  rainy  and  cold.  There  was  no  light  in 
all  that  camp ;  so  arrangements  for  the  night  were  made  before  night 


376  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

had  fully  set  in.  Just  as  darkness  was  settling  down  upon  the  camp, 
I  looked  down  the  street,  and  saw  hundreds  of  men  sitting,  alone  and 
in  groups,  on  the  wet  ground.  When  they  could  stand  up  no  longer, 
they  would  sit,  or  lie  down  anywhere,  regardless  of  mud  or  weatiier. 
Many  were  lying  down  in  the  streets  of  the  camp,  very  close,  in  rows, 
"spoon  fashion,"  from  -three  to  twenty  in  a  row,  in  their  rain  soaked 
clothes,  without  anything  under  or  over  them,  and  the  night  blowing 
up  cold. 

For  the  night,  1  was  snugly  "spooned  up"  with  two  other  boys, 
Austin  Skinner,  of  Hoboken,  New  Jersey,  and  Jacob  Adams,  Smith- 
burg,  Maryland,  the  latter  still  living  (1904).  I  did  not  get  cold,  but 
I  could  not  rid  my  mind  of  the  horrors  I  had  already  seen  here,  nor 
the  thought  of  the  probable  fate  awaiting  me.  Sleep  did  not  come 
to  me  that  night. 

The  sounds  of  this  camp  were  as  horrible  as  the  sights.  Within 
the  radius  of  my  hearing,  there  must  have  been  a  thousand  men 
coughing,  without  a  moment's  let  up,  all  night.  All  nights  were 
alike  in  this  respect.  All  suffered  by  reason  of  coughs  and  colds,  and 
many  strangled  to  death  in  fits  of  coughing. 

During  the  cold  w^eather  pneumonia  was  a  common  ailment  and 
a  general  cause  of  death. 

The  prison  encampment  of  Belle  Isle  was  square  in  form  and 
made  like  a  fort ;  a  ditch  eight  feet  wide,  and  three  feet  deep  inside 
of  the  works,  the  ground  dug  from  the  ditch  formed  a  fort-like 
embankment  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  ditch,  while  the  inner  edge  of 
the  ditch  was  called  the  "dead  line''  and  any  prisoner  getlting  into  the 
ditch  was  over  the  "dead  line,"  and  the  guards  had  the  right  and 
orders  to  shoot  such  soldier,  without  hail  or  notice. 

Belle  Island  was  in  many  ways  the  worst  and  most  wretched 
prison  encampment  in  the  Confederacy.  It  was  located  by  hundreds 
of  miles  farthest  north  of  all,  and  consequently,  was  the  coldest  of  all. 
It  was  the  only  prison  encampment  in  the  South  where  there  were  no 
rations  of  wood  issued,  and  consequently,  there  were  no  fires  all  win 
ter,  even  though  in  the  coldest  latitude.  Hence  the  greatest  suffering 
by  reason  of  weather  conditions. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          377 

It  was  situated  on  a  low,  sandy  island,  in  a  great  river,  water 
only  a  few  feet  below  the  surface,  rapids  on  each,  side,  the  only  prison 
encampment  so  situated,  and  therefore,  was  the  dampest  of  all. 

It  was  the  nearest  to  the  great  Union  Armies,  and  therefore  suf 
fered  most  by  reason  of  the  great  raids  made  by  the  Union  Cavalry 
around  the  Confederate  capitol,  frequently  breaking  railroad  commun 
ications,  between  the  country  and  Richmond,  destroying  the  tracks, 
and  burning  depots  of  supplies,  and  train  after  train  of  cars  loaded 
with  grain  and  provisions  for  Richmond  and  her  twelve  thousand 
Union  prisoners. 

Therefore  the  prisoners  at  Richmond  also  suffered  most  on  ac 
count  of  short  rations.  In  this  respect  the  people  and  prisoners 
suffered  alike. 

No  stream  of  running  water  flowed  through  Belle  Island  Prison 
Encampment  like  at  Andersonville  and  other  prison  encampments 
further  south,  and  we  drank  the  foulest  water  of  all,  as  will  later 
appear  in  this  narrative.  All  that  makes  life  miserable  here 
abounded. 

There  was  no  roll  call.  The  prisoners  were  counted  into 
"squads"  of  one  hundred  and  the  squards  were  numbered  1st,  2d, 
and  so  on.  *  *  * 

Now  and  then  we  were  all  driven  out  of  camp  and  counted,  like 
cattle.  It  was  a  big  day's  work  to  make  one  of  these  counts. 

There  was  no  tabernacle  or  place  of  worship  and  I  never  saw  a 
Chaplain  or  Minister  on  the  Island.  I  did  not  hear  one  word  in 
prayer  during  the  half  year  of  my  stay  there ;  blasphemy  and  pro 
fanity  were  heard  constantly,  all  day  long,  and  brutal  fights  which 
sometimes  developed  into  "free  for  all"  battles,  in  which  several  hun 
dred  would  engage,  were  of  frequent  occurrence,  wherein  many  were 
seriously  hurt  and  on  two  occasions  several  were  killed. 

Murders  were  now  and  then  committed  and  went  unpunished 
though  the  murderers  were  known.  Informers  on  high  crimes  were 
fortunate  if  they  escaped  the  dark  night  assassin.  It  was  a  good  plan 
to  be  silent  on  these  matters  and  keep  in  the  background.  Later, 
however,  by  organization  of  a  system  of  police  a  semblance  of  govern 
ment  was  established  and  robbery  and  murder  rarely  occurred. 


378  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

The  prison  camp  was  so  small  for  the  number  of  men  confined 
therein,  that  the  streets,  on  a  fine  day,  were  so  crowded  that  it  was 
almost  impossible  to  get  through.  And  a  motley  crowd  of  long 
whiskered,  long  haired  men  and  smooth  faced  boys  they  were,  indeed. 

In  filthy  rags,  unshorn,  unkempt,  unshaved  and  unwashed ; 
very  many  dressed  in  the  gray  rags  of  some  Confederate  soldier,  ob 
tained  through  a  trade,  not  compulsory,  but  voluntarily  on  warm 
days,  for  the  "boot"  there  was  in  it. 

Some  sold  the  caps  off  their  heads  and  the  shoes  off  their  feet  and 
made  substitutes  for  caps  and  shoes  by  patching  rags  together  of  any 
color  and  kind  and  the  effect  can  be  easily  imagined.  Civilization, 
self  respect  and  personal  pride  had  evidently  died  out  in  many. 

The  nature  of  the  men  seemed  changed.  Cruelty  seemed  a  pre 
dominating  characteristic  and  over  the  merest  trifles  brutal  fights 
would  take  place 

This  was  an  indescribably  miserable  and  wretched  place.  Valley 
Forge  and  the  Jersey  Prison  Ship  were  habitations  of  comfort  and 
pleasure  compared  with  the  conditions  of  life  on  Belle  Island. 

**  <**<£•»•** 

The  commander  of  the  Prison  Encampment  or  "Post"  was  Lieu 
tenant  Boisseau,  who,  by  the  way,  was  a  renegade  from  the  United 
States  Regular  Army.  He  was  stern  but  fair  with  us.  He  aided 
every  effort  put  forth  among  us  to  establish  order  and  suppress  rob 
bery,  riot  and  murder  in  camrp. 

The  encampment  was  regularly  laid  out  in  streets  and  tiad  a  great 
many  tents  but  not  near  enough ;  most  of  them  had  seen  their  best 
days  and  leaked  badly.  Our  tent  leaked  so  badly  that  when  it  rained 
hard  we  would  roll  up  our  blankets  and  sit  on  them  to  keep  them  dry, 
while  others  would  stroke  the  tent  with  the  hands  and  thus  lead  the 
water  down  the  inside  of  the  canvas. 

On  rainy  nights  we  would,  for  this  purpose,  be  up  all  night,  and 
on  cold  days,  when  there  was  no  rain,  we  would  lie  under  our  blankets, 
all  day,  sitting  up  only  long  enough  to  eat,  which  was  not  a  lengthy 
job. 

We  never  had  any  wood,  hence  no  fires  at  any  time.  To  keep 
from  freezing  wo  would  lie  in  "spoon-fashion,"  closed  up  very  tight ; 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          379 

the  shoes  off  and  the  feet  packed  together  as  tightly  as  possible,  with 
the  blankets  tucked  under  us  all  round,  head  and  all  under  the 
covers.  So  we  breathed  and  rebreathed  the  air  under  the  blankets 
every  night  and  every  cold  day  all  that  cold  winter. 

None  of  us  had  a  garment  washed  during  the  whole  of  that  win 
ter.  We  possibly  averaged  washing  our  hands  and  faces  once  a  week. 
We  considered  ourselves  fortunate  when  we  had  water  enough  to 
drink.  We  had  no  buckets  and  few  canteens;  we  got  our  water  at 
the  river,  six  or  eight  rods  from  the  camp  and  were  allowed  to  go 
after  it  only  during  the  day.  An  alley,  about  twenty  feet  wide,  with 
a  tight  board  fence,  eight  feet  high,  on  each  side,  led  from  the  rear 
gate  to  the  river.  Close  to  the  right  of  the  foot  of  this  alley  was  the 
hospital  sink  and  to  the  left  a  few  rods  away  was  the  general  and 
only  sink  for  the  prison  camp  of  from  four  thousand  to  eight  thou 
sand  men.  Both  sinks  extending  a  few  feet  over  the  bank ;  and  be 
tween  these  "business  places"  in  the  eddy  we  got  our  drinking  water. 
So  we  drank  the  foulest  water  of  any  prison  camp  in  the  southern 
Confederacy. 

Only  a  limited  number  could  go  to  the  sink,  or  for  water  at  the 
same  time,  the  same  alley  led  to  both  ;  about  one  hundred  could  be 
on  the  way  going  and  coming  at  a  time.  Therefore,  water  was  always 
very  scarce  in  camp.  We  were  dry  many  times,  and  wanted  a  drink, 
when  there  was  no  water,  and  we  continued  to  be  dry  till  we  forgot 

about  it. 
**##*##* 

On  the  matter  of  rations,  there  is  not  much  to  be  said.  They 
gave  us  what  they  had  to  eat  themselves ;  that  was  corn  bread  only, 
and  equaled  in  quantity  the  rations  of  their  soldiers,  who  were  guards 
over  us.  We  bought  many  a  Confederate  soldier's  ration,  from  our 
guard,  and  they  fasted  for  the  little  money  we  paid  them.  One  day 
I  traded  a  day's  ration  from  one  of  the  guards,  for  a  fine  comb ;  he 
said  he  had  great  need  of  the  comb  and  had  no  money  to  buy  it.  That 
he  would  give  me  all  his  grub  for  two  days  for  it.  I  said,  "Xo, 
'Johnny,'  give  me  your  today's  grub  and  take  the  comb,"  which  he 
did.  A  fine  comb  at  that  time  was  worth  about  four  dollars  in  Con 
federate  monev. 


380  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

They  gave  us  good  wheat  bread,  beef  and  soup,  till  November 
9th,  and  after  that  it  was  corn  bread  only,  baked  by  prisoners  on  de 
tail  in  a  bake-house  outside  of  camp.  These  corn  loaves  were  about 
the  size  of  a  brick  and  weighed  a  little  less.  Rations  were  issued 
daily  at  9  :00  A.  M.  and  3  :00  P.  M.  excepting  when  the  Union  raiders 
destroyed  the  railroads  and  the  incoming  supply  trains.  Then  thanks 
to  our  cavalry  there  was  nothing  for  a  day  or  two. 

In  order  to  facilitate  the  issuing  of  rations,  and  the  movements 
of  the  men,  the  prisoners  were  divided  into  "squads"  of  one  hundred 
men,  in  charge  of  a  Sergeant.  These  squads  were  again  subdivided 
into  five  "messes/'  of  twenty  men  each,  also  in  charge  of  a  non 
commissioned  officer.  These  officers  were  appointed  by  the  post  com 
mander. 

When  rations  were  issued,  so  many  pounds  were  weighed  out  at 
the  bake  house,  for  a  squad,  and  brought  in,  in  a  blanket, 
carried  by  the  four  corners,  by  the  squad  commander  and  his 
detail.  A  blanket  was  then  laid  down,  and  this  quantity  was 
divided  into  five  equal  shares,  for  the  messes,  which  were 
numbered  from  one  to  five,  in  the  presence  of  the  mess  com 
manders,  in  all  about  eight  men.  This  process  of  division  was  always 
watehed  with  great  interest  by  a  surrounding  pack  of  half  starved, 
mouth-watering,  miserable  devils,  who  stood  ready  to  fight,  should 
there  be  the  least  sign  of  "shenanigan." 

When  all  were  satisfied  that  the  five  shares  were  exactly  equal, 
one  of  the  men  would  turn  his  back  to  make  the  distribution.  The 
Sergeant  would  point  to  one  of  the  heaps  and  ask,  "Who  gets  this  ?" 
The  soldier  facing  the  other  way  would  answer  promiscuously,  by 
number,  till  all  were  taken. 

Then  the  mess  sergeants  would  bring  their  portion  to  the  mess, 
where  a  blanket  (always  lousy,  of  course)  would  be  spread  out, 
anu  the  supplv  would  be  divided  into  twenty  equal  shares.  When 
all  were  satisfied  that  the  twenty  shares  were  exactly  alike,  one 
of  the  mess  would  turn  his  back  and  call  out  each  man's  share  by 
number,  as  it  was  pointed  out  behind  him. 

While  the  rations  were  "short"  they  were  sufficient  to  support 
life,  and  while  we  were  always  hungry,  no  soldier  starved  to  death 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          381 

in  rebel  prisons.  But  many  died  for  want  of  suitable  food.  A 
northern  man  raised  on  variety  and  wheat  bread,  will  not  flourish 
on  corn  a!',  ne;  while  a  southern  man  will.  History  tells  us  that 
"Gener.il  Washington  rose  early,  ate  his  breakfast  of  corn-cake, 
honey,  and  tea,  etc.,"  and  was  fat 

The  beating  of  the  drum  announcing  meal  time,  was  always 
greeted  by  *he  hungry  prisoners  with  the  wildest  demonstrations  of 
joy.  They  would  cheer  and  yell ;  clap  their  hands,  run  through  the 
&ireets,  just  like  children  overjoyed  at  the  prospect  of  even  so  plain 
a  meal  as  was  common  here.  In  the  same  dirty,  lousy  blankets, 
under  which  we  slept,  were  carried  out  our  sick,  and  brought  in 
our  corn  bread,  which  was  also  shared  out  on  them. 

The  Confederate  Government,  as  early  as  1863  was  in  most 
desperate  straits  at  home.  The  common  and  poor  people  of  Rich 
mond  had  loss  to  eat  than  we  had.  Bread  riots  during  the  fall  and 
winter  of  1863  were  of  frequent  occurrence,  and  matters  later  on 
must  have  been  much  worse. 

The  Union  cavalry,  in  great  force,  frequently  circled  Rich- 
inond,  destroying  railroads  and  train  loads  of  supplies,  so  that  for 
weeks  at  a  time  no  supplies  worth  counting  would  come  in. 

The  poor  of  Richmond  were  suffering  for  want  of  bread,  and 
.•supplies  for  the  prisoners  had  to  be  sent  through  the  streets  under 
a  strong  guard,  to  prevent  the  poor  hungry  men,  women  and  chil 
dren  from  seizing  them. 

The  condition  of  affairs  here,  becoming  known  to  the  National 
Government,  a  large  amount  of  U.  S.  army  crackers  was  sent  here 
for  the  Union  prisoners,  and  were  issued  to  us  by  the  Confederates, 
at  the  rate  of  three  crackers  a  day,  in  addition  to  our  regular  ad- 
lowance  of  corn  bread,  and  they  never  tasted  better.  The  U.  S. 
army  cracker  is  one  of  the  very  best  crackers,  for  a  "bread  cracker," 
ever  made. 

So  far  as  furnishing  wood  to  the  prisoners  was  concerned,  it- 
must  be  admitted  that  it  was  impossible  for  the  Confederate  authori 
ties  to  supply  the  twelve  thousand  prisoners  in  and  about  Richmond 
with  the  wood  required  to  keep  fires  going.  Wood,  in  cities  is  a 
costly  item ;  one  hundred  cords  a  day  would  not  have  sufficed.  Wood 


382  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

was  worth  fifty  to  seventy-five  dollars  a  cord.  My  chum  and  I  once 
bought  two  sticks  of  dry,  pine  cordwood  for  two  dollars  and  a  half. 

One  day  a  team,  with  a  detail  of  prisoners,  and  a  guard,  were 
sent  out  to  some  timber  for  a  load  of  wood  for  the  bake  house,  but, 
as  soon  as  they  got  into  the  woods  the  prisoners  ran  aiway ;  the 
guard  shot  off  his  gun;  nobody  was  hurt,  the  wagon  came  back 
empty,  but  the  choppers  had  fled. 

When  we  first  reached  the  Island  it  was  said  that  the  Confed 
erates  were  not  allowed  to  accept  greenbacks,  our  National  money. 
But  they  were  glad  to  get  it.  Confederates  came  in  with  immense 
amounts  for  sale.  They  would  go  through  the  camp  and  shout,  "Who 
has  greenbacks  for  sale?  Ten  dollars  Confederate  for  one  dollar 
greenback."  Large  amounts  changed  hands  on  this  basis. 

Our  bed,  and  this  was  much  compared  with  most  of  them, 
consisted  of  three  blankets  and  an  oil  cloth.  First,  the  oil  'cloth 
was  spread  on  the  ground ;  on  this  was  spread  a  blanket.  This  was 
a  bed  for  three  of  us,  and  two  blankets  covered  us,  "over  head  and 
ears/'  as  before  described,  all  winter. 

"Spooned"  tightly  together,  we  .always  lay  on  our  sides ;  there 
could  be  no  change  for  rest.  Lying  on  the  hard  ground,  corns,  often 
the  size  of  a  half  dollar,  would  form  on  hips,  shoulders,  knees  and 
ankles,  and  be  excessively  sore.  When  one  could  not  possibly  stand 
it  any  longer  on  the  "down  side"  on  account  of  the  pain  in  these 
bed  sores,  he  would  say  "over !"  All  three  would  immediately  begin 
to  wabble  and  turn  till  the  spoon  arrangement  would  be  reversed.  In 
the  morning  of  very  cold  nights,  there  would  be  a  spikey  frost  half  an 
inch  thick  on  our  upper  blanket,  caused  by  the  escaping  moisture  of 
our  breaths  from  underneath;  this  we  would  thrash  off  as  much 
as  we  could ;  if  allowed  to  thaw  thereon  the  blanket  would  be  quite 
wet. 

The  winter  was  a  severe  one.  The  deepest  snow  we  had  was 
five  inches,  and  lasted  a  week,  during  which  we  had  zero 
weather.  We  had  many  lighter  snows,  much  cold  rain,  and  many 
great,  sudden  changes. 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          383 

The  thickest  ice  was  about  six  inches.  Many  prisoners  froze 
to  death,  mostly,  or  wholly,  by  reason  of  their  own  improvidence. 
When  the  weather  was  mild,  as  it  often  was,  they  sold  blankets, 
overcoats,  and  other  clothing  to  the  Confederate  guards,  and  when 
cold  snaps  came,  they  suffered  and  froze.  The  National  Govern 
ment  apprised  of  the  condition  of  the  prisoners  here,  sent  a  great 
supply  of  clothing  by  the  "flag  of  truce  boat"  route,  up  the  James 
lliver. 

It  reached  Belle  Island  November  5th,  and  was  fairly  distrib 
uted  by  the  Confederate  officers  here  to  the  most  destitute  of  the 
prisoners  and  charged  up  to  them  on  their  U.  S.  clothing  account. 
Many  of  the  prisoners  gave  fictitious  names  and  regiments,  to  escape 
the  payment  of  this  uniform  clothing. 

The  distribution  continued  several  days,  and  was  well  done. 
The  selling  of  the  clothing  to  the  Confederates  now  became  a  great 
business  and  it  was  not  long  till  nearly  all  of  the  Confederate  guards 
were  partly,  or  wholly,  in  new  blue  uniforms,  with  new  Union 
overcoats  on  their  backs,  and  the  erstwhile  ragged  Union  prisoners, 
were  as  ragged  as  before,  shivering  in  the  cold. 

On  December  12,  1863,  and  January  18,  1864,  further  ship 
ments  of  uniform  clothing  from  Washington  reached  our  Island 
Prison  Encampment,  and  fairly  issued  to  the  "destitute  prisoners." 
But,  no  sooner  were  these  issues  made  than  the  same  men  who 
*old  their  clothing  before  sold  it  again,  and  were  just  as  ragged 
B&  before.  Many  traded  their  entire  uniforms  of  all  wool,  heavy 
goods,  for  an  entire  gray,  ragged  and  filthy  Confederate  suit  of 
variegated  colors,  and  a  trifling  amount  in  Confederate  "boot" 
monty.  There  was  no  reason  for  being  barefooted  or  desperately 
ragged,  and  all  such  were  themselves  to  blame;  they  bartered  away 
their  clothing  and  shoes  and  went  into  rags  voluntarily. 

Ths  uniforms  issued  by  the  National  Government  to  its  soldiers, 
were  made  of  the  best,  heavy,  all  wool  cloth,  of  the  most  durable 
character,  and  should  have  lasted  a  prisoner  several  years  without 
becoming  "desperately  ragged." 

As  before  intimated,  we  were  dirty  and  lousy ;  there  was  no 
escape.  The  seams  of  our  uniforms  were  white  crusted  streaks  of 


384  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

nits  and  "creepers;"  there  was  no  rest  day  or  night.  Every  mild 
day  hundreds  of  the  prisoners  could  be  seen  sitting  on  the  ground 
throughout  the  camp,  in  the  sun,  bare  backed,  for  hours,  with  their 
shirts  turned  inside  out,  and  spread  on  their  knees,  killing  the 
pestiferous  agraybacks"  between  the  thumb  nails.  This  was  such 
a  common  pand  general  occupation  -that  'the  prisoners  so  engaged  did 
not  attract  the  least  attention  of  other  prisoners  standing  around 
or  passing  by. 

Whew !  We  can  feel  them  yet,  as  they  trooped  across  our 
breasts  and  up  and  down  our  backs  and  legs,  when  we  wanted  to 
sleep. 

Among  the  Union  prisoners  captured  by  the  Confederates 
during  the  Bristoe  campaign,  were  a  great  many  of  the  recruits  who 
had  joined  the  Army  shortly  before  the  campaign  opened;  men 
who  took  big  bounties  and  never  intended  to  do  any  service. 

In  New  York  City  bounties  ranging  from  one  thousand  to 
fifteen  hundred  dollars  were  paid  for  a  three  years'  recruit  at  this 
time.  This  brought  in  a  lot  of  depraved  New  York  City  toughs. 
Among  them  were  a  banded  gang  of  Irish  villains,  who  halted 
not  ait  any  crime  ;  they  were  cruel,  heartless,  sitout  and  powerf  ul  men. 

They  soon  had  followers  and  became  a  powerful  and  greatly 
feared  gang  of  bold  desperadoes,  whose  ill  will  we  had  abundant 
reason  bo  fear.  They  started  their  robberies  at  Orange  Court  House, 
where  we  boarded  the  train  for  Richmond. 

It  was  my  misfortune  to  be  shut  in  with  them  in  the  same 
freight  car.  They  would  light  a  candle,  then  locate  a  soldier  who 
they  thought  had  money,  pack  around  him  then  put  out  the  light; 
at  lhat  instant  one  of  them  would  throw  his  arm  around  the  victim's 
neck  from  behind  and  choke  him,  while  the  rest  would  rifte  his 
pockets.  If,  on  being  released  he  said  a  word,  he  would  be  knocked 
down,  and  unmercifully  kicked.  In  Libby  they  practiced  tie  same 
system  of  robbery.  On  the  second  night  of  our  stay  in  Libby 
Prison,  at  midnight,  in  a  raid  by  this  gang  on  several  prisoners,  a 
general  fight  broke  out,  in  which  about  four  hundred  men  took  a 
hand.  Friends  and  comrades  choked  and  knocked  each  other  down 
in  the  deep  darkness.  It  was  the  worst  row  in  which  I  ever  took 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          585 

a  hand,  and  it  only  ended  when  about  forty  Confederate  guards, 
with  fixed  bayonets  rushed  in,  guided  by  a  dozen  lanterns  held  high 
on  bayonets,  shouting,  "order!  order!"  Meanwhile  clubbing  and 
prodding  the  fighters  with  bayonets,  as  they  charged  through  the 
center  of  the  room.  During  this  row,  probably  half  a  hundred  were 
more  or  less  seriously  hurt,  and  a  sick  man  was  trampled  to  death. 

On  reaching  Belle  Island  Prison  Encampment,  they  went 
into  <a  Sibley  tent,  one  of  the  best  in  oamp,  occupied  by  a 
number  of  frail,  emaciated  prisoners  whom  they  threw  out,  but 
kept  their  blankets  and  other  effects.  From  this  high  handed  out 
rage  and  robbery,  there  was  no  appeal  and  it  stood — unpunished. 

They  would  "snatch"  rations  and  blankets  from  other  prisoners  j 
if  they  remonstrated  they  were  knocked  down  with  the  clubs  they 
always  carried. 

For  a  long  time  they  had  everything  their  own  way.  They 
openly  committed  heinous  crimes  with  impunity,  and  they  flourished. 
I  witnessed  a  number  of  their  robberies,  in  one  of  which  they 
murdered  a  soldier.  Many  of  the  prisoners  besides  me  saw  it;  but 
all  kept  quiet  about  it.  There  was  absolutely  no  protection  for  asi 
informer ;  to  inform  on  them,  at  this  time,  would  have  been  suicide. 
Here  there  was  no  law  to  appeal  to  for  protection,  or  the  punish 
ment  of  crime,  no  matter  how  heinous.  Here  we  were  entirely 
cut  off  from  the  rest  of  the  world.  We  were  under  no  government, 
and  no  law.  What  happened  here  must  be  settled  here,  or  remain 
unsettled. 

For  two  years  lawlessness  and  high  crimes  ran  riot,  unchecked 
in  this  camp,  and  life  and  personal  effects  had  no  safeguards.  Ra 
tions  and  clothing  were  snatched  out  of  your  hands  by  these  villains, 
and  he  who  resented,  went  down  with  a  rap  on  the  head  with  a 
"billy,"  or  "blackjack,"  whether  to  rise  up  again  was  always  a  ques 
tion. 

But  the  day  of  retribution  finally  oame ;  lawlessness  and  crime 
must  end.  Under  the  auspices  and  encouragement  of  the  post  com 
mander,  Lieutenant  Boisseau,  two  police  companies  were  organized ; 
one  under  the  name  of  "Camp  Regulators,"  the  other  named  "Safety 
Guards,"  and  all  known  by  the  general  name  of  "Belle  Island 


586  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Police."  They  were  given  unlimited  authority  to  keep  order,  and 
to  punish  criminals  in  their  own  way. 

Any  alarm,  day  or  night,  was  quickly  responded  to,  and  the 
shout  of  "catch  him,"  was  taken  up  by  the  whole  camp;  all  were 
instantly  on  'the  watch,  and  the  criminal  would  always  be  caught. 
Punishment  immediately  followed,  and  consisted  of  the  most  brutal 
clubbing  and  kicking.  I  witnessed  a  number  of  these,  and  I  could 
not  imagine  how  a  human  being  could  live  under  such  awful  blows 
and  kicks ;  the  victims  shouting  <and  begging  for  life  and  mercy ; 
when  they  were  overhauled  they  were  instantly  knocked  down,  and 
as  they  tried  to  get  up,  four  or  five  fearful  kicks,  by  as  many  men, 
in  sides,  stomach  and  back,  would  lay  them  out  again.  Whether  the 
victims  punished  in  this  way  outlived  their  injuries,  I  never  learned. 

On  the  west  side  of  camp  were  located  about  five  hundred 
(Union)  prisoners  of  the  1st  Kentucky,  and  2d  Tennessee  Regi 
ments,  who  were  organized  for  mutual  self-protection,  and  always 
rallied  to  defend  each  other. 

One  afternoon  these  "Irish  raiders"  and  their  followers  went 
over  to  snatch  blankets  among  the  Tennesseeans.  On  the  "snatch 
ing"  of  the  first  blanket,  the  alarm  was  given.  The  men  of  Ken- 
tacky  and  Tennessee  and  the  police  turned  out;  a  fearful  row 
ensued.  The  baittle  was  for  the  extermination  of  the  raiders.  A 
great  majority  was  on  my  side  now,  and  it  was  safe  to  speak  out. 
So  I  joined  in  the  general  shout  of  kill  them!  kill  them!  while  I 
was  crowding  out  and  elbowing  my  way  to  the  front  to  help  it  along. 
The  row  was  immense,  and  lasted  probably  an  hour,  during  which 
time  intense  excitement  prevailed  among  the  Confederates,  who  fullv 
manned  the  three  batteries  commanding  the  camp ;  and  stood  by  their 
"'double  canistered"  guns,  awaiting  a  possible  "break  out,"  from 
the  excited  camp.  There  was  no  strike  for  freedom;  but  the 
"raiders"  were  wiped  out.  I  saw  the  leaders  killed;  "Pete"  and 
"Tar"  (we  never  heard  their  real  names),  went  down;  while  "Jack," 
the  "Monster,"  fell  by  a  dagger  stab  in  the  spine,  between  the 
shoulders ;  the  point  of  the  dagger  broke  off  and  remained ;  his  whole 
body  was  instantly  paralyzed.  He  was  now  an  aibject  coward,  and  in 
tears  begged  for  his  life.  He  died  a  few  days  later. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          387 

"Big  Mike,"  a  giant  in  size  and  strength,  and  the  main  stay  of 
the  band,  broke  through  the  crowd,  and  ran,  with  nearly  all  the  clothes 
torn  off  his  back ;  he  was  pursued ;  but  some  of  the  prisoners  at 
the  south  end  pitied,  and  hid  him,  till  the  excitement  died  out. 

In  this  great  row  there  were  about  three  thousand  men  engaged, 
either  actively  or  passively,  packed  in  a  swaying,  shouting  crowd ; 
the  leaders  were  killed,  and  probably  a  hundred  injured.  I  did  not 
get  quite  to  the  "front,"  where  the  business  was  really  done;  but 
was  told  in  the  evening  that  the  leaders  of  the  raiders  had  all  "gone 
over  to  their  reward."  "Big  Mike,"  however,  escaped.  I  met  him 
on  the  flag  of  truce  boat  "City  of  Xew  York,"  at  City  Point,  the 
following  spring.  He  told  me  that  he  was  the  only  one  of  the 
leaders  that  was  left  alive. 

After  the  extermination  of  these  raiders,  and  by  the  vigilance 
r,f  the  police,  outlawry  and  robbery  ceased. 

There  were  quite  a  number  of  books  and  magazines  in  camp, 
and  they  constituted  a  real  "circulating  library."  In  order  to 
become  a  member  of  this  "reading  circle"  it  was  only  necessary 
to  own  a  book  or  magazine.  After  having  read  it,  you  would  take  it, 
walk  through  the  camp  and  call  out,  "Who  has  a  book  to  exchange  2" 
till,  "here"  was  heard,  and  a  trade  was  made,  and  each  had  n?w 
reading  for  a  few  days.  In  these  exchanges,  books  worth  three  or 
four  dollars  were  often  exchanged  for  a  twenty-five  cent  magazine, 
back  and  forth,  to  be  traded  again  to  others  regardless  of  the  value  of 
either  book,  so  you  got  one  you  had  not  read  before. 

In  reading  these  circulating  books,  many  a  gloomy  and  miser 
able  day  was  bridged  over. 

I  had  formed  some  pleasant  acquaintances  among  some  western 
boys,  camped  on  the  north  side.  One  evening  after  dusk  I  went 
over  to  exchange  books  with  them ;  I  found  their  tents  empty ;  they 
Lad  been  moved  away.  In  one  of  their  tents  I  found  a  dead  soldier 
aud  not  an  earthly  thing  beside;  he  had  been  deserted  by  his  com 
rades,  while  sick,  twid  left'  to  die  alone.  His  death  struggles  were 
evidently  long  'and  terrible.  His  mouth  and  both  his  hands  were 
full  of  ground,  held  fast  in  a  death  grip. 


388  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

He  lay  partly  on  his  side,  and  had  kicked  and  dug  a  great 
hole  in  the  ground  with  his  feet.  I  left  him  as  I  found  him.  He 
was  one  "unknown,"  and  I  thought  it  was  a  blessing  that  his  people 
would  never  know  what  a  sad  end  came  to  him,  unattended  and 
alone  in  winter,  in  that  cheerless  tent,  on  the  bare  ground.  By 
reason  of  filth,  unsanitary  conditions  of  the  camp,  and  exposure 
to  all  conditions  of  inclement  weather,  many  without  shelter,  and  all 
without  fuel,  caused  the  men  to  sicken  and  die  in  great  numbers; 
the  sick  were  carried  out  to  the  hospital  every  morning;  yet  many 
who  were  not  supposed  to  be  sick  enough  to  go  to  the  hospital,  died 
in  camp.  Some  dying  in  fits  of  coughing;  others  would  drop  down 
and  die;  while  many  others  simply  died  while  they  slept.  That  is 
they  fell  asleep  never  to  wake  again.  *  *  * 

It  was  impossible  to  keep  a  record  of  the  number  of  deaths  in 
camp ;  the  only  way  to  get  the  number  was  to  watch  the  gate  all  the 
time  and  count  the  number  carried  out. 

On  the  morning  of  November  13th  I  went  down  to  the  gate  and 
saw  thirteen  dead  soldiers  carried  out,  to  be  buried  by  the  usual 
morning  detail  of  prisoners  from  cainp.  The  greatest  number  of 
these  were  picked  up  from  the  streets  of  camp,  having  died  or 
frozen  during  the  night.  With  shelter,  suitable  food,  and  medical 
attendance,  all  of  these  might  possibly  have  been  saved. 

I  watched  with  interest  this  funeral  procession  as  it  moved 
out.  Half  a  hundred  emaciated,  tottering,  ragged  soldiers,  moving 
in  an  irregular  and  scattered  procession,  they  carried  the  dead, 
curled  up  in  unrecognizable  bundles,  in  blankets,  by  the  four  corners. 
With  an  indifference  becoming  savages,  they  carried  out  and  buried 
the  dead,  without  ceremony  of  'any  kind,  as  you  would  bury  a  baast. 

Most  of  our  dead  went  by  way  of  the  hospital.  On  Tuesday^ 
October  27,  1863,  we  were-  "counted."  We  were  all  marched  out 
of  the  prison  encampment,  into  an  'adjoining  field,  and  counted  at 
the  gates  as  we  passed  back  into  camp.  We  had  a  "population"  of 
four  thousand  eight  hundred  by  this  day's  count. 

We  were  generally  counted  in  this  way  about  once  a  month. 
Beginning  early  in  the  morning,  it  would  run  all  day,  and  end  in  th* 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          389 

early  part  of  the  night,  with  no  time  for  rations.  A  special  count 
made  about  November  1st,  showed  that  there  were  then  over  six  thou 
sand,  three  hundred  prisoners  in  the  camp. 

On  November  29th  a  count  was  made  in  the  usual  way,  which 
shewed  that  there  were  five  thousand,  one  hundred  and  sixteen 
prisoners.  Allowing  that  one  thousand  prisoners  were  brought  in 
during  that  time,  an  estimate  much  too  low,  there  were  carried  out 
of  camp,  two  thousand  one  hundred  and  eighty -four  sick  and  dead, 
tlrrty  per  cent  of  the  whole  number,  or  approximately,  one  out 
of  every  three,  in  four  weeks.  Only  a  small  percentage  of  the  sick 
carried  out  ever  returned.  About  the  middle  of  the  winter,  when 
aie  Union  Army  had  settled  down  in  winter  quaiters,  and  raiding 
hsid  ceased,  conditions  here  were  greatly  improved.  Our  rations 
were  increased.  The  hospital  service  was  much  improved  and 
extended,  but  the  tents  were  still  cheerless  and  fireless  places  of 
suffering  and  death. 

Our  old  guards  were  relieved  by  a  regiment  of  North  Carolina 
soldiers ;  good,  and  kindly  disposed  fellows,  over  half  of  them,  firmlv 
Union  men  at  heart.  They  told  us  that  as  soon  as  the  Union  Army 
came  near  enough  to  give  them  protection  they  would  throw  down 
their  guns  and  surrender. 

Many  of  the  resourceful  prisoners  had  devised  schemes  to 
escape.  The  plans  advanced  and  discussed  were  varied,  and  often 
absurd.  For  a  long  time  the  plan  of  tunnelling  was  considered  the 
most  feasible  of  all.  Several  tunnels  were  dug,  but  they  were  fail 
ures. 

A  finely  educated,  active,  rather  impulsive  young  soldier  by 
the  name  of  Rickets,  a  Marvlander,  was  wild  over  a  plan  by  which 
he  claimed  a  limited  number  could  get  away.  A  number  of  us 
joined  him.  He  said  he  had  the  good  will  of  several  of  the  guards, 
who  would  let  a  few  prisoners  pass  out  for  a  price.  The  matter  was 
discussed ;  some  did  not  believe  in  the  plan,  but  we  were  so  anxious 
to  get  away  that  we  concluded  to  risk  it.  Rickets  argued  that  we 
might  as  well  be  shot  as  to  die  by  degrees;  he  did  not  believe  they 
could  hit  us  anyway,  on  a  dark  night.  The  day  set  was  a  dark, 
rainy,  gloomy  one ;  there  being  no  moon,  the  night  would  be  a 


390  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

good  one  to  carry  out  our  plan.  During  the  early  part  of  the 
evening,  Rickets  and  one  companion  went  out  to  find  the  guard ; 
they  soon  returned  and  reported  that  all  was  arranged  and  that 
they  had  paid  the  guard  eighty  dollars  to  pass  a  small  number,  and 
give  the  "countersign"  at  a  fixed  hour  late  in  the  night.  The  hour 
came  and  we  were  on  hand ;  some  of  the  company  began  to  doubt.  Our 
guard  however  was  there.  Rickets  hailed  him  and  everything 
seemed  favorable ;  one  after  the  other  passed  over  the  embankment ; 
the  third  was  on  top  of  the  parapet  when  a  volley  was  fired  into 
the  company  by  a  squad  of  Confederates  just  coming  up,  and 
Rickets  and  the  second  man  fell,  wounded;  the  rest  of  us  ran.  It 
was  rumored  next  -day  that  Rickets  had  been  killed  and  the  second 
man  mortally  wounded.  We  never  saw  them,  or  heard  of  them 
afterwards. 

Some  time  after  this  another  attempt  at  escape  was  made, 
and  partly  succeeded.  On  a  very  dark  and  stormy  night  a  number 
crept  past  the  guard  in  the  darkness  and  tried  to  ford  and  swim  from 
rock  to  rock,  through  the  rapids  of  the  J'ames  River  to  the  north 
side,  then  strike  nonth  for  our  lines.  But  the  current  and  the  ice 
cold  water  was  too  much  for  them ;  they  were  carried  down  and 
drowned.  Several  bodies  were  found  on  the  rocks  in  the  rapids 
next  morning,  brought  back  and  buried  in  the  prisoner's  graveyard. 
It  was  believed  that  every  one  in  the  company  perished. 

Attempts  at  escape  were  constantly  made,  but  were  generally 
known  only  to  the  trusted  few  concerned  in  the  scheme.  Now  and 
then  we  heard  from  soldiers  who  escaped  from  the  Island  and 
reached  the  Union  lines  in  safety. 

When  once  on  the  main  land  there  were  even  chances  of  getting 
through  safely.     Many  of  the  citizens  and  the  negroes  generally, 
through  the  country,  would  aid  and  pilot  escaping  Union  prisoners, 
for  whom  a  regular  trail  had  been  established, 
•fr-*-*-****** 

Almost  daily  arrivals  of  prisoners  rapidly  swelled  the  number, 
until  Belle  Island  Camp,  twice  enlarged,  was  a  prison-pen  city  of 
over  eight  thousand,  made  up  of  all  classes  of  men  known  to  the 
world:  students,  lawyers,  doctors,  teachers,  mechanics,  and  machin- 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          391 

ists,  ©very  trade  and  branch  of  art  and  industry,  had  its  representa 
tives  here,  by  masters  in  their  line,  as  well  as  scamps  and  cheats 
in  great  numbers,  dying  by  degrees. 

There  were  toy,  relic  and  memento  stores,  a  restaurant  where 
corn-pone  was  sold,  barber  shops,  jewelry  shops,  etc.  Market  street, 
so-called,  was  on  every  fair  day  crowded  from  morning  till  night, 
Tvith  men,  ragged  and  dirty,  loudly  offering  something  to  sell  and 
extolling  its  merits,  with  an  earnestness  that  rivaled  a  stock  ex 
change. 

There  all  imaginable  things,  peculiar  to  the  place,  consisting 
largely  of  toys  and  curios  made  in  camp,  were  hawked,  sold  and 
traded.  Some  of  the  finest  specimens  of  pocket-knife  cuttings,  carv 
ings  in  wood,  ivory,  human  and  beef  bones,  wonderful  in  design  and 
workmanship;  also,  beautiful  pencil  drawings  and  landscape  sketch 
ings,  and  famous  battle  scenes. 

Common  pocket  knives  were  the  only  carving  tools  and  common 
lead  pencils,  the  only  instruments  of  art. 

It  was  the  more  distressing  to  see  so  many  talented  and  highly 
educated  men  in  rags,  loaded  down  with  filth,  dirt  and  vermin, 
down  to  the  level  of  barbarism,  slowly  but  surely  dying. 

There  was  absolutely  nothing  for  the  prisoners  to  do  here. 
Therefore,  for  want  of  occupation  for  the  mind,  many  fell  to  brood 
ing,  scolding,  cursing  the  War  and  the  stoppage  of  exchange. 

One  day  I  said  to  my  partner,  Skinner,  of  Hoboken,  Xew 
Jorsey,  "Let  us  go  into  business,  like  some  of  the  rest  have  done, 
to  keep  up  spirits."  He  said,  "I  have  no  money,  and  nothing  to 
sell;  how  will  we  get  started?"  I  said,  "I  will  sell  my  new  over 
coat  to  the  Johnnies  for  whatever  it  will  bring.  I  can  get  along 
as  well  without  it  as  you  'and  Adams ;  besides,  I  have  quite  a  few 
trinkets  of  value  in  my  knapsack.  Everything  must  go."  The 
same  day  I  sold  my  overcoat  to  a  Confederate  guard  for  $27,  Con 
federate  money,  worth  $2.70  in  green-backs,  and  equivalent  to  about 
$1.22  in  "sound  money."  All  of  which  I  paid  for  one  bushel  of 
potatoes  and  two  sticks  of  pine  cord  wood,  with  which  to  cook  them. 
Skinner  split  the  wood  into  splinters  with  a  heavy  razor  and  a 
stone,  and  began  to  cook  potatoes  in  water,  and  smash  them  into 


392  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

mush,  and  without  pepper  or  salt,  would  heap  a  small  amount  nicely 
on  a  tin  plate,  in  a  neat  cone,  with  a  spoon  sticking  in  the  top  and 
I  would  take  it  down  to  "Market  Street"  to  sell.  I  would  stand 
and  yell,  "Here  you  are!  A  big  plate  of  cooked  potatoes,  just  off 
the  fire,  steaming  hot;  take  them  while  hot,  they  will  warm  you  up, 
make  you  fat  and  happy,  etc.,  all  for  ten  cents  or  one  dollar  Con 
federate,  only  one  dollar  Confederate,  ten  cents !  ten  cents  !"  When 
a  plate  was  sold  I  would  stand  by  the  purchaser  till  he  ate  them 
(a  short  wait)  then  I  would  hie  back  to  find  Skinner  ready  with 
more. 

We  were  the  only  cooked  potato  dealers  in  camp  and  we  sold 
them  fast,  at  a  profit.  The  first  day  we  cleared  $25.  Later  we 
added  tobacco,  onions,  and  some  other  little  items  of  use  and  lux 
ury.  We  lived  better  now;  we  ate  extras,  while  surrounded  by 
prisoners  who  watched  us  eating  and  hungered  the  more  when  they 
saw  us  eat, 

For  a  time  we  flourished  and  carried  "Honey  Dew"  chewing 
tobacco  in  our  pockets  to  give  free  chews  to  the  distressed  and  to 
those  who  served  us  by  doing  errands. 

We  were  great  men  in  this  city  of  misery.  We  were  liberal 
with  those  who  stole  our  goods. 

Time  went  on,  and  we  could  get  no  more  potatoes;  then  we 
I  ought  flour  and  baked  flap-jacks  and  sold  them  two  for  a  dollar. 
To  make  these  flap-jacks  flour  and  water  only  were  made  into  a 
batiter  and  fried  in  (any  kind  of  available;  grease.  Then  we  began 
to  trade  in  meats,  onions,  tobacco,  etc.,  and  did  fairly  well ;  but 
meat  was  high ;  fresh  beef  cooked,  five  dollars  a  pound. 

One  day  I  made  >a  deal  with  a  rebel  guard  for  twenty-five 
pounds  of  stuffed  liver  pudding,  for  one  hundred  dollars ;  the  guard 
was  to  deliver  the  pudding  at  an  hour  fixed,  when  he  would  be  on 
post.  At  the  appointed  hour  I  crept  up  to  the  dead  line  in  the 
darkness;  but  I  was  nervous  and  hesitated  on  taking  the  risk  as  a 
number  had  been  shot  as  they  crossed  the  line  to  trade.  I  listened 
ard  watched  closely ;  I  could  not  see  the  guard  as  it  was  intensely 
dark ;  but  I  heard  him  walk  his  frozen  beat  not  twenty  feet  away, 
just  outside  the  parapet 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          393 

Within  a  few  feet  of  me  to  my  left,  a  prisoner  who  had  crept 
up  to  the  dead  line  so  quietly  that  even  I  did  not  hear  him,  asked 
in  an  undertone,  "Johhny,  will  you  trade?" 

The  Johnnie  yelled,  "Get  out  of  this  you  d—  Yankee,  I 
will  put  a  ball  through  you/'  and  I  heard  the  click  of  the  gun- 
hummer  as  it  was  drawn  preparatory  to  shoot.  If  ever  I  heard  a 
Yankee  run  in  darkness  it  was  then.  I  kept  very  still  till  the  guard 
of  the  other  beat  came  up  in  hopes  it  was  my  man. 

When  he  came  I  signaled,  "Whist,"  he  answered,  "Aye,"  very 
low.  I  said,  "Pudding?"  "Yes,"  came  the  answer,  "have  you 
the  money  ready?"  I  said,  "I  could  only  raise  ninety  dollars;  is 
it  a  go?"  "Yes,  let  me  have  it"  Quickly  I  stepped  over  the  dead 
line  into  the  ditch,  the  valley  of  death,  where  many  a  prisoner  was 
murderously  shot,  in  obedience  to  orders,  by  the  guards,  who,  it 
was  said,  received  furloughs  homa  for  shooting  a  Yankee  outside  of 
the  dead  line.  The  risk  was  always  great;  any  other  guard  seeing 
me  would  shoot  me;  but  I  clambered  to  the  top  of  the  para 
pet  and  whispered,  "Here  is  the  money,"  and  he  handed  me  the 
pudding.  I  slid  off  the  parapet  and  was  gone  so  quickly  and 
quietly  that  the  guard  did  not  know  what  became  of  me.  Bgit  the 
pudding  smelt  like  limberger  cheese.  Kext  morning  we  examined 
it  and  found  it  was  spoiled.  We  could  not  sell  it;  so  we  ate  it 
ourselves,  dividing  with  the  rest  of  our  mess  mates,  who  were  glad 
it  was  half  rotten  so  they  got  some  of  it. 

Our  capital  was  now  gone.  We  had  failed  in  business.  "What 
now  ?"  Skinner  asked.  I  said,  "We  must  get  even  with  the  fraud  of 
a  reb. ;  this  tin  medal  with  my  name,  company  and  regiment  on  it 
is  the  size  of  a  silver  dollar,  I  will  pass  it  on  him  tonight  for  a  silver 
dollar." 

When  our  friendly  guard  was  on  post  that  night  I  went  out  to 
the  dead  line  and  signaled,  "Whist!" 

"Aye,"  came  the  answer. 

"Trade?"  I  asked. 

"Yes,  what  have  you  ?" 

He  said,   "Four  pounds  of  beef  and  a  stick  of  cord  wood." 

I  said,  "I  will  give  you  a  silver  dollar  for  it." 


394  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

"Hand  it  over,"  he  said. 

I  crossed  the  dead  line  and  ditch,  climbed  the  parapet  and 
handed  him  the  medal,  got  the  beef,  cleared  the  ditch  and  ran.  On 
coming  in,  Skinner  asked,  "What  luck  ?"  I  said,  "Good,  I  was  too 
much  for  the  dishonest  devil  this  time."  Next  morning  we  looked 
at  the  "beef"  and  found  it  was  a  chunk  of  a  cow's  udder,  it  looked 
yellow  and  slimy. 

Skinner  thought  if  we  cooked  it  thoroughly  we  could  eat  it, 
hungry  as  we  were.  He  split  the  wood  with  razor  and  stone  and 
cooked  the  udder  until  the  wood  was  all  burned;  as  it  cooked  it 
turned  yellow,  slimy,  scummy  and  odoriferous,  but  we  ate  of  it;. 
all  at  once  I  felt  sick;  I  said,  I  have  enough;  I  have  a  pain  now-; 
Skinner  said  he  felt  sick  too  and  had  a  pain;  we  gave  the  balance 
to  other  prisoners,  and  I  imagine  they  all  got  a  pain.  It  was  a 
week  before  we  fully  recovered  from  the  effects  of  this  mess. 

At  the  time  I  bought  the  udder,  there  was  considerable  bad 
beef  sold  to  the  prisoners  by  the  guards.  A  few  days  later  we  were 
told  that  our  beef  cow  had  died  a  natural  death  several  days 
before  she  was  cut  up  into  beef  and  sold  to  us. 

I  said,  "Skinner,  we  will  try  the  rascals  just  once  more." 
With  a  lead  pencil  we  traced  a  twenty-dollar  Confederate  bill  on 
paper,  laid  over  the  bill  on  glass;  then  greased  it  and  crushed  it 
till  it  was  soft.  I  took  this  new  bill  out  that  night,  and  signaled 
"Whist."  "Aye,"  came  promptly;  it  was  my  man.  "Trade?" 
I  asked,  "Yes,"  what  have  you?  He  answered,  "Onions  and  pota 
toes,  mixed  a  half  bushel,"  I  said,  "I  will  give  you  twenty  dollars 
for  them.  "Hand  it  over."  I  did;  they  took  the  now  bill,  lit 
n  match  and  looked  iat  it;  when  tihey  lilt  the  match  I  slid  off  the 
parapet  and  lay  in  the  ditch  so  close  to  the  parapet  that  they  could 
not  get  range  of  me  if  they  discovered  the  fraud ;  for  a  few  minutes 
I  was  in  great  suspense,  but  they  evidently  pronounced  the  bill 
genuine,  for  they  threw  the  onions  over  the  parapet,  right  01- 
me.  I  lay  still  till  I  heard  them  walk  their  beats,  then  slipped 
quietly  away.  We  ate  onions  and  potatoes  for  several  days. 

I  had  a  big  supply  of  paper,  envelopes,  needles,  thread,  buttons, 
etc.,  in  my  knapsack,  and  we  began  to  sell  these.  The  ragged  con- 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          395 

dition  of  the  uniforms  of  the  Confederates  caused  a  great  demand 
for  needles,  said  to  be  very  scarce  in  the  Confederacy ;  therefore 
we  had  no  trouble  to  get  one  dollar  a  piece  for  needles,  while  pant 
buttons  readily  sold  two  for  a  dollar.  We  put  half  a  sheet  of  paper 
in  each  envelope,  and  both  of  us  went  down  to  "Market  Street," 
and  began  to  shout,  "Oh,  here  you  are  for  your  paper  and  envelopes! 
Come  buy  paper  and  envelopes  and  write  home  to  your  friends; 
tell  them  you  are  living.  Oh !  here  you  are  for  your  paper  and 
envelopes ;  a  sheet  of  paper  and  envelope  for  ten  cents,  or  one 
dollar  Confederate."  They  sold  rapidly,  and  we  had  some  money 
again,  for  which  we  bought  extras  to  eat  from  the  Johnnies,  just 
to  such  an  amount  each  day. 

One  day  I  was  down  to  Market  Street  and  saw  a  prisoner  hold 
ing  up  an  apple  for  sale;  he  was  an  elegant  talker,  and  never 
halted  for  words  as  he  loudly  told  us  what  a  good  apple  he  had 
to  sell,  always  ending  the  strain  with  the  price,  ten  cents,  or  one 
dollar  Confederate.  I  was  down  to  my  last  dollar,  but  I  could  not 
pass  that  apple;  I  would  walk  away  then  go  back  and  see  if  he 
ttill  had  it.  I  bought  it ;  no  apple  ever  tasted  so  good  'and  no  apple 
ever  cost  me  so  much.  My  knapsack  was  now  empty  and  my  money 
all  gone,  but  spring  was  rapidly  coming  on  and  we  kept  our  nerve. 

Down  along  the  bank  of  the  river  by  the  camp  sink,  there 
were  blackberry  and  sassafras  bushes,  and  the  prisoners  dug  the 
roots  of  these  to  the  depth  of  four  feet,  and  used  the  bark  for 
medicinal  purposes,  and  which  commanded  a  high  price.  Here  also 
stood  a  number  of  large  but  ton  wood  trees,  the  bark  of  which,  for 
a  change,  was  an  article  of  diet ;  the  bark  of  the  roots,  deep  into 
the  ground,  as  well  as  the  bark  of  the  trunk  and  branches,  to  a 
height  of  twenty  feet  or  more,  was  cut  and  scraped  off  the  wood, 
clean,  and  eaten.  Some  of  the  prisoners  claimed  that  these  barks 
relieved  the  distress  of  heartburn,  from  which  nearly  all  the  prison 
ers  suffered  greatly,  and  for  the  relief  and  cure  of  which  we  also 
ate  quantities  of  yellow  clay,  ashes,  and  drank  weak  lye,  by  way 
of  experiment,  with  little  or  no  benefit 

The  prisoners  were  nearly  famished  for  meat,  and  anything 
in  the  line  of  meat  would  be  seized  upon. 


396  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

The  commander  had  a  fine,  fat,  pet  poodle  dog;  one  day  this 
fat  dog  came  into  camp ;  was  seized  upon  arrival,  and  butchered ; 
the  Confederate  commander  was  very  mad,  and  stopped  the  rations 
on  the  whole  camp  till  the  butchers  of  his  dog  would  be  delivered 
to  him.  Those  knowing1  would  not  tell ;  the  second  day  the  butchers 
of  "ye  said  dog"  went  to  the  gate  and  surrendered,  that  the  camp 
might  be  relieved.  Nearly  all  afternoon  I  saw  them  sitting  on 
boxes  beside  headquarters,  eating  something.  I  saw  no  punishment 
in  this,  and  when  they  came  in  I  asked,  "What  did  he  do  to  yon  ?" 

"Nothing." 

"Did  you  only  have  to  sit  on  those  boxes  and  eat  ?" 

"That  is   all." 

"Well,  what  did  he  give  you  to  eat  then  ?" 

"A  piece  of  raw  dog  meat." 

When  news  of  successes  from  the  Union  Army  reached  our 
prison  camp,  there  would  be  tremendous  cheering  and  howling 
through  the  entire  camp  of  eight  thousand,  wonderfully  prolonged 
and  indescribable,  and  which  the  Johnnies  never  tried  to  prohibit  or 
control. 

It  was  known  that  there  were  some  men  on  the  Island  who  had 
formerly  been  impressed  and  served  in  the  Confederate  Army,  but 
who,  later,  renounced  the  rebel  cause  and  joined  the  Union  Army 
and,  with  others,  were  taken  prisoners.  The  Confederates  were  deter 
mined  to  find  and  hang  these  men ;  several  times  they  took  us  all  out 
of  camp  and  passed  us  in  single  file  past  men  who  knew  them,  to  iden 
tify  and  pick  them  out. 

The  prisoners  were  all  determined  that  they  should  not  be  found, 
and  they  never  were  found. 

There  was  very  little  punishment  inflicted  on  the  prisoners  for 
offenses  against  the  Johnnies  or  their  prison  rules.  The  usual  forms 
of  punishment  were  "buck"  and  "gag"  and  hanging  up  by  the  thumbs. 
To  be  "bucked"  meant  the  bringing  of  the  palms  of  the  hands  to 
gether,  then  tying  a  rope  around  the  wrists,  then  drawing  the  pinioned 
hands  out  and  downward,  over  the  knees,  till  a  stick  could  be  passed 
under  the  knee  joints,  and  over  the  arms,  which  doubled  a  man  up  in 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          597 

a  lump,  and  he  was  left  lying  or  sitting  on  the  ground  till  his  sen 
tence  in  hours  was  fully  completed  and  ended. 

"Gagging"  meant  to  put  a  stick  or  bayonet  crosswise  in  tihe 
mouth  and  drawn  well  back  with  a  rope  around  the  back  of  the  neck, 
catching  each  side,  and  thus  firmly  holding  it  in  place,  back  in  the 
mouth.  This,  by  drawing  the  rope  hard  about  the  back  of  the  neck, 
could  be  made  very  severe,  cutting  the  mouth,  the  blood  flowing  dowii 
over  the  victim's  face  and  clothing  till  he  would  present  a  horrible 
<md  pitiable  appearance. 

"Hanging  by  the  thumbs' '  was  rarely  done.  This  was  done  in 
several  ways ;  but  it  always  meant  the  tying  of  the  thumbs  together 
by  passing  a  thin,  strong  twine  around  both  thumbs,  either  by  noose 
or  otherwise,  then  drawing  the  hands  up  hard  by  this  cord  which  was 
fastened  overhead.  Sometimes  the  thumbs  were  brought  together 
behind  the  body,  tied  and  drawn  up ;  this  was  far  the  most  severe.  :\s, 
the  shoulder  joints  were  tfhen  reversed,  the  upper  portion  of  the  body 
bent  down  till  the  head  was  down  by  the  knees ;  this  was  a  position 
of  intense  torture.  I  never  saw  the  cord  drawn  so  that  the  feet  were 
off  the  ground  ;  it  was  never  done  here  and  I  don't  believe  it  was  ever 
done  anywhere. 

I  watched  the  punishment  by  this  method  of  one  young  prisoner. 
I  met  him  at  the  gate  when  he  came  in ;  he  seemed  dazed  and  wildly 
swung  his  hands  in  pain,  and  continuously  moaned.  I  examined  his 
thumbs  and  found  that  the  twine  had  cut  the  flesh  of  both  to  the  bone. 

Many  of  the  prisoners  were  not  strong  enough  mentally  to  suc 
cessfully  meet  the  conditions  here;  while  they  held  out  physically  the 
mind  broke  down  and  maniacs  became  quite  numerous  in  camp  and 
the  most  pitiful  oases  of  insanity  among  the  prisoners  v.'ere  fre 
quently  met  with ;  their  pitiful  moanings  were  often  heard  all  night 
as  they  stood  unsheltered  in  the  streets  of  camp,  in  rain  and  snow  and 
storm,  while  the  "Commissioners  of  Exchange"  haggled  and  quar 
relled,  were  in  their  comfortable  quarters  and  lived  on  the  "fat  of 
the  land."  With  reason  gone,  they  lost  knowledge  of  the  camp  limits 
and  the  dead  line,  crossing  which  they  were  shot.  I  saw  two  such 
unfortunates  shot  by  the  guard  :  they  were  taken  to  the  hospital ;  one 


398  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

was  mortally  wounded,  we  thought,  while  the  other  had  an  arm  shot 
oft' ;  yet  not  a  groan  escarped  their  lips. 

There  were  powerful  influences  at  work  in  Richmond  to  have 
the  prisoners  on  Belle  Island  and  in  Richmond  paroled  and  sent  home 
or  removed  farther  south  and  away  from  cities. 

In  January,  1864,  smallpox  broke  out  in  camp,  and 
many  were  carried  out  and  sent  to  a  pest  camp,  away  from  tihe  city. 
The  number  of  cases  daily  increased,  and  the  prospect  under  this 
additional  visitation  of  affliction,  made  our  situation  doubly  horrible, 
inasmuch  iats  there  was  no  escape,  and  we  asked  how  long,  and  what 
more  shall  yet  be  added  to  the  misery  already  endured.  Our  quar 
antine  was  already  established,  in  the  vigilant  guards  around  us.  Dur 
ing  till e  month  the  cases  became  so  numerous  that  Richmond  and  Man 
chester  became  alarmed  and  demanded  action. 

A  notice  was  posted  at  the  hospital  gate,  requesting  all  who  de 
sired  to  be  vaccinated  to  report  at  the  hospital  every  afternoon ;  the 
boys  went  out  by  hundreds  every  day  to  be  vaccinated.  In  our  mess 
we  questioned  the  quality  of  the  virus  used,  and  which  would  be  the 
greatest  risk.  For  a  month  we  escaped,  when  it  seemed  that  our  time 
had  at  last  come.  It  was  stated  before  that  Skinner,  Adams  and  I 
"wintered"  under  the  same  blankets.  One  night  Skinner  took  sick ; 
he  had  chills  and  a  bad  night  generally.  He  was  "spooned"  up  with 
Adams  and  me,  head  and  ears  under  the  blankets,  with  us ;  he  shiv 
ered,  complained  of  pain,  was  feverish  and  red  in  the  face.  In  the 
morning  we  concluded  to  take  him  down  to  "sick  call ;"  we  led  him 
down  and  stood  (him  before  the  surgeon,  who  looked  at  him  and 
gruffly  said,  "Smallpox;  away  with  him!"  We  let  go  as  if  he  were 
hot  iron.  He  was  sent  to  the  pest  camp,  he  did  not  die  but  was  cured 
and  returned  to  the  "Island  Camp"  the  same  day  I  came  away,  the 
following  spring.  Our  mess  was  all  anxiety  for  several  weeks,  fear 
ing  that  infection  was  in  our  tent;  yet  we  all  escaped.  But  scurvy, 
whidi  had  been  a  scourge  in  camp  for  some  time,  now  attacked  three 
in  our  mess  in  virulent  form;  swollen,  bleeding  gums;  dreadfully 
offensive  breath;  teeth  becoming  loose;  bleeding  ulcers  on  the  legs; 
they  were  sent  to  the  hospital  and  we  never  saw  or  heard  of  them 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          399 

af terwards.  Letters  from  their  homes  since  the  War  stated  that  they 
never  came  back. 

For  months  there  had  been  no  men  paroled  from  the  Island  and 
more  prisoners  were  almost  daily  coming  in,  till,  notwithstanding 
tihe  losses  by  reason  of  sickness  and  death,  over  eight  thousand  pris 
oners  were  in  camp  which  was  twice  necessarily  enlarged  and  the 
greater  number  here  the  greater  the  amount  of  misery  to  be  endured 
by  all.  Every  man  on  the  Island  was  determined  to  do  his  best  to 
get  away  by  the  first  opportunity,  they  cared  not  where,  for  any  pos 
sible  change  must  be  for  the  better. 

On  December  27th  squads  Xos.  1  to  5 — five  hundred  men,  were 
called  to  "fall  in."  Instantly,  tihe  idea  went  forth  that  the  Commis 
sioners  of  Exchange  had  agreed,  and  the  long  talked  of  parole  was 
to  begin.  The  joyful  prospects  of  release  greatly  excited  the  camp. 

The  commotion  was  indescribable;  yelling,  shouting  and  run 
ning  through  the  streets,  and  packing  against  the  gate,  a  dense,  uncon 
trollable  mass  of  more  than  three  thousand  men,  every  one  of  them 
determined  to  be  one  of  the  five  hundred.  I  was  a  member  of  souad 
No.  68  at  that  time,  but  I  worked  hard  to  "flank  in,"  and  made  good 
headway ;  I  began  to  be  very  hopeful ;  they  were  still  going  out  and 
not  a  dozen  ahead  of  me.  I  got  into  the  gate  with  several  others  when 
the  'Confederate  Sergeant  shouted,  "That  is  all !"  Still  we  were  being 
crowded  forward  by  the  multitude  back  of  us,  still  pressing  to  get  out. 
"Get  back!"  the  guards  shouted;  we  could  not  get  back;  the  guards 
were  armed  with,  guns  and  bayonets  fixed.  Many  were  more  or  less 
severely  bayoneted ;  quite  a  number  of  Confederates  had  clubs  only, 
and  the  clubbing  of  prisoners  also  commenced.  Many  fell  under  the 
clubs ;  my  time  had  come ;  they  were  up  to  me.  I  turned  and  tried  to 
get  out  of  reach,  but  the  pack  was  too  dense,  and  one  of  the  "clubbing 
rebels"  now  took  me  over  the  head  with,  his  club,  and  I,  too,  "went 
down  in  a  hea-p."  I  wore  my  blanket  like  a  shawl,  and  became  en 
tangled  in  it,  but  I  picked  myself  up  as  quickly  as  possible.  Just  then 
one  of  the  guards  came  rushing  at  me  with  a,  bayonet,  and  the  situa 
tion  was  critical.  Instantly  I  turned,  and  giving  out  the  worst  yell  of 
my  life,  I  dashed  against  the  pack  of  prisoners  just  inside  the  gate, 
to  save  myself.  I  pushed  several  head  over  heels,  and  fell  headlong 


400  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

over  them,  and  felt  greatly  relieved  when  I  felt  others  falling  on  top 
of  me.  I  escaped,  but  how  badly  those  on  top  of  me  were  bayoneted, 
I  never  learned.  This  mix-up  soon  dissolved,  and  we  were  all  on  our 
feet  again  ;  the  pack  had  greatly  thinned  out,  and  matters  looked  more 
orderly. 

I  must  not  omit  saying  that  my  head  was  well  protected  by  the 
thick,  tough,  yellow  rebel  hat  that  1  wore,  and  under  the  excitement 
of  the  occasion  I  never  felt  the  blow  that  knocked  me  down,  although 
for  several  days  I  wore  a  lump  on  my  head  the  size  of  a  walnut. 

There  was  no  further  need  of  violence,  if  excuse  for  it  could  be 
given  in  the  first  place.  But  the  rebel  Sergeant,  Haight,  by  name, 
a  deserter  from  the  Union  Regular  Army,  and  the  greatest  tyrant  of 
all,  in  charge  of  the  guard,  was  not  satisfied ;  he  snatched  a  musket 
from  one  of  the  guards,  and  most  brutally  bayoneted  several  of  the 
prisoners.  A  'poor  emaciated,  cadaverous  looking  prisoner,  scarcely 
able  to  keep  his  feet,  tottered  by  him ;  on  seeing  him  at  his  right,  he 
brought  the  butt  of  the  musket  to  the  right,  and  with  great  force 
butted  the  half  dead  prisoner  on  the  temple,  and  he  fell  in  a  heap; 
he  gave  him  a  thrust  with  the  bayonet,  which  latter,  however,  could 
give  no  pain,  as  the  blow  on  'the  temple  had  killed  him.  "Get  up !"  the 
rebel  yelled,  >as  he  oncfe  more  drew  -the  bayonet  for  another  thrust. 
"Don't !  You  have  already  killed  him, "we  shouted.  "Take  him  away," 
he  commanded.  He  was  carried  out,  and  we  yelled  "Murderer! 
murderer!"  The  five  hundred  prisoners  taken  out  were  sent  south. 

The  exchange  of  prisoners  in  a  Civil  War  is,  perhaps,  the  most 
difficult  of  all  matters  that  must  be  considered.  The  moment  an  ex 
change  of  prisoners  with  a  belligerent  is  made,  they  are  treated  and 
recognized  as  equals,  and  independent  national  rights  are  conceded. 
But  in  this,  as  in  all  matters,  theories  must  bend  to  the  stern  logic  of 
events.  Therefore  the  National  Government  at  the  outset  ol  the 
War,  could  not  consent  to  put  itself  on  an  equality  with  the  rebels  by 
entering  into  any  negotiations  on  the  subject  of  exchange  of  prisoners. 
"Rebels"  have  no  right  to  fight,  to  take  or  hold  prisoners  ;  but  to  treat 
with  them,  admitted  that  they  had.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Govern 
ment  dared  not  treat  prisoners  that  we  took  as  rebels,  and  hang  them ; 
for  it  would  bring  swift  retaliation  on  the- other  side. 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          401 

The  first  privateers  captured  were  condemned  as  pirates;  the 
moment  they  were  placed  in  close  confinement  to  await  execution,  an 
equal  number  of  brave  officers  and  men  of  equal  rank,  held  by  the 
rebels,  were  confined  in  the  same  manner,  reserved  for  the  same  fate 
they  should  meet.  The  prisoners  on  both  sides  were  soon  numbered 
by  tens  of  thousands ;  still  there  was  no  exchange.  Up  to  this  time, 
Generals  in  the  field  were  allowed  to  make  exchanges  on  their  own 
responsibility,  and  individual  soldiers  procured  their  own  exchange. 
Paroles  were  given  on  the  field  by  officers  on  each  side.  After  each 
battle  soldiers  would  produce  paroles,  given  on  the  field,  during  the 
continuance  of  battle,  purporting  to  have  been  given  by  Confederate 
officers.  These  must  be  recognized,  notwithstanding  the  general 
belief  that  many  of  them  were  spurious.  No  satisfactory  proposi 
tion  had  been  advanced;  therefore,  humiliating  as  it  was,  the  Gov 
ernment  was  compelled  to  come  to  direct  negotiations  with  the  Con 
federates  on  this  subject. 

After  more  than  a  year's  trifling,  the  National  and  Confederate 
Governments  agreed  to  appoint  commissioners  to  formulate  a  cartel 
or  basis  of  exchange,  which  should  be  binding  and  final.  John  A. 
Dix,  Major  General  United  States  Army  for  the  United  States,  and 
D.  H.  Hill,  Major  General  Confederate  States  of  America  for  tho 
Confederate  States,  were  appointed,  with  full  authority  by  their  re 
spective  Governments.  They  met  at  Haxall's  Landing  on  James 
River,  Virginia,  early  in  July,  1862,  and  after  prolonged  labor  and 
discussion,  they  published  a  cartel  July  22,  1862,  from  which  we 
quote : 

Article  I.  It  is  hereby  agreed  and  stipulated  that  all  prisoners 
of  war  held  by  either  party,  including  those  taken  on  private  armed 
vessels,  shall  be  discharged  upon  the  conditions  and  terms  following: 
Prisoners  to  be  exchanged,  man  for  man,  and  officer  for  officer ;  priva 
teers  to  be  placed  upon  the  footing  of  officers  and  men  of  the  navy ; 
men  and  officers  of  lower  grades  may  be  exchanged  for  officers  of  a 
higher  grade.  And  men  and  officers  of  the  different  services  may  be 
exchanged  according  to  the  following  scale  of  equivalence:  a  Major 
General  shall  be  exchanged  for  officers  of  equal  rank,  or  for  forty 
privates ;  a  Brigadier  General  for  officers  of  equal  rank,  or  twenty 


402  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

privates.  A  Colonel  for  one  of  equal  rank  or  fifteen  privates ;  a 
Lieutenant  Colonel  for  one  of  equal  rank  or  for  ten  privates; 
Major  for  one  of  equal  rank,  or  eight  privates ;  a  Captain  for  one 
of  equal  rank,  or  six  privates ;  a  Lieutenant  for  one  of  equal  rank, 
or  four  privates ;  all  non-commissioned  officers  for  persons  of  equal 
rank,  or  for  two  private  soldiers ;  and  private  soldiers  for  each  other, 
man  for  man. 

Article  IV.  All  prisoners  of  war  are  to  be  discharged  on  parole 
in  ten  days  after  their  capture,  and  the  prisoners  now  held,  and  those 
hereafter  taken,  to  be  transported  to  the  points  mutually  agreed 
upon,  at  the  expense  of  the  capturing  party.  The  surplus  prisoners 
not  exchanged  shall  not  be  permitted  to  take  up  arms  again,  nor  u» 
serve  as  a  military  police,  or  constabulary  force  in  any  fort,  garri 
son  or  field  work,  held  by  either  of  the  respective  parties,  nor  as 
guards  of  prisoners,  depots  or  stores,  nor  to  discharge  any  duty 
usually  performed  by  soldiers,  until  exchanged  under  the  provisions 
of  this  cartel,  etc. 

Article  VI.  The  stipulations  and  provisions  above  mentioned 
to  be  of  binding  obligation  during  the  continuance  of  the  War,  it 
matters  not  which  party  may  have  the  surplus  of  prisoners ;  the 
great  principle  involved  being  first,  an  equitable  exchange  of  pris 
oners,  man  for  man,  officer  for  officer,  or  officer  of  higher  grade  ex 
changed  for  officer  of  lower  grade,  or  for  privates,  according  to  the 
scale  of  equivalence.  Second,  that  privates  and  officers,  and  men  of 
the  different  services  may  be  exchanged  according  to  the  same  scale 
of  equivalence.  Third,  that  all  prisoners,  of  whatever  arms  of  the 
service  are  to  be  exchanged  or  paroled  in  ten  days  from  the  time  of 
their  capture,  if  it  be  practicable  to  transfer  them  to  their  own  lines 
in  that  time;  if  not,  as  soon  thereafter  as  practicable,  etc. 

Article  VII.  All  prisoners  of  war  now  held  on  either  side,  and 
all  prisoners  hereafter  taken  shall  be  sent  with  all  reasonable  dis 
patch,  to  Aikens  Landing  on  the  James  River,  or  to  Vick.sburg,  on 
the  Mississippi  River,  in  the  state  of  Mississippi,  and  there  ex 
changed,  or  paroled,  until  such  exchange  can  be  effected,  etc.,  etc. 
But  nothing  in  this  article  contained,  shall  prevent  the  commanders 
of  two  opposing  armies  from  exchanging  prisoners,  or  releasing 
them  on  parole  at  other  points  mutually  agreed  on  by  said  com 
manders. 

Article  VIII.  (In  part)  provides  for  the  appointment  of  two 
"Agents"  to  be  called  "Agents  for  the  exchange  of  prisoners  of  war," 
etc.,  and  "to  carry  out  promptly,  effectually,  and  in  good  faith,  all 
the  detailed  provisions  of  the  said  article  of  agreement," 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          403 

Article  IX.  And  in  case  any  misunderstanding  shall  arise  in 
regard  to  any  clause  or  stipulation  in  the  foregoing  articles,  it  is 
mutually  agreed  that  such  misunderstanding  shall  not  interrupt  the 
release  of  prisoners  on  parole  as  herein  provided,  but  shall  be  made 
the  subject- of  friendly  explanation,  in  order  that  the  object,  of  this 
agreement  may  neither  be  defeated  nor  postponed. 

(Signed)          JOHN  A.  Dix,  Major  General  U.  S.  A. 
D.  H.  HILL,  Major  General  C.  S.  A. 

This  cartel  and  basis  of  exchange  was  one  of  the  most  liberal  and 
most  honorable  contracts  ever  made  between  peoples  at  war ;  in 
language  so  plain  that  it  could  not  be  misunderstood  or  miscon 
strued.  It  was  for  some  time  faithfully  carried  out  by  both  parties 
to  the  agreement. 

Up  to  this  time  the  Confederates  had  held  by  far  the  greatest 
number  of  prisoners.  But  the  overwhelming  superiority  of  the  Xorth 
in  men  and  means,  was  rapidly  changing  the  surplus,  by  great  odds, 
to  the  Federal  side  and  the  meddlesome  incompetents  in  authority  in 
Washington,  wtho  bossed  and  bullied  the  Generals  in  thet  field,  planned 
campaigns  and  ordered  battles  from  their  cushioned  chairs  at  the  Cap- 
ilol,  discovered  that  the  Union  soldiers  captured  by  the  Confed'erates 
could  easily  be  replaced  from  "Castle  Garden,"  by  conscription,  and 
ly  enlisting  negroes ;  while  the  Confederates  had  about  readied  their 
utmost  limit  of  a.vailable  men  for  their  Anny,  which  was  rapidly 
being  weakened  by  captures  and  battle  casualties. 

N"ow,  then,  they  argued,  that  it  would  be  to  the  advantage  of  the 
Federal  cause  to  violate  this  cartel  regardless  of  the  suffering  and 
death  it  would  bring  to  thousands  of  our  imprisoned  men.  There 
fore,  from  some  one  in  authority  in  Wellington  the  order  went  forth 
to  "stop  exchange."  The  excuse  given  was  that  the  Confederate  Army 
would  be  greatly  weakened,  if  not  broken  up  in  this  way.  Soon  the 
number  of  prisoners  held  by  the  respective  Governments  was  enor 
mous.  The  Federal  Government  held,  approximately,  one  hundred 
and  twenty  thousand  Confederate  prisoners ;  while  the  Confederates 
held  about  half  that  number.  In  Richmond  they  held  four  thousand ; 
on  Belle  Island,  Richmond,  eight  thousand ;  at  Florence,  South  Caro 
lina,  twelve  thousand ;  at  Anderson vi lie,  Georgia,  twenty  thousand ; 


404  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

at  Millen,  Georgia,  five  thousand ;  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  six 
thousand ;  at  Salisbury,  North  Carolina,  ten:  thousand. 

Besides  these,  there  were  smaller  prison  camps  at  Blackshear, 
Georgia,  Columbus  and  Tyler,  South  Carolina;  Gaihaba  and  Danville, 
Virginia,  and  elsewhere.  The  number  of  prisoners  held  at  these 
lesser  camps  are  not  now  at  hand.  The  number  of  prisoners  held  in 
all  camps  were  constantly  changing  more  or  less  but  the  total  number 
held  by  the  Confederates  during  1863  and  1864  were  approximately 
sixty-five  thousand.  The  condition  of  the  prisoners  was  well  known, 
and  petitions  from  all  over  the  North,  as  well  as  from  the  prison 
oamps  of  the  South,  were  sent  to  Washington,  demanding  the  ex 
change  of  prisoners,  by  the  cartel  of  July  22,  1862. 

The  southern  people  and  the  Confederate  Government  also  de 
manded  parole,  even  though  exchange  was  refused,  for  they  did  not 
have  the  means  to  keep  the  great  horde  of  prisoners  held  by  them, 
finally,  asking  only  parole,  man  for  man  and  officer  for  officer,  as 
far  as  the  number  of  Union  soldiers  held  by  them  would  balance  the 
account. 

All  of  the  foregoing  to  no  purpose,  and  the  Union  prisoners  con 
tinued  in  indescribable  misery,  and  died  by  thousands.  It  was 
claimed  at  Washington,  that  the  Confederates  held  in  the  North  were 
stout  and  wejl,  and  that  they  would  be  put  into  their  Army  on  their 
arrival ;  while  the  Union  prisoners  were  emaciated  and  unfit  for 
service ;  they  would  not  have  been  sick,  emaciated  and  unfit  for  serv 
ice  if  they  had  been  sent  home  in  ten  days  after  their  capture,  as  this 
cartel  demanded.  The  prisoners  constantly  cursed  these  Union 
hagglers  over  exchange,  and  if  they  had  come  into  our  camp  they 
would  certainly  have  been  killed. 

The  finale  was  given  to  exchange  about  the  beginning  of  Feb 
ruary,  1864,  when  the  Federal  Government  appointed  "Ben"  Butler 
as  Agent  of  Exchange.  But,  Gen.  "Ben"  Butler  was,  perhaps,  the 
only  man  in  the  Union  service,  or  out  of  it,  with  whom  they  would 
have  nothing  to  do  and  the  Government  knew  this.  Our  guards  told 
us  that  the  appointment  of  Butler  was  considered  a  premeditated  in 
sult  to  the  Confederates,  and  settled  the  matter  of  exchange,  and  that 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  405 

we  would  all  be  sent  south.  During  the  week  following  a  thousand 
men  were  sent  from  the  Island  to  Georgia. 

The  indifference  of  the  Federal  Government  toward  us,  was  most 
discouraging.  There  we  were,  many  thousands  who  had  cheerfully 
volunteered  for  the  service  of  our  country,  packed  together  in  camps 
of  misery  and  filth,  where  the  air  was  constantly  filled  with  fetid 
odors,  in  itself  sufficient  to  plant  the  seeds  of  death  in  every  system. 
Our  Government  had  evidently  for  a  time  at  least,  abandoned  us; 
those  whom  we  had  so  faithfully  sought  to  serve,  and  but  for  them 
we  would  then  have  been  in  our  homes  of  cheer  and  comfort  in  the 
North. 

Hundreds  who  had  endured  every  form  of  hardship  cheerfully, 
now  became  discouraged  under  these  distressing  and  evidently  to  be 
continued  miserable  conditions,  sank  away  and  died,  while  some  went 
into  the  rebel  service  as  tailors,  shoemakers,  to  work  on  fortification, 
and  even  into  the  ranks  of  the  Confederate  Army,  in  the  hope  of  bet 
tering  their  condition  and  saving  their  lives;  probably  hoping  for  an 
opportunity  for  ultimately  deserting  such  service,  and  making  their 

escape  to  the  Union  lines. 
**##**•** 

One  thousand  prisoners  having  been  sent  away  the  first  week  in 
February,  we  had  more  room  and  a  little  more  to  eat.  Spring  was 
now  rapidly  approaching,  and  the  menacing  factors  to  this  camp,  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  the  rapidly  increasing  number  of  small 
pox  cases  among  the  prisoners,  woke  up  the  Confederate  authorities^ 
and  the  shipment  of  prisoners  from  Richmond  and  Belle  Island 
Prison  Camp,  was  commenced  in  earnest  on  February  17th,  when 
100  were  taken  from  the  Island  and  sent  to  Georgia,  Feb 
ruary  18th,  400;  February  19th,  400;  February  20th,  400; 
February  21st,  400 ;  the  22 d,  400;  March  4th,  400;  Sunday, 
March  6th,  800  ;  on  the  8th,  600  ;  on  the  10th,  600  ;  on  the  12th,  600  ; 
in  all,  6,400  to  prison  camps  farther  south  but  mostly  to  Georgia; 
and  the  Island  Prison  Camp,  the  Star  Home  of  misery  and  wretched 
ness,  for  so  long,  began  to  look  desolate,  lonely  and  so  quiet ;  the  mo 
notony  and  tomb  like  quiet  in  the  streets,  and  empty  tents,  was  un- 


406  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

bearable.  The  paltry  few  thousand  yet  remaining  now  moved  into 
the  tents  near  the  gate;  we  re-organized  our  squads  to  full  hundreds 
and  the  mess  to  which  I  belonged,  was  transferred  to  "Squad  N"o.  1." 
Our  keepers  now  allowed  us  greater  privileges  and  increased  our 
allowance  of  corn  bread,  the  only  grub  they  had  to  give  us ;  the  guards 
engaged  in  prolonged  friendly  conversation  with  the  prisoners,  and 
the  "dead  line"  was  forgotten. 

Sunday  morning,  March  13th,  dawned  cloudless  and  beautiful. 
Spring  had  evidently  come ;  the  weather  was  mild  and  delightful. 

As  usual  in  fine  weather,  we  were  lazily  sauntering  and  standing 
around,  looking  at  the  city  beyond  the  river,  and  the  beautiful  land 
scape  near  us ;  the  trees  and  bushes  just  over  the  parapet,  whose  buds 
were  already  swelling,  and  among  whose  branches  birds  were  sweetly 
singing.  We  were  suddenly  awakened  from  our  listless  musings  over 
the  pleasing  prospect  outside,  when  the  drum  at  headquarters  beat 
"attention !"  The  Sergeant  of  the  guard  from  the  top  of  the  parapet 
called  out,  "Squads  Nos.  1,  2,  3  and  4  fall  in  and  be  ready  to  move." 
We  formed  our  squads  quickly,  moved  through  the  gate  that  had  shut 
us  in  so  long,  and  formed  our  column  for  the  march  to  Richmond. 
The  commandant  told  us  that  we  were  to  be  paroled,  and  sent  home; 
that  all  that  had  been  sent  away  before  had  been  sent  south ;  so  we, 
four  hundred  miserable,  yet  lucky  "rag-a-muffins"  were  to  go  home. 
Could  it  be  true,  or  would  I  wake  up  and  find  that  I  had  dreamed, 
as  many  times  before  ?  I  was  afraid  to  "shake  myself." 

We  re-crossed  the  Tredegar  Iron  Works  bridge,  and  marched 
down  through  Manchester ;  here  >a  squad  of  prisoners  passed  us  on 
their  way  to  the  Island ;  one  of  them  loudly  hailed  me ;  it  was  my  for 
mer  partner,  Austin  Skinner,  of  New  Jersey,  just  returning  from  the 
smallpox  pest  camp,  cured  and  stout,  yet  still  red  faced.  I  ncvor  saw 
or  heard  of  him  after  this.  We  crossed  the  Danville  Railroad  bridge 
to  Richmond,  and  were  once  more  taken  to  the  noted  Libby  Prison, 
where  paroling  commenced,  and  by  evening  we  had  all  signed  the 
paper  headed  by  the  following  parole. 

"We  the  undersigned  prisoners  of  War,  do  give  our  parole  of 
honor,  that  we  will  not  take  up  arms  again,  nor  serve  as  military, 
police,  or  constabulary  force  in  any  fort,  garrison  or  field  work,  nor 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          407 

as  guard  of  prisoners,  depot  or  stores,  nor  discharge  any  duty  usuall} 
performed  by  soldiers,  until  exchanged  under  the  provisions  of  the 
cartel  entered  into  July  22,  1862." 

This  parole,  when  signed,  is  sacredly  kept,  on  the  "honor  of  a 
soldier;"  violations  of  it  is  punishable  by  death,  if  recaptured  and 
identified. 

No  soldier  or  Government  would  ask  the  violation  of  a  "Soldier'* 
Parole." 

The  parole  of  our  four  hundred  was,  at  the  time,  accredited  to 
the  individual  efforts,  and  the  personal  responsibility  of  Colonel  Mul- 
ford,  of  the  Regular  Army,  independent  of  the  "Commissioners  of 
Exchange." 

When,  in  October  last,  we  were  first  brought  to  Libby  Prison,  the 
prisoners  were  searched;  on  many  quite  large  amounts  of  money 
\vere  found,  very  large  in  the  aggregate,  and  taken  by  the  Confederate 
officers  for  "safe  keeping,"  till  paroled,  when  it  was  to  be  returned. 
Many  did  not  live  to  be  paroled  ;  and  no  prisoner  paroled  this  day  ever 
heard  the  word  money  mentioned,  and  not  a  dollar  was  returned.  But 
I  will  here  yet  add  that  I  never  saw  a  Confederate  take  money  from 
our  men  forcibly. 

The  "Johnnies"  now  issued  two  days'  rations  of  corn  bread  and 
some  boiled  beans  to  us.  Some  of  us  went  back  into  a  rear  room, 
where  stood  many  tobacco  presses,  with  large  iron  screws,  to  which 
still  clung  in  abundance,  the  grease  of  "ante  bellum  days ;"  though 
black  and  dusty,  we  scraped  it  off  and  ate  it  on  our  corn  bread. 

March  14,  1863.  At  1:00  p.  M.  we  marched  out  of  Libby 
Prison,  and  we  did  not  see  the  place  again  till  the  following  soring 
(1865)  on  our  return  from  Appomattox,  as  a  triumphant  Army. 
But  we  return  to  our  march  from  Libby.  We  reached  the 
dock,  and  marched  aboard  the  Confederate  steamer,  "William  Alli 
son;"  we  cast  loose  and  were  on  our  way  home,  down  the  historic 
James,  all  excitement  'and  expectation.  Slavery  was  not  dead  in  Vir 
ginia.  There  was  a  young  negro  on  that  boat,  and  a  squad  of  southern 
men,  standing  aside,  watched  the  "coon"  and  whispered ;  then  walked 
up  to  him  and  asked,  "Where  are  you  going  ?"  "I  just  take  dis  trip 
on  de  boat,"  he  said.  "Who  do  yon  belong  to?"  came  next  "Fse 


408  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

free  man."  "Where  is  your  home,"  etc.  They  were  not  satisfied; 
they  watched  him  closely,  but  I  did  not  see  the  end  of  this  matter.  I 
thought  then  and  still  believe  that  he  was  a  contraband  on  a  trial  trip 
toward  freedom. 

In  slavery  days  no  coon  could  travel  without  a  passport,  and  it 
was  worth  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  dollars  to  catch  and  return  a 
runaway  slave. 

We  steamed  along  for  an  hour,  almost  wild  with  expectation,  and 
delighted  with  the  beautiful  scenery  along  the  noble  and  historic 
James  River ;  members  of  the  steamer's  crew 'pointed  out  and  named 
every  point  of  interest,  of  which  there  was  a  continuous  chain. 

We  now  reached  Drury's  Bluff,  ten  miles  below  Richmond.  Here 
the  James  River  was  effectually  obstructed. 

Drury's  Bluff  is  an  abrupt  knoll,  bordering  on  the  water's  edge 
on  the  south  side  of  James  River,  rising  two  hundred  feet  above  the 
river's  water  level.  Safely  perched  upon  this  cliff,  and  high  above 
the  reach  of  the  guns  of  the  Union  iron  clad  fleet,  was  Fort  Darling, 
well  and  scientifically  constructed,  mounting  fourteen  heavy  guns,( 
mostly  one  hundred  pounder  rifled  guns,  none  less  than  eight-inch 
shell  guns  and  all  so  mounted  that  they  could  be  pointed  directly 
down  on  the  decks  of  passing  vessels. 

On  the  north  side,  just  below  is  Chapin's  Bluff,  crowned  with 
batteries  almost  as  formidable. 

Here  the  advance  of  the  Union  iron  clad  fleet  was  effectually 
stopped  and  driven  back  in  May,  1862.  The  advance  by  water  upon 
Richmond  was  never  again  attempted. 

Somes  miles  below  we  passed  the  Confederate  squadron  of  slop 
ing  sided  iron-clad  gun  'boats,  a  beautiful  and  formidable  looking  fleet, 
at  anchor,  with  banked  fires,  keeping  watch  of  the  Yankee  fleet,  a 
much  stronger  and  finer  fleet,  only  a  few  miles  below,  through  which 
we  passed  shortly  after  exchanging  with  them  whistle  salutes. 

Near  Chapin's  Bluff  our  steamer  ran  into  a  sand  bar,  on  which 
we  hung  fast  till  some  time  in  the  night,  when  we  got  off,  and  reached 
Aiken's  Landing,  the  place  of  exchange,  at  midnight. 

During  the  night  several  prisoners  fell  overboard  and  were 
drowned  and  five  died.  One  of  these  was  James  Walters,  Company 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          409 

D,  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Cavalry,  my  partner  on  this  trip.  He 
did  not  seem  sick,  but  weak ;  and  like  hundreds  of  others,  fell  asleep, 
never  to  awake  again.  He  died  during  the  night,  under  toe  same 
blanket  that  also  covered  me  and  another  soldier.  We  did  not  know 
that  he  was  dead  till  we  roused  up  in  the  morning. 

The  night  was  intensely  dark  and  stormy  ;  just  as  day  was  dawn 
ing,  a  soldier  ran  into  our  compartment,  shouting,  "Aiken's  Landing ! 
The  United  States  Steamer  'City  of  New  York/  is  at  anchor  along 
side,  a  United  States  flag,  big  enough  to  cover  this  boat,  floating  at 
its  main  staff !"  Instantly  we  jumped  up  and  rushed  out  to  see  the 
grand  old  banner,  which  we  had  not  seen  for  so  long.  A  long,  loud, 
hoarse  shout  went  up,  and  tears  came  to  the  eyes  of  many  hardened 
soldiers,  as  they  once  more  looked  upon  our  own  starry  flag  as  it 
waved  lazily,  yet  proudly,  and  defiantly  in  the  strong  south  wind. 

The  "City  of  New  York"  had  brought  down  a  batch  of  Confed 
erate  prisoners  for  exchange.  They  crowded  thick  along  the  "rail" 
of  the  vessel,  and  steadily  looked  at  us.  We  hurled  some  Confederate 
corn  bread  bricks  into  their  crowd,  and  told  them  that  was  what  they 
would  get  to  eat  when  they  got  home.  They  gathered  them  up,  ana 
began  to  eat  them  with  apparent  great  relish,  and  called  for  more. 

Some  of  our  men  threw  their  corn  bread  into  the  river ;  it 
thumped  and  sank  to  the  bottom  like  a  stone.  The  story  often  heard, 
that  this  com  bread  was  baked  out  of  corn  chop,  cob  and  all  ground 
together  is  not  true.  To  this  day  (1904)  I  have  some  of  this  same 
corn  bread,  issued  to  me  in  1864,  in  my  collection  of  relics,  where  it 
may  be  seen  and  examined  by  anyone  who  may  have  been  misled  by 
the  old  canard. 

At  this  point,  let  us  further  "give  the  devil  his  dues."  Let  the 
truth  be  told,  Jefferson  Davis,  President  of  the  Southern  Confeder 
acy,  was  by  some  radical  talkers  and  writers  of  the  time,  blamed  as 
the  cause  of  harsh  treatment  shown  the  Union  soldiers  in  Confed 
erate  prisons.  As  a  matter  of  fact.  President  Davis  had  no  more  to 
do  with  the  Union  soldiers  in  Confederate  prisons  than  President 
Lincoln  had  to  do  witfh  the  Confederate  soldiers  in  northern  prisons. 
But,  it  can  not  be  successfully  denied  that  the  hitch  lay  in  President 


410  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Lincoln's   cabinet.      From  there  the  cruel  suggestion   emanated   to 
"stop  exchange'7  in  violation  of  the  "cartel." 

The  Confederate  Government  and  the  people  of  tihe  South,  as 
well  as  the  people  of  the  North,  continuously,  yet  vainly,  implored 
the  National  Government  to  stand  by  the  cartel  of  July  22,  1862,  in 
order  that  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  imprisoned  men  of  both 
sides,  might  return  to  their  friends,  and  thus  effectually  put  an  end 
to  suffering  in  military  prisons  on  both  sides. 

It  was  said  at  the  time,  that  one  of  our  Generals,  determined  to 
use  his  best  efforts  to  reinaugurate  exchange,  and  have  all  prisoner? 
released,  called  upon  Edwin  M.  Stan  ton,  Secretary  of  War,  at  Wash 
ington,  relative  to  the  matter,  and,  on  becoming  persistent,  Stanton 
told  him  to  go  to  the  devil,  and  abruptly  left  the  room.  Stanton  had 
no  time  for  him  on  this  subject. 

Early  in  'the  forenoon  the  " Johnnies"  were  transferred  from  the 
upper  deck  of  the  "New  York"  to  the  upper  deck  of  their  own  boat, 
the  "William  Allison,"  while  our  crowd  moved  from  the  lower  deck 
of  the  "Allison"  to  the  lower  deck  of  the  "City  of  New  York."  This 
transfer  was  quickly  accomplished,  with  the  precision  of  clock  work. 

The  "City  of  New  York"  gave  a  tremendous  howl,  slowly 
wheeled  into  the  channel,  and  started  down  the  James,  while  at  the 
same  time,  the  "William  Allison"  started  up  the  stream,  the 
"Johnnies"  shouted  good-bye,  and  waved  their  hats  continuously, 
while  hundreds  grouped  on  the  upper  deck,  were  loudly  singing 
"Dixie  Land,"  and  wildly  waving  a  Confederate  flag;  at  the  same 
time,  a  large  Confederate  flag  was  slowly  drawn  up  on  the  main  staff. 

The  Confederate  steamer,  "William  Allison,"  which  brought  us 
from  Richmond  to  Aiken's  Landing,  was  sometime  afterwards  blown 
up  by  a  Confederate  torpedo,  while  on  her  return  from  City  Point. 

The  James  River  was  heavily  "mined"  and  set  with  "contact  tor 
pedoes/'  as  a  protection  against  the  powerful  squadron  of  United 
States  Iron  Clads,  which  menaced  Richmond  by  the  James  River. 

As  soon  as  we  were  fairly  started  down  the  James  we  got  our 
first  Union  meal  of  wheat  bread,  boiled  pork  and  hot  coffee,  that  was 
all :  never  anything  tasted  better.  We  reached  Newport  News  in  the 
afternoon  and  tied  up  for  a  brief  stop,  then  started  down  Hampton 


THE  I4&TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          411 

Roads,  the  scene  of  the  conflict  between  the  Monitor  and  the  Merri- 
mac,  the  first  fight  between  iron-clad  ships,  which  revolutionized  the 
navies  of  the  world. 

We  made  a  landing  at  Fortress  Monroe,  and  carried  out  our  dead 
for  burial  there.  Tihis  done  we  rounded  Old  Point  Comfort,  into 
Chesapeake  Bay,  and  had  our  second  Yankee  meal  of  asoft  bread," 
pork  and  hot  coffee. 

On  account  of  a  furious  storm  and  head  wind,  we  got  along 
slowly,  but  by  daybreak  we  passed  Point  Look  Out,  and  had  a  light 
breakfast  of  bread,  boiled  pork  and  a  quart  of  hot  coffee. 

Breakfast  over,  a  negro  came  out  of  the  kitchen  of  the  steamer, 
with  a  large  slop  bucket  full  of  table  leavings,  to  tihrow  overboard ;  no 
sooner  did  we  see  him  than  we  rushed  for  the  bucket  for  something 
to  eat.  This  rush  frightened  the  nigger  terribly.  He  thought  when 
we  yelled  and  ran  at  him  that  we  intended  to  throw  him  overboard. 
So  he  instantly  let  go  of  the  bucket  and  ran.  I  was  the  first  one  into 
the  bucket  and  secured  a  roasted  "leg  of  mutton,"  entire ;  a  big  bite, 
but  I  ate  it  all,  while  the  rest  of  my  comrades  cleared  the  bucket  and 
ate  everything  there  was  in  it. 

At  3 :00  P.  M.  we  reached  Annapolis,  Maryland,  and  immedi 
ately  disembarked  and  marched  to  "College  Green  Barracks,"  where 
we  received  new  uniforms  entire,  and  were  sent  into  a  big  barrack 
bath  house,  containing  forty  wooden  plank  bath  tubs  or  \yater 
troughs,  all  in  one  room,  arranged  along  each  side,  two  feet  apart, 
ends  to  the  wall,  with  an  aisle  through  the  center.  There  was  plenty 
of  hot  water  heated  in  a  row  of  ninety-gallon,  laundry  kettle  stovet>, 
standing  in  a  row  in  the  aisle,  passing  through  the  center  of  the  build 
ing  from  end  to  end. 

There  was,  also,  plenty  of  strong  laundry  soap,  cakes  of  great 
size.  As  we  stripped  we  threw  every  stitoh  of  the  old  uniforms  out 
of  the  windows,  and  scoured  the  dirt  of  half  a  year's  accumulation 
from  our  bodies,  and  put  on  our  new  uniforms.  The  satisfaction  ovei 
the  transition  from  a  state  of  filth  and  vermin  to  absolute  cleanliness, 
is  indescribable. 

At  one  end  of  this  bath  room  was  located  a  group  of  barbers, 
who  "made  the  old  fur  flv."  In  a  verv  few  minutes  thev  would  "do 


412  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

a  man/'  head  and  face.  Some  of  the  whiskered  fellows  howled  un 
der  the  operation,  but  the  scraping  knife  in  all  cases,  rattled  along  to 
a  finish,  often  leaving  the  face  wounded  and  bleeding. 

On  my  boy  face  there  was  no  shaving  to  do;  but  down  over  my 
shoulders  hung  a  heavy,  luxuriant  growth  of  curling,  flowing  hair, 
the  product  of  a  half  year,  and  fully  inhabited.  I  passed  through 
the  hands  of  one  of  the  barbers,  who  left  me  comparatively  bald 
headed,  with  which  I  found  fault;  but  the  barber  explained  that 
such  were  the  "orders,"  so  that  all  the  ""inhabitants"  would  be  dis 
lodged,  lie  further  consoled  me  by  saying  that  I  looked  better  than 
1  did  before  the  operation. 

As  we  emerged  from  the  bath  house,  we  were  met  by  agents  of 
the  "Sanitary  and  Christian  Commission,"  carrying  immense  bas 
kets,  filled  with  a  great  variety  of  articles  conducive  to  the  comfort 
and  amusement  of  the  soldiers,  such  as  books,  magazines,  testaments, 
bibles,  paper,  envelopes,  ink,  pens,  lead  pencils,  postage  stamps, 
combs,  playing  cards,  matches,  tobacco,  pipes,  etc.,  etc.,  all  of  which 
were  gratuitously  and  liberally  distributed  among  the  boys.  We  had 
no  money  to  buy,  but  by  reason  of  this  timely  free  distribution,  hun 
dreds  of  letters  were  written  and  started  on  their  way  to  friends  in 
the  North  during  this  first  night  at  "home."  Here  we  digress  to  say 
that  the  "Sanitary  and  Christian  Commissions"  were  splendid  ex 
amples  of  organized  mercy,  furnished  by  the  people  of  the  North. 
They  devised  and  provided  every  possible  comfort  for  the  sick  and 
wounded,  beside  distributing  religious  reading  to  every  soldier  in  the 
field.  They  provided  ambulances,  stretchers,  nurses,  medicines,  band 
ages,  clothing,  hot  coffee,  with  an  endless  variety  of  delicacies  and 
general  provisions  for  the  sick  and  wounded,  and  Christian  burial  for 
the  dead — no  want  of  body  or  soul  was  overlooked  in  camp,  hospital, 
or  accessible  fields  after  battle, 

"Homes"  and  "Lodges"  for  men  on  sick  leave,  and  for  those  not 
yet  under,  or  just  out  of  the  care  of  the  government,  or  who  had  been 
left  by  their  regiments.  "Feeding  stations"  for  the  tired  and  hungry, 
and  even  homes  for  the  wives  and  mothers  of  soldiers  who  had  come 
to  visit  their  sick  or  wounded,  were  established.  On  every  flag  of 
truce  boat  were  placed  clothing,  medicines,  etc.,  for  the  prisoners  who 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          413 

had  been  returned.  With  boundless  mercy  they  cared  for  all  while 
living,  and  gave  Christian  burial  to,  and  marked  graves  of  the  dead. 
Over  seventeen  million  dollars  in  money  and  supplies  were  expended 
by  these  two  Commissions  during  the  War. 

We  return  to  our  narrative.  It  was  now  getting  dark,  and  we 
received  a  day's  ration,  consisting  of  a  twenty-two  ounce  loaf  of  wheat 
bread,  about  a  pound  and  a  half  of  boiled  mess  pork,  three  big  onions 
and  a  quart  of  strong  hot  coffee.  I  ate  the  loaf  of  bread,  all  the  meat, 
two  of  the  onions,  and  drank  the  quart  of  hot  coffee.  Then  I  traded 
the  remaining  onion  for  a  piece  of  bread  and  ate  that.  I  was  still 
hungry.  I  went  to  the  cook-house  to  beg  a  loaf  of  bread,  but  they 
said  I  would  kill  myself  eating,  and  they  dared  not  give  me  any ;  but 
they  gave  me  another  quart  of  coffee,  and  I  drank  that  I  had  eaten 
a  whole  day's  ration  and  was  still  hungry ;  I  was  making  up  for  lost 
time.  It  was  now  night,  and  I  laid  down  on  a  board  bunk,  with  my 
blanket  around  me  to  sleep;  but  I  was  so  full  I  could  not  endure 
lying  down.  So  I  got  up  and  by  the  light  of  a  sperm  candle  I  wrote 
a  few  letters  home.  Then  I  walked  the  frozen  ground  outside  till 
morning.  I  had  eaten  my  allowance  for  twenty-four  hours  for  sup 
per  and  would  get  no  more  till  evening.  I  went  over  to  the  Commis 
sary  and  stole  a  loaf  of  bread,  and  made  a  breakfast  on  that  and  two 
quarts  of  coffee;  I  had  nothing  for  dinner.  For  supper  I  had  my 
twenty-four-hour  allowance  of  bread,  meat,  onions  and  coffee,  as 
before.  Xext  morning  I  had  nothing  to  eat.  Something  had  to  be 
done.  I  persuaded  Comrades  John  Barkdoll  and  James  Fishack, 
two  Maryland  soldiers,  to  go  with  me.  We  went  down  to  the  oyster 
dock  in  the  city  (Annapolis)  with  cups  and  kettles.  Here  they  were 
unloading  oyster  vessels  and  sorting  oysters ;  we  began  to  crack  what 
they  threw  back ;  noticing  our  eagerness  to  get  oysters,  they  helped 
us  along  and  in  a  short  time  we  had  a  gallon  of  solid  oysters.  Then 
we  begged  a  loaf  of  bread,  salt  and  pepper  at  a  house  in  the  suburbs, 
and  went  up  a  ravine  to  cook  our  soup.  Here  some  troops  had  camped 
and  there  were  lots  of  army  crackers  lying  around  on  the  ground ; 
we  gathered  all  we  needed,  started  a  fire,  and  soon  had  our  three- 
gallon  kettle  of  soup,  or  rather  oyster  mush.  By  that  cheerful 
fire,  we  had  the  biggest  and  best  oyster  mess  I  ever  helped  to  eat,  and 


414  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

there  was  none  left  over.  All  the  prisoners  who  were  well,  a,nd  a.s 
resourceful,  ate  just  as  much  as  we  did. 

In  a  few  days  many  began  to  sicken,  in  consequence  of  this  dog- 
like  gorging.  We  were  moved  to  ''Camp  Parole,"  two  miles  from 
town,  and  put  on  short  rations,  and  strictly  guarded ;  we  thought  the;y 
were  starving  us. 

One  day  I  slipped  the  guard  and  walked  down  through  the  camp, 
and  in  passing  the  open  window  of  the  headquarter  cook-house,  I  sa\\ 
a  platter  heaped  up  with  nicely  "done  brown"  codfish  balls.  1  said 
to  the  cook,  "Give  me  a  few  of  those."  He  set  the  platter  on  the  win 
dow  and  said,  "Help  yourself."  I  ate  them  all.  They  were  not  very 
large,  but  there  were  about  fifty  of  them.  I  went  to  my  quarters  and 
lay  down  on  my  bed.  Doctor  Lincoln  soon  after  made  his  rounds.  He 
hailed  me  in  his  usual  pleasant  way,  "Hello,  my  boy ;  how  are  you 
today?"  "I  feel  fairly  good,"  I  said;  "somewhat  tight  'under  foe 
belt.'  '  He  examined  me,  and  said  that  he  was  puzzled  in  my  case; 
he  could  not  understand  why  I  should  be  so  bloated ;  I  said  I  had  the 
same  trouble  down  in  "College  Green  Barracks."  He  said  he  would 
call  again  during  the  day;  toward  evening  he  called  again  and  pro 
nounced  me  better.  I  said  I  did  not  feel  near  so  much  bloated.  A 
little  later  I  was  given  a  furlough  home  for  a  few  weeks,  and  on  my 
return  I  found  that  the  National  and  Confederate  Governments  had 
agreed  on  exchange,  which  included  all  the  squad  paroled  with  me. 
This  released  us  from  our  parole  obligations,  and  we  ceased  to  be 
prisoners.  Most  of  my  companions  had  already  started  for  the  front. 

On  May  26th  the  balance  of  our  squad,  myself  included,  also 
started  for  the  front,  at  Petersburg,  Virginia. 

Now  the  "Prisoner's  Story"  is  finished.  The  object  throughout 
this  entire  narrative,  was  to  accurately  and  minutely  set  forth  the 
conditions  as  they  existed,  in  all  the  varied  phases  of  prison  life  on 
Belle  Island ;  and  to  locate,  in  a  measure,  the  responsibility  for  these- 
long  continued  miserable  conditions. 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          415 
THE  PRISONER'S  STORY. 


PART  III. 

By  Serf.  H.  K.  Miller,  H.  Company,  /48th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers 

I  was  taken  prisoner  in  the  evening  of  the  17th  of  June,  1864, 
at  Petersburg,  Virginia.  A  part  of  our  Regiment,  with  other 
troops,  had  been  on  the  picket  line  on  the  extreme  left,  having  been 
relieved  by,  I  think,  men  of  the  Ninth  Corps.  We  came  back  and 
went  farther  to  the  right,  where  we  went  into  line  and  drew  rations. 
Some  other  troops  charged  over  us  where  we  lay  and  drove  the 
rebels  out  of  their  works  and  we  were  ordered  out  to  the  front  line  to 
hold  them.  Some  time  after  dark  the  firing  ceased  in  our  front  but 
came  more  obliquely  from  the  right.  We  turned  our  fire  in  that 
direction  and  in  the  meantime  the  rebels  formed  in  our  front  and 
charged  on  us,  getting  quite  close  before  we  saw  them.  We  then 
turned  our  fire  on  them  but  it  was  dark  at  the  time  and  a  grea* 
many  of  our  men  broke  and  ran,  leaving  only  a  small  line  at  that 
point,  which  was  captured. 

Among  those  of  our  Regiment  who  were  captured  at  that  time 
were  Lieutenant  Breon,  of  Company  F,  Corp.  Thomas  Jodon, 
Toner  Funk  and  myself,  of  Company  H.  The  rebels  charged  into 
the  works  with  a  heavy  line  of  battle,  firing  over  and  into  us,  killing 
some  of  those  who  had  stayed  to  defend  the  works,  and  yelled  to  us 
to  surrender,  \vhich  we  did,  not  knowing  what  suffering  we  v;ould 
have  to  endure  before  we  would  see  the  old  stars  and  stripes  again. 
We  were-  treated  all  right  by  the  brave  men  who  defended  the  breast 
works,  but  as  soon  as  we  reached  Petersburg  and  were  turned  over 
to  the  provost  guards  our  bad  treatment  began.  We  were  put  into 
an  old  tobacco  warehouse  or  something  of  that  sort  and  were  after 
wards  put  into  another  large  warehouse  in  small  squads,  where  they 
took  from  us  our  knapsacks,  haversacks,  blankets,  gum  blankets  and 
shelter  tents,  leaving  us  nothing  with  which  to  make  ourselves  a 
little  comfortable,  when  we  reached  that  place  of  misery — Anderson- 
ville.  They  then  took  us  back  to  the  other  warehouse  to  stay  all 
night.  While  we  were  in  this  building,  one  of  our  solid  shots  or 


416  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

shells  passed  through  the  roof,  the  boys  giving  a  "Hurrah!"  when 
they  heard  it  tearing  through.  [Next  day  we  were  loaded  on  oars 
and  taken  south.  We  passed  through  Macon  where  they  kept  the 
commissioned  officers.  We  reached  Andersonville  a  few  days  after 
being  captured,  where  we  were  again  examined  and  robbed  of  any 
valuables  we  had  and  then  turned  into  the  stockade  where  all  the 
dry  ground,  except  that  between  the  dead  line  and  the  stockade  was 
already  occupied.  We  at  last  found  Ephraim  Klinger,  of  our 
company,  who  was  captured  at  Poe  River,  and  one  or  two  of  our 
new  men  (have  forgotten  their  names)  on  a  dry  spot  almost  sur 
rounded  by  the  swamp  that  crossed  the  pen.  They  had  made  a 
shelter  of  mud  and  sticks,  so  we  stayed  with  them  until  they  opened 
the  new  addition  to  the  stockade,  when  we  were  taken  to  the  new 
part,  Klinger  going  along  with  us.  Thomas  Jodon  had  traded  a 
watch,  which  the  rebels  had  failed  to  get,  for  a  woolen  blanket, 
which  we  stretched  up  to  shelter  the  four  of  us,  lying  on  the 
ground. 

William  Snyder  and  Sylvester  Saunders  were  captured  on  the 
22d  of  June,  with  Captain  Bayard.  Snyder  succeeded  in  getting 
in  with  a  blanket  which  we  then  put  up  for  the  entire  six.  Somo 
time  after  this,  Samuel  Cook,  of  the  4th  Kentucky  Mounted  In 
fantry,  a  brother  of  our  Lieut.  James  B.  Cook,  was  captured  and 
we  took  him  in  with  us,  making  seven  under  the  two  blankets. 
Sergeant  Ward,  our  color  bearer,  who  was  captured  on  June  16th 
and  had  buried  his  colors,  which  were  afterwards  found  by  our 
men,  was  there  but  in  another  part  of  the  pen.  There  were  a  few 
of  our  Regiment  there  but  I  cannot  recall  the  names  of  any  of  the 
rest  of  our  company. 

Thomas  Jodon  died  at  Andersonville.  Sergeant  Ward  died 
at  Millen.  William  Snyder,  Ephraim  Klinger  and  Toner  Funk 
died  in  some  other  place  in  the  South.  Sylvester  Saunders  was 
exchanged  with  ten  thousand  sick  in  the  fall  and  only  reached  An 
napolis,  Maryland,  where  he  died.  The  rest  of  the  seven,  except 
ing  myself,  never  reached  our  lines. 

Soon  after  we  arrived  at  Andersonville  the  prisoners  tnem- 
selves  formed  police  companies  to  rid  the  camp  of  the  raiders,  as 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          417 

they  were  called,  whose  depredations  had  become  of  such  a  character 
that  it  was  not  safe  to  be  in  the  neighborhood  where  they  camped. 
After  the  ring-leaders  of  them  Lad  been  arrested,  they  having  been 
taken  out  and  placed  under  guard  by  the  rebels,  the  latter  took 
Sergeants  that  belonged  to  the  new  detachments  out  to  form  a  court 
to  try  them.  Sergeant  Dana  had  charge  of  the  squad  to  which  I 
belonged  and,  after  he  was  taken  out,  I  was  appointed  to  take  his 
place.  My  duties  were  to  see  that  my  men  were  all  present  or  ac 
counted  for  at  roll  call,  take  the  sick  to  sick  call,  have  the  dead 
carried  out  and  divide  the  rations  to  the  squad.  This  dividing  of 
the  rations  had  to  be  done  very  correctly,  as  it  was  done  under 
the  scrutiny  of  many  anxious  eyes.  For  this  extra  labor  I  got  one 
extra  ration  which  I  shared  with  the  rest  of  my  mess.  This  posi 
tion  I  held  while  I  remained  at  Andersonville  the  first  time. 

The  court,  that  tried  the  raiders,  sentenced  six  to  be  hung ;  the 
others  were  put  in  a  chain  gang  for  some  time,  this  being  a  very 
severe  punishment,  A  chain  connected  them  all,  with  a  ball  and 
short  chain  to  one  of  their  ankles,  so  when  one  of  them  wanted  to 
go  to  the  sink  or  anywhere  else  the  whole  gang  had  to  go  along.  I 
heard  that  one  of  the  gang  died  and  that  the  man  who  cut  him 
loose  from  the  others  had  a  great  deal  of  trouble  in  getting  the 
collar  off  his  neck.  This  collar  was  connected  by  a  short  chain  to 
a  long  chain  connecting  them  all  together.  One  of  the  party  pro 
posed  cutting  off  his  head,  but  the  others,  less  hard-hearted,  objected. 
How  they  did  get  it  off  I  never  heard.  I  cannot  vouch  for  the 
truth  of  this  last  statement,  but  after  I  came  home,  was  told  by 
one  Avho  had  helped  to  do  it. 

The  six  raiders  who  were  condemned  were  hanged  the  llth  of 
July  inside  the  stockade  and  in  the  wide  avenue  leading  in  from 
the  south  gate.  They  were  brought  in  by  the  rebel  guards  and 
turned  over  to  our  own  police  who  did  the  hanging  on  a  roughly 
constructed  scaffold.  One  of  the  raiders  broke  away  from  the 
police  and  ran  through  the  crowd,  creating  quite  a  panic  among  the 
mass  of  men  around  the  scaffold,  the  cry  having  been  started  that 
the  rebels  were  going  to  fire.  The  condemned  man  ran  through  that 
crowd  coming  across  through  the  swamp,  calling  to  the  men  to  save 


418  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

him,  when  some  of  the  police  caught  him,  took  him  back  and  the 
six  were  taken  upon  the  scaffold  together  and  the  plank  knocked 
cut  from  under  them.  One  of  the  ropes  broke  and  the  man  felT 
to  the  ground  but  was  gotten  up  again  and  hanged  with  the  rest. 
These  men  were  all  buried  together  and  their  graves  marked.  The 
finding  cf  the  court  in  the  case  of  the  raiders  was  said  to  have 
been  approved  by  some  one  of  our  Generals. 

Toward  fall  the  detachment  to  which  William  Snyder  and 
Sylvester  Saunders  belonged  was  taken  out  of  Anderson vi lie,  the 
rebels  leaving  them  under  the  impression  that  they  were  going  to 
he  exchanged.  Ephraim  Klinger,  in  the  hope  of  getting  to  our  lines, 
"flanked"  out  with  them  (that  is,  he  got  into  their  lines  and  was 
counted  out  with  the  rest).  Klinger  was  one  of  the  bravest  and 
best  men  in  our  company.  I  never  saw  either  of  these  three  again. 
Snyder,  thinking  that  he  was  going  to  our  lines  and  could  get  along 
without  his  blanket,,  left  it  with  me.  No  doubt  the  poor  fellow 
suffered  much  on  account  of  his  not  having  it. 

Thomas  Jodon  was  at  this  time  sick  and  had  a  big  scurvy 
sore  on  his  leg.  He  was  helpless  and  had  to  lie  on  the  ground  with 
nothing  but  one  woolen  blanket  for  shelter.  He  was  afterwards  ad 
mitted  to  the  hospital  outside  the  stockade  and  died  some  time  in 
October. 

Some  time  after  this  the  balance  of  the  prisoners  were  taken 
out  and  the  squad  that  Cook,  Funk  arid  I  belonged  to  was  sent 
to  Millen,  Georgia,  This  was  a  stockade  similar  to  Andersonville, 
excepting  that  we  were  not  so  crowded.  The  weather  was  now 
getting  very  cold  and  all  that  we  three  had  to  keep  warm  was  the 
blanket  that  Snyder  left  with  me. 

After  we  reached  Millen,  there  was  an  exchange  of  ten  thousand 
sick  prisoners  and  Sam  Cook  was  taken  into  a  shanty  in  the  place 
of  a  sick  soldier  who  had  been  taken  out  and  so  our  mess  was 
broken  up.  I  joined  in  with  two  men  from  New  York  State,  named 
Carr  and  Litchfield,  who  each  had  a  blanket.  We  spent  the  balance 
of  the  winter  together. 

One  day  soon  after  I  was  taken  to  Millen  I  saw  a  prisoner 
wearing  a.  cap  marked  Company  IT  148th,  and  Second  Corps  badge. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          419 

I  knew  the  cap  at  onoe  and  asked  -him  where  he  got  it.  He  told  me 
he  had  taken  it  off  a  dead  man  and  where  I  could  find  him.  I  went 
where  he  directed  me  and  found  Sergeant  Ward,  our  color  bearer, 
almost  stark  naked,  nothing  but  a  skeleton  left  of  a  big,  stout  man — 
another  good,  brave  soldier  fallen  a  victim  to  rebel  cruelty. 

We  had  an  election  in  Milieu  for  President  and  Lincoln  car 
ried  the  day  by  a  considerable  majority. 

The  rebels  would  come  into  the  stockade  and  try  to  persuade 
the  prisoners  to  enlist  in  their  Army,  using  all  sorts  of  persuasions, 
telling  us  our  Government  had  deserted  us.  At  this  time  it  wa* 
very  cold  and  it  was  a  great  inducement  to  starving  men  to  have 
offered  to  them  new  clothing,  blankets  and  shelter,  when  they 
thought  to  enlist  might  save  their  lives.  A  great  many  of  those 
Tvho  enlisted  were  foreigners  who  did  not  care  much  on  which  side 
they  were,  but  it  is  to  the  honor  of  that  great  mass  of  freezing, 
starving  men  that  there  were  very  few  who  did  not  scorn  their  offers 
of  freedom,  preferring  death  to  dishonor. 

When  Sherman's  cavalry  came  in  the  direction  of  the  prison, 
they  took  us  out  and  shipped  us  to  Savannah.  We  were  there  a  day 
or  two  when  they  put  us  on  the  cars,  telling  us  they  would  take  us 
to  our  lines,  but  instead  we  were  taken  farther  south  to  a  place 
called  Blackshear,  where  they  camped  us  for  some  time,  then  took 
us  still  further  south,  where  they  camped  us,  getting  a  lot  of 
darkies  to  dig  a  big  ditch  around  us.  They  kept  us  here  for  some 
time,  then  marched  us  across  the  country  about  sixty  miles  to  a  place 
called  Albany.  Here  we  got  on  cars  and  were  taken  back  and 
turned  into  old  Andersonville,  where  we  spent  the  balance  of  the 
winter.  I  was  among  the  last  to  leave  there  but  at  last  was  taken 
to  Albany,  where  we  were  put  on  cars  and  finally  reached  a  station 
called  Baldwin  in  Florida,  about  twenty  miles  from  Jacksonville. 
This  distance  from  Baldwin  to  Jacksonville  we  had  to  walk,  the 
railroad  having  been  torn  up. 

It  would  be  unjust  to  say  that  all  the  rebels  were  bad  (although 
the  most  that  we  had  anything  to  do  with  were).  I  at  least  found 
one  who  treated  me  all  right,  as  we  were  on  the  way  to  our  lines 
between  Thomasville  and  Jacksonville.  Our  train  stopped  to  take 
on  wood  and  I  had  occasion  to  get  off  the  train  and  it  started  and 


420  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

I  was  left  behind.  It  was  in  a  wild  wooded  country  and  I  followed 
on  the  railroad  track,  until  I  came  upon  an  old  corn  cracker  mill. 
The  miller  came  to  the  road  and  I  inquired  of  him  the  distance 
to  the  station.  He  told  me  it  was  a  right  smart  distance  and  that 
was  about  all  the  satisfaction  he  could  give  me,  but  I  found  that 
aright  smart"  meant  quit©  a  distance  to  walk  barefooted  and  in  my 
weakened  condition.  I  got  to  the  station  at  last  and  found  an 
old  soldier  in  charge  who  had  lost  his  limb  in  the  Confederate 
Army.  He  told  me  to  stay  there  with  him  and  he  would  get  me  on 
the  next  train  and  send  me  on  and  that  I  would  probably  overtake 
the  rest,  I  spent  some  time  very  pleasantly  with  him,  under  the 
circumstances,  he  telling  some  of  his  experiences  in  the  front  and 
I  mine.  As  I  was  there  over  meal  time,  he  sent  his  servant  out 
and  he  brought  me  a  big  cooked  dinner  on  tray  which  I  enjoyed 
very  much.  It  was  the  first  meal  of  the  kind  I  had  tasted  since 
being  captured.  Before  the  train  came  along  he  sent  his  man  out 
and  brought  me  a  bottle  of  blackberry  brandy.  He  said  the  price 
of  this  was  ten  dollars  in  Confederate  money.  This  brandy  I  be 
lieve  was  very  beneficial  to  me  in  my  condition.  The  train  at  last 
came  along  loaded  with  Confederate  soldiers  who  treated  me  civilly 
and  gave  me  a  whole  seat  to  myself,  no  doubt  on  account  of  the 
other  gray  backs  that  were  on  me.  We  at  last  came  to  where  the 
others  had  stopped.  I  think  the  name  of  this  place  was  Lake  City. 
Her©  we  got  our  last  ration  of  corn  meal  which  was  the  last  we 
got  until  we  were  in  our  own  lines,  and  then  it  was  soft  bread, 
coffee,  sugar,  mea,t,  beans,  and  oh !  the  contrast. 

I  arrived  at  our  picket  line  about  eight  or  nine  o'clock  at  night. 
Next  morning  went  into  Jacksonville,  a  mil©  or  two  from  the 
picket  line,  where  I  saw  the  "Old  Stars  and  Stripes"  flying  at  the 
top  of  a  flag  pole.  Then  I  knew  I  was  in  God's  country  again.  This 
was  on  the  28th  day  of  April,  18G5.  I  was  at  this  time  a  mere 
skeleton,  having  scurvy  and  chronic  diarrhoea  and  being  almost 
naked.  I  went  into  the  hospital,  as  they  got  beds  ready  for  us. 
There  were  six  in  one  tent  with  me.  Three  of  the  six  died.  I  lay 
at  Jacksonville  about  a  month  before  I  was  able  to  be  sent  ISTorth. 
I  arrived  at  Annapolis  about  the  1st  of  June  and  was  sent  from 
there  to  Harrisburg,  my  father  meeting  me  there.  I  got  a  seven 
days'  furlough  and  came  home  with  him.  I  returned  when  the  time 
was  up  and  was  discharged  June  11, 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          421 


TIIK    PRISONER'S   STORY. 


PART  IV. 

By  Jdhn  W.  Biddle,  of  Company  B. 

In  my  service  in  the  Regiment,  1  took  part  in  eight  different 
battles.  The  last  one,  leading  up  to  my  prison  life,  was  in  front 
of  Petersburg  on  the  10th  of  June,  1S(>4,  where  we  made  the  charge 
upon  the  rebel  works.  I  was  assisting  Sergeant  Ward  (I  think  that 
was  his  name),  the  color  bearer,  in  burying  the  regimental  flag,  in 
order  to  save  it,  for  we  saw  that  we  had  got  too  far  ahead  and  could 
not  retreat  for  the  enemy  was  coming  in  on  us  from  two  directions. 
After  we  had  buried  the  colors.  Ward  said,  "Thank  God,  John,  they 
won't  get  the  flag,  if  they  do  get  us." 

On  they  came,  with  the  regulation  rebel  yell,  gathered  all  about 
us  and  said,  "Hand  over  your  guns,  you  damned  Yanks/'  and  we 
had  no  choice  but  to  comply.  We  were  ordered  to  fall  in  ranks  and 
do  it  d —  quick  or  "we  will  shoot  every  one  of  you."  So  in  we 
got  the  best  we  could  and  then  the  orders  were  given  to  march  and 
we  started  for  the  rear.  We  had  not  gone  far,  until  we  were  ordered 
to  the  double  quick.  They  said  the  Yanks  were  coming  down 
on  them  like  hell.  A  rebel  officer  came  riding  up  and  said,  "Move 
them  Yanks  up  or  they'll  be  taken  from  us." 

We  were  taken  back  to  Petersburg  and  put  in  an  old  tobacco 
house  and  then  the  fun  began.  They  took  boxes  of  tobacco  and  set 
them  in  front  of  us  and  said,  "If  any  of  you  Yanks  take  any  of  that 
tobacco,  we'll  shoot  you."  We  stayed  there  that  night  and  then  they 
started  us  for  Andersonville  Prison.  After  they  had  put  us  on  the 
train  and  run  us  down  the  railroad,  they  stopped  and  said  they 
would  give  us  something  to  eat  but  they  had  not  enough  for  them 
selves,  "so  you  Yanks  can  do  without."  We  had  nothing  to  eat  for 
three  days.  While  we  were  there,  they  would  torment  us  in  various 
ways,  taking  meat  and  corn  bread  and  holding  it  up  in  front  of  us 
and  saying,  "Yank,  are  you  hungry  ?"  then  they  would  sit  down  and 
eat  it  and  say,  "We'll  starve  you  Yanks." 


422  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

We  resumed  the  trip  to  Andersonville.  They  put  us  on  the 
train  and  we  had  not  gone  far  until  our  troops  began  to  shell  the 
train.  One  shell  struck  the  end  of  the  car  that  I  was  in.  We  were 
in  hope  that  we  would  be  recaptured  by  our  men  before  we  reached 
that  helljhole  of  Andersonville,  but  our  hopes  failed  us  and  on  we 
went  till  we  got  to  that  dismal  place. 

It  nearly  made  us  sick.  They  took  us  off  the  train,  marched 
us  to  headquarters,  there  they  drew  us  up  in  line  and  asked  us  if 
we  had  any  money.  We  said,  "No."  Then  they  said,  "You  are  such 
liars  we'll  search  you,"  which  they  did,  and  took  all  of  our  money, 
pocket  knives,  etc.,  then  marched  us  to  the  entrance  of  the  prison, 
where  they  took  our  clothes  away  from  us  and  opened  the  gates  and 
turned  us  in  naked  and  hungry,  for  we  had  had  nothing  to  eat,  say 
ing,  "There  is  where  you'uns  can  stay." 

It  was  a  iheart  rending  sight — the  naked  prisoners  in  that  place. 
They  were  nothing  but  skin  and  bones.  I  felt  that  I  could  not  live 
long  in  that  place  but  I  did  live  in  it  for  eleven  months.  I  weighed 
one  hundred  and  ninety-eight  pounds  when  I  went  in  and  seventy 
when  I  came  out. 

We  got  something  to  eat  at  last.  It  was  a  piece  of  corn  bread 
about  an  inch  and  a  half  square  and  a  spoonful  of  molasses  and  that 
is  all  I  had  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  I  got  that  every  twenty -four 
hours,  and  that  was  what  I  lived  on  most  of  the  time  for  eleven 
months. 

The  stockade  surrounding  the  prison  \vas  made  of  logs  sawed 
square  and  stood  on  end,  planted  in  the  ground  five  feet,  and  about 
twenty  feet  high.  There  were  little  boxes  on  top  where  the  guard 
stood  and  in  the  prison  there  was  a  dead  line  about  ten  feet  wide 
made  of  stakes  driven  into  the  ground,  with  a  board  on  top,  and  we 
were  required  to  stay  a  foot  away  from  it  under  pain  of  being  shot. 
I  saw  one  poor  fellow  shot  when  he  was  asleep.  He  rolled  over  too 
far  and  didn't  know  it. 

The  prison  pen  was  nothing  but  a  bed  of  sand  and  lice.  The 
water  we  had  to  drink  was  out  of  a  brook  that  ran  through  the  refuse 
of  the  prison  and  the  rebels  would  foul  the  stream  in  various  ways 
and  say  it  was  good  for  Yank's  health.  When  we  were  on  the  verge 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          423 

of  starvation,  they  would  throw  corn  bread  on  the  verge  of  the  dead 
line  and  tell  us  to  get  it  and  would  shoot  anyone  who  would  attempt 
to  do  so,  saying  they  got  a  ten  day  furlough  home  for  every  Yank 
they  shot. 

I  saw  prisoners  who  were  so  weak  they  could  not  walk  shot 
\vhen  not  near  the  dead  line.  It  was  a  hard  task  for  me  to  see  my 
comrades  treated  in  that  way.  We  were  at  their  mercy  and  could 
not  help  ourselves.  We  were  poor  and  weak,  and  infested  with 
vermin.  Poor  and  weak  as  we  were  and  without  shelter  or  fire,  the 
guard*  would  come  in  and  say  they  ought  to  kill  all  of  us.  They 
would  kick  the  prisoners  in  the  ribs  and  order  them  to  get  up,  when 
TJiey  were  loo  weak  to  stand. 

They  brought  our  corn  bread  in  a  wagon  and  then  would  load 
tVe  wagon  with  the  dead  men  and  haul  them  out,  throw  them  in  a 
trench,  without  a  box  or  blanket,  throw  a  little  dust  over  them  and 
leave  thorn  for  the  dogs  to  dig  out  and  eat  up. 

Many  attempts  were  made  to  escape,  only  to  be  tracked  by  blood 
hounds.  I  ?aw  prisoners  come  in  who  had  been  caught  by  hounds, 
the  flesh  hanging  down  off  the  bones,  torn  by  the  dogs.  Many  of 
these  men  died  in  a  short  time.  I  saw  a  squad  of  prisoners  caught 
in  that  way  by  the  hounds  and  brought  in  all  torn  and  bleeding, 
and  for  punishment  some  were  hung  up  by  the  thumbs  till  they  were 
dead  and  others  were  laid  across  a  barrel  and  whipped  with  what 
they  called  cait-o' -nine-tails  till  the  flesh  dropped  from  their  bones; 
others  bucked  and  gagged  and  compelled  to  remain  in  that  condi 
tion,  until  relieved  by  death.  They  would  beg  for  mercy  but  were 
met  with  curses  and  orders  to  keep  still  on  pain  of  being  shot. 

There  were  about  thirty  thousand  in  the  pen,  when  I  went  in, 
and  about  five  thousand  came  out  alive.  Every  day  there  were  three 
or  four  loads  of  dead  hauled  out.  I  had  a  comrade  by  the  name  of 
John  Ramberger  who  died  lying  across  my  breast.  I  was  stronger 
than  he  was.  At  night  I  would  lie  down  and  get  his  head  on  my 
breast.  He  had  one  foot  rotted  off  and  part  of  his  thigh  and  was 
being  eaten  up  with  vermin.  I  saw  hundreds  of  prisoners  with  their 
feet  and  arms  decaying,  crying  and  moaning  with  pain  and  asking 
for  help.  Wirz  would  come  in  and  hail  them  and  say,  "I  can 


424  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

fix  you  damned  Yanks/'  and  would  trample  them  to  death,  saying, 
"We  can  kill  more  here  'than  they  can  at  the  front."  I  heard  a  man 
ask  Wirz  for  something  to  eat  and  he  took  his  revolver  out  and 
shot  him  dead  and  said,  "You've  got  it  now."  It  made  my  blood  run 
cold,  what  little  I  had,  for  I  was  so  weak  I  could  not  walk.  I  had 
to  crawl  on  my  hands  and  knees. 

I  saw  a  lot  of  new  prisoners  come  in  one  day.  They  looked 
scared  and  said  they  could  not  live  in  such  a  place  as  that,  with 
that  bad  smell  and  disease  and  vermin.  They  sat  down  and  cried 
like  babies  to  see  their  comrades  in  such  a  place  and  nothing  but  the 
dry  skin  drawn  over  the  bones,  and  I  thought  I  could  not  long  survive 
myself. 

Later  on  we  had  an  ounce  of  meat. and  an  ounce  and  a  half  of 
corn  bread  without  salt  and  the  water  part  of  the  time  was  green 
vvith  filth  and  at  other  times  red  with  blood,  but  one  morning  when 
I  got  up,  it  had  rained  all  night  and  just  a  short  distance  from  me 
there  was  a  stream  of  nice  clear  water  boiling  out  of  the  ground.  It 
looked  so  good  it  made  me  shout  with  joy.  It  was  at  the  edge  of 
the  dead  line,  so  I  thought  I  would  crawl  over  and  get  a  drink,  but. 
when  I  got  within  a  short  distance,  the  rebel  guard  said:  "If  you 
touch  that  water  I  will  put  a  hole  through  you ;  go  and  drink  where 
you  have  drunk  'before;  it  is  good  enough  for  you  hogs." 

It  is  hard  for  anyone  who  was  not  there  to  believe  the  truth 
as  to  the  hardships  and  cruelty  that  we  suffered  in  that  rebel  prison. 
I  have  often  wondered  how  anyone  survived,  as  poor  and  weak  as  we 
were.  I  sa.w  men  in  the  prison  who  you  could  see  were  just  living, 
but  the  rebels  would  come  in  with  their  wagon,  take  them  by  the 
head  and  feet  and  throw  them  in  for  dead,  and  if  they  were  not 
dead  by  the  time  they  got  them  to  the  trench,  they  would  kill  them 
and  throw  them  in. 

How  can  we  ever  forgive  such  cruel  and  inhuman  monsters  as 
Wirz,  Wynder  and  Barrett — the  men  who  would  take  poor  starved 
men  out  of  the  prison  and  whip  them  with  the  cat-o'-nine-tails  till  the 
flesh  dropped  from  their  bones  and  then  tell  the  men  to  take  the 
Yank  and  throw  him  into  a  hole. 

Thank  God !  I  got  out  after  eleven  months.  I  was  taken  June 
16,  1864,  and  got  out  May  16,  1865. 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  425 


THE  PRISONER'S  STORY. 


PART  V. 

By  James  F.  McNoldy,  Company  K. 

When  the  call  for  men  came  to  our  home  for  volunteers,  there 
were  four  of  us  working  in  the  same  tailor  shop.  I  felt  it  my  duty 
to  my  country  to  go,  as  I  was  single.  I  at  once  started  and  walked 
from  my  home  to  a  village  in  Montgomery  County,  Pennsylvania, 
where  Lieutenant  Dotts  was  enlisting  men  for  service,  and  enrolled 
my  name.  We  remained  at  the  hotel  at  Greenville  for  a  few  days 
and  then  took  the  overland  route  to  Millerstown  Station,  then  to  Har- 
risbunr,  where  we  arrived  in  due  time. 

C/ 

The  next  day  were  examined  and  of  course  we  all  passed,  good 
as  old  wheat.  There  was  an  officer  waiting  until  we  were  examined 
who  wanted  us  to  go  with  him,  but  our  good  Lieutenant  wouldn't  sell 
out  He  offered  big  money  if  we  would  go  with  him,  but  Lieutenant 
Dotts  said,  "No,  I'll  keep  my  boys."  We  met  Captain  Core ;  he 
lacked  eighteen  men — just  our  number — so  we  decided  to  go  with 
him.  This  filled  the  Regiment.  We  then  embarked  for  Cockeys- 
ville,  Maryland,  to  join  our  Regiment,  which  was  stationed  there  to 
guard  bridges.  We  went  by  the  name  of  the  Berks  County  Dutch. 

One  day  I  was  on  picket  duty  along  the  railroad.  I  got  tired 
carrying  my  rifle  and  standing  it  against  a  rock,  I  walked  ba.ck  and 
forth  very  much  unconcerned,  when  to  my  surprise,  an  officer  ap 
proached  very  rapidly,  never  smiling,  but  walked  straight  to  where 
I  had  placed  my  rifle  and  took  it  and  then  asked  my  name,  company 
and  regiment  I  told  him  very  nicely.  Then  he  asked  me  if  I  knew 
him.  I  said  I  didn't  Said  he  was  Colonel  Beaver  and  wanted  to 
know  if  I  knew  what  my  orders  were  when  I  was  placed  on  duty,  and 
I  told  him  as  best  I  could  in  my  broken  Pennsylvania  Dutch.  "Well," 
says  he,  "if  I  had  been  an  enemy,  T  could  have  killed  you."  This 
was  my  first  experience  of  this  kind  and  it  certainly  taught  me  a 
lesson  which  T  never  forgot. 


426  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Our  first  baptism  of  fire  was  at  Chancellorsville,  and  my  file 
cover,  whose  name  was  Corp.  Boss  Kirkpatrick,  lost  his  right  arm, 
being  hit  by  a  piece  of  railroad  iron. 

We  were  put  on  skirmish  line  behind  some  logs  and  in  this  place 
I  was  wounded  in  my  left  arm,  but  stayed  at  my  post  and  tried  to  do 
my  best  to  keep  the  rebs  back.  Some  one  then  gave  command  to 
"Assemble  to  the  left,"  and  about  the  time  we  were  leaving  another 
command  was  given  to  "Stay  where  you  are."  We  did  stay  to  our 
sorrow.  One  of  my  company,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Melcher  Wasser, 
looked  back  and  discovered  a  rebel  officer  behind  a  tree  and  Wasser 
hollered,  "Shoot  him;  he's  a  rebel,"  but  we  didn't  get  time  to  shoot, 
for  they  came  down  upon  us  like  thousands  of  demons,  calling  us  all 
kinds  of  numes,  and  if  any  were  slow  in  dropping  their  things  they 
got  plenty  of  help  from  the  rebels. 

They  then  marched  us  off  to  Hotel  Libby  and  hell-hole  Castle 
Thunder,  thence  to  Belle  Isle  to  die.  Words  cannot  express  our  tor 
ture.  I  have  never  seen  printing  yet  that  has  expressed  the  suffering 
from  hunger  and  cold,  but  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  get  out  with  a 
lot  of  prisoners  and  was  paroled,  after  being  in  seventeen  days.  We 
wont  on  boat  at  Richmond  for  White  House  Landing  and  there  we 
received  our  transports  for  Annapolis,  where  we  were  placed  in  camp 
parole.  There  we  stayed  for  some  time  with  nothing  to  do  but  eat 
and  sleep.  Three  other  boys  and  myself,  all  of  Company  K,  grew 
tired  of  this  and  asked  for  a  furlough  to  go  home,  but  the  command 
ing  officer  as  much  as  told  us  to  take  a  "French."  We  did,  starting 
one  evening  and  marching  all  night  along  the  water.  The  next  morn 
ing,  at  the  break  of  day  we  weren't  more  than  two  miles  away  from 
our  starting  point.  You  can  imagine  our  feelings.  Well  we  rested 
that  day  and  that  night  we  went  a  different  route  and  succeeded  in 
escaping  pickets  and  paroles.  We  got  as  far  as  Westminster  when 
one  of  our  party  became  sick,  so  we  decided  to  give  up  the  trip  and  I 
went  to  town,  reported  to  provost  marshal  and  then  brought  the  other 
boys  to  town.  We  remained  there  a  few  days,  then  they  sent  us  back 
to  Baltimore  with  a  Sergeant  as  a  guide  to  deliver  us  to  provost 
rrarshal  for  further  orders.  The  next  thing  we  were  sent  across  the 
river  and  placed  in  Fort  McHenry  with  rebel  prisoners  and  deserters, 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          427 

but  we  were  not  kept  there  very  long.  They  sent  us  back  to  parole 
canip  at  Maryland.  When  we  arrived  at  camp  we  were  ordered  to 
fall  in  double  line  and  the  commanding  officer  said,  "Now  those 
with  their  uniforms  on  step  three  pacts  to  the  front."  Then  he  said, 
"I  suppose  you  know  where  you  belong  and  where  your  quarters  are, 
so  get" — and  we  did.  Some  were  deserters  and  some  just  procured 
citizens  clothes,  thinking  they  could  get  along  better.  This  was  of 
no  use,  it  was  all  up  with  them — some  for  good. 

We  remained  here  for  a  while  and  finally  we  were  sent  to  our 
regiments  to  join  the  boys  again  for  further  orders.  I  will  never  for 
get  the  pleasant  greetings  we  received  from  our  officers  and  men. 

While  on  skirmish  line  next  to  State  Road,  Company  K  had  to 
creep  on  their  hands  and  knees  to  establish  their  line.  I  heard  a  noise 
in  the  bushes  but  could  see  nothing  on  account  of  the  heavy  under 
growth,  so  1  motioned  for  next  man  to  come  to  me.  Just  then  we 
saw  two  Johnnies  coming  towards  us.  I  told  my  mate  to  take  one 
and  I  would  take  the  other,  and  thai  when  I  would  nod  my  head  we 
would  shoot,  but  to  our  surprise  neither  of  our  guns  went  off,  but 
when  the  caps  snapped  you  ought  to  have  seen  those  poor  fellows  run 
through  the  thorns  and  brush.  We  remained  there  till  some  time  in 
the  night  when  the  word  was  passed  from  one  to  the  other  to  with 
draw,  and  we  did,  but  we  found  ont  afterward  that  we  were  left  there 
with  the  expectation  of  being  captured,  but  fortunately  we  got  out 
all  right. 

On  May  9th  and  10th,  at  Po  River,  we  had  a  desperate  fight, 
Company  K  having  its  full  share.  We  crossed  and  recrossed  this 
river  on  tree*  that  were  felled  across  the  stream  and  forded  it.  Our 
Regiment  fought  and  held  a  full  Division.  At  Spotsylvania  Com 
pany  K  was  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight.  Right  where  we  charged  up 
to  battery  I  was  up  to  the  mouths  of  their  cannon,  but  this  became 
too  hot  so  I  ran  off  to  my  left  There  was  our  Colonel  and  Major 
Fairlamb  with  a  group  of  about  fifteen  or  twenty.  Major  Fairlamb 
said,  "Come  now,  boys,  we  can  take  those  batteries,"  so  we  went  for 
them  again  and  we  did  succeed,  but  we  had  to  give  them  the  butts  of 
our  rifles.  Then  over  the  breastworks  we  went.  I  ran  down  along 
the  left  and  jumped  up  on  the  breastworks.  There  sat  two  Johnnies 


428  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

with  fixed  bayonets.  I  punched  one  of  them  with  my  bayonet  and  told 
him  to  come  out  and  "get."  They  did,  and  wanted  to  know  where 
they  should  "get  to."  I  said,  "Right  over  those  works."  Then  down 
along  the  works  I  ran  and  met  a  messmate — James  F.  Weidner.  He 
called  to  me  that  there  was  a  limber  hauled  by  four  horses.  He  said, 
"Jim,  shoot  one  of  those  horses."  I  did.  1  killed  the  lead  horse  and 
that  stopped  them.  About  this  time  a  fine  bay  horse  ran  up  to  me.  I 
captured  him  and  took  him  across  the  breastworks  towards  our  line 
and  stt  him  free.  He  did  not  get  very  far  without  being  captured. 

Going  down  along  the  works  again  came  across  another  trap 
the  Johnnies  had  set  for  us.  It  was  a  very  deep  ditch,  about  six  feet 
deep  and  six  feet  wide,  with  wires  stretched  along  about  six  inches 
off  the  ground,  but  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  get  over  all  right.  Then 
after  the  Johnnies  we  went.  We  didn't  get  very  far,  for  there  was 
an  open  field  on  the  other  side  of  a  wood.  We  passed  through  and 
this  was  filled  with  troops  from  one  end  to  the  other.  Our  Color  Ser 
geant  was  right  with  me  and  who  should  we  spy  but  two  Johnnies 
coming  from  behind  a  large  oak  tree  who  ordered  us  to  surrender.  I 
told  the  Sergeant  not  to  give  up  the  flag  and  thenl  proceeded  to  give 
it  to  them,  then  we  took  to  our  heels  and  such  running  as  we  did  down 
through  the  woods,  and  across  that  ditch,  with  the  rebels  after  us, 
calling  for  us  to  stop.  We  stopped,  but  not  until  we  got  over  the 
breastworks  that  we  had  captured. 

At  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia,  June  1st,  2d,  3d,  9th  and  12th,  Com 
pany  K,like  the  rest  of  our  Regiment,  had  its  hands  full.  On  skirmish 
line  again  as  usual.  We  drove  their  skirmish  line  across  a  large  field 
i  nd  followed  them,  creeping  up  the  rise  in  front  of  their  breastworks. 
Here  an  officer  commanding  the  skirmish  line  got  behind  a  tree,  close 
to  me,  and  ordered  us  to  go  ahead.  I  drew  up  on  him  and  said, 
"Get  out  from  behind  that  tree  and  come  on  if  you  want  us  to  go 
any  farther."  He  came  but  we  didn't  got  much  farther.  Just  at  the 
pis  ce  I  cross  the  road,  sticking  in  a  fence  rail,  was  a  note  and  it  read 
as  follows  :  "If  you  gain  the  brow  of  this  hill,  don't  go  any  farther; 
if  you  do,  you  will  lose  every  man  you  have.  Signed,  A  friend." 
We  just  got  about  a  hundred  yards  farther  and  we  remained  there 
that  day  and  that  night.  Three  other  fellows  and  myself  of  our  Reg- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          429 

iment  crawled  into  a  large  cedar  bush  and  let  me  tell  you  we  aad  to 
keep  low.  That  night  we  built  a  fort  with  coffee  sacks  filled  with 
sand,  with  cracker  box  lids  for  port  holes  to  shoot  through,  making 
very  good  use  of  them. 

The  next  day  we  spied  a  flag  right  in  front  of  us  on  their  works. 
It  didn't  stay  there  very  long,  for  we  shot  it  down,  but  it  wasn't  down 
very  long  when  a  big  Johnnie  jumped  upon  the  works  with  another 
one.  This  time  Johnnie  and  flag  both  fell,  Johnnie  for  good.  When 
we  saw  a  rebel  down  along  the  line  all  four  of  us  would  fire  at  him. 
We  all  fired  at  once  and  just  as  we  fired  a  ball  hit  Comrade 
Fleming's  gun  about  or  near  the  second  band,  and  both  balls  met. 
There  were  splinters  flying  in  every  direction,  cutting  Fleming  in 
his  cheek,  neck  and  left  sida  He  thought  I  held  my  rifle  too  close 
to  his  cheek  and  the  powder  had  burned  him.  He  said,  "What  are 
you  doing,  Jim?"  I  said,  "Nothing."  So  after  an  examination  we 
soon  discovered  what  was  wrong.  A  hole  in  the  side  of  his  gun  bar 
rel  told  the  story. 

I  must  not  pass  by  another  incident  which  happened  that  morn 
ing.  While  looking  through  my  port  hole,  some  one  tapped  me  on 
my  shoulder.  I  looked  around  and  there  stood  the  Colonel.  I  told 
him  there  was  a  reb  down  there  in  front  of  the  fort  and  he  said,  "Let 
me  look  through  and  let  me  have  your  rifle."  I  stepped  back  and  he 
took  my  rifle,  looked  through  and  shot  at  the  Johnnie,  but  about  the 
same  time  some  one  on  the  other  side  let  loose,  the  ball  coming  in 
through  the  port  hole,  hitting  the  side  of  a  board  and  then  striking 
the  Colonel  on  his  left  breast,  his  pocket  diary  checking  the  blow. 
He  wheeled  around  and  said,  UI  don't  believe  I  have  any  business 
here." 

The  next  day,  when  they  sent  the  flag  of  truce  over,  I  had  charge 
of  our  men  along  the  line  we  had  been  fighting.  There  were  a  great 
number  of  our  wounded  men  lying  between  the  lines  that  we  could  not 
reach.  What  a  terrible  sight!  The  men  were  as  black  as  negroes 
and  swollen  terribly.  The  night  before  the  flag  was  sent  over  there 
was  one  of  our  boys  lying  out  in  front  and  an  officer  asked  for  some 
one  to  crawl  out  to  him.  He  was  dead,  but  he  wanted  to  get  what 
ever  he  had  to  send  home  to  his  family,  ?o  I  crawled  out  on  my  hands 


430  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

and  knees,  hugging  the  ground  as  close  as  I  could,  and  got  everything 
he  had,  and  gave  all  but  his  haversack  to  this  man.  We  confiscated 
its  contents.  He  had  a  good  supply  of  hard  tack  and  we  made  excel 
lent  use  of  it. 

When  on  skirmish  line  at  Keams  Station  we  had  to  leave  our 
knapsacks  and  everything  behind  our  breastworks.  When  we  started 
out  after  the  rebs,  we  drove  them  across  the  railroad,  through  a  field 
and  into  the  woods.  There  we  stopped.  I  got  to  the  edge  of  a  narrow 
strip  of  timber  where  I  was  able  to  see  to  the  other  side,  into  an 
open  field,  and  saw  a  mass  of  troops,  so  the  rebels  charged  us  and  we 
had  to  go  back  to  our  line  of  breastworks,  which  we  had  captured  from 
them,  but  when  we  got  back  we  found  a  New  York  regiment  in  our 
place  and  they  opened  fire  so  we  were  between  two  fires.  We  looked 
for  our  knapsacks,  but  they  were  gone,  and  we  had  to  do  the  next 
best  and  capture  the  first  one  we  got  next  to. 

Colonel  Broadie  ordered  us  baiok  again.  I  told  him  there  were 
thousands  of  rebs  on  the  other  side  of  that  house.  He  just  laughed 
at  me  and  said,  "Move  on  up  to  the  right,"  We  did.  Beaver  arrived 
and  took  command  of  our  Brigade,  relieving  Colonel  Broadie, 
but  only  to  be  cut  down  by  a  rebel  bullet,  causing  the 
loss  of  his  leg.  It  was  not  long  till  those  rebs  let  loose  in 
front  of  us.  Oh,  such  yelling!  O'n  they  came  through  the 
brush  and  broke  our  line  on  the  right,  coming  in  behind  us.  Com- 
.  rade  Hersh  called  to  me  to  come  on  and  get  out  of  this.  Then  some 
reb  called  out,  "Surrender."  I  looked  around  and  there  they  were 
behind  us  on  the  other  side  of  the  railroad,  having  a  flag  planted.  I 
turned  and  fired  one  shot  into  the  group,  then  took  to  my  heels  ;  didn't 
get  very  far.  I  jumped  down  into  the  railroad  cut,  right  at  the  ice 
house  and  stuck  in  the  mud,  hardly  landing  when  a  reb  drew  up  on 
me.  He  was  going  to  shoot  me,  but  a  rebel  Lieutenant  drew  his  sword 
and  told  him  to  go  about  his  business.  He  said,  "Don't  you  know 
those  men  are  prisoners."  So  we  were  pulled  out  and  taken  back 
through  the  woods  to  where  the  church  stood.  Such  a  sight!  We 
traveled  over  dead  and  wounded  for  about  a  mile. 

"Now  off  for  Salisbury,  North  Carolina.     Such  a  disheartened 
crowd  of  boys  is  difficult  to  describe,  as  they  tramped  off  to  prison. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          451 

The  first  night  in  the  rebel's  care  we  put  up  in  a  large  field,  no  shelter 
whatever  and  nothing  to  eat.  In  the  night  there  was  a  great  storm 
and  never  have  I  witnessed  such  thunder  and  lightning.  We  were 
completely  drenched  with  the  rain  and  no  fire  to  dry  our  clothes.  The 
next  morning  we  started  on  our  weary  march,  and  as  we  passed  by 
some  plantations,  the  planters  would  bring  their  families  to  the  road 
to  let  them  see  the  Yankees.  Some  spit  in  our  faces  and  called  us 
vile  names.  We  had  to  endure  it  or  take  abuse  from  the  guard.  We 
marched  from  Petersburg  to  Salisbury.  There  were  about  thirteen 
thousand  put  into  this  enclosure  at  one  time.  What  a  sight  this  was 
with  no  shelter  at  first  but  the  broad  canopy  of  heaven.  We  after 
a  while  got  tents  and  a  great  many  of  the  boys  dug  holes  in  the  ground 
for  their  shelter.  We  were  all  counted  off  in  hundreds  and  I  was  put 
in  Craig's  hundred  and  the  Sergeant  who  had  command  of  us  would 
drain  our  corn,  mush  and  soup  till  you  might  term  it  dish  water.  All 
you  could  see  in  your  mug  was  about  a  half  dozen  cow  peas  and  about 
three  times  that  amount  of  worms  and  bugs.  Things  became  very 
desperate.  There  were  a  few  wells  in  the  enclosure,  but  they  were 
pretty  dry.  If  you  had  a  tin  can  with  a  string  attached  that  would 
reach  to  the  bottom  of  a  well  you  were  a  lucky  fellow,  but  to  keep 
such  a  precious  article  was  another  story. 

One  day  there  was  a  dog  at  the  cook  house,  but  some  of  the  boys 
coaxed  him  out  and  dispatched  him,  so  we  had  mutton  for  supper  and 
it  was  all  right.  The  Johnnies  offered  a  big  reward]  if  anyone  could 
tell  them  what  had  become  of  that  dog,  but  nobody  but  the  boys  that 
ate  him  knew  'anything  of  his  whereabouts.  The  rebels  offered  all 
kinds  of  inducements  to  come  out  and  work  for  them,  but  none  of  our 
boys  went.  There  were  some  of  the  Xew  York  men  went.  One  es 
pecially  I  remember  would  work  all  day  and  when  he  would  come  in 
camp  in  the  evening  and  bring  chickens,  sweet  potatoes  and  other 
good  things.  There  was  always  a  rush  for  his  tent.  As  many  as 
fifty  poor  souls  would  stand  outside  and  wait  until  he  would  clean 
his  chickens  and  pare  his  potatoes,  he  would  throw  out  the  parings  and 
entrails  and  then  for  a  fight.  I  can  only  remember  of  securing  one 
set  of  chicken  entrails,  although  I  was  a  frequent  visitor  to  his  tent 
They  used  also  to  haul  beef  entrails  to  camp  in  a  cart  and  dump  them 


432  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

off,  like  they  would  for  a  lot  of  animals.  Once  when  they  dumped 
them  off,  1  spied  a  beef  tripe  and  such  a  time  as  I  had  trying  to  tear 
that  thing.  Well,  we  tugged  away  but  to  no  advantage,  until  I  got  at 
it  with,  an  old  case  knife,  about  three  inches  long.  I  managed  to  cut 
into,  and  had  a  piece  almost  off  when  somebody  grabbed  it  with  both 
hands  and  away  he  went.  I  made  a  second  attempt,  but  there  was  a 
second  fellow  waiting,  so  trying  again  for  the  third  time,  I  held  on 
and  cut  at  the  same  time  and  when  I  found  that  I  had  this  piece,  you 
should  have  seen  me  run.  I  roasted  this  over  a  fire  and  it  was  a  de 
licious  bite  for  me,  in  those  days. 

We  used  to  draw  three  sticks  of  wood  for  one  hundred  men. 
They  were  about  as  thick  as  stovepipe  and  our  implements  for 
splitting  them  were  a  railroad  spike  without  a  head,  and  a 
stone  for  a  sledge.  A'bouit  this  time,  scurvy  was  very  bad.  1 
had  a  very  bad  case  of  it.  My  legs  from  my  knees  to  my  feet 
were  full  of  holes,  and  my  teeth  were  all  loose  and 
ready  to  fall  out — all  for  the  want  of  salt  I  had  a  very  nice  pipe, 
which  I  managed  to  get  through  without  being  captured,  and  one 
day  while  walking  through  camp  smoking,  there  was  a  rebel  officer 
stepped  up  to  me  and  said,  "Yank,  what  will  you  take  for  that  pipe?" 

I  said,  "I  would  like  to  take  this  pipe  along  home  if  I  was  ever 
lucky  enough  to  get  there  and  for  that  reason  I  didn't  want  to  part 
with  it."  He  said,  "You  had  better  sell  it  to  me.  I  will  give  you  a 
fair  price  for  it."  I  asked  him  what  he  would  give.  He  replied, 
"Twenty  dollars."  This  w>as  the  last  thing  I  had  left,  but  I  sold  it, 
claiming  to  this  day  that  that  pipe  saved  my  life,  for  I  bought  salt 
with  my  twenty  dollars  and  paid  one  dollar  for  a  tablespoonful, 
scant  measure,  but  as  soon  as  I  began  using  salt  my  scurvy  got  better, 
while  thousands  of  poor  boys  were  dying  all  around  me. 

They  tried  at  first  to  make  us  believe  that  they  were  burying 
them  in  coffins,  by  bringing  in  a  two-horse  mule  team,  having  three 
coffins  on  the  wagon,  but  that  didn't  go,  for  they  were  dying  off  so 
fast  that  they  had  to  take  nine  and  sometimes  twelve  on  a  load.  They 
would  back  their  wagon  up  to  the  door  of  a  dead  house  and  then  four 
would  load,  three  to  carry  and  one  on  the  wagon,  they  would  give  the 
poor  fellow  a  swing;  one  would  holler,  "Hei-o-hei,"  and  away  he 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          433 

would  go.  One  would  drag  him  ahead  on  the  wagon  till  they  had  a 
load,  then  they  would  haul  tliem  out  and  bury  them,  three  on  a  pile. 

I  was  there  at  the  time  the  break  for  liberty  was  made.  Already 
having  five  bullet  wounds  I  was  knocked  down  with  a  sixth,  this  one 
entering  my  head,  and  lying  outside  of  rny  tent  helpless,  a  rebel  with 
a  Colt's  revolver,  on  the  stockade  walk,  came  up  to  me  and  emptied 
seven  loads  at  me.  But  he  was  a  poor  shot,  for  he  never  touched  me. 
1  looked  up  at  him  every  time  he  fired,  for  I  expected  that  would 
wind  it  up,  but  it  didn't.  Then  he  called  for  some  one  to  bring  him 

a  rifle,  saying,  "I  can't  kill  that  blue  bellied  son  of  a  b ,"  but 

thanks  to  the  good  Lord,  about  that  time  a  kindly  hand  took  hold  of 
me  and  dragged  me  into  a  tent  out  of  harm's  way. 

About  the  time  this  thing  happened,  Sherman  was  giving  them 
fits,  and  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  had  their  hands  full,  but  they 
were  afraid  of  our  cavalry  coming  in  on  them,  so  they  shipped  us 
out  of  there  in  short  order  in  old  stock  and  box  cars. 

uOn  our  way  to  God's  country,"  the  boys  used  to  say.  When 
we  landed  in  Richmond,  the  ones  that  couldn't  walk  were  hauled 
across  to  our  flag  of  truce  boat,  but  I  didn't  wait  to  be  hauled.  I  se 
cured  a  stick  of  wood  and  used  this  for  a  crutch  and  hobbled  along  as 
good  as  I  could,  being  wounded  in  my  left  leg  and  right  arm.  I  got 
to  the  boat  all  right.  When  we  saw  our  flag,  the  first  time  for  about 
four  months,  there  was  shouting  and  crying  for  joy.  They  had  tables 
set  at  the  landing  with  plenty  of  good  things  to  eat  and  all  free. 
That,  night  we  departed  for  home  and  arrived  at  Annapolis,  after 
sailing  for  two  nights  and  a  day.  Wlien  we  landed  there  the  band 
came  down  to  the  wharf  and  played  some  very  touching  pieces.  T 
remained  in  the  hospital  until  that  fall  not  being  able  to  leave  on 
account  of  starvation  and  my  wounds.  When  my  Regiment  wa> 
mustered  out  of  United  States  sen-ice  I  was  reported  killed  and  1 
suppose  there  are  some  of  the  boys  that  have  never  heard  any  differ 
ent,  but.  I  am  still  here,  enjoying:  pretty  good  health. 


THE  CORPORAL'S  STORY. 

By  G.    G.   Walters,  Company  K. 

I  enlisted  August  13,  1862,  at  Greenville,  Clarion,  County  Penn 
sylvania.  A  squad  of  boys  in  this  community  made  up  our  minds  we 
would  all  go  to  the  War  together,  so  the  following  names  were  en 
rolled  at  Greenville:  W.  C.  Sloan,  A.  C.  Sloan,  I.  N.  Sloan,  J.  M. 
Sloan,  S.  II.  Sloan,  Monson  Corbett,  Hugh  S.  Neill,  John  D.  Neill, 
Dennis  Conner,  G.  G.  Walters  and  J.  B.  Ferguson.  In  a  few  days  we 
heard  that  Mr.  Thompson  Core,  of  Curllsville,  Clarion  County,  was 
raising  a  company  and  wanted  more  men.  We  joined  them  on  the 
condition  that  Thompson  Core  would  be  made  Captain,  and  J.  B. 
Ferguson,  First  Lieutenant  of  the  company. 

On  August  18th  I  left  home  and  came  to  Curllsville,  head 
quarters  of  the  company.  Several  of  the  boys  were  here  and  we 
spent  some  days  assisting  Captain  Core  going  over  the  country  find 
ing  new  recruits.  August  26th  was  the  day  appointed  by  the  Captain 
to  leave  for  the  Army.  Forty-two  men  being  present,  we  were  sworn 
into  the  company  by  Squire  Armitage,  of  Crullsville,  a  citizen  who 
was  very  much  interested  in  the  organization  of  the  company.  After 
thanking  the  good  people  of  Curllsville,  who  had  so  well  entertained 
us  while  there,  and  bidding  farewell  to  our  friends,  we  left  in  wagons 
for  Kittanning  on  the  Alleghany  Valley  Railroad,  this  being  the 
nearest  railroad  to  us,  where  we  arrived  at  6  :00  P.  M.  Stayed  in  hotels 
over  night,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  27th  left  for  Pittsburg,  arriv 
ing  in  the  city  about  noon  we  were  marched  out  to  Camp  Howe  (two 
miles)  and  placed  in  barracks,  which  we  called  shanties,  provided 
for  the  soldiers  during  their  stay  in  this  camp. 

August  27th  we  were  sworn  into  the  United  States  service  foi 
the  period  of  three  years,  or  during  the  War.  Captain  Core,  J.  Z. 
Brown,  and  If.  C.  Courson  started  back  to  Clarion  County  to  recruit 
more  men  for  the  company.  J.  B.  Ferguson  was  left  in  charge  of 
the  company.  September  4th  we  received  our  Government  uniforms 
and  at  four  o'clock  marched  into  the  city  and  boarded  train  for  Har- 
risburg,  where  we  arrived  early  on  the  morning  of  September  5th. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          435 

Breakfast  was  furnished  at  the  depot  by  the  Relief  Society,  after 
\vhieh  we  marched  to  Camp  Curtin,  two  miles  from  the  city. 

September  7th  Captains  Core,  Brown  and  Courson  returned  with 
sixteen  recruits,  and  by  reason  of  J.  B.  Ferguson  not  having  a  receipt 
tc  show  that  we  had  been  mustered  in  at  Pittsburg,  we  were  re- 
sworn  into  the  service,  this  time  for  three  years. 

September  9th  were  were  taken  to  the  Arsenal  and  armed  with 
Vincennes  rifle  muskets,  lettered  "K,"  and  placed  in  the  148th  Regi 
ment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  under  command  of  a  young  attor 
ney  from  Bellefonte,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania,  named  James  A. 
Beaver,  who  was  appointed  Colonel  of  our  Regiment.  Captain  Core 
started  back  to  Clarion  County  to  recruit  more  men  for  our  com 
pany,  it  not  being  full. 

September  6th  the  Regiment  was  organized,  companies  being 
placed  in  order,  and  then  marched  to  railroad  depot  and  loaded  on 
freight  cars  on  the  .Northern  Central  Railroad,  and  the  morning  of 

O  /  o 

September  10th  found  us  at  Cockeysville  in  the  State  of  Maryland 
for  the  purpose  of  guarding  the  railroad.  We  encamped  in  a  beauti 
ful  grove  of  timber,  and  named  it  Camp  Beaver  in  honor  of  our 
Colonel. 

September  27th,  Captain  Core  returned  with  twenty-two  recruits 
for  Company  K,  the  recruits  being  from  Montgomery  County,  the 
Captain  having  recruited  them  at  Harrisburg  on  condition  that 
Henry  H.  Dotts,  one  of  their  members,  should  be  Second  Lieutenant 
of  Company  K. 

After  guarding  the  railroad  at  Phoenix  Station  for  three  weeks 
we  were  relieved  by  Company  C,  and  we  returned  to  Camp  Beaver. 

On  October  27th  we  received  twenty-five  dollars,  state  bounty, 
and  two  dollars  enlistment  fee.  As  many  of  our  boys  had  never  had 
so  much  money  at  one  time  it  was  quite  a  treat.  Company  and 
squad  drill  was  the  order  of  the  day. 

On  Xovember  3d,  Rev.  J.  S.  Elder,  Presbyterian  Minister 
from  Greenville,  Clarion  County,  came  to  visit  us.  I,  with  quite  a 
good  many  of  our  boys,  were  members  of  his  church,  and  we  were 
glad  to  see  him.  He  preached  to  us  in  camp  on  Sunday,  Novem 
ber  4th. 


436  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Mr.  Phillips,  of  Johnstown,  set  up  a  sutler  shop  in  Camp  Beaver. 

On  November  29th  we  had  a  general  inspection  of  our  Regiment 
by  Colonel  Beaver.  The  boys  whose  clothes  were  not  clean  and 
whose  guns  were  not  bright  and  in  good  condition  were  sent  to  their 
tents  with  orders  to  "clean  up."  We  began  to  learn  by  this  time 
that  the  Colonel  was  an  expert  in  military  discipline  and  cleanli 
ness,  and  was  bringing  his  Regiment  up  to  the  standard  of  disciplined 
soldiers. 

On  December  7th  we  moved  into  barracks  in  the  border  of 
Cockeysville,  which  had  been  built  for  our  winter  quarters.  Weather 
cold  and  stormy.  Two  days  after  this  orders  came  to  pack  up  and 
be  ready  to  move  at  once.  We  were  on  the  cars  in  the  evening  and 
at  five  o'clock  arrived  at  Baltimore.  From  this  time  until  we  reached 
the  front  at  Falmouth,  the  events  and  experiences  of  the  company  are 
identical  with  and  are  fully  detailed  in  the  stories  of  other  com 
mands  and  need  not  be  repeated. 

On  December  28th,  Monson  Corbett,  a  member  of  Company  K, 
and  a  messmate  of  the  writer,  died  of  fever  in  the  Field  Hospital 
near  our  camp.  He  being  a  young  man  of  excellent  character,  a  good 
soldier  who  was  always  ready  for  duty,  and  the  first  taken  away 
from  the  company  by  death,  the  sad  event  cast  a  gloom  in  our 
company.  On  December  29th  my  deceased  messmate  was  buried  on 
a  knoll  above  Fredericksburg,  with  the  honors  of  war,  a  volley  being 
fired  over  his  grave.  I  placed  a  board  at  the  head  of  his  grave,  on 
which  was  inscribed  his  name,  company,  regiment,  and  these  words . 

"Here  sleeps  the  brave  who  sinks  to  rest 
By  all  his  country's  wishes  blest." 

January,  1863,  came  in  warm  and  pleasant,  January  17th, 
Burnside's  Army  had  a  Grand  Review. 

January  27th,  John  Flick,  a  member  of  our  company  died  at 
the  hospital  of  congestive  chills,  sick  but  a  few  hours. 

February  28th,  general  inspection  of  Hancock's  Division. 

.March  14th,  three  men  of  our  Division  had  their  heads  shaved 
and  were  drummed  out  of  camp  for  desertion. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          457 

March  15th,  John  A.  Lee,  member  of  our  company,  died  at  the 
hospital. 

March  27th,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  reviewed  today  by 
President  Abraham  Lincoln  on  the  plains  across  the  railroad  below 
Fredericksburg. 

April  27th,  general  inspection  of  everything;  extra  clothing, 
overcoats,  dress  coats  and  large  tents  were  sent  away.  Six  months 
pay  today.  Sent  most  of  my  money  home.  Some  of  the  boys  paid 
as  much  as  two  to  three  dollars  for  a  bottle  of  whiskey.  The 
boys  in  my  mess  did  not  drink  whiskey.  During  this 
winter  in  camp  the  soldiers  drew  rations  of  whiskey  three  times  a 
week.  At  first  we  gave  ours  away  to  some  Germans  in  our  company 
Soon  we  found  that  they  had  too  much  so  one  of  our  boys  found  a 
way  to  get  rid  of  the  whiskey.  With  a  large  poker  with  which 
he  stirred  the  fire,  he  bored  a  hole  in  the  ground  at  the  corner  of 
the  chimney  inside  the  tent.  Down  this  hole  went  our  whiskey 
all  winter.  We  called  this  whiskey  corner. 

April  19th.  another  inspection  with  orders  to  have  everything 
ready  to  move  at  a  moment's  notice.  With  five  days'  rations  of 
meat,  crackers,  sugar,  coffee,  and  salt  in  our  knapsacks  and  haver 
sacks,  we  left  camp  on  April  28th,  and  on  April  31st  crossed  the 
Rappahannock  River  at  United  States  Ford,  and  marched  until 
eleven  o'clock  at  night. 

On  the  evening  of  May  1st  our  Regiment  marched  out  of  the 
woods  to  a  cross-roads.  Here  stood  a  large  briok  house,  and  the 
place  was  called  Chancellorsville.  Company  K  with  one  other  com 
pany  was  taken  out  the  pike  to  support  a  picket  line  which  was 
firing  out  in  a  field.  As  we  marched  out  the  pike  the  wounded  came 
in  by  us.  Blood  was  dropping  from  the  wounds  on  the  heads  and 
fingers  of  the  wounded.  The  hair  of  my  head  was  on  end  and  the 
cold  chills  ran  over  me  at  this,  our  first  introduction  to  the  horrors 
of  war. 

WTe  soon  returned  to  the  Regiment  at  the  brick  house.  The 
Regiment  formed  in  line  of  battle  in  the  wnods  to  the  left  of  the  house. 
Here  we  were  resting  when  the  rebels  sent  shells  into  the  woods. 
One  of  the  shells  struck  the  limb  of  a  tree  and  fell  down  in  our  com- 


438          THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS 

pany,  breaking  the  arm  of  Ross  C.  Kirkpatrick.  This  wa-s  the  first 
soldier  wounded  in  Company  K. 

On  the  night  of  May  2d  we  built  breastworks  in  the  woods  to 
the  left  of  the  pike,  felling  trees  in  every  direction  in  front  of  our 
works,  and  were  prepared  for  the  rebels  who  attacked  us  on  the  morn 
ing  of  May  3d  at  7 :00  A.  M.,  coming  on  a  charge  yelling  like 
savages.  We  received  them  warmly  and  repulsed  them  easily,  leaving 
many  of  their  dead  and  wounded  in  our  front.  I  noticed  a  rebel 
officer  coming  up  in  our  front  on  a  white  horse,  urging  his  men  to 
charge  on  our  works.  .Several  of  us  took  aim,  fired  and  the  officer 
and  horse  both  fell  dead.  We  held  our  line  unbroken  for  an  hour 
against  several  attempts  they  made.  By  this  time  the  right  of  our 
line  was  driven  back  and  we  were  ordered  to  the  left ;  most  of  our  boys 
obeyed  orders.  Those  who  did  not  were  taken  prisoners.  The  main 
body  of  our  Army  having  been  driven  back,  we  "skedaddled"  through 
the  woods  in  the  direction  of  the  Rappahannock  River  in  great  dis 
order.  A  panic  seemed  to  have  seized  the  troops,  many  retreating 
two  or  three  miles.  Patrols  were  sent  out  in  all  directions  and  we 
were  picked  up  and  returned  to  the  front  <and  in  the  evening  we 
found  our  Regiment^  which  had  formed  a  new  line  of  battle  and 
were  building  breastworks.  Captain  Core  was  wounded  today  in 
the  shoulder.  Coporal  Hugh  S.  Neil,  a  messmate  of  mine  and  color 
bearer  of  our  company  was  killed  by  a  musket  ball  througjK'  his 
body  and  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  rebels.  One  of  Company  E 
recovered  our  flag.  Four  others  of  Company  K  were  killed  and 
eight  taken  prisoners. 

May  4th,  little  fighting.  Sharpshooters  drove  in  our  picket 
lines,  and  our  batteries  threw  shells  into  the  woods  and  the  rebels 
ran.  Our  Army  commenced  to  retreat,  and  on  the  morning  of  May 
6th  our  Regiment  recrossed  the  Rappahannock  River  and  returned 
to  the  old  camp  above  Falmouth,  wearied  and  discouraged  at  the 
loss  of  a  hard  fought  battle. 

On  July  1st  we  encamped  about  two  miles  in  the  rear  of  Gettys 
burg.  On  the  morning  of  July  2d  we  were  out  early  with  orders 
to  be  ready  to  move.  We  were  marched  to  the  right  of  Little  Round 
Top  and  were  placed  in  position  to  support  the  line  whenever  and 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          439 

wherever  needed.  Our  Regiment  was  called  into  the  fight  late  in 
the  afternoon,  advancing  in  line  of  battle  up  to  and  into  the  wheat 
field.  The  first  soldier  I  saw  dying  was  Colonel  Edward  E.  Cross, 
5th  New  Hampshire,  Commanding  Brigade,  who  was  lying  among 
some  small  bushes  on  the  edge  of  the  wheat  field.  We  advanced 
p cross  the  field,  driving  the  rebels  into  the  woods  beyond.  The 
salvation  of  our  Regiment  was  in  the  fact  that  the  rebels7  aim  was 
loo  high,  the  bullets  whizzing  over  our  heads  as  thick  as  falling 
hail.  Tha  wheat  was  yellow  and  all  trampled  to  the  ground.  We 
were  relieved  in  the  evening  and  returned  from  the  field  the  same 
way  we  entered  it.  The  report  we  got  stated  that  our  Regiment  lost 
about  one  hundred  and  thirty  men.  We  marched  back  to  the  main 
line  and  took  a  new  position  to  the  left  of  a  round  bunch  of  trees. 
Here  we  were  ordered  to  build  a  new  line  of  strong  breastworks, 
which  we  worked  on  a  greater  part  of  the  night. 

On  the  morning  of  July  3d  we  found  that  during  the  night 
preparations  had  been  made  for  a  great  battle.  The  forenoon  of  tne 
3d  passed  in  comparative  quiet,  as  far  as  Hancock's  Corps  was 
concerned.  Previous  to  one  o'clock  there  was  profound  silence. 
This  was  thr  interval  in  which  the  rebels  were  placing  their  artillery 
and  forming  their  lines  for  the  grand  attack  of  the  third  day.  About 
this  time  General  Hancock  rode  along  our  line  encouraging  the  men 
and  informed  us  that  the  enemy  was  going  to  make  a  charge  on  our 
line  and  that  he  wanted  every  soldier  to  stand  at  his  post.  About 
one  o'clock  their  signal  gun  was  fired  and  they  opened  the  battle 
with  a  most  terrific  cannonade  from  one  hundred  and  forty -five 
guns,  which  was  promptly  answered  by  our  artillery.  This  artillery 
light  was  Terrible.  WTe  lay  hugging  the  ground  in  the  rear  of  our 
works,  the  hot  July  sun  blazing  down  on  us ;  the  air  above  us  full  of 
screeching  shells  and  balls  from  the  rebel  lines.  The  line  of  fire 
from  our  guns  in  the  rear  must  have  been  very  close  above  our  heads. 
The  shock  from  our  cannon  and  the  bursting  of  shells  from  the  rebels' 
guns  caused  blood  to  flow  from  the  ears  and  noses  of  several  members 
of  our  company.  During  this  artillery  duel  there  was  no  musket 
firing.  When  our  guns  ceased  firing  there  was  quiet  and  all  felt 
certain  that  the  fight  would  break  out  again  in  some  shape,  but  did 


440  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

not  know  b-nv  it  would  come.  However,  it  came  soon.  About  seven 
teen  thousand  men  who  had  formed  for  this  charge  in  the  rear  of 
their  works  in  the  edge  of  the  woods  threer  fourths  of  a  mile  a,way, 
made  their  appearance  in  our  front.  Emerging  from  the  woods  in 
three  long  double  lines  of  battle,  they  moved  out  over  their  works 
in  splendid  style.  From  the  location  of  our  Regiment  we  could  see 
the  first  double  line  across  their  works,  then  came  a  second  and  a 
third  line.  The  long  lines  of  gray  moved  across  the  fields  toward 
us  in  perfect  order.  Berdan's  sharpshooters  commenced  firing,  pick 
ing  out  thc-ir  officers — their  globe  sighted  guns  being  effective  at 
long  range.  Soon  our  artillery  along  the  line  from  the  cemetery 
to  the  Li i  tie  Round  Top  opened  on  them  with  shells,  grape  and 
canister,  and  when  their  lines  reached  the  Emmittsburg  Road,  our 
infantry  commenced  firing  at  short  range.  The  effect  was  terrible. 
Great  gaps  were  opened  in  their  lines  by  our  cannon  balls.  The 
last  sight  I  remember  before  the  smoke  hid  our  view,  was  a  rebel 
battery  coming  into  position  near  a  brick  house  between  our  Regi 
ment  and  the  Emmittsburg  Road,  which  commenced  shelling  our 
lines.  Their  lines  of  infantry  were  now  crossing  the  road.  It  was 
about  this  time  that  General  Armistead, commanding  a  rebel  division, 
reached  our  lines  at  the  Bloody  Angle  on  our  right,  and  with  his  cap 
on  the  top  of  his  sword,  leaped  the  stone  wall,  followed  by  his 
men,  and  advanced  over  one  hundred  feet  within  our  lines,  where 
he  fell  dead,  riddled  with  bullets.  Then  came  the  hand  to  hand 
conflict  at  the  Bloody  Angle,  which  you  read  of  in  history,  when 
pistols,  swords,  bayonets,  butts  of  muskets  and  ramrods  were  freely 
used.  This  lasted  only  a  few  moments,  when  the  Johnnies  commenced 
to  throw  down  their  arms  and  surrender,  over  four  hundred  prisoners 
coming  in  over  the  breastworks  of  the  148th  Regiment.  Great  was 
the  rejoicing  over  the  victory.  The  prisoners  seemed  to  be  starving. 
They  asked  us  to  trade  crackers  for  tobacco,  which  seemed  to  be  about 
all  they  had  in  their  haversacks.  Immediately  after  the  firing  ceased, 
two  large  haystacks  in  the  rear  of  our  Regiment  were  torn  down, 
the  hay  scattered  over  the  ground,  and  long  rows  of  wounded  men 
were  laid  side  bv  side. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  441 

This  practically  ended  the  battle  of  Gettysburg.  Lee's  Army 
was  defeated.  The  high  watermark  of  the  Rebellion  had  been 
reached ;  the  clump  of  trees  made  famous,  and  the  Bloody  Angle 
baptized  with  the  blood  of  the  Blue  and  the  Gray.  The  Union  Army 
victorious,  but  decimated  and  worn  out  prepared  for  much  needed 
rations  and  rest.  The  Rebel  Army,  defeated  and  discouraged,  pre 
pared  for  retreat,  and  on  the  night  of  the  3d  General  Lee  commenced 
to  move  his  heavy  trains  toward  the  Potomac,  It  is  said  there  was 
one  wagon  train  sixteen  miles  long  containing  his  sick  and  wounded 
— going  in  wagons  mostly  without  springs,  from  which  there  came 
wails  of  agony  and  despair. 

After  the  battle  was  over,  the  writer  with  others  walked  up 
the  line  to  the  Angle  and  bunch  of  trees  where  the  most  severe  fight 
ing  had  been  done.  Here  the  sights  were  sickening.  The  dead  and 
wounded  lay  all  around.  Along  on  our  side  of  the  stone  fence 
the  Blue  and  the  Gray  were  mixed.  To  the  rear  all  were  our  men, 
while  in  front,  between  the  Angle  and  the  Emmittsburg  Road,  one 
could  have  almost  walked  on  the  bodies  of  dead  soldiers  without 
treading  on  the  ground.  The  rebel  pickets  in  the  edge  of  the  woods 
were  sending  bullets  our  way,  and  we  were  warned  to  return  to  our 
Regiment.  The  shelling  having  ceased,  the  boys  knew  the  victory- 
was  won.  There  was  then  great  rejoicing  along  our  line.  We  drew 
ration?  and  prepared  to  till  up  the  inner  man.  We  needed  it,  as 
we  had  not  had  a  satisfactory  meal  since  July  1st.  During  the  two 
days  we  had  subsisted  chiefly  on  raw  pork  and  hard  tack,  but  hard 
tack  and  pork  were  good. 

In  the  evening  of  the  third  day,  I  was  detailed  with  others  to 
report  for  duty  at  Gettysburg.  We  march* >d  up  along  the  line  of 
battle  towards  the  cemetery.  Hundreds  of  dead  horses  and  mules 
lay  along  the  line  swelled  one-third  over  their  natural  size.  Most  of 
them  were  artillery  horses,  and  the  straps  and  traces  of  harness  had 
been  cut  and  the  cannons  drawn  away.  When  we  arrived  in  Gettys 
burg,  all  the  public  buiL!h?gs,  hotels,  and  many  private  houses  were 
hospitals  full  of  woundo-d,  dead,  and  dying  soldiers  of  both  Armies. 
As  the  years  go  by,  the  oftener  I  visit  Gettysburg,  the  more 
I  am  impressed  with  the  memories  and  cost  of  that  great  conflict. 


442  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

The  Gettysburg  of  today  is  hallowed  with  memories  that  will  never 
die,  and  will  shine  more  resplendent  as  the  years  go  by.  Four  hun 
dred  and  fifty  monuments  of  granite  and  marble  mark  the  spot  where 
regiments,  brigades,  divisions,  and  army  corps  have  made  this 
battlefield  the  Waterloo  of  the  world.  Original  breastworks,  earth 
works,  stone  walls,  and  shattered  trees  still  remind  the  visitor  of  the 
awful  carnage.  Three  hundred  and  fifty  cannons  are  now  in  actual 
position  to  mark  the  original  location  of  the  different  batteries.  Ac 
cording  to  estimates  of  General  Hunt,  Chief  of  Artillery,  there  were 
expended  on  this  field  in  that  great  conflict  for  our  Union,  about 
five  hundred  and  sixty  tons  of  deadly  missiles,  including  all  the 
various  kinds  of  shells,  balls,  shot  and  shrapnel  known  to  this  coun 
try  and  to  Europe.  Over  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  men  on 
both  sides  were  engaged.  About  forty  thousand  soldiers  of  both 
Armies  were  killed,  wounded  or  missing.  There  lay  at  one  time 
on  this  field  ten  thousand  dead  soldiers  and  five  thousand  dead 
horses  and  mules,  and  multitudes  of  turkey  buzzards  fed  on  the 
carcasses  of  the  latter  for  weeks  after  the  battle. 

Pennsylvania  had  engaged  in  this  great  conflict  for  our  Union 
sixty-eight  regiments  of  infantry,  nine  regiments  of  cavalry,  and 
seven  batteries  of  artillery.  The  148th  Regiment  of  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers  was  organized  in  1862  and  from  its  first  baptism  of 
fire  and  blood  at  Chancellors  ville  in  1863  to  the  surrender  at  Appo- 
mattox  in  1865,  the  record  is  a  proud  one.  Our  monument  of  granite 
in  the  wheat  field  at  Gettysburg  will  tell  to  generations  yet  unborn 
the  list  of  battles  waged  for  the  preservation  of  our  Union. 

The  most  hallowed  spot  on  the  field  is  the  National  Cemetery, 
embracing  seventeen  acres  of  ground,  situated  on  the:  highest  point  of 
Cemetery  Hill.  Here  in  this  silent  city  of  the  dead  are  buried 
3,590  soldiers  who  wore  the  Union  Blue,  of  which  number  five  hun 
dred  and  thirty-four  are  from  the  state  of  Pennsylvania.  Tn  ont 
section  alone  are  buried  nine  hundred  and  seventy-nine  dead. 

"Cover  them  over  with  beautiful  flowers, 
Deck  them  with  garlands  these  brothers  of  ours, 
Lying  so  silent:     By  night  and  by  day, 
Sleeping  the  years  of  their  manhood  away." 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  PVLUNTEERS          443 

Will  the  survivors  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  who 
still  live  to  enjoy  the  privileges  of  the  twentieth  oentury  forget  the 
memory  of  their  comrades  whose  patriotism  and  heroism  on  battle 
fields  from  Ohancellorsville  to  Appomattox  has  illumined  the  pages 
of  the  world's  history,  and  whose  blood  has  made  sacred  the  soil  of 
our  country,  and  above  whose  ashes  now  bloom  the  lilies  and  the 
roses.  Nay,  we  cannot  forget.  While  these  comrades  of  ours  have 
been  safely  placed  in  nature's  keeping,  we  who  remain  will  place  upon 
their  graves  tributes  of  love,  and  pledges  of  undying  remembrance. 
While  we  join  with  loving  hearts  and  willing  hands  in  these  festivals 
of  the  dead  let  us  not  forget  the  old  heroes  living,  left  for  us  to 
comfort  and  assist.  Scatter  flowers  all  along  their  way  through  life. 
The  loves  that  were  gathered  in  life  will  beautify  and  gladden  {he 
end  of  our  lives  with  a  halo  of  remembrances  that  will  never  die. 

"Oh,  men  who  fought  at  Gettysburg 

Who  wore  the  Union  Blue 

I1]l  keep  my  modest  clover  leaf 

In  memory  of  you, 

And  when  upon  it  I  shall  gaze 

What  memories  will  throng; 

Our  cause  it  was  forever  right 

Our  foes  forever  wrong. 

Forever  wrong :  let  history  point 

To  Gettysburg  with  pride ; 

For  freedom  triumphed  on  its  fields 

And  strangled,  treason  died. 

Long  may  the  "clump  of  trees"  remain 

Where  struggled  Blue  and  Gray, 

And  may  the  three  leaf  clover  bloom 

Forever  and  a  day." 

EATING    CHICKEN    AT    FARMVILLE,    VIRGINIA. 

On  April  7,  1865,  two  days  before  the  surrender,  we  captured 
Farmville,  a  town  noted  for  manufacturing  tobacco.  The  ware 
houses  were  full  of  manufactured  tobacco.  After  stacking 
arms  and  breaking  ranks,  with  orders  to  go  for  what  we  could  get, 
Dennis  Connor  a  noted  forager  of  Company  K  captured  a  chicken. 
He  said  to  me,  "Come  along,  and  we  will  go  to  the  darkey's  house 
and  have  it  cooked."  There  were  two  colored  women  who 


444  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

said  they  would  cook  the  chicken  if  we  would  get  them  some  tobacco. 
We  agreed  to  this  and  we  both  returned  to  the  warehouse,  and  each 
took  a  sixty  pound  box  of  manufactured  tobacco,  and  carried  it  to 
their  house  and  up  to  the  attic,  where  they  said  was  the  only 
place  they  could  keep  it  from  their  master.  While  waiting  on  our 
fowl  to  cook,  a  fine  looking  white  lady  came  in,  who  was  introduced 
to  us  as  the  owner  of  the  plantation.  She  was  very  -talkative,  asking 
many  questions  about  the  Yankees.  She  said  she  did  not  care  what, 
we  would  take  if  we  would  only  leave  her  her  servants.  She  was 
forty-five  years  old  and  had  never  cooked  a  meal  in  her  life.  During 
our  conversation  I  showed  her  several  photographs  I  had  in  my  pocket 
of  the  Generals  in  both  Armies.  Among  them  was  one  of  General 
R.  E.  Lee,  commander  of  the  rebel  Army.  She  was  an  admirer  of 
Lee,  and  politely  asked  me  to  give  her  the  picture.  When  I  tossed 
it  into  her  lap  she  started  back  to  her  house,  and  soon  returned  with 
a  tray  full  of  pickles,  preserves,  and  many  dainties  that  looked  very 
tempting  to  boys  that  had  not  eaten  anything  of  the  kind  for  about 
three  years.  By  this  time  the  colored  women  had  the  chicken,  and 
some  good  bread  and  coffee  on  the  table,  to  which  the  white  lady 
added  her  dainties.  We  had  a  good  dinner  of  what  the  colored  women 
had  prepared,  but  left  all  on  the  table  the  white  lady  brought,  know 
ing  that  some  of  our  boys  had  been  poisoned  by  eating  food  prepared 
by  southern  women.  She  seemed  very  much  disappointed  when  we 
bade  her  good-byei 

SLEEPING   ON    THE    FRONT    PICKET    LINE. 

During  a  cold  rainy  day  in  March,  1863,  I  worked  all  day  help 
ing  to  build  a  corduroy  road  in  the  rear  of  our  camp  above  Falmouth 
for  the  artillery  to  pass  over.  In  the  evening  when  I  came  into  camp, 
one  of  our  boys  was  detailed  to  go  on  picket.  He  was  sick.  I  said 
to  him,  "I  will  take  your  place."  Our  picket  line  was  on  the  north 
side  of  tihe  river  below  the  railroad  bridge  'at  Fredericksburg.  My 
outpost  was  at  an  important  point.  About  two  o'clock  in  the  morning 
an  officer  of  the  line  tapped  me  on  the  shoulder  and  said,  "Sentinel, 
where  is  your  gun?"  I  opened  my  eyes  and  said, "It's  around  here." 
He  said,  "Tf's  it's  around  here  you  had  better  get  it."  The  officer  had 
taken  my  gun  out  of  my  hand  and  set  it  back  of  the  breastworks  be- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          445 

fore  he  awoke  me.  He  said,  "This  is  an  important  outpost.  How  do 
you  'account  for  this  ?"  I  said,  "I  worked  all  day  yesterday  in  the 
storm  and  rain  on  the  road  we're  building  for  the  artillery  to  pass, 
and  when  I  came  into  camp  in  the  evening,  one  of  my  messmates 
who  was  sick,  was  detailed  to  go  on  this  picket  line.  I  took  his  place. 
This  is  my  excuse."  He  said,  "Do  you  know  the  penalty  of  sleeping 
on  the  outpost  ?"  "Yes,  sir,  I  do."  He  said,  "Your  excuse  is  a  fairly 
good  one.  Take  your  gun  and  never  again  be  caught  sleeping  on  the 
picket  line."  For  two  and  one-half  years,  I  never  again  to  my  knowl 
edge  slept  on  an  outpost, 

WHAT   WE   LEAVE   TO   OUR   CHILDREN. 

As  our  ranks  grow  thinner,  as  our  numbers  diminish,  as  the 
thousands  are  crowded  off  the  stage  of  action,  there  is  coming  a  new 
generation — one  that  is  saturated  with  patriotism  and  love  for  the 
old  flag.  This  coming  generation  is  filled  with  adoration  of  the  deeds 
of  their  fathers.  Entering  on  and  taking  possession  of  our  Govern 
ment,  the  day  will  yet  come  when  the  proudest  boast  of  ancestry  will 
consist  in  the  fact  that  our  fathers  bore  arms  in  defense  of  this  great 
country.  We  may  not  be  able  to  leave  to  our  children  gold,  jewels, 
precious  stones  or  wealth,  but  there  is  something  that  money  cannot 
buy, — honor.  This  is  transmitted  as  'an  heirloom  for  which  genera 
tions  yet  unborn  will  bless  us  and  hold  our  memory  in  sacred  rever 
ence;  while  over  the  fireplace  the  old  sword  will  be  suspended, 
and  many  an  evening  whiled  away  in  recounting  the  heroic 
deeds  that  reflect  honor  out  from  the  dim  ages  of  long  ago.  "My 
father  went  down  in  the  great  battle  of  Gettysburg.  My  father  stood 
on  the  brink  of  starvation  in  the  Andersonville  prison.  My  father 
helped  to  carry  the  flag  above  the  clouds  of  Lookout  Mountain.  My 
father  stood  beneath  the  leaden  hail  at  Yicksburg.  My  father 
marched  with  Meade  through  the  Wilderness,  Spotsylvania,  and  heard 
the  shouts  of  victor)7  at  the  surrender  of  Appomattox  in  April,  1865." 
These  are  the  priceless  relics  transmitted  to  posterity  that  no  thief  in 
the  night  can  steal.  This  is  the  grand  heritage  bought  with  the  blood 
and  suffering  of  our  fathers  which  no  engraver  can  counterfeit. 


446  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

LIST  OF  GOVERNMENT  CLOTHING  AND  PRICE  OF  SAME. 

Allowance,  $42.00  per  year. 

if  we  drew  over  that  amount  it  was  taken  out  of  our  monthly 

pay- 

if  we  did  not  draw  that  amount  we  got  the  balance  in  money. 

Pants  (mounted) $   5/JO 

Pants  (not  mounted) 4.75 

Dress  coats 12.50 

Overcoats    , 12.00 

Socks 40 

Cap 1.00 

Sack  coat,  lined 4.80 

Flannel  shirts 2.25 

Knit  shirts 2.35 

SeAved  shoes 2.70 

Pegged  shoes . 2.25 

Woolen   blankets 7.00 

Rubber   blankets 4.40 

Oil  painted  blankets 2.65 

Flannel   drawers 1.60 

Knit  drawers 1.75 

CAMP   EQUIPAGE. 

Knapsacks    and    straps $  3.10 

Haversacks 85 

Canteen    65 

Camp  kettle 1.00 

Mess  pan 45 

Hatchet 80 

Axe 1.65 

Spade   1.37 

Shelter  tents   complete 9.80 

Drum  complete 7.85 

Fife    35 

Bugle    3.65 

When  worn  OUT  any  of  the  above  articles  could  be  returned  and 
new  ones  drawn.  Every  soldier  was  held  responsible  and  if  he  lost 
any  of  the  above  articles  of  camp  equipage  through  carelessness  had 
to  pay  for  the  same. 

NAMES,  BATES  AND  INCIDENTS  OF  BATTLES  IN  WHICH  I  PARTICIPATED. 

Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  2  and  3,  1863. 
Haymarket,  Virginia,  June  25,  1863. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          447 

Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2  and  3,  1863. 
Wapping  Heights,  July  23,  1863. 
Richardsons  Fcrd,  September  1,  1863. 
Auburn  Mills,  Virginia,  October  14,  1863. 
Bristoe  Station,  Virginia,  October  14,  1863. 
Kelley's  Ford,  Virginia,  November  7,  1863. 
Mine  Run,  Virginia,  November  29-30  and  December  1,  1863. 
Morton's  Ford,  February  6  and  7,  1864. 
Wilderness,  Virginia,  May  5  and  6,  1864. 
Po  River,  Vinrirna,  May  9  and  10,  1864. 
Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia.  May  12  and  13,  1864. 
Totopotomoy  Creek,  May  30,  1864. 
Milford  Station,  Virginia,  May  31,  1864. 
North  Anna  River,  May  23  and  24,  1864. 
Cold  Harbor,  Virginia, 'June  1,  2,  3,  and  9,  1864. 
Jerusalem  Plank  Road,  June  23,  1864. 

Petersburg,  Virginia,  June  16  and  17,  1864;  also  21st  and  22d. 
Deep  Bottom,  Virginia,  July  27,  1864. 
Deep  Bottom,  Virginia,  August  14  and  15,  1864. 
Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  24  to  25,  1864. 
Captured  rebel  fort  front  of  Petersburg,  October  27,  1864. 
Fort  Rice,  October  25,  1864. 

Fought  in  front  of  Fort  Sampson,  March  25,  1865. 
White  Oak  Road,  March  31,  1865. 
Hatcher's  Run,  Virginia,  March  31,  1865. 
Gravelly  Run,  Virginia,  March  25,  1865. 
South  Side  Railroad,  April  2,  1865. 
Farmville,  Virginia,  April  7,  1865. 

Surrender  of  Lee's  Army  Appomattox  Court  House,  April  9, 
1865. 

I  was  never  absent  from  the  company  except  fifteen  days  home 
on  furlough  in  the  winter  of  1864. 

At  Po  River,  May  10,  1864,  five  comrades  were  shot  dead  around 
me  and  sixteen  wounded  and  taken  prisoners. 

June  30,  1863,  we  marched  thirty-two  miles  with  three  days' 
rations,  forty  rounds  of  cartridges,  guns  and  knapsacks  on  our  backs, 
and  went  into  camp  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night  one  mile  in  the  rear 
of  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania.  At  Gettysburg  July  3,  1863,  we  saw 
the  high  water  mark  of  the  Rebellion.  The  position  of  Pickett  and 
Longstreet's  charge  and  repulse  will  always  be  the  central  point  of 
interest  to  the  visitor  on  the  battlefield  of  Gettysburg.  At  Reams 
Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864,  a  shell  bursted  near  me,  a  piece 


448  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

of  the  missile  striking  my  gun  on  the  barrel,  splintering  the  wood. 
I  found  myself  helpless  on  the  ground  with  my  blouse  and  vest  torn 
on  the  left  side.  When  I  regained  consciousness  I  found  my  cap  and 
gun  on  the  ground  near  me.  I  was  taken  to  the  field  hospital,  where 
I  recovered  during  the  night,  and  was  able  next  day  to  return  to  my 
Regiment,  and  exchange  my  broken  gun  for  a  new  one. 

I  never  got  used  to  a  battle.  I  always  felt  timid  until  after  the 
first  volley  was  firtxl. 

May  12,  1864,  at  the  charge  of  Spotsylvania,  \7irginia,  Corporal 
Levi  W.  Gibson,  of  K  Company,  was  wounded  in  the  shoulder.  When 
the  charge  was  over  1  assisted  him  back  to  the  rear.  On  the  13th  of 
August  he  returned  to  the  Regiment  hearty  and  well  on  our  line  in 
front  of  Petersburg.  That  evening  we  got  orders  to  march,  and  the 
same  night  crossed  the  James  River  near  Deep  Bottom.  On  the 
afternoon  of  the  14th  we  engaged  with  the  enemy  when  a  cannon  ball 
came  along  and  took  the  head  off  of  Gibson  clean  to  the  shoulders. 
The  same  ball  exploded  and  a  piece  went  through  Walter  Corbett, 
tearing  his  side  away,  leaving  his  lungs  bare.  He  died  within  twenty 
minutes.  The  next  day  we  supported  the  line  where  the  105th  Penn 
sylvania  Regiment  had  a  hard  fight.  Colonel  Craig,  of  Greenville, 
Clarion  County,  Pennsylvania,  was  killed  and  they  carried  him  back 
on  a  stretcher.  Advancing,  we  came  upon  an  officer  apparently  dying. 
We  turned  him  over  on  his  back,  and  I  recognized  him  as  W.  W.  Barr, 
of  Brookeville,  Pennsylvania,  a  Captain  of  the  105th  Pennsylvania 
Regiment,  Our  Captain  detailed  the  writer  .and  S.  H.  Sloan  to  carry 
him  back  within  our  lines.  He  had  been  shot  through  the  back  of 
the  neck  and  was  bleeding  freely.  We  made  him  as  comfortable  as 
possible  before  leaving  him.  We  never  saw  the  old  Captain  again 
until  about  twenty-five  years  after  the  WTar  at  a  reunion  at  Gettys 
burg.  Sloan  and  the  writer  were  walking  over  the  field  near  the  loca 
tion  of  Pickett's  charge.  Sloan  said  to  me: 

"Did  you  ever  hear  of  the  old  Captain  we  carried  off  the  field 
at  Deep  Bottom  and  left  him  to  die?" 

"Yes,  he  is  living  somewhere  up  the  Allegheny  River." 

At  this  moment  a  large  robust  looking  fellow  came  walking 
towards  us.  Sloan  said  : 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          449 

"That  looks  like  the  old  boy  himself." 

When  he  came  up  I  saluted  him  and  said,  "To  what  command 
did  you  belong  and  what  is  your  name  ?" 

"W.  W.  Barr  of  the  105th  Pennsylvania,"  he  answered. 

"Are  you  the  man  who  was  shot  through  the  neck  at  Deep  Bot 
tom  August  15,  1864?" 

"Yes,  sir,  I  am  the  man." 

"Well,  here  are  the  two  boys  who  carried  you  off  the  field  and 
left  you  for  dead." 

The  big  tears  rolled  down  over  his  cheek  as  he  said,  "I  have  been 
looking  for  you  ever  since  the  close  of  the  War." 

At  Po  Kivcr,  May  10th,  advanced  our  line  and  had  a  hard  skir 
mish  with  the  rebels  near  a  river,  supposed  to  be  the  same  river  which 
we  had  crossed.  Tn  this  battle  three  of  Company  K  were  shot  dead. 
Benjamin  V.  Thompson,  John  Botorf  and  Adam  Wansetler.  We 
retreated  a  short  distance,  and  were  shifted  around  taking  up  new 
positions  until  about  three  o'clock,  when  the  rebels  attacked  us  with 
overwhelming  numbers,  compelling  us  to  retreat  to  the  position  held 
when  we  first  crossed  the  river.  For  over  one  hour  here  we  had  desper 
ate  fighting.  Several  attacks  were  made  but  as  often  repulsed.  Com 
pany  K  had  several  men  wounded,  including  our  noble  Capt.  Thomp 
son  Core,  and  two  killed,  Dr.  J.  T.  Mast  and  Benjamin  Carle.  Doc 
tor  Mast's  body  lay  dead  close  beside  the  cannon  whose  wheel  had 
become  wedged  between  two  trees. 

The  night  after  the  hard  fought  battle  across  the  Po  River,  Ser 
geant  W.  C.  Sloan  slept  with  me  under  the  tent.  He  was  nervous 
and  could  not  sleep.  He  recounted  the  losses  of  the  day,  named  the 
five  comrades  who  had  been  killed  in  this  battle,  and  said  he  believed 
he  would  share  the  same  fate.  But  he  said,  "I  will  go  where  duty 
calls.  I'll  go  where  the  company  goes,  let  come  what  will." 

When  we  had  captured  the  Salient  at  Spotsylvania  on  the  12th 
of  May  and  the  fighting  was  over,  we  began  to  count  our  losses.  Ser 
geant  Sloan  was  among  the  missing.  Nothing  could  be  learned  of 
him  through  that  day.  The  next  night  the  rebels  retreated,  and  in 
the  morning  Dennis  Connor  and  the  writer  went  out  over  the  field  to 
look  for  our  missing  boys.  We  found  the  Sergeant  dead  lying  up 


450  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

against  the  second  line  of  rebel  works,  to  which  some  of  the  boys  had 
advanced  in  the  morning  of  the  charge.  We  picked  up  his  body  and 
carried  it  down  to  where  the  company  was  located.  As  we  laid  him 
down  the  Captain  said,  "The  finding  of  Sloan's  body  over  on  the  sec 
ond  line  of  works  proved  that  he  was  the  fearless  brave  soldier  that 
we  always  said  he  was."  We  dug  a  grave,  laid  his  body  in,  covered 
it  with  leaves  and  buried  him  there.  Put  a  board  at  the  head  of  his 
grave  with  his  name,  company  and  Regiment,  and  Bates'  History  says 
he  was  buried  in  the  Spotsylvania  Cemetery. 

One  of  the  war  relics  in  my  possession  today  I  prize  very  highly 
is  a  pocket  Bible  my  mother  gave  me  the  morning  I  left  home  for 
the  Army,  which  I  carried  through  tliirty-four  months  of  service. 

" We've  traveled  together,  my  Bible  and  I, 

Through  all  kinds  of  weather  with  smile  or  with  sigh. 

In  sorrow  or  sunshine — in  tempest  or  calm, 

Its  friendship  unchanging,  my  light  and  my  psalm. 

" We've  traveled  together,  my  Bible  and  I, 
When  War  had  grown  weary,  and  death  e'en  was  nigh, 
And  still  throvgh  life's  journey  until  my  last  sigh, 
We'll  travel  together,  my  Bible  and  I." 

To  that  merciful  Providence  who  led  so  many  of  us  through 
those  days  of  trial  and  danger,  permitting  us  to  live  forty  years  af tei 
the  great  conflict,  we  should  render  fervent  and  devout  thanks  by 
being  true  patriots  and  good  soldiers  of  the  cross,  and  by  living  lives 
that  will  prove  onr  devotion  to  our  country  and  our  God. 


THE  PIONEER'S  STORY. 

By  Sergt.  Thomas  P.  Meyer. 

The  pioneer  corps  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  waa 
organized  May  20,  1863,  and  consisted  of  ten  men,  selected  from  the 
different  companies.  They  were  large,  stout,  strong  and  resolute 
men,  who  enjoyed  the  honor  of  marching  at  the  head  of  so  noble  a 
Regiment. 

And  we  felt  as  though  we  were  an  honor  to  the  Regiment,  as  we 
marched,  "proudly77  live  paces  in  advance,  five  abreast.  The  men 
carrying  besides  the  regular  weapons  and  full  habiliments  of  war, 
bright  new  axes,  that  glinted  in  the  sun  like  polished  silver.  Edges 
without  a  flaw,  and  keen,  ready  to  tear  or  cut  down  and  clear  away, 
any  obstruction  hindering  the  movements  of  the  Regiment,  be  it  a 
fence,  bush  or  tree;  lay  corduroy  roads  or  build  a  bridge,  and  still 
keep  up  with  the  Regiment. 

I  am  sorry  that  I  cannot  recall  all  the  men  who  served  in  the 
pioneer  corps.  Without  exception  they  were  men  who,  by  reason  of 
their  size,  strength,  general  ruggedness,  and  other  peculiar  qualifi 
cations  were  especially  fitted  for  the  hard  additional  service  naturally 
falling  to  the  lot  of  the  pioneers. 

Among  the  noted  men  of  the  corps  were  Washington  Watson 
and  William  Perry,  of  Company  F ;  William  Long  and  George  Wil 
liams,  of  Company  L ;  Jesse  Long  and  Adam  Grim,  of  Company  A ; 
John  Morehead,  of  Company  E ;  and  Christian  Lowry,  of  Com 
pany  C. 

They  were  all  powerful  and  conscientious  men,  believing  that 
whatever  was  worth  doing  at  all  was  worth  doing  well,  and  I  never 
had  occasion  to  criticise  their  work,  or  ask  them  to  do  any  work  over. 

The  most  notable  men  of  this  group  were  Washington  Watson 
and  William  Perry,  both  over  six  feet  tall,  s^out  and  strong.  Hair 
and  beards  almost  snow  white,  they  were  remarkable  axemen.  They 
would  go  to  the  woods,  select  a  tree,  cut  it  down,  cut  it  into  logs,  split 
them,  and  with  axes  only,  hew  them  into  the  finest  planks,  "dove 
tail"  notch  them,  and  put  up  the  most  handsome  officers'  quarters 
cabins  to  be  seen  in  the  Army.  On  one  occasion,  while  on  a  forced 


452  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

march,  we  moved  through  a  strip  of  woods ;  the  Colonel  on  horseback 
in  front,  next  the  pioneer  corps,  back  of  it  the  Regiment.  There 
was  confusion  among  the  pioneers ;  Watson  had  fallen  headlong  over 
a  stump.  He  picked  himself  up,  saying,  "I  can  do  better.  I  will  try 
that  again."  There  was  a  halt.  The  Colonel  sharply  asked  of  me, 
"What  is  the  matter  with  your  men  V  I  said,  "Watson  fell  over  that 
stump  and  he  has  gone  back  to  show  us  that  he  can  march  over  it 
without  falling."  Just  as  the  Colonel  turned  he  saw  big  Watson  suc 
cessfully  coming  over  the  stump,  grinning  through  the  great  white 
whiskers  that  covered  his  face  to  the  eyes.  The  Colonel  also  grinned, 
turned  his  horse,  and  the  Regiment  again  moved.  Watson  was  all 
muscle  and  weighed  over  two  hundred  pounds. 

Perry  also  over  six  feet  was  rugged  and  strong.  On  the  morn 
ing  of  July  3,  1863,  at  Gettysburg,  I  disbanded  the  pioneer  corps, 
and  sent  the  men  to  their  respective  companies  for  the  last  day's 
battle,  which  they  all  preferred.  There  were  none  of  the  pioneers 
killed  at  Gettysburg ;  but  Perry  was  badly  wounded  and  I  never  saw 
him  again.  William  Long  and  Jesse  Long  were  also  large  and  strong 
men,  faithful  in  the  performance  of  their  duties.  Jesse  was  a  suc 
cessful  and  willing  forager.  If  there  was  a  Confederate  gander  any 
where  around  he  would  find  him  and  get  him  too. 

Adam  Grim  was  not  as  tall,  nor  as  heavy  as  some  of  the  rest,  hut 
was  solid,  compact  and  wiry,  brave  and  resolute.  He  was  also  ever 
ready  to  do  his  full  share  of  the  arduous  work  falling  to  the  lot,  of 
the  pioneer  corps,  yet  to  some  degree  he  lacked  the  staying  quali 
ties  of  the  larger  and  stronger  men. 

John  Morchead  was  a  big,  heavy,  strong  man,  of  a  quiet  disposi 
tion,  resolute  and  ever  ready  for  his  full  share  of  service,  with  either 
pick  or  spade,  gun  or  axe.  With  the  latter  he  was  possibly  the  equal 
of  Watson  or  Perry.  He  was  killed  by  a  tree  falling  on  him.  Very 
few  were  killed  in  this  way,  at  which  we  wonder  when  we  think  how 
the  trees  were  cut  down  by  hundreds,  often  in  the  darkness  of  night, 
while  the  forest  swarmed  with  soldiers. 

Christian  Lbwry  was  of  good  size,  heavy  set,  strong  'and  wiry ; 
cool  and  daring,  ever  ready  and  like  the  rest  of  the  corps,  willing  to 
swing  either  axe  or  gun. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          455 

I  was  the  youngest  of  the  gang  (twenty  years)  and  often  felt 
delicate  about  giving  orders  to  men  so  much  older.  But  they  were 
all  very  courteous  and  obedient,  except  once  when  they  were  all  balky. 
That  was  on  the  'battlefield  at  Gettysburg,  July  -1-,  1863,  while  we 
were  burying  the  dead.  They  tired  of  their  dreadfully  gruesome  job. 
The  pioneers  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania  were  the  only  workers  left  on 
tfie  field,  as  far  as  we*  could  see.  This  was  strange  and  unfair ;  the 
conditions,  too  ?were  most  disagreeable  and  dangerous.  The  horrible 
condition  of  the  dead  men  and  horses ;  the  indescribable  an^  suffocat 
ing  stench ;  the  frequent  dreadfully  heavy  showers  of  rain ;  the  great 
heat  of  the  sun  between  showers ;  the  Confederate  sharpshooters  in 
great  numbers  hid  in  the  trees  beyond  the  Emmit/tsburg  road  kept  the 
bullets  whistling  about  us  all  the  time  adding  danger  to  the  gruesome 
job.  Though  the  bullets  buried  themselves  in 'the  ground  all  a,bout  u^, 
and  whistled  by  continually,  none  of  the  pioneers  were  hit  on  this 
day.  I  did  not  blame  the  men  for  "striking;"  the  mutiny  lasted  only 
about  thirty  minutes,  when  discipline  was  restored  and  the  men  were 
all  at  work  as  before,  entirely  indifferent  to  repulsive  conditions  and 
flying  bullets. 

As  stated  before,  the  pioneer  corps  was  organized  May  20, 
1863,  with  ten  pickhJ  men  from  the  companies  of  the  Regiment, 
whose  main  qualification  was  to  be  first-class  axemen,  while  I  was 
installed  as  Corporal  commanding,  notwithstanding  it  was  Sergeant's 
duty.  The  men  were  furnished  with  additional  weapons,  in  the  shape 
of  good  poll  axes,  and  digging  tools,  which  implied  additional  hard 
work,  which  did  not  exempt  us  from  any  of  our  former  duties,  when 
time  allowed ;  so  in  addition  to  drills,  reviews,  inspections  and  pa 
rades,  we  dug  wells,  dug  up  stumps,  built  quarters,  cut  wood,  built 
corduroy  roads,  fortifications  and  bridges,  cut  new  roads,  barricaded 
old  roads,  destroyed  property,  buried  the  dead,  etc.,  etc. ;  and  on 
marches  we  marched  at  the  head  of  the  column  in  order  to  be  in  a 
position  to  clear  away  obstructions;  and  on  battle'  occasions  we 
pitched  aside  all  superfluous  tools  and  with  rifles  only,  formed  our 
little  line  of  battle  back  of  the  colors,  the  center  of  the  Regiment,  and 
close  up  to  the  Regimental  line,  a  point  of  special  peril,  as  the  colors 
always  drew  a  concentrated  fire-. 


454  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

The  duties  outside  the  regular  military  duties  falling  to  the  lot 
of  the  pioneers  will  be  better  understood  by  noting  how  they  were 
employed. 

May  21st  and  22d,  we  built  new  quarters  for  the  Colonel. 

May  23d:  Clearing  the  regimental  parade  ground  of  stumps 
and  brush  and  leveling  up  the  ground  even  as  a  floor. 

May  26th:  Had  the  pioneer  corps  and  the  regiment  team  out, 
cutting  and  hauling  poles  and  brush,  and  building  shade  arbors 
around  the  regimental  hospital,  and  making  changes  and  improve 
ments  inside,  conducive  to  the  comfort  of  our  sick. 

May  27th:  Had  the  boys  working  on  the  parade  ground  and 
beautifying  the  camp  by  removing  every  bush  and  unsightly  object. 

May  28th :  Pioneers  turned  out  with  axes  and  guns,  with  the 
Regiment  on  division  review  in  the  forenoon;  in  the  afternoon  I  had 
tnem  out  chopping  and  removing  stumps  from  the  camp.  This  work 
we  continued  daily  to  June  2d,  when  we  joined  our  respective  com 
panies  in  the  first  drill  since  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville. 

June  3d:  We  finished  the  digging  of  a  twenty-foot  well,  for 
the  Regiment,  rigging  it  in  the  usual  way  of  army  wells,  high  "crotch 
posts,"  and  long  "sweep"  or  tilt  poles,  to  which  we  attached  dip  poles, 
with  camp  kettles  to  the  dip  ends,  and  heavy  stones  to  the  butt  end 
of  the  tilt  poles ;  we  put  three  of  these  tilts  to  this  well  and  then  had 
plenty  of  good  water  right  in  our  camp. 

It  might  be  stated  here,  that,  though  we  were  not  sure  of  our 
staying  at  any  place  for  even  twenty-four  hours,  all  work  in  and 
about  camp  was  well  and  carefully  done,  with  a  tone  of  permanency 
that  would  indicate  a  whole  year's  stay. 

By  June  1st,  there  was  not  a  stump,  brush  or  stone  remaining 
anywhere  in  our  camp.  Regimental  and  company  headquarters  were 
models  of  their  kind,  and  our  camp  was  one  of  the  finest  in  the  Army. 

June  4th,  5th,  6th  and  7th,  my  pioneer  band  was  at  work  at  the 
brigade  bakery,  where  we  built  a  new  bake  oven,  and  a  bread  ware 
house.  The  oven  arch  consisted  of  a  half  cylinder  of  heavy  boiler 
iron,  fifteen  feet  long,  six  feet  in  diameter  with  a  capacity  of  three 
hundred  twenty  two-ounce  loaves. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          455 

We  constructed  the  oven  by  running  a  level  into  a  hill,  leveling 
and  beating  the  bottom  for  a  hearth,  laid  with  brick,  then  turning  the 
iron  arch  on  this  hearth,  covered  it  over  with  a  few  feet  of  ground, 
and  built  a  chimney  of  stone  to  the  rear  end,  while  a  plate  of  boiler 
iron  with  a  hinged  door  completed  the  front. 

For  several  days  the  vast  encampment  of  the  Army  was  in  great 
commotion ;  the  pioneers  drilled  with  their  respective  companies,  in 
hourly  anticipation  <-f  a  general  move. 

June  13th:  Quiet  seemed  restored,  and  I  took  the  pioneers  to 
regimental  headquarters,  where  we  were  improving  the  Adjutant's 
quarters;  but  while  we  were  so  engaged  I  received  orders  to  report 
at  the  regimental  commissary  with  the  men ;  I  did  so,  and  our  occu 
pation  was  immediately  changed.  Here  we  began  the  destruction  of 
all  kinds  of  supplies  that  we  had  in  excess  of  what  we  could  take  with 
us  on  a  march ;  coffee,  sugar,  rice,  beans,  etc.,  in  great  quantities 
were  dumped  into  a  small  stream  nearby,  while  pork,  crackers,  bread, 
etc.,  were  stacked  up  ready  to  burn.  All  day  of  June  14th  this  work 
continued,  the  pack  up  call  was  sounded,  and  we  struck  our  tents 
and  packed  up,  set  fire  to  the  commissary  stores  and  waited  for  "right 
of  way."  Seemingly  endless  columns  of  troops,  wagon,  pontoon, 
artillery  and  ambulance  trains,  were  rapidly  moving  north  on  all 
available  roads  and  open  fields,  east  and  west  of  us;  night  had  set  in 
when  we  filed  out  of  our  beautiful  camp  and  joined  in  the  great  and 
famous  march  to  Gettysburg. 

Our  Division  took  the  Stafford  Court  House  road ;  we  marched 
till  10:00  P.  M.,  when  we  halted  and  lay  down  on  our  rubbers,  and 
rested  a  few  hours. 

June  15th,  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  resumed  the  march, 
reached  Stafford  Court  House,  a  small  village,  the  county  seat  of 
Stafford  County,  Virginia,  ait  noon  and  halted  for  coffee  and  crackers, 
"dinner."  The  jail  ?nd  court  house  with  all  its  contents  and  records 
were  fired  and  burned  to  the  ground,  and  T  wondered  at  this  act  of 
vandalism. 

It  seldom  happened  that  the  pioneers  marched  in  the  rear  of 
the  column,  as  was  the  case  on  June  16th,  when  I  was  ordered  to 
take  them,  and  with  axes  only,  to  follow  in  the  rear,  to  destroy  all 


456  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

abandoned  property,  such,  as  commissary  and  ordnance  stores,  wagons, 
clothing,  ammunition,  etc.  We  made  bonfires  of  tons  of  pork  and 
crackers,  heaped  over  with  thousands  of  overcoats,  uniform  coats^ 
blankets,  shelter  tents,  knapsacks  filled  with  clothing  and  all  manner 
of  miscellaneous  articles  of  use  to  the  soldier,  in  immense  quantities, 
thrown  away  by  the  less  rugged  soldiers,  and  left  in  broken  and 
abandoned  wagons,  and  by  jaded  teams;  the  spokes  were  cut  out  o± 
the  wheels  of  abandoned  wagons,  the  tongues  were  cut  in  two,  and 
the  wagon  and  contents  fired ;  we  heard  the  explosion  of  the  ammu 
nition  in  burning  wagons,  even  after  we  were  miles  away. 

The  telegraph  poles  were  cut  down,  and  the  men  with  blunt  edge 
axes,  cut  the  wire  in  pieces.  This  work  detained  us  and  fatigued  the 
men  so  much,  that,  when  night  came  on  we  were  miles  in  rear  of  the 
Army ;  we  marched  as  rapidly  as  the  men  in  their  fatigued  condition 
were  able,  till  late  in  the  night  in  our  effort  to  overtake  our  Division, 
and  escape  Moseby's  rebel  guerillas,  who  always  followed  the  wake  of 
our  moving  Army.  There  was  no  hope  for  those  who  fell  into  their 
hands — sick,  wounded  or  whole.  It  was  midnight  and  we  could  go 
no  farther;  we  lay  down.  An  hour  later  ambulances  sent  back  to 
bring  us  in,  reached  us  and  carried  us  to  the  bivouac  of  our  Division 
on  the  Occoquan  River,  which  we  readied  toward  morning. 

The  march  was  continued  daily,  and  on  the  morning  of  June 
17th  we  reached  the  vicinity  of  Fairfax  Court  House,  where  we  found 
roads  ba.d ;  therefore  on  the  morning  of  the  18th  the  pioneers  of  the 
entire  Division,  about  one  hundred  and  thirty  men,  turned  out  and 
worked  all  day.  We  corduroyed  a  long  stretch  of  road  toward  Fair 
fax  Station,  on  the  Orange  'and  Alexandria  Railroad  for  the  passage 
of  artillery  and  wagon  trains.  A  corduroy  road  is  the  roughest  road 
imaginable, 

At  5:00  P.  M.,  June  19th,  we  left  our  bivouac  at  Fairfax  and 
moved  via  Oenterville,  Bull  Run  battlefield,  the  Manassas  Railroad, 
Gainesville,  Gainesville  battlefield  to  Thoroughfare  Gap,  in  the  Bull 
Run  mountains,  which  we  reached  at  midnight  after  a  tedious  mean 
dering  march  of  twenty  miles,  through  deep  mud  and  steady  rain. 
The  Bull  Run  battlefield  presented  many  marks  of  the  ill  fated 
battles  of  1861  and  1862. 


WASHINGTON   WATSON 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          457 

The  unburied  remains  of  men  and  horses  lay  scattered  all  over 
the  field,  and  among  the  bushes  bony  hands  and  feet  were  seen  pro 
truding  from  the  ground  in  beckoning  attitude.  Bones  from  all  parts 
of  the  human  anatomy  were  to  be  seen  everywhere;  skulls  in  great 
numbers.  These  we  took  up  and  wiggled  out  some  teeth  preferring 
those  with  gold  fillings  for  mementoes. 

All  the  skulls  we  examined  were  remains  of  very  young  men, 
many  having  every  tooth  and  all  sound.  In  some  of  these  skulls  the 
third  molars  were  still  absent,  showing  that  the  soldiers  were  still 
under  eighteen  years  of  age. 

We  saw  several  grinning  skeletons,  still  entire,  lying  on  the  sur 
face  of  the  ground  still  partially  clothed  in  the  blue  uniforms,  shoes 
on  the  bony  feet  and  the  accoutrements  of  war  still  in  place. 

Our  Division,  the  First  of  the  Second  Corps,  occupied  Thor 
oughfare  Gap,  June  21st  to  25th. 

On  the  morning  of  June  23d,  I  was  ordered  to  take  the  pioneers 
into  the  gap,  which  most  of  the  way,  is  a  narrow  defile,  with  heavily 
timbered  sloping  sides,  and  to  barricade  the  roadway  in  a  " thorough 
manner.'7  I  took  the  men  as  directed  with  axes  only,  into  the  gap 
and  for  a  long  distance  we  cut  ever}7  tree  in  reach  into  and  across  the 
road,  while  a  brigade  had  taken  position  beyond  to  protect  us  in  our 
work.  It  was  wonderful  to  see  how  these  expert  choppers  kept  the 
trees  crashing  into  the  road,  and  how  cheerfully  they  worked,  in  the 
heat  of  summer  weather  completely  soaked  with  perspiration. 

There  were  many  cherry  trees  loaded  with  ripe  fruit  and  we 
decided  to  have  some.  Several  pioneers  cut  down  a  tree  and  began 
to  eat  cherries ;  a  few  of  us  climbed  into  a  tree.  We  were  all  very 
busy  when  one  of  those  lofty  provost  officers  on  horseback  rode  up  and 
shouted,  "Come  down,  or  I  will  shoot  you  down !"  I  looked  down 
and  saw  that  he  pointed  a  revolver  at  ma  His  gun  seemed  dangerous, 
so  I  came  down  and  said  to  him,  "Captain,  we  are  your  prisoners ;  no 
doubt  you  outrank  General  Hancock,  by  whose  orders  we  were  de 
tailed  to  do  some  work  out  here ;  we  are.  the  pioneers  of  the  148th 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers."  Turning  to  the  men  I  shouted,  "Fall 
in,  boys !"  They  quickly  responded,  each  with  an  axe;  the  great  pro 
vost  looked  along  the  line.  He  seemed  puzzled,  then  said,  "I  took 


458  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

you  for  stragglers,  the  devil  take  you,"  and  as  he  galloped  away  we 
gave  him  a  rebel  yell,  then  finished  our  repast  of  cherries  and  re 
turned  to  camp. 

June  25th:  We  had  evidently  finished  our  mission  at  the  Gap. 
Artillery  firing  was  heard  a  few  miles  out;  all  was  now  commotion. 
We  packed  up  and  moved  out  to  Hay  market;  we  formed  in  battle 
order  and  waited  for  developments.  General  Stuart's  cavalry  of 
the  Confederate  Army  now  reached  the  slope  of  the  Bull  Run  Moun 
tains,  just  below  Thoroughfare  Gap,  and  opened  a  brisk  artillery  fire 
on  us,  killing  and  wounding  a  number  of  our  men.  Our  batteries 
promptly  rushed  into  position  and  opened  a  terrific  fire  in  return  and 
the  Confederates  were  soon  silenced ;  we  withdrew,  and  throwing  for 
ward  Companies  A  and  I  as  skirmishers  and  flankers,  we  moved 
rapidly  and  continuously  through  steady  rain  and  deep  mud,  twenty 
miles  to  Gum  Springs,  which  we  reached  a;bout  midnight,  and 
bivouacked  in  the  mud,  lying  on  our  rubbers  to  await  the  coming  of 
the  morning. 

During  the  forenoon  we  crossed  the  northern  part  of  the  famous 
Bull  Run  battlefield,  passing  Sudley  Church,  Sudley  Sulphur 
Springs,  and  crossed  Bull  Run  at  Sudley  Ford.  The  148th  Penn 
sylvania  Volunteers  in  front  with  scouts  and  skirmishers  in  advance. 

The  pioneers  cleared  an  old  road  over  the  spurs  of  Sudley  Moun 
tain,  southwest  of  Sudley  Mills  for  the  artillery.  It  rained  all  day ; 
the  mud  was  something  appalling.  Trains  were  moved  with  the  great 
est  difficulty;  the  light  artillery  made  out  to  pull  through  this  new 
mud  road,  but  when  tjie  heavy  thirty-two  pounder  long  Parrott  gun 
battery  tried  the  road  the  movement  stopped.  The  first  gun  stuck  in 
the  mud.  Teams  from  other  guns  were  brought  forward,  till  twenty- 
four  horses  were  hooked  to  the  one  gun,  but  they  could  not  or  would 
not  pull  it  out.  The  nearest  column  of  infantry  was  halted,  and  the 
148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  was  ordered  over  to  help  them  out. 
The  Regiment  stacked  arms  and  unslung  knapsacks ;  the  horses  were 
all  taken  away  and  a  heavy  rope  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long  was 
fastened  to  the  gun ;  the  Regiment  lined  up  in  the  road,  which  was  a 
stream  of  mud  for  which,  however,  they  cared  not,  as  no  more  mud 
could  hang  to  their  shoes  or  pant  legs,  and  the  shoetops  could  not  get 
any  fuller.  With  some  grumbling  the  men  lazily  took  hold  of  the 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          459 

rope  from  both  sides ;  all  ready,  and  the  word  came  to  "go."  The  rope 
straightened  and  stiffened  like  a  bar  of  iron  and  the  cannon  moved, 
rising  high  on  root  or  rock,  this  side  or  that,  or  both,  to  plunge  down 
again  axle  deep  in  mud,  the  axles  loudly  pounding  in  the  boxes. 
There  was  no  halt  till  the  top  of  the  bluff  was  reached.  In 
this  way  gun  after  gun  was  drawn  up  by  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Vol 
unteers  till  the  entire  battery  stood  on  the  top  of  tlie  hill.  The  horses 
six  to  a  gun  were  again  hooked  on,  the  Regiment  returned  to  its  place 
in  the  column  and  all  was  once  more  on  the  move. 

June  26th  moved  to  Poolsville,  Maryland;  27th  to  Sugar  Loaf 
Mountain;  28th  to  Frederick;  on  the  29th  to  Uniontown,  and  on 
July  1st  9:00  P.  M.  we  bivouacked  four  miles  from  Gettysburg, 
Pennsylvania,  in  line  of  battle. 

We  were  now  close  up  to  the  Confederate  Army.  We  realized 
that  we  were  upon  the  field  of  an  impending  great  battle.  The 
battle  had  really  already  commenced.  During  the  day,  though  we 
could  not  hear  the  noise  of  battle,  we  saw  the  white  powder  smoke 
of  battle  rise  in  great  clouds  far  away  to  the  northward  and  drift 
slowly  along  on  the  light  breeze.  The  boys  became  quiet  and  medi 
tative.  We  stacked  arms,  threw  off  knapsacks,  accoutrements  and 
coats,  and  commenced  building  a  parapet  along  our  front.  The  sky 
cleared  and  the  moon  shone  brightly.  The  pioneers  felled  the  trees 
and  the  troops  carried  and  placed  them  in  position.  The  gray  dawn 
of  coming  day  tinged  the  eastern  horizon,  when  we  pronounced  our 
work  finished. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  July  2d,  after  a  hurried  lunch  of 
crackers  only,  we  filed  out  of  our  position  and  marched  rapidly  about 
three  miles  toward  Gettysburg,  when  we  reached  the  battlefield  and 
were  assigned  a  position  in  the  great  line  of  battle,  seven  miles  long, 
on  the  now  historic  "Field  of  Gettysburg,"  near  the  "Clump  of  Trees'* 
and  the  point  now  known  as  the  "Bloody  Angle."  The  Confederates 
on  Seminary  Ridge  discovered  our  approaching  columns,  kept  up  a 
vigorous  shell  fire  on  us  during  the  last  mile's  march. 

Squads  of  frightened  citizens,  men,  women  and  children,  carry 
ing  bandboxes  and  packages  of  hastily  gathered  valuables,  who  had 
abandoned  their  homes  between  the  lines,  were  running  by  us  to  find 


460  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

places  of  safety  to  our  rear.  One  party,  passing  right  along  our 
column,  consisted  of  an  old  gentleman  leading  a  little  girl  by  the 
hand  on  each  side,  and  two  young  ladies  carrying  bandboxes,  one  also 
leading  a  child,  running  close  by  me.  I  said,  "Good  morning, 
father."  He  gloomily  responded.  I  said,  "Fine  morning."  He  an 
swered,  "Yes  truly,  but  so  full  of  terror  and  sorrow ;"  tears  were  in 
his  eyes  as  he  raised  his  hand  toward  our  column  and  said,  "God 
bless  and  spare  you  all."  Again  they  ran.  They  had  just  passed 
our  point  in  the  rapidly  moving  column  when  a  twenty-four  pound 
rifle  shell  came  screaming  through  the  air  and  exploded  with  a  fright 
ful  report  over  them.  I  looked  back  to  see  if  they  had  escaped ;  the 
two  ladies  had  fallen.  After  some  effort  they  regained  their  feet 
and  ran  faster  than  before,  apparently  all  right.  They  had  been 
knocked  down  by  the  force  of  the  concussion  only. 

According  to  orders  received  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  1  took 
the  pioneers  of  the  Regiment,  with  picks,  shovels  and  sperm  candles, 
back  to  an  open  air  field  hospital,  behind  a  rocky  bluff  on  Rock  Creek, 
a  mile  to  our  right  rear  where  several  thousand  wounded  had  been 
carried  during  the  day  while  the  battle  was  in  progress,  to  sort  the  dead 
from  the  living  and  to  bury  them.  We  reached  the  hospital  designated 
and  found  acres  of  ground  covered  with  wounded,  and  among  them, 
many  who  died  after  being  brought  here  from  the  field.  The  pioneers 
of  the  148th  were  the  only  men  on  duty  at  this  point  during  the 
night. 

We  lit  our  candles  and  examined  the  situation.  This  was  an 
awf ul  place.  The  most  able  writer  could  not  give  the  slightest  shadow 
of  an  idea  of  this  dreadful  enamel  scene;  the  awful  sights  in  the 
wheat  field  and  death  valley  thickly  strewn  over  with  weapons,  can 
non,  broken  gun  carriages,  thousands  of  dead  men  and  horses,  mutil 
ated  in  all  manner  of  form  and  degree,  when  we  left  it  in  the  early 
evening  was  incomparable  behind  this  scene  of  suffering  and  death. 
Here  the  dead  and  wounded  lay  promiscuously  side  by  side,  and  close 
together,  in  long  rows,  on  the  bare  wet  ground,  the  feet  of  one  row 
nearly  touching  the  heads  of  the  next  row,  the  Union  and  Confeder 
ate  in  separate  rows. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          461 

All  was  darkness;  not  a  torch  or  candle  burning.  For 
some  unknown  reason,  there  were  no  surgeons  in  attendance 
on  the  wounded  at  this  place  during  this  night,  at  least  not 
from  midnight  to  3:00  A.  M.,  during  which  time  we  were  at 
work  there;  yet  about  half  of  them  had  their  wounds  dressed, 
lying  on  the  bare  ground,  unsheltered,  uncovered,  many  of  them 
nearly  naked.  Here  the  men  in  hundreds  of  cases  dressed  each  other's 
wounds,  making  bandages  out  of  their  drawers  taken  from  their 
bodies  for  the  purpose.  Many  a  soldier  gave  drawers  and  shirt  from 
his  body  to  bandage  the  wounds  of  his  comrades.  Men  wounded  in 
the  legs  had  the  pant  legs  cut  off,  some  close  to  the  body,  leaving  the 
leg  entirely  naked ;  in  the  same  way  arms,  chest,  all  parts  of  the  body 
naked  and  uncovered.  There  were  no  blankets  or  tents,  absolutely 
nothing.  Many  lay  entirely  helpless  in  the  scorching  sun  and  rain 
till  the  skin  was  scalded  and  burned  into  pealing  blisters  in  the  faces, 
and  worse  in  the  parts  of  the  body,  tender  and  unaccustomed  to  ex 
posure  to  the  sun. 

We  found,  by  the  dim  light  of  our  sperm  candles,  many  of  die 
148th  boys.  Some  had  their  wounds  dressed  and  were  sleeping 
soundly,  among  them  Amos  Erhart,  of  Company  A,  like  the  rest, 
few  clothes,  no  cover,  with  a  nasty  hole  through  the  thigh  just 
grazing  the  femoral  artery ;  the  pant  leg  cut  off  at  the  body, 
shoe  and  stocking  gone,  the  naked  leg  as  cold  as  ice,  his  head 
much  lower  than  his  body,  the  wound  nicely  dressed  and  not 
bleeding.  He  was  sleeping  quietly,  and  as  soundly  as  anyone  could 
in  the  best  bed.  I  put  a  flat  stone  under  his  head  to  put  him  in  a 
more  comfortable  position  and  stop  the  rattle  in  his  throat.  Manassas 
Gilbert,  also  of  Company  A,  was  found  here  sitting  on  the  ground 
with  his  back  against  a  tree,  with  a  bullet  in  his  shoulder,  but  wide 
awake.  Deep  moans-  of  agony  in  continuous  chorus,  were  heard,  but 
in  all  this  vast  number  of  desperately  wounded  men  there  was  not  a 
tear  or  a  single  noisy  outcry. 

Some  of  my  men  carried  out  the  dead  and  laid  them  in  rows, 
heads  all  one  way,  and  one  against  the  other.  About  the  third  man 
carried  out  was  the  tyrant  commander  of  our  Brigade,  Colonel  Cross, 
of  the  5th  Xew  Hampshire  Kegiment,  killed  in  the  woods  near  the 


462  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

wheat  field.  We  did  not  bury  him.  Some  of  the  men  buried  the 
dead  thus  laid  in  rows ;  >a  shallow  grave  about  a  foot  deep,  against  the 
first  man  in  a  row,  and  he  was  then  laid  down  into  it ;  a  similar  grave 
was  dug  where  ^»e  had  lain.  The  ground  thus  dug  up  served  to  cover 
the:  first  man,  and  the  second  was  laid  in  a  trench,  and  so  on,  so  the 
ground  was  handled  only  once.  This  was  the  regular  form  of  burial 
on  our  battlefields;  it  is  the  most  rapid,  and  is  known  as  trench 
burial,  and  is  employed  where  time  for  work  is  limited. 

At  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  our  candles  were  all 
burned  up  and  we  returned  to  ,a  similar  field  hospital,  just  to  the  rear 
of  our  division  battle  lines,  with  about  twelve  hundred  wounded. 
Here  we  lay  down  for  a  short  rest ;  we  had  had  little  chance  for  rest 
or  sleep  day  or  night  for  two  weeks,  and  we  were  very  much  fatigued. 

Here  the  wounded  seemed  to  be  in  greater  distress.  The  endless 
and  louder  moans  were  indicative  of  intense  suffering.  The  voice  of 
a  boy  was  'heard  in  prolonged  loud  wails  and  screams,  high  above  the 
rest.  His  voice  became  hoarse  and  husky,  but  as  morning  came  he 
was  more  quiet,  and  a  little  later  entirely  still.  I  imagined  he  had 
fallen  asleep.  As  soon  as  it  was  light  enough  I  went  over  and  asked 
the  wounded  lying  near,  "Where  is  the  boy  that  was  in  such  agony 
during  the  night  ?"  A  wounded  soldier  raised  himself  on  his  elbow, 
pointed  over  a  few  others  and  said,  "That  is  him ;  he  is  now  dead."  I 
went  over  to  him.  He  was  a  boy  about  sixteen,  smooth  faced  as  a 
woman  and  handsome.  He  was  dead;  one  of  his  feet  was  torn  into 
an  unrecognizable  mass  of  flesh,  bone  and  sinew.  Gangrene  wab 
evidently  the  immediate  cause  of  death.  Early  amputation  would 
have  saved  the  boy's  life.  Here  many  had  died  of  their  unattended 
wounds  during  the  night. 

Many  of  the  badly  wounded  were  chloroformed  to  have  their 
wounds  dressed.  When  the  operations  were  finished  they  were  car 
ried  away,  and  laid  out  on  the  ground.  There  was  no  time  to  assist 
them  in  resuscitation,  and  many  never  woke  again.  Many  strangled 
to  death  for  the  want  of  a  little  assistance  at  the  proper  time. 

July  3d :  The  pioneer  corps  held  a  council  of  war,  and  de 
cided  that  it  was  preferable  to  fight  with  our  respective  companies, 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          465 

rather  than  in  the  rear  of  the  colors,  so  we  disbanded  and  joined  our 
companies  for  the  balance  of  the  fight. 

Early  in  the  morning  General  Hancock  examined  the  line  of 
the  Second  Corps  and  ordered  the  line  fortified. 

About  8 :00  A.  M.  entrenching  tool  wagons  dashed  along  our 
lines,  and  shovels,  picks  and  axes  were  thrown  out  while  the  wagons 
rushed  along  the  line  at  a  furious  speed.  We  immediately  went  to 
fortifying ;  men  never  worked  harder  or  faster,  or  with  greater  good 
will  than  the  Second  Corps  boys  did  under  a  broiling  July  sun,  from 
8  :00  to  11 :00  A.  M.,  when  we  called  our  work  finished.  We  had  built 
a  six-foot  breastwork  a  few  feet  high  and  well  lined,  or  backed  with 
rails,  well  supported  by  stakes. 

To  our  right  and  left  as  far  as  we  could  see,  hundreds  of  tat 
tered  and  battle-worn  flags  fluttered  defiantly  above  the  lines  of  their 
hundred  thousand  brave  and  resolute  defenders.  To  the  rear  of  this 
were  seen  the  beautiful  flags  and  banners  of  the  various  headquar 
ters  unitedly  presenting  a  scene  so  great  and  grand  as  to  be 
beyond  description. 

We  were  ready.  And.  our  whole  line  of  battle  as  far  as  we  could 
see  to  the  right  and  left  were  now  standing  on  top  of  our  work  watch 
ing  the  enemy  locating  batteries  along  their  line  on  the  Emmittsburg 
Road  ridge.  We  ate  a  few  crackers  while  we  waited;  we  were 
hungry.  I  said,  "Boys,  watch  my  outfit  while  I  run  down  the  Taney- 
town  Road  for  something  good  to  eat  I  think  I  can  make  the  trip 
before  the  thing  begins  again."  I  struck  out  and  ran  a  mile 
when  I  came  to  a  farm  house.  They  had  just  taken  a  batch  of  fresh 
cherry  pies  from  the  oven.  I  bought  a  number  nearly  a  foot  in  diam 
eter,  "two  for  a  quarter,"  put  them  on  a  board  and  hurried  back.  I 
ran  out  and  back,  covered  the  two  miles  in  twenty  minutes ;  returned 
puffing,  overheated  and  wet  with  perspiration.  Sharing  with  the 
boys,  we  had  a  grand  feast  and  were  again  standing  with  the  rest  on 
top  of  our  breastworks.  Another  hour  passed:  we  wanted  the 
enemy  to  come  at  us  so  we  need  not  cross  the  open  field  to  meet  them. 
About  1 :00  p.  M.  the  white  powder  smoke  and  fire  of  all  their  bat 
teries  suddenly  flashed  forth  all  along  their  line  and  we  quickly 


464  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

dropped  behind  our  works.  The  ball  was  opened.  The  concussion  of 
an  exploding  shell  knocked  half  a  dozen  of  us  sprawling.  Most 
of  them  jumped  up;  I  lay  still.  "Are  you  hurt,"  my  comrades  asked. 
"I  guess  I  am  done  for,"  I  said.  "Just  look  at  my  back."  They 
carefully  examined  my  back  and  assured  m©  that  I  was  all  right ;  that 
it  could  not  be  very  serious  with  me,  from  the  fact  that  my  coat  was 
not  torn.  I  crept  back  to  mv  place  thanking  my  lucky  stars  that  mty 
coat  was  not  torn.  We  were  all  fearfully  stunned ;  I  felt  as  if  I  was 
torn  in  two.  Many  similarly  stunned  by  exploding  shells  suffered  in 
stant  death ;  but  the  relief  I  experienced  when  told  that  my  coat  was 
not  torn  I  cannot  describe. 

General  Armistead  led  the  van  of"Pickett's  Charge,"  and  struck 
our  line  just  to  the  right  of  the  148th  near  the  clump  of  trees  at  the 
"Bloody  Angle,"  so  called  by  reason  of  the  heavy  losses  on  both  sides 
in  the  terrible  fighting  which  took  place  at  this  point,  and  which  is 
known  as  the  "high  water  mark  of  the  Rebellion." 

The  "Bloody  Angle"  consisted  of  a  sharp  turn  forward,  by  the 
"Clump  of  Trees,"  the  objective  point  of  Pickett's  charging  column, 
to  a  stone  fence,  not  two  feet  high,  mostly  boulders.  Here  Pickett's 
line,  under  General  Armistead,  struck  and  broke  the  Union  line  in 
a  most  desperate  hand  to  hand  conflict  that  ebbed  and  flowed  back 
and  forth  over  this  stone  wall,  while  the  148th  being  close  observers 
of  this  bloody  contest,  shouted  and  choei'ed  our  men  when  they 
crowded  the  enemy  back,  and  beyond  the  stone  wall.  But  the  crisis 
had  now  come  and  for  a,  little  while  it  seemed  as*  if  our  center  was 
permanently  broken,  when  we  saw  General  Armistead  leading,  with  a 
rush,  a  body  of  his  men  through  our  lines,  which  seemed  stunned  a.t 
this  bold  move.  Firing  had  slackened ;  Armislead  rushed  up  to  one 
of  our  guns,  laid  his  hand  upon  it  and  shouted,  "This  is  our  gun; 
come,  boys !"  These  were  the  last  words  hr  ever  spoke.  That  instant 
he  was  shot  dead.  The  men  who  had  so  bravely  followed  him,  seeing 
this,  seemed  bewildered  threw  down  theii  guns  and  surrendered.  This 
was  the  end  of  the  fight  at  this  point,  and  the  Union  troops  gave  a  pro 
longed,  hoarse,  loud  shout  that  seemed  to  thrill  earth  and  sky.  For  a 
brief  period  a  fierce  artillery  fire  was  kept  up  by  the  Confederates  to 
cover  the  retreat  of  Pickett's  men,  thousands  of  whom  had  thrown 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          465 

down  their  arms  in  front  of  the  Second  Corps,  whose  lines  they  had 
not  quite  reached,  and  stood  still  on  our  side  of  Plum  Run,  unde 
cided.  Not  a  shot  was  fired  at  them ;  we  loudly  shouted,  "Come  in 
and  surrender  or  we  will  fire  on  you."  Still  they  hesitated.  An  Aide 
was  sent  out  to  tell  them  that  they  must  come  in  at  once,  or  receive 
the  fire  of  infantry  and  artillery.  Thousands  of  them  now  rushed 
up  the  slope  and  over  our  breastworks  passing  to  the  rear  as  pris 
oners  of  war.  With  this  virtually  ended  the  battle  of  Gettysburg. 

It  was  all  over  at  4  :00  p.  M.  and  the  all  absorbing  theme  then 
was,  what  next?  The  balance  of  the  afternoon  and  major  part  of  the 
night  was  spent  in  repairing  damages,  caring  for  the  wounded  and 
burying  the  dead — men  and  horses. 

On  the  morning  of  July  4th,  according  to  orders,  I  reassembled 
my  pioneers  and  took  them  out  on  the  field  of  Pickett's)  charge  and 
fight  to  bury  the  dead.  The  field  presented  a  dreadful  sight;  the  dead 
were  already  in  a  terrible  state  of  putrefaction.  Faces  black  as  char 
coal  and  bloated  out  of  all  human  semblance ;  eyes,  cheeks,  forehead 
and  nose  all  one  general  level  of  putrid  swelling,  twice  the  normal 
size  with  here  and  there  great  blisters  of  putrid  water,  some  the  size 
of  a  man's  fist  on  face,  neck  and  wrists  ;  while  the  bodies  were  bloated 
to  the  full  capacity  of  the  uniforms  that  enclosed  them. 

It  was  a  rare  occurrence  to  find  one  who  had  not  been  robbed 
by  the  battlefield  bandit  or  robber  of  the  dead.  Generally  the  pockets 
were  cut  open  and  rifled  through  the  incision.  The  battlefield  rob 
bers  were  well  known  by  the  large  amounts  of  money  they  had,  and 
the  watches,  pocketbooks,  pocket  knives  and  other  valuable  trinkets 
they  had  for  sale  after  the  battle.  All  regiments  had  them. 

First  we  collected  the  dead  men  into  rows,  asi  usual,  laying  out 
against  another,  heads  all  one  way.  Union  and  Confederate 
in  separate  rows.  Then  some  would  collect  and  arrange  in  rows  while 
the  majority  of  men  buried  them  in  trenches  as  heretofore  described. 
These  burial  trenches  were  dug  here,  there  and  everywhere  over  the 
field  and  contained  three  or  four  or  fifty  as  the  number  of  dead  near 
required.  Few  of  these  men  had  anything  about  them  by  which  they 
could  be  identified,  and  were  buried  as  "unknown." 


466  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

The  Confederates  still  (July  4th)  had  sharpshooters  in  the 
trees  beyond  the  Emmittsburg  road,  and  several  times  during  the  day 
they  drove  us  off  the  field.  The  day  was  hot,  sultry  with  frequent 
heavy  showers.  The  stench  on  the  battlefield  was  something  indes 
cribable,  it  would  come  up  as  if  in  waves  and  when  at  its  worst  the 
breath  would  stop  in  the  throat ;  the  lungs  could  not  take  it  in,  and  a 
sense  of  suffocation  would  be  experienced.  We  would  cover  our  faces 
tightly  with  our  hands  and  turn  the  back  toward  the  breeze  and 
retch  and  gasp  for  breath. 

The  dead  were  found  in  all  manner  of  positions,  lying,  sitting, 
isolated,  in  groups,  in  heaps.  Many  there  .were  without  a  visible 
wound  or  mark  to  cause  death.  Down  beyond  the  "Bloody 
Angle,"  there  remained  standing  a  few  panels  of  post  fence,  only 
the  lower  rails  remaining.  Against  this  a  smooth  faced  soldier  boy 
was  sitting,  his  elbow  resting  on  the  second  rail,  his  head  resting  on 
his  right  hand,  his  head  upright  the  face  turned  toward  us.  Thinking 
he  was  sick  or  wounded  I  went  out  to  offer  assistance,  and  found  he 
was  dead.  We  examined  him  and  found  he  had  been  shot  through  the 
left  breast,  in  the  hand  to  hand  fight  at  the  "Bloody  Angle"  with 
Pickett's  men  the  day  before,  then  sat  down  just  as  we  found  him, 
and  died  without  a  struggle.  Being  perfectly  poised  he  did  not  even 
roll  over.  There  was  nothing  about  him  by  which  he  could  be  identi 
fied.  His  accoutrements  were  all  still  in  place,  his  cartridge  box 
nearly  empty. 

During  the  great  cannonade  of  the  3d,  a  barn  opposite  the  Sec 
ond  Corps  gave  shelter  to  Confederate  sharpshooters  and  a  masked 
battery.  On  this  discovery  I  heard  a  Lieutenant  in  Bickett's  Battery 
give  the  command  "to  fire  the  barn/'  In  fifteen  minutes  it  was  in 
flames  and  was  wholly  destroyed.  After  the  battle  ended,  the  ruins 
were  visited  by  the  Boob  boys  of  Company  A,  148th,  and  others,  who 
found  that  it  had  been  used  by  the  Confederates  as  a  hospital  and 
contained  many  of  their  wounded  at  the  time,  and  who  were  burned 
with  the  barn.  The  boys  looking  for  relics  in  the  ashes,  found  quite 
an  amount  of  gold  coin  in  two  and  one-half,  five,  and  ten-dollar 
pieces,  among  the  bones  and  ashes  of  the  burned  Confederates. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          467 

While  the  pioneers  were  engaged  in  burying  the  dead,  other 
details  were  engaged  in  clearing  the  field  by  gathering  arms,  accou 
trements,  etc.  About  four  thousand,  muskets  were  gathered  up  in 
wagons  from  the  field  of  Pickett's  charge  and  fight,  and!  ranked,  up 
like  cord  wood. 

The  field  was  thickly  strewn  with  knapsacks  containing  the 
sundries  of  a  soldier's  outfit  Haversacks  filled  with  biscuits  and 
sweet  cakes,  the  proceeds  of  forages  among  the  people  of  Pennsyl 
vania;  blankets,  tents,  hats,  coats,  caps,  belts,  swords,  letters,  port 
folios,  books,  bibles,  testaments,  playing  cards,  etc.,  etc.,  scattered 
everywhere.  The  day  wore  on.  Our  skirmishers  were  advanced ;  no 
enemy  in  force  was  found ;  our  work  at  Gettysburg  was  finished. 

Citizen  visitors  in  flocks  came  to  see  the  field  and  Army.  A 
number  inquired  of  me  to  know  why  the  soldiers  talked  so  very  loud 
to  each  other ;  so  fierce,  when  they  seemed  not  angry  with  each  other. 
I  said  we  are  all  very  hard  of  hearing,  nearly  deaf ;  the  awful  noise  of 
battle,  especially  the  noise  and  concussion  of  the  air  during  the  dread 
ful  cannonading  of  the  3d,  greatly  injured  our  hearing,  but  in  a  week 
we  will  be  all  right  again.  This  is  always  the  case  after  a  great  battle. 

In  the  field  hospital  a  mile  to  our  rear  on  the  low  banks  of  Rock 
Creek,  many  desperately  wounded  were  lying  upon  the  ground.  Con 
sequent  on  the  heavy  rains  of  the  4th,  the  stream  rose  suddenly,  and 
overflowed'  the  ground,  so  that  a  number  of  the  wounded  were 
drowned  before  they  could  be  moved1  to  higher  ground. 

In  the  fore  part  of  the  night  I  had  the  pioneers  over  to  this  hos 
pital  to  bury  some  dead.  The  wounded  all  lying  on  the  bare  ground 
were  generally  quiet ;  the  majority  seemed  to  be  sleeping.  The  head 
surgeon  told  me  that  they  had  discovered,  in  kerosene,  a  specific  rem 
edy  for  the  extirpation  of  maggots  from  the  wounds  of  the  men,  and 
triumphantly  stated  that  there  was  no  longer  a  maggoty  wound  in  the 
place.  Up  to  this  time  soldiers  were  frequently  seen  in  the  field  hos 
pitals,  flipping  maggots  from  their  wounds  with  a  stick  whittled 
sharp  for  the  purpose. 

One  young  soldier  wounded  under  the  arm  asked  a  surgeon  to 
dress  his  wound ;  he  could  not  raise  his  arm.  The  surgeon  took  hold 
of  his  hand  and  jerked  it  violently  up  and  a  handful  of  big  maggots 


468  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

fell  out.  Here  occurred  one  of  the  nijoejt  pathetic  incidents  of  the 
War.  A  young  soldier,  a  mere  boy,  who  was  brought  to  the  hos 
pital  carried  on  a  stretcher  while  a  soldier  walked  alongside  and  with 
his  'hand  held  a  wound  in  the  thigh  near  the  body.  He  said  he  was 
entirely  free  from  pain.  A  surgeon  examined  the  wound  and  said, 
"Nothing  can  be  done  for  you ;  you  must  die ;  if  you  have  any  word 
or  message)  to  send  home,  attend  to  it  at  once;  you  will  die  within  a 
few  moments  after  your  comrade  takes  his  hand  from  your  wound 
and  that  must  be  soon."  He  asked  for  paper  and  pen  which  were 
quickly  furnished.  He  wrote  a  letter  to  his  mother,  stated  his  con 
dition  and  that  a  comrade  was  holding  the  'wound  while  he  wrote  to 
her,  saying  that  as  soon  >as  he  finished  the  letter  his  comrade  would  let 
go  and  he  would  bleed  to  death  in  a  few  minutes.  The  letter  was  fin 
ished,  he  let  himself  fall  back,  hesitated  a  moment,  then  said,  "!Now 
you  may  let  go,"  and  Levi  Smith,  of  Company  A,  148th,  who  held 
the  wound  withdrew  his  hand,  and  in  a  few  minutes  life  had  gone  out. 

July  the  5th  had  come  and  the  Confederate  Army  was  in  full 
retreat  toward  "Old  \7rirginia."  Leaving  our  wounded  and  unburied 
dead  to  the  care  of  the  hospital  corps,  the  Christian  and  Sanitary 
Commissions  and  the  citizens  of  Pennsylvania,  we  moved  out  of  our 
position  .and  started  in  pursuit  of  the  Confederate  Army  toward 
evening.  Camped  at  "Two  Taverns,"  Pennsylvania. 

July  8th  at  5  :00  A.  M.  we  resumed  the  march,  which  was  kept 
up,  in  spasmodic  meandering  fashion  until  4:00  P.  M.,  when  we 
camped  within  four  miles  of  Frederick,  Maryland,  having  marched 
twenty  miles.  It  rained  all  day  and  the  mud  was  deep  and 
slushy.  We  were  rain  soaked  and  covered  with  mud  to  the  belt.  Tn 
marching  through  a  village  today  the  people  turned  out  to  see  the 
troops,  wagon  and  artillery  trains  passing.  A  gentleman  and  hi* 
family,  standing  on  the  walk  in  front  of  their  home,  seemed  greatly 
interested  in  our  march.  There  was  talk  and  laugh  and  lively  jest 
in  the  ranks,  as  we  marched  in  "quick  step"  with  absolute  indiffer 
ence,  straight  forward,  through  mud  and  water.  Just  as  we  passed 
them  I  heard  a  young  girl  ask,  "Papa,  don't  soldiers  care  for  rain 
or  mud  ?"  A  smaller  girl,  however,  answered  the  question,  "No ; 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          469 

they  just  love  to  walk  in  the  imul  and  water.  But  they  do  care- 
when  their  shoes  and  clothes  are  all  covered  with  mud.  They  would 
look  nice  if  they  were  not  so  dirty/'  A  lady  remarked,  ''Evidently 
they  have  no  remorse  for  having  just  fought  and  killed  and  wounded 
twenty  thousand  men !  Oh,  isn't  war  a  dreadful  thing  >" 

During  the  winter  of  1862  and  1863  while  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  was  encamped  at  Fredericksburg,  Virginia,  a  Mr.  Richard 
son,  a  Virginian  who  frequently  came  into  our  camps  selling  war 
maps,  soldier's  medals  and  stencil  plates  to  the  soldiers  bearing  their 
names,  company  and  regiment,,  to  insure  identification  if  killed  in 
battle  for  the  information  of  friends  at  home.  This  individual  made 
a  tour  through  our  camps  just  before  the  Chancellorsville  campaign, 
and  one  shortly  before  we  started  for  Gettysburg  campaign.  The 
next  and  last  time  he  was  seen  with  the  Army  was  at  Frederick  City, 
July  the  6th,  when  he  was  recognized  as  a  resident  Virginian. 
Here  he  was  suspected  and  arrested  as  a  spy  by  men  of  French's 
Division  of  the  Second  Corps,  tried,  found  guilty  and  immediately 
hung  to  the  branch  of  a  tree  in  a  field  to  the  right,  and  a  few  rods 
from  the  road  about  a  mile  out  of  town. 

He  was  a  brave,  daring  rebel  spy  and  had  successfully  spied 
for  the  Confederate  Army  a  long  time.  There  were  very  few  men  in 
the  148th  who  had  not  bought  something  from  him ;  they  all  knew 
him.  The  evidence  upon  which  he  was  convicted  as  given  to  me  at 
the  time  and  place  consisted  of  papers  found  in  the  false  bottom  of  a 
canteen.  But  Captain  Goldsboro,  of  Frederick,  Maryland,  who  was 
an  officer  of  the  court  martial,  wrote  me  October  8,  1902,  stating  that 
the  evidence  consisted  of  papers  found  hidden  in  his  boots.  The 
papers  it  was  said  described  the  strength,  equipments,  movements, 
and  position  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

On  July  the  9th  we  resumed  our  pursuit  at  ()  :00  A.  M.,  marched 
through  Frederick,  Maryland,  and  a  few  miles  beyond,  where  on  ac 
count  of  sickness  I  gave  out.  I  sent  the  pioneers  to  their  companies 
and  was  carried  in  an  ambulance  the  balance  of  the  day,  reaching 
Burkittsville,  Maryland,  twenty  miles  from  our  morning  start. 
Here  Albert  Lord,  of  Company  F,  Charles  A.  Wolf  and  myself,  of 


470  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Company  A,  all  of  the  148(tli,  and  too  sick,  to  go  on  were  abandoned 
in  a  field  and  left  to  look  out  for  ourselves,  while  the  Corps  crossed 
South  Mountain  into  the  Antietam  country.  '  It  was  evening  and  we 
found  shelter  in  the  stable  of  Mr.  J.  Horine  on  a  splendid  bed  of 
straw.  Here  we  remained  for  several  days  during  which  time  we  had 
two  of  the  village  physicians  attend  us  'and  received  abundance  of  de 
licious  food  supplies  from  the  Horine  family  under  whose  free  treat 
ment  and  care  Wolf  'and  I  rapidly  improved  while  Lord  was  getting 
worse.  On  Sunday  morning  July  the  12th  we  led  him  to  a  hospital 
which  had  been  established  in  the  Lutheran  church,  from  which  the 
seats  had  been  removed  and  beds  of  loose  straw  made  on  the  floor. 
At  10 :00  A.  M.  we  set  out  to  find  the  Army,  and  in  particular  the 
148th.  We  crossed  South  Mountain  at  Crampton's  Gap,  and  the 
South  Mountain  battlefield  wheire  many  marks  of  battle  still  re 
mained.  We  reached  the  Antietam,  which  was  high  and  muddy.  It 
was  raining,  but  we  concluded  'that  a  bath  would  do  us  no  harm  so 
we  stripped,  put  our  clothes  under  a  rubber  to  keep  dry  and  jumped 
in.  Our  ablutions  finished  we  continued  our  march  in  mud  and  rain. 
On  reaching  Rohrerville,  Maryland,  four  miles  out  we  were  tired 
out,  crept  into  a  stable  at  night  fall,  wet  and  mud  all  over,  cold  and 
hungry  and  slept  fairly  well  in  our  wet  clothes. 

Long  before  daybreak,  July  13th,  we  (Wolf  \and  I)  left  our 
straw  bed  in  the  stable.  We  had  little  'to  eat  'all  day.  We  begged  a 
little  bread  from  a  lady  near  Sharpsburg  sand  found  some  crackers 
and  pork  on  the  ground  where  some  troops  had  camped  some  time 
before.  This  helped  us  out  We  passed  on;  it  was  night  when  we 
passed  Hagerstown  and  reached  the  vicinity  of  Williamsport  on  the 
Potomac  laite  in  the  night  having  with  great  effort  (being  scarcely 
convalescent)  marched  about  eighteen  miles.  Here  we  found  the 
Regiment.  The  boys  greeted  us  as  if  returned  from  the  dead.  They 
were  working  hard  in  heavy  rain  by  the  light  of  lanterns,  in  dense 
timber  digging  trenches.  With  enthusiasm  they  told  us  the  War  would 
scon  end  now;  that  Lee's  Army  was  penned  up  in  the  bend  of  the 
river,  which  was  too  high  to  cross;  his  Army  would  be  attacked  and 
captured  in  the  morning.  A  few  hours  later  a  farmer  came  into  our 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          471 

lines  and  reported  that  the  last  of  Lee's  Army  had  just  crossed  the 
river  into  Virginia. 

July  14di :  Then  there  was  commotion,  instantly  we  set  out  in 
pursuit,  and  soon  reached  'the  line  of  his  position.  We  found  that  he 
had  held  a  magnificent  defensive  position,  and  had  built  some  of  the 
finest  field  works  we  had  ever  seen.  We  realized  that  it  was  fortunafe 
for  us  and  the  Nation  that  we  did  not  fight  him  in  this  impregnable 
stronghold.  Had  we  fought  him  here  the  fruits  of  Gettysburg  would, 
beyond  doubt,  have  been  lost  As  it  was  he  left  a  few  guns,  many  small 
arms,  and  an  immense  number  of  stragglers  and  deserters,  all  of 
whom  became  our  prisoners.  Here  the  Gettysburg  campaign  ended. 

The  retreat  and  escape  of  Lee  was  one  of  the  most  skillful  feats 
of  the  War.  He  slipped  away  from  the  Union  Army,  reached  the 
Potomac,  seventy  miles  away,  without  material  loss,  and,  in  the  few 
days  that  he  was  at  the  river,  he  had  thoroughly  fortified  himself; 
had  gathered  flatboats,  captured  pontoons,  and  built  bridges  across 
the  Potomac  River  at  Williamsport  and  Falling  Waters,  over  which 
he  made  his  escape  with  his  Army  into  Virginia,  on  the  night  of 
July  13th;  then  destroyed  his  bridges  and  in  safety  rested  his 
Army.  The  Potomac,  a  large  river  at  all  times,  on  account  of  much 
rain,  was  high  and  rapid;  but  many  of  the  Confederates,  thinking 
it  was  fordable,  plunged  into  the  stream,  were  carried  away  and 
drowned.  Some  four  hundred  were  drowned  during  the  crossing 
on  that  dreadfully  dark  and  rainy  night.  For  several  weeks  there 
after,  the  bodies  of  those  unfortunates  were  seen  floating  down  the 
river,  or  lodged  along  its  banks. 

July  15th :  We  marched  in  a  meandering  way  twenty  miles  and 
camped  near  Harper's  Ferry. 

July  16th:  We  marched  leisurely  by  Sandy  Hook  to  the  vicin 
ity  of  Knoxville,  Maryland,  eight  miles  in  the  forenoon,  and  camped. 

I  was  still  weak  from  the  effects  of  my  recent  illness  of  Burkitts- 
ville,  Maryland,  <and  over  exertion  immediately  after  played  me  out. 
I  could  not  eat  the  army  grub.  Toward  evening  we  marched  through 
an  orchard,  and  I  pulled  off  a  quart  of  small,  green,  hard  apples  and 
began  to  eat  them;  they  tasted  good.  We  went  into  camp  and  the 
soldiers  being  greatly  fatigued  whiskey  was  issued  to  them. 


472  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Company  A  was  formed  and  with  cups  marched  over  to  where 
the  "barrel"  was  located,  and  the  roll  was  called ;  and  as  a  name  was 
called  a.  man  would  hold  out  his  cup  and  get  his  gill  of  whiskey. 
Many  answered,  "I  don't  want  mine/7  when  I  would  sing  out,  "'Here 
I'll  take  that,"  and  the  Quartermaster  poured  it  into  my  cup.  This  I 
kept  up  until  my  own  name  was  called  and  I  again  held  out  my  cup. 
I  then  had  the  whiskey  of  four  men,  and  I  returned  to  Company  A 
quarters.  I  said,  "'Boys  I  have  been  sick  for  ten  days  and  I  am  sick 
now  of  fever  and  dysentery;  I  can't  eat  our  grub,  but  I  have  just 
eaten  a  quart  of  green  apples  and  now  I  will  drink  this  whiskey, 
and  then  I  will  lie  down  in  my  tent  to  see  whether  it  will  kill  or  cure 
me.  The  boys  laughed  at  me,  but  none  said  yes  or  no  to  me.  I  drank 
the  whiskey  and  crept  into  my  tent  and  lay  down  to  await  results ;  this 
was  toward  evening  the  sun  a  few  hours  high.  I  soon  fell  asleep  and 
had  a  good  nap.  I  awoke,  I  was  alone  in  the  tent,  the  sun  was  just  as 
high,  but  on  the  other  side  of  camp;  it  was  next  morning  about  eight 
o'clock.  1  got  up,  a  beautiful  morning.  The  boys  asked,  "Do  you  fed 
better?"  I  replied,  "I  am  well,  fully  recovered;  I  never  felt  better, 
give  me  some  crackers  and  pork  that  I  may  satisfy  my  hunger.  I  am 
sill  right  now. 

In  this  War  it  was  a  "long  time  between  drinks."  I 
can  recall  only  three  "whiskey  rations"  in  all  the  time  of  our  serv 
ice.  But  to  the  ingenious  soldier  there  is  always  a  way  of  getting  a 
canteen  full  of  "commissary"  when  we  wanted  it.  We  would  write 
an  order  on  the  Quartermaster  something  like  this : 

"To  the  Quartermaster  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers: 

"Send  me  per  bearer,  for  my  own  use,  one  canteen  of  whiskey." 

Then  we  would  sign  "—  — ,  Lieutenant  Company  -    — ." 

On  these  orders  the  Lieutenant  always  went  dry.  When  we  wanted 
a  drink  of  brandy,  we  bought  a  can  of  "spiced  pears"  from  our  sut 
ler.  This  meant  a  pint  tin  can,  labeled  "pears,"  filled  with  light 
brandy,  and  a  small  pear  or  two,  thrown  in.  But  it  was  extremely 
seldom  that  we  wanted  strong  drink ;  and  drink  to  excess  was  ex 
tremely  rare  in  the  148th  and  I  am  not  afraid  to  assert,  that  it  was 
one  of  the  most  sober  regiments  in  the  service.  As  to  thievery,  well, 
admitted — "charge  sustained." 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLf^NU  VOLUNTEERS          475 

Toward  evening  we  »aw  some  animals  in  the  brush  down  near 
the  river,  and  Comrade  Ge<o.  M.  Rupp  went  over  to  see  whether  they 
were  anything  good  to  eat.  He  was  a  good  forager  and  soon  returned 
with  a  good  sized  sheep.  So  he,  Jesse  Long,  Henry  Meyer,  William 
Meyer  and  I  dressed  the  sheep.  We  were  hungry  for  mutton.  It  was 
getting  dark  when  we  commenced  to  tell  yarns,  fry,  and  eat  that 
sheep,  and  we  continued  to  yarn  and  fry  and  eat  mutton  till  near  two 
o'clock  next  morning,  when  we  finished  the  sheep.  We  were  not  as 
hungry  for  mutton  as  we  were  before  we  had  eaten  a  whole  sheep. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  July  18th,  we  left  Knoxville,  marched 
back  to  Harper's  Ferry  and  once  more  crossed  the  Potomac  into 
Virginia.  Again  we  watched  the  gaps,  camped  near  Bloomfield, 
Virginia,  for  several  d-ays. 

July  23d :  A  battle  was  reported  in  progress  at  Wrapping 
Heights  near  Front  Royal  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  Our  Division 
was  ordered  to  hasten  down  to  Manassas  Gap,  pass  through  and  re-en 
force  the  movement.  We  were  soon  on  the  move,  but  difficulties  beset 
ting,  we  did  not  reach  the  gap  till  evening,  twelve  miles,  and  were 
compelled  to  work  our  way  through  the  mountains  eight  miles  that 
night,  expecting  to  join  in  the  battle  in  the  morning. 

This  was  the  worst  tramp  the  148th  made  in  all  ite  service. 
From  6  :00  p.  M.  till  midnight,  six  hours  of  fatiguing  toil,  without  a 
halt  we  made  eight  miles  and  bivouacked  near  the  Wapping  Heights 
battlefield,  near  Front  Royal.  But  the  battle  was  ended  and  won 
by  the  cavalry  and  Third  Corps.  The  enemy  losing  two  thousand 
five  hundred  men  in  killed,  wounded  and  prisoners,  and  had  re 
treated  across  the  Shenandoah  River  after  night. 

July  24-th:  We  spent  the  forenoon  at  Wapping  Heights.  To 
ward  noon  many  of  us  stripped  and  bathed  iu  the  river,  and  began 
to  wash  our  shirts  and  drawers.  We  had  scarcely  commenced  when 
the  bugle  call  of  "Fall  in"  was  heard.  We  hurried  to  wring  and  put 
on  our  wet  clothes,  which  is  slow  business  at  the  best;  but  we  were 
ready  in  time  and  moved  out  with  the  Regiment,  marched  through  the 
gap  again,  this  time  in  the  road  and  camped  east  of  the  gap.  Heard 
distant  cannonading  all  day. 


474  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

July  31st:  We  reached  Morrisville,  Virginia,  and  went 
into  regular  camp.  The  weather  was  so  hot  at  this  time  that 
it  was  impossible  to  make  any  military  movement  with  success. 
August  1st  the  pioneers  put  up  the  brigade  hospital  tents  which  is 
considered  a  favorable  sign  for  a  period  of  rest.  Water  was  scarce 
and  far  to  bring  so  I  was  ordered  to  take  the  pioneers  and  locate  and 
dig  a.  well  near  camp.  We  located  the  well  right  by  the  regimental 
camp  and  dug  it  ten  feet  wide  and  fourteen  feet  deep  when  we  struck 
plenty  of  good  water.  We  put  up  two  tilts  in  the  usual  way,  on 
crotch  posts,  and  tilt  >and  dip  poles  with  camp  kettles  for  well  buckets 
attached.  We  finished  the  well  on  the  3d,  which  was  also  a  wel 
come  pay  day.  The  Regiment  was  paid  to  July  1st,  two  months ; 
Sergeants  receiving  from  seventeen  to  twenty  dollars  per  month, 
Corporals  and  privates  thirteen  dollars  per  month,  in  money  worth 
about  forty-eight  cents  on  the  dollar,  or  six  dollars  and  twenty-four 
cents  a  month  sound  money. 

August  4th:  At  noon  we  packed  up  and  moved  our  camp 
toward  Bealton  a  few  miles  and  put  up  a  new  camp  and  since  we 
could  not  bring  our  new  well  along  we  immediately  went  to  work 
and  dug  two  others  right  by  the  camp  about  the  same  width  and  depth 
as  before,  and  found  an  abundance  of  splendid  water. 

August  10th :  After  the  Gettysburg  campaign  ended  the  boys 
meant  to  take  all  the  rest  there  was  to  be  had.  They  had  become 
indifferent  as  to  the  condition  of  arms  and  uniforms.  In  order  to 
remedy  this  we  had  inspection  every  three  hours  until  arms,  equip 
ments  and  uniforms  looked  like  new. 

August  llth:  At  noon  I  took  the  pioneers  over  to  Surgeon 
D avis'  dispensary  tent  to  make  some  improvements  >and  shade  the 
quarters.  The  Doctor,  always  very  friendly  to  me,  "winked"  me  into 
an  annex  tent  where  he  had  a  barrel  of  old  rye  for  medical  purposes  on 
tap.  There  was  a  little  red  crock  under  the  spigot  half  full.  He 
picked  it  up  and  said,  "Here,  my  boy,  take  a  little/'  And  so  I  did 
and  we  came  out.  Soon  the  Doctor  was  called  over  to  the  Regiment 
to  see  a  sick  soldier.  As  soon  as  he  was  out  of  sight  I  said  to  my  men, 
"Come  in,  boys,  and  I  will  prescribe  for  you."  They  came  and  took 
full  doses.  Before  the  Doctor  returned  I  administered  a  second  dose. 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          475 

When  the  Doctor  returned,  there  was  much  life  in  the  pioneer 
corps;  they  worked  like  tigers;  they  addressed  Surgeon  Davis  very 
familiarly;  the  Doctor  gave  me  several  glances  of  inquiry  but  said 
nothing.  Pioneer  Morehead,  one  of  my  men,  not  feeling  fully  cured; 
slipped  into  the  Doctor's  annex  for  another  dose.  The  Doctor  was 
on  tihe  watch ;  he  rushed  in  and  found  Morehead  drawing  the  medi 
cine,  he  "fetched"  him  one  on  the  shoulder  saying,  "Here,  you  rascal, 
get  out  of  this."  Morehead  bolted,  the  little  crock  fell,  some  fire 
water  was  wasted,  but  the  Doctor  never  referred  to  the  incident  after 
wards. 

For  several  weeks  the  Army  suffered  greatly  from  the  intense 
heat  which  prevailed  during  that  time.  About  one^seventli  of  all 
the  deaths  in  the  Army,  during  this  period  were  caused  by  sun 
stroke  ;  and  one-half  of  the  remainder  of  the  diseases  causing  death, 
resulted  directly  from  the  hot  weather. 

The  troops  camped  in  the  open  field,  were  fully  exposed  to  the 
blazing  heat  of  the  sun,  we  scarcely  knew  what  it  was  to  be  in  dry 
clothes.  Still  the  general  health  of  the  Army  continued  good.  This 
could  only  be  accounted  for  by  the  hypothesis  that  the  soldiers  of  the 
Army  had  become  so  habituated  to  hardship  that  nothing  common 
would  affect  them. 

The  thermometer  stood  at  100  degrees  to  105  degrees  in  the 
shade,  while  in  the  sun  it  was  often  up  to  140  degrees.  The  air 
was  full  of  smoke  and  stench  from  burning  camp  fires  and  decom 
posing  animal  and  vegetable  substances.  Heat  waves  rolled  visibly 
along  the  horizon  and  danced  on  the  hilltops.  Everything  was  at  a 
perfect  standstill. 

August  21st:  A  few  evenings  ago  at  dress  parade  it  was  an 
nounced  that  Jesse  Maberry,  a  deserter  from  the  7 1st  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers,  Second  Division,  Second  Corps,  woukl  be  shot  to  death 
near  General  Warren's  headquarters  today,  between  the  hours  of 
1 2  :00  M.  and  4 :00  P.  M.  I  went  over  and  found  tihe  Division  formed 
in  hollow  square,  facing  inward,  one  side  open,  where  a  grave  had  been 
dug.  Soon  a  brass  band  at  headquarters  struck  up  the  "dead  march," 
the  hour  had  come ;  all  eyes  were  turned  in  the  direction  of  the  music. 
The  procession  moved  slowly  at  the  time  of  the  "dead  march,"  as  fol- 


476  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

lows :  brass  band  in  front ;  next  four  soldiers  carrying  the  eon 
dcmned  soldier's  coffin  on  their  shoulders,  followed  by  the  con 
demned  arm  in  arm  with  the  Chaplain,  who  never  ceased  talking 
consolation  and  cheer  to  the  victim,  who  was  very  pale,  yet  heroically 
firm,  keeping  step  to  his  own  "dead  march."  K"ext  a  platoon  of  twelve 
soldiers,  armed  executioners,  followed  by  a  squad  of  twelve  guards. 
The  procession  in  this  order  entered  the  square,  and  moved 
slowly  through  the  center  to  the  open  side  where  the  grave  was.  The 
band  obliqued  out  of  the  way,  and  the  coffin  bearers  set  the  coffin 
beside  the  grave,  and  tihe  condemned  man  siat  down  on  it,  and  bowed 
his  head,  while  the  Chaplain  offered  prayer,  then  shook  his  hand, 
lade  him  good-bye,  asked  him  to  be  firm  and  then  stepped  aside.  The 
condemned  'arose,  took  off  his  coat,  threw  it  aside;  the  officer  in 
charge  stepped  up  and  blindfolded  him  with  a  white  handkerchief, 
seated  him  on  his  coffin  and  -stepped  aside.  All  was  now  ready.  The 
condemned  with  both  hands  pulled  wide  open  the  front  of  his  shirt, 
baring  his  entire  breast,  holding  fast  awaiting  the  leaden  bullets. 
Most  agonizing  must  have  been  this  moment  of  suspense.  Eight  of 
the  executioners,  about  ten  paces  off,  fired,  and  May  berry  fell,  turned 
half  way  around,  and  hung  on  his  coffin,  not  dead.  He  writhed  in 
pain,  violently  moving  his  hands  and  feet.  Two  of  the  four  reserve 
.executioners,  were  ordered  to  close  in  and  shoot  him  again.  They 
held  the  muzzles  of  the  rifles  close  to  his  bodv  and  fired ;  then  he 
lay  motionless.  He  was  examined  by  the  attending  physician,  and 
pronounced  dead  thirty  minutes  later.  A  deep  murmur  of  disgust 
swept  through  the  troops  in  attendance,  and  the  execution  was  openly 
condemned. 

Mayberry  died  for  his  family.  A  wife  and  three  small  children 
lived  in  Philadelphia.  He  went  to  War,  his  family  became  desti 
tute;  he  deserted- <to  provide  for  them  and  forfeited  his  life  in  so 
doing. 

Monday,  August  24th:  Heavy  and  continuous  cannonading' 
heard  on  the  lower  Rappahannock  all  day;  active  operations  had 
again  commenced. 

Friday,  August  28th:  Two  more  deserters  of  th^  Second  Divi 
sion  of  our  Corps  were  shot  near  General  Warren's  headquarters  in 
the  presence  of  their  Division.  All  soldiers  of  the  Division  not  then 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          477 

on  duty  were  required  to  witness  these  executions.  The  formation  of 
the  Division  and  the  procession  were  the  same  as  previously  de 
scribed  ;  the  victims  bravely  met  their  doom. 

For  these  men  there  was  less  sympathy  than  for  May  berry. 
They  were  not  only  deserters  but  bounty  jumpers.  One  of  them 
had  deserted  seven  times,  and  as  often  sold  himself  as  a  substitute. 

When  men  go  into  battle  to  fight  for  their  country's  right,  we 
do  not  wonder  when  we  see  their  mangled  bodies  lying  before  us, 
for  we  know  that  such  is  the  fate  of  War;  but  to  see  a  soldier  taken 
from  the  ranks  where  he  has  served,  and  led  out  in  mock  solemnity 
to  be  butchered  in  cold  blood  by  his  comrades,  the  partners  of  his 
toilsome  marches  and  deadly  conflicts,  our  feelings  are  shocked  and 
we  are  moved  to  pity.  But  painful  as  the  duty  is,  it  is  required,  or 
else  law,  order  and  discipline  would  be  set  at  defiance  in  the  Army. 

Shortly  after  crossing  the  Potomac  into  Virginia  a  fine  look 
ing  man  in  the  full  uniform  of  a  Confederate  Major,  deliberately  rode 
into  our  lines  and  was  promptly  arrested  and  sent  to  corps  head 
quarters,  where  he  produced  a  pass  from  General  Slocum,  and  papers 
containing  valuable  news  concerning  the  movements  of  the  Con 
federate  Army.  He  was  one  of  the  most  active  spies  in  the  Union 
service,  and  immediately  set  off  again  for  the  Confederate  lines, 
and  returned  with  information  on  August  26th,  after  \vhich  we  never 
heard  of  him  again. 

August  31st:  The  Confederates  made  a  demonstration  on  the 
lower  Rappahannock,  captured  a  few  steamers  on  the  Potomac,  and 
brought  them  up  the  Rappahannock  to  Port  Conway.  Kilpatrick's 
cavalry,  and  a  heavy  force  of  artillery,  and  the  Second  Corps  (ours), 
were  ordered  down  the  river  to  ''see  about  it."  We  marched  along 
the  Rappahannock,  leaving  detachments  at  every  ford.  The  148th 
took  position  at  Richardson's  Ford,  twenty  miles  from  our  camp. 
Kilpatrick  proceeded  to  Port  Conway  where  he  defeated  the  Confed 
erates  *and  destroyed  the  steamers. 

September  1st:  It  was  midnight;  the  148th  at  Richardson's 
Ford,  lay  soundly  sleeping  in  bivouac,  with  a  heavy  picket  guard  at 
the  crossing  supported  by  a  strong  reserve.  All  was  quiet,  save  the 
sighing  of  the  wind  through  the  overhanging  pines,  and  the  murmur 


478  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

ot  the  river,  mingled  with  the  screech  of  insects  and  the  mournful  wail 
of  a  lone  owl.  The  moon  had  gained  its  towering  height;  the 
sky  was  clear,  and  a  beautiful  night  it  was;  just  such  a  night  as 
would  bring  to  us  sweet  memories  of  the  past  and  our  homes,  in 
ante  bellum  days. 

Suddenly  a  volley  of  small  'airms  was  fired  into  our  pickets  from 
across  the  river,  killing  one  of  oiir  men.  Simultaneously  a  consider 
able  force  of  Confederate  cavalry  dashed  across  the  ford.  In  less 
than  five  minutes  the  148th  was  in  battle  order  and  moving  rapidly 
forward  to  fight  the  disturbers  of  our  slumbers;  but  they  remained 
not  to  fight;  they  had  galloped  into  the  country  east  of  us.  Soon 
quiet  once  more  prevailed  in  our  bivouac  and  the  men  again  slept. 
Returned  to  camp  at  Morrisville  September  4th. 

September  13th:  We  reached  and  crossed  the  Rappahannock 
River  and  moved  to  Brandy  Station,  where,  in  a  battle  between  our 
cavalry  and  the  Confederate  cavalry,  the  Confederates  were  defeated 
and  driven  beyond  Culpeper.  Three  cannon  and  one  hundred  men 
captured.  Our  Brigade  was  wagon  train  guard  today. 

September  14th:     Moved  from  Brandy  Station  to  Culpeper. 

September  17th:  We  reached  Cedar  Mountain,  the  scene  of 
Pope's  disaster,  on  -the  Rapidan  River,  and  formed  in  order  of  battle. 
There  was  skirmishing  for  several  days  with  lively  cannonading  now 
and  then.  The  days  were  very  warm  and  the  nights  cold  and  frosty. 

September  28th:  We  went  into  regular  camp,  and  I  took  the 
pioneers  and  dug  a  well  in  the  camp  of  the  Regiment  near  Cedar 
Mountain ;  rigging  the  well  in  the  usual  way. 

September  29th:  The  pioneers  were  engaged  in  repairing 
bridges.  We  could  plainly  see  'the  Confederates  on  the  south  side  of 
the  Rapidan,  busily  engaged  in  fortifying  their  position. 

October  1st:  On  a  visit  to  a  truck  pa,tch  today,  I  secured  a 
peck  of  green  tomatoes.  After  night  had  set  in,  and  we  had  formed 
line  of  battle,  I  invited  some  of  my  comrades  to  go  with  me  behind 
the  hill  in  the  woods,  to  fry  iand  eat  green  tomatoes,  while  we  waited 
the  coming  of  day.  Not  one  would  go  writh  me,  so  I  went  alone, 
started  a  fire  and  fried  and  ate  tomatoes.  I  had  a  lonely  but  a  nice 
time  by  my  cheerful  fire.  It  was  cold  and  frosty,  but  I  had  a 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          479 

pleasant  and  comfortable  night;  and  just  before  daybreak  1  finished 
the  tomatoes  and  returned  to  the  battle  line  where  tihe  boys  were 
lying  on  the  ground,  shivering  with  cold ;  no  fires  being  allowed.  I 
did  not  get  hungry  for  fried  tomatoes  for  a  long  time. 

October  2d:  In  the  afternoon  we  had  a  slight  diversion  in 
our  Division.  The  first  of  the  Second  Corps,  where  comrade  Small, 
a  soldier  of  the  66th  ^ew  York  Volunteers  was  shot  in  the  usual 
formal  way,  for  desertion.  Our  Division  was  turned  out  to  witness 
the  butchery,  and  the  Confederates  on  the  heights  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Rapidan,  in  bunches  on  the  hills,  also  were  spectators,  and  no 
doubt  looked  on  with  satisfaction,  to  see  us  gradually  reduce  our 
Army.  Friday  was  execution  day  and  no  Friday  passed  without 
shooting  deserters  in  some  part  of  the  Army. 

This  was  the  first  execution  for  desertion  in  our  Division,  and 
it  was  a  butchery.  The  victim  was  shot  four  times ;  the  executioners 
emptied  their  guns  on  him ;  he  received  two  bullets  from  a  navy  re 
volver  into  the  head  at  close  range,  before  the  surgeon  in  attendance 
pronounced  him  dead.  Then  the  whole  Division  was  made  to  march 
in  single  column  close  by  the  victim,  to  view  the  poor,  mangled  and 
blood  covered  body  of  this  hapless  mortal.  The  idea  of  these  public 
executions  is  to  impress  upon  the  soldiers  that  desertion  will  be 
surely  punished  according  to  military  usage  in  the  time  of  War. 

October  6th :  This  morning  at  two  o'clock  we  were  routed  out 
and  packed  up,  and  soon  after  moved  out  of  our  position  on  the 
Rapidan,  and  marched  back  to  Culpeper  Court  House  fifteen  miles 
and  went  into  regular  camp,  as  if  for  the  winter. 

October  4th:  During  the  afternoon,  Jesse  Long  one  of  my 
pioneers,  was  out  prowling  and  foraging.  He  returned  with  an  old 
white  gander,  a  big  one.  We  immediately  turned  butchers  and  com 
menced  skinning  this  old  Confederate  gander.  We  got  along  fairly 
well  till  we  tried  to  part  the  hide  from  his  turtle  back  bone ;  here  we 
had  trouble.  The  hide  of  this  diabolical,  centenarian  Confederate 
gander  was  so  firmly  fixed  to  the  back  bone  that  after  much  labor, 
we  had  at  least,  most  of  the  feathers  worn  off  and  we  gave  it  up. 
We  dissected  him  with  a  hatchet  and  put  him  in  a  camp  kettle. 
Before  sunset  we  had  him  boiling  lively,  at  eight  o'clock  we  tried 


480  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

him,  he  was  very  -tough;  we  tried  him  every  fifteen  minutes  after 
that;  he  was  the  toughest  case  we  had  ever  met;  we  boiled  him 
furiously.  At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  Jesse  again  tried  a 
piece  and  declared,  "Bedast,  he  is  getting  tougher."  We  thought 
it  was  high  time  to  quit  cooking  him,  iand  we  lifted  him  off  tihe 
fire  and  commenced  to  chew.  Four  of  us,  Henry  Meyer,  William 
Meyer,  Jesse  and  I  chewed  on  him  till  dawn  of  day,  and  we  had  a 
good  deal  of  that  centenarian  Confederate,  leather-bodied  gander  left 
over.  We  offered  parts  of  that  invincible  fowl  to  some  of  the  boys ; 
we  told  them  that  it  wa,s  a.  very  good  mess ;  they  looked  at  the  wreck, 
hut  they  would  not  bite.  Pea.ce  to  the  memory  of  that  south-land 
gander. 

For  several  days  we  lay  quietly  in  camp  near  Culpeper  Court 
House,  but  on  the  morning  of  October  10th  the  Second  Corps  made 
a  hurried  march  back  to  the  Rapidan  River  to  re-enforce  the  Third 
Corps,  which  had  made  a  reconnaissance  in  force,  south  of  the  river, 
and  was  hard  pressed  by  the  Confederates,  and  was  in  retreat.  We 
mic-hed  the  river  and  formed  battle  line,  to  cover  the  retreat  of  the 
Third  Corps,  whose  wagon  train  and  artillery  were  then  crossing 
the  river  to  the  north  side  with  great  haste,  and  passed  to  our  rear. 
This  movement  continued  till  2:00  A.  M.  of  October  llth,  when  the 
last  of  the  trains  and  artillery  were  safely  on  the  north  side  of  the 
river,  and  the  pontoon  bridges  were  hauled  out,  loaded  up,  and  moved 
out  with  the  general  retreat  of  the  Army. 

This  accomplished,  the  Second  Corps  left  its  position  and 
marched  rapidly  back  through  Culpeper  along  the  Orange  and  Alex 
andria  Railroad,  crossed  the  Rappahannock  River  on  pontoon  bridges, 
and  camped  near  Rappahannock  Station,  a  few  miles  north  of  the 
river,  after  a  forced  march  of  nearly  thirty  miles,  since  two  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  We  knew  that  this  rapid  backward  movement  signified 
something  far  beyond  the  ordinary  in  War.  Next  day,  Odtober  12th, 
the  Confederates  came  up,  and  vigorously  attacked  our  rear;  we 
turned  on  them  and  recrossed  the  Rappahannock  in  force  and  attacked 
them;  but  they  made  only  a  slight  show  of  fight  and  fell  back  to 
Brandy  Station,  six  miles  souith  of  the  river.  Their  feeble  resistance 
and  willingness  to  fall  back,  gave  rise  to  the  suspicion  that  they 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          481 

were  ''luring"  us  with  a  small  force  in  our  front  and  were  no  doubt 
advancing  in  force  on  our  flank.  This  soon  became  apparent ;  there 
fore  at  midnight,  October  13-th,  we  again  resumed  a  rapid  march 
ir  retreat ;  which  was  kept  up  all  day  crossing  the  Bappaliannoek 
again  by  the  same  pontoon  bridges  near  the  railroad. 

We  marched  till  late  in  the  night  and  having  made  twenty-five 
miles  we  bivouacked  in  the  woods ;  dark,  gloomy  and  rainy.  We 
heard  the  rattle  of  musketry  in  a  skirmish  not  far  awiay.  All  was 
excitement,  Was  it  to  be  a  battle  in  this  darkness,  where  friend 
and  foe  conic  not  be  distinguished?  We  moved  out;  day  dawned 
just  as  we  forded  Cedar  Creek  ;  soon  after  reaching  the  top  of  a  bluff, 
near  Auburn  Mills,  afterwards  known  to  the  boys  as  "Hot  Coffee 
7 Till."  This  event  is  very  fully  treated  in  other  stories. 

(See  the  Prisoner's  Story  by  Sergeant  Meyer. — EDITOR.) 


THE  TEAMSTER'S  STORY. 

Compiled  from  data  furnished  by  Comrades  Bryan,  Billet,  Garrett  and  Flack, 
and  from  records  of  the  Quartermaster's  department. 

If  it  be  true,  as  it  certainly  is,  that  "an  army  goes  upon  its 
belly" — that  is,  can  travel  only  so  fast  and  so  fair  as  it  can  be  reached 
with  food — its  logistics,  although,  in  a  sense,  of  secondary  importance, 
becomes,  in  another  view  of  the  subject,  of  primary  importance.  It 
is  not  proposed  here  to  discuss  the  question  of  logistics  in  general, 
although,  in  view  of  the  late  changes  in  the  organization  of  our 
Army,  this  is  a  subject  of  profound  interest. 

During  our  Civil  War  and  for  many  years  before  and  since, 
whilst  it  was  the  duty  of  the  commissary  department  to  supply  food 
to  the  Army  and  of  the  ordnance  department  to  furnish  it  with  am 
munition,  both  were  'absolutely  dependent  upon  the  quartermaster's 
department  for  the  transportation  of  their  supplies.  The  quarter 
master's  department  controlled  the  transportation  of  all  grades  and 
kinds.  When,  therefore,  the  limits  of  rail  and  water  transportation 
were  readied,  the  army  mule  became  the  important  factor  in  the 
movements  of  'the  Army.  Without  his  aid  the  best  planned  cam 
paigns  would  have  been  failures,  and  except  for  his  faithful  and 
continuous  service,  the  area  over  which  an  army  could  operate  would 
have  been  limited  indeed. 

The  teamsters  of  the  Army  were,  therefore,  as  a  class  as  impor 
tant  in  their  place  and  within  their  circumscribed  limitations  as 
any  other  class  of  men  in  the  Army.  We  hear  but  little  of  them 
but  no  effort  to  give  .any  adequate  idea  of  the  operations  of  even 
a  single  regiment  could  be  successful,  without  taking  into  account 
the  services  of  this  exceptional  body  of  men,  who,  specially  detailed 
for  this  purpose,  served  as  patriotically  as  others,  of  whose  service 
and  exploits  we  hear  more.  It  is  deemed  of  interest  and  value,  there 
fore,  that  a  short  sketch  or  story  of  one  or  more  of  these  men  be  given 
to  round  out  the  general  experience  of  our  Regiment. 

Samuel  Bryan,  who  was  one  of  the  original  members  of  B 
Company,  was  born  ait  Curtin's  Works,  one  of  the  small  charcoal 
iron  furnaces  which,  during  the  latter  part  of  the  Eighteenth  and  the 
first  half  of  the  Nineteenth  Century,  were  so  common  in  Centre 
County.  This  furnace  still  continues  to  make  charcoal  iron,  and  is 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          485 

one  of  the  few  remaining  establishments  of  this  character.  In  the 
olden  times,  when  the  supplies  for  such  a  furnace  were  hauled  from 
the  ore  mines  and  charcoal  pits  of  the  proprietors,  the  mule  was 
about  as  essential  to  the  operations  of  a  furnace  as  he  was  to  the 
campaigns  of  an  army  later. 

As  a  boy  on  the  furnace  bank,  Bryan  became  perfectly  familiar 
with  the  care,  custody  and  management  of  a  "team  of  mules."  When, 
therefore,  it  became  necessary  to  furnish  the  Regiment  with  pro 
visions  from  Washington,  by  wagon  transportation,  on  its  march 
down  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Potomac  to  Liverpool  Point,  in  order 
to  join  the  Army  then  fighting  at  Fredericksburg,  the  question  of 
drivers  for  the  teams  became  very  important.  Bryan's  capacity  to 
manage  mules,  was,  of  course,  known  to  his  Captain  and  he  was 
temporarily  detailed  for  that  purpose.  He  demonstrated  his  ability 
in  this  line  to  such  extent  that  after  we  joined  the  Army  of  the 
Potomiac  'and  our  wagon  transportation  had  been  turned  over  to 
the  quartermaster's  department^  he  was  soon  sought  out,  with  other 
men  of  our  Regiment,  and  regularly  detailed  as  a  teamster. 

It  may  be  interesting  in  this  connection  to  show  what  consti 
tuted  a  team  and  how  the  transfers  of  the  mules,  wagons  and  neces 
sary  equipments  were  made.  On  our  transfer  from  Cockeysville  to 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  the  regimental  quartermaster,  Lieut.  J.  G. 
Kurtz,  was,  of  course,  very  busily  occupied  with  the  transfer  of  the 
regimental  stores  and  baggage  by  rail.  Lieut.  W.  P.  Wilson,  of 
F  Company,  was  detailed  to  assist  him.  The  following  abstract  of 
stores  gives  <an  idea  of  the  transportation  allowed  to  transport  bag 
gage  and  subsistence  from  Washington  to  Liverpool  Point,  and  also 
gives  some  insight  into  the  manner  in  which  the  business  of  the  quar 
termaster's  department  was  transacted. 

List  of  quartermaster's  stores,  etc.,  transferred  by  Capt.  J.  J. 
Dana,  Assistant  Quartermaster  United  States  Army,  to  Lieut.  W. 
P.  Wilson,  Acting  Regimental  Quartermaster  148th  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers,  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  on  the  llth  day  of  Decem 
ber,  1862: 


484  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Number  or  Number  or 

quantity  Articles  quantity  Articles 

•2U  Horses.  8  Horse  brushes. 

G  Wagons  complete.  (j  Sets  four-horse  reins. 

2  Ambulances — 'two-horse.  4  Sets  'ambulance  harness. 

6  Sets  four-horse  harness.  5  Baiters. 

8  Whips.  1  Saddle. 

8  Water  buckets.  1  Blanket. 

8  Curry  combs.  i  Bridle. 

I  certify  that  I  have  this  day  transferred  to  Lieut.  W.  P.  Wilson, 
Acting  Regimental  Quartermaster  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
ai  Washington,  D.  C.,  the  articles  specified  in  the  foregoing  list. 

J.  J.  DANA, 
Captain  Assistant  Quartermaster. 

When  we  re-ached  the  Army,  there  were  turned  over  to  the  quar 
termaster's  department  by  Quartermaster  Kurtz  all  that  Wilson  had 
received  at  Washington  and  an  additional  wagon  which  we  had 
probably  brought  with  us  from  Cockeysville  or  had  been  secured  in 
some  other  way.  The  invoices  'transferring  this  property  are  rather 
more  detailed  than  the  previous  one  but  are  given  as  showing  the 
care  with  which  Lieutenant  Kurtz  transacted  his  business. 

List  of  quartermaster's  stores,  etc.,  received  by  E.  M.  Webber, 
Lieutenant,  and  Acting  Assistant  Quartermaster  United  States  Army, 
from  J.  G.  Kurtz,  Lieutenant  and  Quartermaster  148th  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  at  camp  in  the  field,  Virginia,  on  the 
19th  day  of  December,  1862: 

Number  or  quantity  Articles 

28  Twenty-eight  Horses. 

7  Seven  Wagons. 

7  Seven  Wagon  bows  (sets  of). 

7  Seven  Wagon  covers. 

7  Seven  Feed  boxes. 

5  Five  Water  buckets. 

7  Seven  Horse  brushes. 

7  Seven  Tar  buckets. 

7  Seven  Stretcher  chains. 

7  Seven  Double-trees. 

28  Twenty-eight  Single-trees. 

14  Fourteen  Wheel  harness,  single  sets. 

14  Fourteen  Load  harness,  single  sets. 

20  Twenty-nine  Halters. 

7  Seven  Curry  comb*. 

7  Seven  Whins 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          485 

1  certify  that  I  have  this  day  received  from  J.  G.  Kurtz,  Quar 
termaster  1484h  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  at  camp  in  the  field,  the 
articles  specified  in  the  foregoing  list.  E.  M.  WEBBER, 

Lieutenant  and  Acting  Assistant  Quartermaster. 

List  of  quartermaster's  stores  received  by  Lieut.  James  H. 
^Mitchell,  Acting  Assistant  Quartermaster  United  States  Army,  from 
Lieut.  J.  G.  Kurtz,  Quartermaster,  148fth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
at  camp  near  Faknouth,  on  the  19th  day  of  December,  1862 : 

Number  or  quantity  Articles  Condition  when  delivered. 

•2  Two  Two-horse  ambulances.         Worn. 

4  Four  Sets  harness.  Worn. 

4  Four  Horses.  Good. 

2  Two  'Brushes.  Worn. 
2  Two  Curry  combs.  Worn. 
2  Two  Water  buckets.  Worn. 
2  Two  Whips.  Worn. 
4  Four  Head  halters.  Worn. 

I  certify  'that  I  have  this  day  received  of  Lieut.  J.  G.  Kurtz, 
Quartermaster  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  a\t  camp  near  Fal- 
rnouth,  the  articles  specified  in  the  foregoing  list. 

JAMES  H.  MITCHELL, 

Lieutenant  and  Acting  Assistant   Quartermaster  commanding 
First  Division  Ambulance  Corps,  Second  Army  Corps. 

These  receipts  also  indicate  the  division  of  the  Quartermaster's 
transportation  into  wagon  train  and  ambulance  corps.  At  Wash 
ington  they  were  turned  over  to  Lieutenant  Wilson  on  the  same 
invoice.  When  we  reached  the  Army,  they  were  divided  and  re 
ceipted  for  by  a  Lieutenant  who  was  evidently  with  the  wagon  train 
and  another  who  was  in  command  of  the  ambulance  corps. 

Whether  Bryan's  reputation  as  a  driver  preceded  him  or  not 
or  whether  there  was  a  civil  service  examination  as  to  his  knowledge 
of  the  army  mule,  or  of  his  capacity  to  care  for  him,  does  not  appear, 
but  certain  it  is  that  shortly  after  the  Regiment  reached  Falmouth 
and  had  gone  into  winter  quarters,  and  after  he  had  been  detailed 
for  his  first  tour  of  picket  duty  and  returned,  the  First  Sergeant 
of  his  company  ordered  him  'and  his  comrade,  George  Billet,  to  the 
wagon  train  at  corps  headquarters.  A  detail  of  this  kind,  of  course, 
involved  taking  with  them  their  earthly  belongings  and,  after  pack 
ing  their  knapsacks  they  started  to  report  as  directed  and,  upon 


486  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

reaching  the  wagon  train,  reported  to  Captain  Shultz.  Bryan  was 
put  in  charge  of  wagon.  Xo.  1,  which  carried  the  headquarter  baggage 
of  the  Second  Corps.  His  team  consisted  of  six  black  mules,  sup 
posed  to  be  among  'the  best  in  the  sendee,  as  will  appear  later.  After 
taking  charge  of  this  team  and  becoming  familiar  with  it,  it  acquired 
the  reputation  to  which  its  rank  and  position  in  the  column  and 
itr  uniform  condition  entitled  it.  With  this  team,  through  all  the 
changes  in  commanders  and  through  all  the  various  campaigns,  Bryan 
served  until  the  end  of  the  War  was  reached,  and  he  was  mustered 
out  with  his  company. 

It  would  be  a  matter  of  deep  interest  to  give  here  ait  length  the 
number  of  wagons  required  to  transport  the  belongings,  the  supplies 
of  food,  forage  'and  ammunition  and  -the  pontoons,  int.rench.ing  tools 
and  other  impedimenta  with  which  a  corps  of  40,000  men  was  com 
pelled  to  move.  One  wagon  was  assigned  to  the  corps  headquarters, 
one  to  the  headquarters  of  each  division,  one  to  the  headquarters  of 
each  brigade,  one  to  eiajch  regiment  and,  in  addition,  as  many  as  the 
requirements  of  the  commissary,  quartermaster's  and  ordnance  de 
partments  required,  and  also  such  as  were  necessary  for  carrying  the 
pontoon  bridges  and  the  i intrenching  tools. 

Bryan's  wagon  (No.  1)  led  the  column  for  the  Second  Corps  in 
all  movements  and  was  entitled  to  this  place,  except  when  food,  forage 
or  ammunition  was  ordered  to  the  front. 

On  the  march  to  Chancellorsville,  the  Second  Corps  wagon 
trains  crossed  at  the  United  States  Ford  in  rear  of  artillery  and 
parked  in  the  woods.  The  corps  headquarter  wagon  wias  ordered  to 
the  front.  On  Saturday  evening,  when  the  Eleventh  Corps  gave  way 
and  created  such  consternation,  a  road  was  cut  through  the  woods 
and  the  teams  were  ordered  to  the  river  in  a  hurry  and  lay  there  until 
the  corps  recrossed  and  returned  to  camp  at  Fal  mouth.  At  Gettys 
burg  the  trains  were  parked  near  the  troops,  so  that  the  drivers  and 
others  connected  with  them  were  in  sight  of  the  fight.  The  return 
march  from  Gettysburg  was  very  exhausting  and,  when  the  Army 
halted  at  Morrisville,  the  teams  were  nearly  worn  out. 

In  the"  fall  of  1863,  during  the  march  to  the  rear  and  after 
wards  at  Mine  Run,  the  corps  trains  were  several  times  in  great 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          487 

cknger  of  capture.  The  night  before  Auburn  Mills  and  Bristoe 
Station,  orders  were  issued  that  all  the  wagon  covers  should  be  re 
moved  and  at  night  the  chains,  which  were  likely  to  rattle,  were  all 
to  be  removed  and  no  whips  were  to  be  cracked. 

Before  the  campaign  of  1864  there  was  a  general  inspection 
and  grand  review  of  all  the  wagon  trains.  There  was  great  rivalry 
among  the  several  corps,  and  among  the  teamsters  of  the  same  corps 
as  to  tiheir  teams.  Bryan's  team  was  regarded  the  best  in  the  Second 
Corps,  and  bets  which  amounted  to  several  hundred  dollars  were 
offered  that  his  team  would  take  the  prize  which  was  offered  for  the 
best  team  in  the  Army.  Feeling  ran  high  but,  when  the  inspection 
was  ended  and  the  report  made,  Bryan  and  his  six  black  mules  were 
the  winners. 

There  was  little  of  incident  worth  recording  ordinarily  with 
the  wagon  trains.  In  the  early  part  of  the  campaign  of  1864,  upon 
a  dark  night,  with  mud  to  the  axle,  the  train  was  following  the 
artillery.  Of  a  sudden  the  roads  blocked  and  the  whole  train  halted. 
The  headquarter  and  intrenching  tool  wagons  were  ordered  to  the 
front.  A  sutler's  wagon,  with  six  mules,  was  mired  at  the  crossing 
of  a  stream.  This  brought  all  the  teams  to  a  standstill  and  there 
was  soon  a  grand  mix  of  army  mules,  sutlers  and  swearing  teamsters. 
The  wagon-master  told  the  sutler  that  if  he  had  ten  dollars  he  would 
get  him  out.  The  proposition  was  gladly  accepted  and  the  driver 
of  the  intrenching  tool  wagon  came  back  and  told  Bryan  what  the 
trouble  was  and  that  he  had  offered  to  get  the  sutler  out  for  ten  dollars 
and  wanted  his  team.  The  team  was  unhitched  and,  taking  the 
leader  by  the  head,  it  was  led  along  the  edge  of  the  muddy  road  in 
the  dark  until  the  creek  was  readied.  The  sutler's  team  was  un 
hitched  and  taken  out  of  the  way  and  Bryan's  attached  to  the  wagon. 
Before  a  move,  however,  the  ten  dollars  was  demanded  and  paid 
over.  Bryan's  comrade  stood  at  the  head  of  the  leaders ;  he  mounted 
the  saddle  mule  and,  at  a  given  signal,  ga\e  a  yelp  which  his  team 
knew  so  well,  every  animal  crowded  his  collar  lor  all  he  was  worth, 
one  good  strong  pull  all  together  and  the  sutler's  wagon  was  out 
on  the  road.  Although  covered  with  mud  and  with  a  team  in  like 
condition,  Bryan  had  his  share  of  the  ten  dollars  and  the  hearty 


488  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

cheers  of  the  bystanders  for  the  Second  Corps  headquarter  team  as 
his  reward. 

On  on©  occasion,  the  date  of  which  is  not  distinctly  remembered, 
the  Second  Corps  train  was  moving  nearly  at  right  angles  with  that 
of  .another  corps.  Tike  question  to  be  determined  was,  which  had 
the  right-of-way.  Bryan  was  leading;  cuss  words  were  bandied  at 
a  lively  rate  between  the  wagon-masters  of  the  different  trains ;  the 
war  of  words  seemed  ready  to  burst  into  a  war  of  pistol  shots ;  finally 
the  wagon  master  commanding  the  Second  Corps  train  saw  an  open 
ing  and  ordered  Bryan  to  rush  through,  which  he  did,  while  an  officer 
who  seemed  to  be  with  the  other  train  stood  on  his  horse  with  drawn 
sword  ready  to  strike  him.  The  Second  Corps  officer,  however,  not 
to  be  outdone  covered  his  opponent  with  a  revolver.  Bryan  made  the 
opening  with  his  team  and  the  whole  train  followed.  How  the 
difficulty  was  finally  settled  was  not  known  but,  as  the  Second  Corps 
generally  believed,  it  came  out  ahead. 

When  not  on  the  march  and  when  the  condition  of  'the  teams 
justified  it,  the  headquarter  team  and  others  which  were  not-  em 
ployed  in  the  distribution  of  commissary  and  quartermaster's  stores, 
were  often  employed  in  delivering  express  matter  and  sutler's  stores 
which  canue  by  rail.  Much  of  the  express  matter  was  for  the  officers, 
but  many  packages  came  also  for  enlisted  men.  These  were  delivered 
at  the  several  headquarters.  Among  the  express  matter  especially  ad 
dressed  to  the  officers  were  suspicious  looking  boxes  through  the  cracks 
of  which  long  necked  bottles  might  sometimes  be  discovered.  These 
were  regarded  as  very  dangerous  to  be  placed  in  an  army  wagon 
under  the  control  of  the  average  army  teamster  and  were  laid  aside 
and,  although  it  is  not  for  the  teamster  to  siay  what  became  of 
them,  he  has  always  had  a  suspicion,  based  upon  his  knowledge  of 
the  wagon-master's  quarters,  that  some  of  them  might  have  been 
found  in  a  cavern  under  the  bunk  of  some  enterprising  wagon- 
master. 

During  the  campaign  in  the  summer  of  1864,  after  reaching 
Petersburg  and  during  the  crossings  to  Deep  Bottom,  the  headquarter 
wagon  was  always  well  to  the  front,  but  the  Second  Corps  was  con 
stantly  on  the  go.  Many  nights  the  mules  were  not  unhitched  and 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          489 

not  infrequently  the  teamsters  laid  down  alongside  of  their  saddle 
mules  under  orders  to  be  ready  to  move  at  a  moment's  notice. 

During  the  time  that  General  Hancock  was  in  command  of 
the  Corps,  the  headquarter  wagon  was  not  taken  to  the  front,  unless 
the  orders  permitted  the  wagons  belonging  to  other  headquarters  to 
be  brought  up  also.  General  Hancock  was  very  particular  in  this 
respect  and  at  one  time,  when  a  member  of  the  staff  had  undertaken 
to  order  the  wagon  to  the  front,  when  General  Hancock's  orders 
forbade  wagons  to  be  brought  up  or  fires  to  be  made,  the  wagon  was 
sent  back  very  promptly  and  the  officer  who  had  ordered  it  up 
severely  reprimanded. 

In  the  closing  campaign,  in  the  spring  of  1865,  General  Hum 
phreys  commanded  the  Corps.  The  corps  headquarter  wagon  was 
kept  constantly  close  up  to  the  troops.  At  Hatcher's  Run  it  was 
near  the  front  and,  when  the  battle  opened,  was  under  a  direct  and 
warm  fire.  The  top  of  the  saddle,  upon  which  the  teamster  was 
sitting,  was  knocked  off  and  the  off  wheel  mule  was  wounded  in  the 
tieshy  part  of  the  hip.  Holes  were  cut  in  the  canvas  cover  and  two 
oi'  three  of  the  bows  broken.  This  occurred  so  quickly  that  there 
was  no  time  to  retire  until  the  damage  was  done.  The  wagon-master, 
however,  came  to  the  front  with  a  rush  and  ordered  the  team  out  of 
range  as  quickly  as  possible — an  order  which,  it  may  be  well  imgained, 
was  very  promptly  obeyed. 

As  the  trains  got  farther  from  their  base  forage  became  very 
scarce.  At  Farmville,  seeing  a  stack  of  hay  in  the  distance,  the 
teamster  of  the  headquarter  wagon  made  for  it,  secured  some  of  the 
hay  and  began  his  return,  but  he  was  within  range  of  the  Confed 
erate  troops  and  was  subjected  to  a  fire,  the  bullets  rattling  all  around 
him  as  he  returned  without  a  scratch  and  with  the  hay  for  his  team. 

As  may  be  readily  imagined,  the  teamsters  were  not  under  the 
same  strict  discipline  as  the  men  who  carried  arms  and  were  expected 
to  be  up  to  the  front,  particularly  in  time  of  danger.  During  such 
times  the  trains  often  halted  for  a  considerable  time.  On  the  night 
of  the  surrender,  some  of  the  teamsters  gathered  in  a  small  hut  oc 
cupied  by  some  colored  people  and  induced  the  old  woman  who  was 
in  charge  to  bake  some  hoe  cakes  which  were  much  enjoyed.  They 


490  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

had  scarcely  finished  their  repast  when  a  tremendous  shout  was  heard 
in  the  front.  On  going  up  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  it  was  found 
that  General  Lee  had  surrendered  and  a  night  of  great  jollity 
followed. 

Without  delay  came  the  march  through  Richmond  back  to  Wash 
ington  and,  when  Alexandria  was  reached,  Bryan  was  relieved  and 
ordered  to  report  to  his  Regiment.  He  says: 

"I  turned  in  the  same  six  mules  that  I  received  at  Falmouth 
in  December,  18 62,  the  same  wagon  ;and  harness,  except  the  wagon 
bows  and  cover  which  had  been  riddled  at  Hatcher's  Run.  With 
the  repairs  which  had  been  made  during  the  sendee,  these  were  all 
as  good  as  when  they  were  given  in  my  charge.  I  never  had  a  sick 
mule  or  broken  wagon,  nor  was  I  ever  off  duty  for  a  day.  The  last 
I  saw  of  my  team,  after  I  was  relieved,  it  was  running  away  under 
a  new  driver  and  seemed  to  be  specially  engaged  in  breaking  the 
wagon  to  pieces." 

George  Billet,  who  was  detailed  at  the  same  time  with  Bryan, 
although  assigned  to  a  team  which  did  not  rank  quite  so  high  as 
Bryan's,  nevertheless  was  as  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  duty  and 
served  continuously  with  the  trains  until  mustered  out  with  his 
company,  as  was  Bryan,  June  1,  1865. 

Charles  Garrett,  Company  H,  was  detailed  during  the  winter 
of  1863  to  serve  as  a  teamster  with  the  corps  headquarter  train,  and 
was  continuously  employed  as  such  from  the  date  of  his  detail  until 
the  close  of  the  War.  After  the  return  of  the  Army  from  Chan- 
c-ellorsville,  his  team  was  detailed  within  a  week  to  recross  the  river 
under  a  flag  of  truce.  The  party  detailed  for  the  special  service  drove 
to  Chancel lorsville,  the  special  object  being  to  recover  the  bodies 
of  several  officers  who  had  been  killed  during  the  fight  and  had  been 
buried  east  of  the  Chancellor  House  along  the  main  road  leading 
toward  Fredericksburg.  The  night  was  spent  upon  the  field  and 
the  return  wais  made  the  next  day. 

His  subsequent  experiences  with  the  train  were  much  the  same 
a=  those  which  have  been  detailed  in  connection  with  this  general 
story.  At  Cold  Harbor,  however,  he  recalls,  with  great  distinctness, 
an  experience  which  will  be  easily  remembered  by  all  who  shared 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          491 

ii;  it.  The  train  was  exposed  to  the  artillery  fire  of  the  enemy  and 
was  shelled  at  different  times.  It  was  impossible  to  go  forward  or 
to  turn  back,  and  the  trains  were  compelled  to  remain  in  this  exposed 
position  for  a  couple  of  days,  losing  a  number  of  mules  killed  by  the 
enemy's  fire. 

Garrett  says: 

UI  drove  six  mules  during  the  entire  time;  they  were  about  as 
good  as  the  ordinary  mule,  although  some  of  them  were  quite  vicious, 
but  that  seems  to  be  a  trait  in  their  character,  if  they  have  any. 
After  the  surrender,  I  had  a  load  of  camp  equipage,  etc.,  which 
was  carried  the  entire  distance  to  Alexandria.  Here  I  left  the  mules 
and  joined  my  company,  without  having  participated  in  the  Grand 
Review.  I  was  mustered  out,  however,  with  'the  others  and  with  them 
returned  to  my  home." 

Xelson  Flack  was  detailed  in  April,  1863,  as  a  teamster  to 
serve  in  the  general  wagon  trains.  He  drove  a  supply  wagon  until 
the  fall  of  1803,  after  which  his  wagon  was  assigned  to  carry  am 
munition  for  the  Regiment.  This  he  continued  to  do  until  the  close 
of  the  War. 

As  already  intimated,  the  ammunition  train  was  an  absolute 
necessity  during  an  engagement  and  often  came  upon  the  field 
during  the  heat  and  excitement  of  battle. 

Flack  had  been  trained  from  boyhood  to  care  for  and  drive 
mules  and  was,  therefore,  quite  at  home  when  detailed  for  this 
purpose.  He  has  a  distinct  recollection  of  the  incident  at  Cold 
Harbor  spoken  of  by  Garrett. 

In  approaching  Petersburg,  after  crossing  the  James  River,  the 
Lieutenant  in  command  of  the  trains  to  which  his  wagon  belonged 
took  the  wrong  road,  led  his  train  through  our  lines  but  did  not  go 
far  until  he  discovered  what  was  the  matter.  Of  course,  the  back 
track  was  taken  immediately  but  we  were  in  front  and  in  sight  of 
the  enemy's  works  and  within  range  of  their  guns.  We  had  no  escort 
and  it  would  have  been  very  easy  to  have  captured  the  entire  train. 
Why  the  enemy  did  not  do  so  has  always  been  a  matter  of  wonder. 
They  did  not  even  open  upon  us  till  after  the  train  had  regained  its 
place  within  our  own  lines,  and  then  they  opened  in  a  lively  way,  so 
that  the  train  was  compelled  to  retire  further  to  the  rear.  Here 


492  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Flack's  team  was  detailed  for  another  purpose  and  was  the  only  one 
employed  in  hauling  ammunition  for  the  guns  at  the  Weldon  Rail 
road. 

After  the  surrender,  he  drove  his  team  north.  At  Burkville 
Station  the  ammunition  was  unloaded  and  turned  over  to  the  railroad 
for  transportation  and  his  wagon  loaded  with  such  things  as  would 
be  useful  to  the  troops  on  their  homeward  march.  No  guard  was 
required,  there  being  no  enemy  and,  as  it  was  dispensed  with,  the 
trains  were  open  to  the  depredations  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  region 
at;  night  As  it  was  a  'section  of  the  country  over  which  both  Armies 
had  fought  and  marched,  there  was,  of  course,  great  destitution  and 
lack  of  farm  animals.  It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  a  large 
number  of  mules  and  horses  departed  and  did  not  return.  Some 
times  a  whole  team  would  disappear.  Flack  lost  two  of  the  mules  of 
his  team.  As  many  a.s  eleven  horses  disappeared  in  a  night  but  this 
was  not  an  unmixed  evil,  as  it  gave  the  inhabitants  of  the  region 
the  facilities  for  putting  out  their  crops  and  thus  returning  to  their 
old  employments,  and  was  after  all  their  side  of  the  game  of  "tit 
for  tat"  which  they  had  not  had  the  opportunity  previously  to  play. 


(tt  XA-vX/^r       V\\JL*t 

r       L 


OF  THl 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


THE  PRIVATE'S  STORY. 

IN  CONNECTION  WITH  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  COMPANY  A. 
By  Henry  Meyer 

"You  and  each  of  you  acknowledge  that  you  have  voluntarily 
enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  the  Army  of  the  United  States  of  America,  for 
the  period  of  three  years,  or  during  the  War;  and  each  of  you  do 
solemnly  swear  that  you  will  bear  true  allegiance  to  the  United  States 
of  America ;  that  you  will  serve  them  honestly  and  faithfully  against 
all  their  enemies  whomsoever,  and  that  you  will  obey  the  orders  of 
the  President  of  the  United  States  and  the  orders  of  the  officers  ap 
pointed  over  you,  according  to  the  Rules  and  Articles  of  War,  and 
this  as  you  shall  answer  God  on  the  Great  Day." 

The  above  was  the  substance  of  the  oath  administered  August 
25,  18(>2,  by  Lieutenant  Fetterman,  of  the  Regular  Army,  to  a  hun 
dred  volunteer  recruits,  mostly  farmer  boys,  standing  in  an  irregular 
row,  with  uplifted  right  hands,  in  front  of  the  hotel  in  the  town  of 
Rebersburg,  Center  County,  Pennsylvania.  I  look  down  the  vista 
of  forty  years  and  the  scene  presents  itself  vividly  to  my  mind ;  the 
assembled  fathers,  mothers,  sisters  and  brothers  of  the  boys  in  line, 
the  youthful,  ruddy  faces  of  the  volunteer  recruits,  the  grief  and 
tears  of  members  of  families  from  whose  loving  circle  one  or  more 
of  their  number  is  now  being  severed,  perhaps  never  to  return.  The 
boys  themselves  seemed  less  affected  by  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion, 
for  they  were  light  hearted  and  inclined  to  levity  rather  than  serious 
ness.  Thus  it  was  the  parents  at  home  suffered  more  mental  anxiety 
than  their  sons  in  the  Army.  They  ceased  not,  day  and  night,  year 
in  and  year  out,  to  think  of  their  sons  in  the  far  South,  and  they  ever 
felt  the  deepest  solicitude  for  their  safety.  We  who  are  now  fathers 
ourselves  can  more  fully  appreciate  the  feelings  of  parents  in  those 
sad  and  gloomy  times. 

After  the  oath  was  administered  to  us,  Lieutenant  Eetterman 
added :  "You  are  now  soldiers  of  the  United  States ;  you  will  meet 
at  this  place  on  the  27th  of  this  month  to  be  taken  to  the  front,  and 
if  you  fail  to  report,  you  will  be  arrested  as  deserters."  The  severe 


494  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

manner  in  which  the  Lieutenant  delivered  this  sentence  and  the 
emphasis  he  put  on  the  word  "deserter,"  grated  harshly  on  our  sensi 
bilities  and  kindled  a  slight  feeling  of  resentment  and  defiance  which 
rankled  in  our  bosoms  quite  a  while.  !Xot  that  any  one  harbored  any 
intention  of  deserting,  but  it  was  our  first  lesson  in  the  stern  disci 
pline  of  military  life,  the  first  practical  demonstration  to  us  that  our 
wills  must)  now  yield  unquestioned  obedience  to  the  will  of  others 
placed  over  us  in  authority.  Of  all  the  varied  duties  and  require 
ments  incident  to  the  soldier's  life,  this  subordinating  one's  will  to 
that  of  another,  this  yielding  prompt  obedience  to  one  who  is  only 
one  of  "us,"  one  with  whom  we  played  "horse"  and  slid  down  the 
same  cellar  door  only  a  few  short  years  before,  and  probably  not  su 
perior  to  us  now,  except  in  a  brief,  constituted  authority — this  was 
the  most,  loathsome  and  difficult  lesson  for  us  volunteer  soldiers  to 
acquire. 

But  the  volunteer  soldiers  had  the  intelligence,  the  good  common 
sense  -and  the  patriotism  to  observe  and  admit  the  necessity  of  yield 
ing  obedience  to  those  selected  to  exercise 'authority  over  them,  and 
they  obeyed. 

By  facts  reported  us  later  on  we  learned  that  the 'Confederate 
officers  and  private  soldiers  were  on  much  more  social  terms  than  was 
the  case  in  the  Union  Army,  and  yet  it  has  never  been  asserted  that 
the  Confederate  soldiers  were  less  brave  and  efficient,  in  consequence 
thereof. 

These  recruits  sworn  in  on  the  date '  mentioned  were  nearly  all 
natives  of  Brush  Valley — of  the  best  families;  metre  boys,  single, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few,  used J to  toil,  robust,  temperate  in  their 
habits — good  material  out  of  which  to  make  soldiers.  A  few  days 
after  their  muster  they  constituted  Company 'A  of  the  148th  Regi 
ment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers. 

What  puissant  force  impelled  these  young  men  to  forsake  their 
comfortable  home,  sacrifice  their  trades,  college  dormitories,  busi 
ness  or  professional  advantages,  new  spheres  a  number  had  just  en 
tered  upon  from  the  farm — and  enlist,  in  the  Army  and  undergo  the 
hardships, 'the  dangers  and  horrors  of  war  ?  It  was  not  for  pecuniary 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          495 

gain.  It  was  not  because  they  were  ignorant  of  the  consequences  of 
the  step  they  were  about  to  take.  They  knew  all  about  the  terrible 
battles  and  losses  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  on  the  Peninsula  and 
the  then  recent  defeat  of  Pope's  Army  in  Virginia.  They  knew  that 
le-enforcements  were  needed  at  the  front  and  expected  in  a  few  short 
weeks  to  be  hurled  against  the  exultant,  advancing  foe.  It  was  pure 
patriotism  that  constrained  them  to  stand  by  the  Union  in  the  fear 
ful  conflict ;  they  felt  it  their  duty  to  go  and  they  went. 

In  this  brief  sketch  the  main  object  will  be  to  recall  some  of  the 
stirring  incidents  and  varied  experiences  which  a  humble  private 
observed,  and  himself  and  his  comrades  went  through ;  also  to  put  on 
record  some  historical  facts  in  reference  to  Company  A  which  may 
seem  worthy  of  preservation.  Where  historical  facts  and  dates  are 
mentioned,  they  are  verified  by  comparison  with  diary  records  made 
during  the  War  at  the  time  of  the  occurrence  of  the  events. 

The  boys  left  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania,  in  f armers'  rigs  of  dif 
ferent  kind,  on  the  27th  day  of  August,  and  arrived  at  Lewistown  in 
the  evening.  Thence  by  railroad  they  reached  Harrisburg  in  the 
afternoon  of  the  following  day.  Supper  was  provided  in  a  large 
brick  building]  near  the  depot  The  bill  of  fare  was  simple,  consist 
ing  of  cold  pork,  bread  and  coffee.  There  was  no  apple  butter  nor 
jellies  of  any  kind;  neither  were  any  pies  or  custards  visible.  And 
the  farmer  boys,  who  were  accustomed  to  more  luxurious  tables,  con 
sidered  themselves  treated  quite  shabbily,  but  indulged  the  delusive 
hope,  in  their  innocency,  that  after  they  would  be  installed  in  com 
pany  quarters,  Uncle  Sam  would  supply  them  with  viands  more 
varied  and  abundant. 

The  company  was  then  conducted  to  Camp  Curtin.  The  scene 
which  presented  itself  to  the  gaze  of  the  young  fellows  who  had  been 
reared  amid  the  quiet -and  peacef ulness  of  rural  life  was  bewildering. 
All  was  commotion  in  camp,  streams  of  recruits  in  citizens'  clothes 
coming  in,  and  regiments  of  soldiers  in  uniforms  going  'out ;  com 
panies  and  regiments  drilling ;  orderlies  and  officers  galloping  hither 
and  thither;  bands  playing,  drums  beating,  teamsters  yelling  and 
cursing,  and  the  noisy  tumult  went  on  unceasingly.  Passing  into 
camp  at  its  entrance  on  the  south  side,  we  noticed  soldiers — real  sol- 


496  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

diers — with  muskets  and  fixed  bayonets  guarding  the  place  and  allow 
ing  none  to  pass  out.  Now1  we  realized  fully  that  Uncle  Sam  had  us 
in  his  clutches  securely.  However,  it  might  be  remarked  here  that 
the  boys  learned  rapidly.  Their  chief  desire  was,  during  their  stay 
at  Harrisburg,  to  get  away  from  the  dust  and  discomforts  of  camp 
as  much  as  possible  and 'roam  about  the  city. 

There  was  a  hydrant  on  the  east  side  of  the  camp  just  beyond 
the  sentinel's  beat  where  many  of  the  boys  got  their  water  for  use  in 
camp.  It  required  no  pass  to  get  across  the  line  at  that  point  if  one 
carried  a  bucket.  Now,  buckets  being  cheap,  they  became  plenty. 
In  the 'morning  two  men  would  take  hold  of  one  small  vessel,  pass 
through  the  guards,  ostensibly  to  fetch  water,  hide  the  bucket,  then 
perambulate  over  the  city  all  day,  return  to  camp  in  the' evening  with 
their  bucket  of  water.  This  scheme  worked  all  right  until  Uncle 
Sam  arrayed* his  boys  in  uniform,  then  they  could  no  longer  pass 
themselves  off  as  citizens. 

As  we  entered  the  camp  space  was  assigned  for  the  companies 
and  "A"  tents 'were  furnished  to  be  put  up,  six  men  being  assigned 
to  each.  Clothing,  a  complete  outfit  from  head  to  foot,  all  dumped 
on  a  pile,  for  a  hundred  men,  w!as  issued, 'the  various  pieces  of  attire 
being  graded  as  to  size,  in  order  to  fit  the  supposed  variations  in  stat 
ure.  'The  rush  that  was  made  for  the  pile  was  terrific  and  was 
fraught  with  some  'danger  to  life  and  limb.  Mutual  exchanges  were 
afterwards  made  among  the  boys  until  all  were  tolerably  well  rigged 
out  But 'one  of  the  boys,  Comrade  Thomas  P.  Meyer,  happened  to 
be  on  one  of  his  periodical  wanderings  about  the  city  while  the  issue 
of  clothing  was  made,  and  when  he  returned,  the* one  solitary  pair  of 
shoes  remaining  was  a  pair  of  No.  ll's,  while  his  "fit"  was  No.  7. 
When 'he  entered  the  tent  and  saw  his  shoes  and  the  other  ill  assorted 
vestments  left  for  him,  he  flew  into  a  rage  and  for  a  while  the  air 
was  full  of  flying  caps,  coats,  vests,  pants1 'and  shoes,  accompanied  by 
sundry  emphatic  remarks  not  suitable  on  funeral  occasions.  Mean 
while  some  of  the  other  boys  were  going  through  the  contortions  of 
an  Indian  war  dance  in  front  of  the  tent,  and  volunteered  such  words 
of  encouragement  and  consolation 'as  the  situation  seemed  to  demand. 
After  the  storm  subsided,  Thomas  was  informed  that  he  could  take 


Of   THf 

'UNIVERSITY 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          497 

his  outfit  to  the  Quartermaster  and  secure  garments  of  a  proper  size 
in  exchange,  whereupon  he  meekly  gathered  the  same  under  his  arm 
and  wended  his  way  to  that  institution. 

The  companies  were  organized  and  a  regiment  was  formed  of 
ten  companies  and  numbered  the  148th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Vol 
unteers.  Our  'company,  as  already  stated,  was  lettered  A  and  was 
placed  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Robert  H.  Forster.  The  posi 
tion  of  the  company  was  at  the  extreme  right,  of  the*  regimental  line, 
and  was  at  the  head  of  the  column  when  on  a  march.  This  latter 
fact  was  of  considerable  advantage  on  a  march,  as  we  discovered 
in  course  of  time ;  as,  for  instance,  in  marching  across  a  hill,  while 
the  companies  at  the  front  are  descending  the  same,  with  swinging, 
rapid  strides,  the  companies  at  the  rear  may  be  ascending  the  oppo 
site  slope,  at  a  run  to  prevent  a  break  in  the  column. 

During  our  two  weeks'  stay  at  Camp  Curtin  the  time  was  put 
in  by  constant  drilling,  doing  guard  duty,  learning  to  cook,  learning 
by  experience  the  secret  of  making  ourselves  comfortable  under  the 
changed  conditions  of  our  lives.  The  officers  studied  military  tactics 
and  it  must  be  confessed  that  they  were,  nearly  all  of  them,  as  ignor 
ant  of  things  military  and  as  awkward  in  the  drill  as  the  privates. 
Often  was  Captain  Tarbutton  of  the  Regular  Army,  who  was  in  com 
mand  of  Camp  Curtin,  seen  to  take  the  sword,  or  the  stick,  from 
some  Captain  or  Lieutenant  while  drilling  a  company  and  show  him 
how  to  go  through  the  manoeuvres  and  how  to  command,  not  in  an 
overbearing,  tyrannical  manner,  but  in  a  courteous,  kindly  spirit. 
Perhaps  in  no  line  of  duty  is  the  recruit  so  liable  to  make  ridiculous 
mistakes  as  in  the  role  of  sentinel.  As  an  illustration  of  this:  Com 
rade  Solomon  B was  doing  guard  duty  at  a  point  where  there  was 

always  more  or  less  bother  with  fellows  trying  to  pass  in  or  out,  and  as 
he  was  slowly  walking  his  beat,  thinking,  probably,  about  the  girl  he 
left  behind,  some  fellow  slipped  across  his  trail.  The  sentinel,  roused 
from  his  reverie,  rushed  after  him  with  uplifted  stick  and  yelled, 
"Dunnerwedder  holt,  odder  Ich  farschlock  dir  der  Kup!  De  coun 
tersign  is  Harper's  Ferry!"  Which  translated  into  English,  would 
read — but  I  forbear.  Perhaps  one  should  apologize  for  introducing 
into  a  work  of  this  kind  a  sentence,  now  and  then,  of  vigorous,  classic 


498  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Pennsylvania  Dutch,  which  was  spoken  and  understood  by  not  less 
than  half  the  members  of  the  148th  Regiment. 

On  the  night  of  September  9th,  the  Regiment,  then  fully 
equipped,  took  the  train  at  Harrisburg  and  on  the  following  morning 
disembarked  into  a  large  field  close  to  Cockeysville,  Maryland,  and 
went  into  "Camp  Beaver."  One  of  the  men  had  an  impression  that 
we  were  already  fa,r  south,  for  looking  over  a  field  covered  with  a 
tall  weed,  he  inquired  of  a  citizen  of  the  place,  "ish  dis  cotton  ?" 

Guard  duty  iand  drilling  was  the  order  of  the  day  in  our  new 
camp  and  picket  duty  was  now  also  added  to  the  list.  This  latter  fact 
became,  in  our  estimation,  quite  a  serious  affair ;  if  it  was  necessary  to 
throw  out  picket®,  why,  it  was  certain  that  enemies  were  in  the 
neighborhood  somewhere ;  and  it  was  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world, 
when  spying  a  darkey  bestriding  a  mule  on  a  distant  hill  for  the 
imagination  to  transform  him  into  a  fierce  trooper  of  the  Rebel  Army. 

There  was  still  another  field  of  usefulness  opened  to  us  in  which 
to  gratify  our  'ambition  for  promotion  and  consequent  glory,  and 
that  was  "police  duty."  Now,  when  the  Orderly  Sergeant,  W.  "W. 
Bierly,  called  half  a  dozen  names,  among  which  was  my  own,  and 
informed  us  that  we  were  detailed  to  perform  police  duty,  we  felt 
greatly  elated  and  began  to  look  around  for  the  smoothly  polished 
hickory  clubs  with  which  to  lord  it  over  the  other  fellows,  if  they 
failed  to  conduct  themselves  decently.  But  our  spirits  fell  when  the 
Sergeant  supplied  us,  instead,  with  axes,  picks,  shovels  and  brooms 
of  the  most  primitive  kind,  and  ordered  us  to  remove  stumps,  roots, 
stones,  even  up  the  ground  and  clean  up  the  rubbish  generally  about 
the  camp. 

O'ur  stay  at  Cockeysville  was  uneventful ;  with  the  exception  of 
a  few  incidents  of  more  or  less  importance,  nothing  happened  to  mar 
the  even  tenor  of  our  way.  One  occurrence  in  the  line  of  guard  duty 
some  of  the  boys  may  still  remember.  Comrade  Thos.  G.  Weirick, 
a  member  of  Company  A,  a  boy  of  sixteen  years,  was  on  a  certain 
occasion  detailed  one  of  the  camp  guards,  'and  while  on  duty  a  giant 
of  a  fellow  attempted  to  cross  the  beat,  paying  no  attention  to  the 
challenge  of  the  boyish  sentinel,  whereupon  the  latter  rushed  upon 
him  with  fixed  bayonet,  tearing  through  his  coat  across  his  breast, 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          499 

just  grazing  the  skin,  but  inflicting  no  other  damage  or  injury  except 
several  big  rents  in  the  clothes  of  the  big  fellow.  The  boy  had  in 
tended,  no  doubt,  to  run  a  hole  through  the  man  but  missed  his  aim. 
He  was  arrested  and  taken  to  the  Colonel's  quarters,  where  he  was 
kept  a  few  hours  and  then  released.  He  had  simply  carried  out  his 
orders  strictly,  and  there  was  not  much  to  be  said  on  the  subject. 
Comrade  Weirick  was  a  brave  soldier  and  did  valiant  service  later 
on  in  many  a  fierce  battle.  He  was  severely  wounded  at  Cold  Harbor, 
and  now  he  is  doing  some  sort  of  sentinel  duty  at  the  Bureau  of 
Printing  and  Engraving,  Washington,  D.  C.  The  fellow  who  had 
attempted  to  cross  the  beat  was  put  in  the  guard  house. 

September  10th  our  company  struck  tents  and  marched  down 
the  Baltimore  Pike  about  five  miles  to  Lutherville,  a  small  village 
situated  near  the  Northern  Central  Railroad  and  put  their  tents  along 
the  northern  border  of  a  commons  close  to  a  strip  of  woods.  It- 
was  a  healthy  and  most  delightful  location.  Close  at  hand  on  the 
west  side  of  the  camp  was  .the  railroad  just  mentioned ;  on  the  east 
side,  at  a  distance  of  one-fourth  of  a  mile,  was  the  Baltimore  Pike ; 
a  mile  south,  amidst  a  beautiful  grove,  nestled  the  fine  buildings 
of  the  Ladies'  Lutheran  Seminary,  and  dotting  the  varied  landscape 
of  field  and  wood  in  all  directions  were  seen  many  palatial  residences 
of  the  opulent  slaveholders.  The  citizens  of  the  small  village  were 
intelligent,  sociable,  and  kind  hearted.  They  extended  many  acts  of 
kindness  to  our  sick  boys  during  our  stay  in  the  place.  They  were 
loyal  to  our  Government  with  but  few  individual  exceptions.  Our 
camp  was  named  after  our  Captain  "Camp  Forster."  In  this  place 
we  remained  until  December  9th,  three  months  within  a  few  days. 
Our  stay  in  this  section  of  country  was  very  pleasant ;  it  was  simply 
"Sunday  soldiering."  Our  principal  duty  was  to  guard  the  railroad 
against  injury  that  might  be  perpetrated  by  disloyal  citizens  or  pos 
sible  raiders,  for  it  was  -a  very  important  line  of  communication  be 
tween  Washington  and  the  Xorth.  It  was  guarded  only  during  the 
night,  and  in  daytime  there  were  not  many  details  for  duty  of  any 
description.  The  scenery  was  beautiful,  the  autumn  days  were 
delightful,  persimmons,  chincapins  and  other  luxuries  were  abundant, 
and  the  boys  were  happy.  Yet  the  time  was  not  wholly  spent  in 


500  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

idleness ;  squad  and  company  drill  went  on  unceasingly  from  day 
to  day.  The  boys  learned  rapidly,  and  as  they  became  more  efficient 
in  the  drills,  they  became  proud  of  their  accomplishments.  A  true 
soldier  always  takes  pride  in  his  own  organization  and  will  ever 
exert  himself  to  maintain  its  honor.  What  soldier  of  the  Civil  War, 
or  any  war,  is  there  whose  bosom  does  not  swTell  with  pride  as  he  be 
holds  the  bullet-torn  banner  under  which  he  served  ? 

The  companies  were  frequently  assembled  at  Cockeysville 
or  Gunpowder  to  exercise  in  regiment  drill.  Colonel  Beaver 
had  seen  active  service  in  the  front  as  Lieutenant  Colonel  ot 
the  45th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  and  knew  the  im 
portance  of  thorough  drill  and  discipline  when  it  came  to  active 
service  in  line  of  bait-tie.  He  labored  with  great  zeal  and  energy  to 
place  his  Regiment  on  a  high  plane  of  discipline  and  efficiency,  and 
later  on  the  wisdom  of  his  course  was  demonstrated  in  more  than 
one  fierce  battle  of  the  War  in  which  the  Regiment  took  an  honorable 
part.  During  the  first  six  months  of  oiur  service  some  of  the  men 
oxpressed  their  disapprobation  of  the  Colonel's  strict  discipline  in 
rather  emphatic  terms,  but  they  were  really  only  the  professional 
grumblers;  the  clean,  intelligent,  patriotic  element  in  the  Regiment 
recognized  from  the  beginning  the  necessity  of  rigid  discipline  in  the 
Army,  and  'approved  of  the  policy  of  the  commander.  Company  A 
being  isolated  from  the  rest  of  the  Regiment,  and  not  being  under 
the  vigilant  eye  of  the  Colonel,  its  members  were  not  subject  to  the 
same  degree  of  restraint  as  those  of  the  other  companies  which  re 
mained  at  Cockeysville.  Yet  there  were  not  many  flagrant  vio 
lations  of  the  regulations.  Captain  Forster  was  a  man  of  few  words, 
— could  be  silent  in  at  least  two  languages,  but  what  few  words  he 
said  were  promptly  and  cheerfully  heeded  by  the  boys.  He  wras  not 
tyrannical ;  he  ever  manifested  a  kindly  regard  for  every  member  of 
his  company;  he  was  brave  in  battle;  he  had  done  gallant  service 
while  a  mere  boy  in  the  Mexican  War,  the  boys  therefore  loved  and 
respected  him,  and  honored  him  'almost  as  a  father.  They  denounced, 
as  in  their  opinion  circumstances  required,  almost  every  officer  from 
the  corps  commander  down  to  the  lowest,  but  of  Captain  Forster 
there  never  was  said  an  unkind  word. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          501 

On  several  occasions  the  Captain  was  absent  and  the  command  of 
the  company  devolved  upon  the  First  Lieutenant,  Simon  S.  Wolf,  who 
also  was  a  capable  officer.  He  was  not  much  older  than  a  majority  of 
the  boys  and  had  been  a  schoolmate  of  a  number  of  them,  and  their 
hick  of  veneration  for  him  was  often  painfully  evident.  They  accosted 
him  by  his  Christian  name,  "Simon,"  and  the  idea  of  offering  him  the 
military  salute  to  which  officers  were  entitled,  was  unthinkable.  It 
was  with  considerable  difficulty  the  boys  restrained  themselves  from 
exercising  the  privilege,  so  dear  to  the  American  citizen,  of  "sassing 
back,"  though  sternly  prohibited  by  military  discipline.  These 
things  are  mentioned  to  portray  the  democratic  and  independent 
spirit  of  the  boys.  Once  in  a  while  the  Lieutenant,  in  the  absence  of 
the  Captain,  found  it  necessary  to  inflict  slight  punishments.  Com 
rade  J.  E.  R —  -  had  been  guilty  of  some  slight  offense  and  the 
sentence  was  that  he  polish  a  very  rusty  musket  which  was  handed 
him.  The  wily  culprit  got  himself  some  sand  paper  and  as  soon  as 
the  company  was  formed  to  go  forth  to  drill,  he  would  grab  his  rusty 
gun,  sit  in  front  of  his  tent  and  begin  to  polish,  timing  the  motion  of 
his  hand  by  the  beat  of  the  drum.  Thus  for  several  days  when  the 
company  was  racing  over  the  adjacent  field  in  the  evolutions  of  drill, 
in  the  hot  sun,  Mr.  H —  would  be  sitting  in  front  of  his  tent  with  his 
rusty  gun  and  complacently  contemplating  the  shifting  scene  before 
him.  In  this  case  justice  failed  miserably. 

Many  funny  incidents  happened  in  camp  life  which  would  afford 
some  amusement  if  narrated,  but  for  want  of  space  only  a  few  are 
introduced  in  this  sketch.  The  following  is  a  representative  type, 
one  of  occasional  occurrence  in  army  experiences: 

One  beautiful  Sunday  morning  as  the  company  stood  at  ''shoul 
der  arms,"  after  the  usual  inspection,  and  was  about  to  be  dismissed, 
the  command,  "order  arms,"  was  given.  Comrade  J.  K.  M—  — ,  who 
stood  on  my  right,  simply  let  his  musket  drop  without  going  through 
all  the  successive  movements  which  that  command  requires,  and  the 
heavy  Vincennes  with  its  ponderous  saber  bayonet,  on,  struck  squarely 
on  my  toes !  It  can  easily  be  imagined  what  the  effect  was  both  on 
my  toes  and  my  feelings  simultaneously.  Yet  the  proprieties  of  the 
occasion  forbade  my  leaving  the  ranks,  or  the  privilege  of  pronounc- 


502  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

ing  my  maledictions  on  the  offender  above  a  hissing  whisper.  The 
malicious  fellow  simply  looked  straight  to  the  front  and  smiled 
serenely,  and  somewhat  derisively. 

Each  mess  of  six,  occupants  of  a  tent,  did  its  own  cooking,  and 
the  process  thereof  was  of  the  most  elementary  style.  Boiling  Irish 
potatoes  with  tlie  skins  on,  or  roasting  sweet  potatoes  (bought  from 
hucksters)  in  hot  ashes  at  the  fire-place,  boiling  beans  in  camp 
kettles,  making  coffee — 'these  were  accomplishments'  easily  acquired. 
But  ventures  into  the  higher  grades  of  the  culinary  department  were 
sometimes  'attended  with  results  quite  disastrous.  As  an  instance  of 
this  kind,  a  quantity  of  rice  had  accumulated  on  our  hands  and  it  was 
proposed  to  prepare  a  portion  of  it  for  the  tableu  There  seemed  noth 
ing  difficult  in  the  process  of  boiling  rice;  so  a  four-gallon  camp 
kettle  was  made  nearly  full  of  the  cereal,  a  quantity  of  water  was 
poured  on  top,  and  the  vessel  with  its  contents  was  then  suspended 
over  a  roaring  fire.  It  soon  became  apparent  that  boiling  rice  pos 
sessed  a  great  affinity  for  water,  but  that  fluid  being  cheap  and 
abundant,  it  was  poured  into  the  kettle  in  copious  quantities.  It 
also  developed  another  of  its  qualities  with  amazing  rapidity — that 
of  expansion — so  much  so,  tihat  in  a  very  ishort  time  the  kettle  was 
full  to  overflowing,  and  the  rising  contents  had  to  be  dipped  out  and 
deposited  into  other  vessels.  All  the  kettles,  pans  and  dishes  that 
could  be  borrowed  from  the  neighbors  were  soon  filled  and  finally 
yellow  smoke  came  up  through  the  boiling  rice,  leaving  brown 
streaks  over  the  surface,  showing  that  the  stuff  was  burning  at  the 
bottom. 

December  9th  at  1 :00  P.  M.  our  company  took  the  train  at 
Lutherville  for  Baltimore  at  which  place  we  arrived  at  3  :00  P.  M. 
The  other  companies  of  the  Regiment  were  with  the  same  train.  The 
Regiment  marched  through  the  city  to  Washington  Depot  and  was 
quartered  in  a  large  brick  building  for  the  night.  Here  an  excellent 
supper  was  .served  by  the  Union  Relief  Association.  My  diary  states 
that  the  institution  was  maintained  by  the  ladies  of  Baltimore,  and 
that  on  the  same  day  five  thousand  soldiers  who  passed  through  the 
city  to  the  front,  had  been  fed.  Our  company  with  three  other  com 
panies  occupied  the  third  floor,  and  every  inch  of  space  was  crowded. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          503 

In  this  connection  I  am  tempted  to  relate  a  funny  incident  at  the  ex 
pense  of  Comrade  Thomas  P.  Meyer.  He  had  visited  Baltimore 
before  our  enlistment  and  we  cheerfully  accorded  him  the  distinction 
of  a  superior  knowledge  of  the  ways  and  mysteries  of  the  city.  So 
after  we  had  established  ourselves  comfortably  in  the  building  just 
mentioned  he  remarked: 

"Henry,  do  you  like  peach  brandy  ?" 

"Why,  yes;  if  it  is  good;  what  is  it?" 

"Well,  it's  peach  brandy  and  I  know  where  I  can  get  some;  it 
would  be  nice  to  have  in  case  of  an  emergency." 

Whereupon  he  went  and  had  his  canteen  filled  and  brought  it  in 
safely.  Afterward  he  went  out  again,  and  not  trusting  to  leave  his 
canteen  amongst  a  lot  of  spying,  thieving  boys  (of  the  other  com 
panies)  he  hung  it  across  his  shoulder  and  took  it  along.  Meanwhile 
guards  had  been  stationed  around  the  building  with  certain  instrn<*- 
tions  from  the  Colonel,  presumably —  at  .any  rate  when  Thomas 
passed  in  the  Sergeant  of  the  Guard  halted  him,  inspected  the  con 
tents  of  the  canteen  and  poured  the  contraband  stuff  into  the  gutter, 
while  poor  Thomas  stood  by  watching  the  proceeding  with  mingled 
feelings  of  regret,  fierce  anger  and  horrible  revenge !  The  emergency 
had  come  sooner  than  had  been  anticipated. 

At  noon,  on  the  10th,  another  meal  was  furnished  the  Regiment, 
and  at  4 :30  p.  M.  the  train  Was  taken  for  Washington.  The  boys  still 
remember,  no  doubt.,  the  many  delays  caused  by  the  frequent  break 
downs  of  the  rickety,  camelfoack  engine ;  how  they  used  to  get  off  the 
train,  light  fires  and  warm  themselves,  while  the  train  hands  were 
making  repairs  at  the  old  engine.  Washington,  distant  from  Balti 
more  only  forty  miles,  was  not  reached  until  3:00  A.  M.  on  the  llth. 
The  boys  put  in  the  time  seeing  the  capitol  building  and  other  objects 
of  interest  about  the  city,  until  2 :00  P.  M.,  when  the  Regiment 
marched  out  of  the  city,  heading  down  the  left  bank  of  the  Potomac, 
our  destination  being,  as  we  understood,  Falmouth,  near  Fredericks- 
burg,  Virginia,  where  was  then  lying  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  It 
was  a  beautiful  warm  day  and  we  got  very  tired  with  our  heavy 
knapsacks,  although  the  distance  traversed  was  only  about  six  miles. 
Our  camp  for  the  night  was  opposite  Alexandria,  The  wagon  train 


504  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

failing  to  come  up,  the  boys  got  nothing  to  eat  until  the  morning  of 
the  following  day,  except  "hard  tack"  and  coffee.  The  Regiment  was 
ready  to  resume  its  march  at  8  :00  A.  M.  Before  falling  into  ranks 
the  boys  disposed  of  their  shoulder  scales.  They  declared  them  a 
nuisance,  notwithstanding  Uncle  Sam's  Army  Regulations,  wended 
their  way  to  the  rear  of  the  bivouac  and  consigned  the  gaudy  things 
to  the  realms  of  "innocuous  desuetude"  in  irregular,  parabolic  curves 
down  a  steep  hill,  flashing  back,  as  they  went,  the  bright  rays  of  the 
morning  sun. 

Fifteen  miles  down  the  left  bank  of  the  Potomac,  opposite 
Mount  Vernon,  -the  Regiment  went  into  camp  that  evening.  Owing 
to  the  tardiness  of  the  provision  trains,  no  supper ;  and  for  the  same 
reason  the  march  was  not  resumed  next  day,  December  13th,  until 
4 :00  P.  M.,  then  only  six  miles  were  accomplished  until  dark,  when 
6am p  fires  were  lighted. 

At  daybreak,  December  16th,  the  Regiment  got  aboard  a  steam 
boat  at  Liverpool  Point  and  w&s  taken  down  the  Potomac  ten  miles 
to  Acquia  Creek  Landing,  on  the  Virginia  side  of  the  river.  The 
march  from  Washington  to  this  point  wa©  very  disagreeable.  There 
were  frequent  rains  and  in,  consequence  the  roads,  in  that  region  of 
sandy  soil,  became  almost  impassable.  The  booming  of  cannon  was 
hea:rd  continually  for  several  days,  but  we  did  not  know  then  that  a 
sanguinary  battle  was  being  fought  at  Fredericksburg.  From  my 
diary  I  quote  the  record  for  December  16th : 

"At  daylight  we  (our  Regiment)  went  on  board  a  steamboat 
which  took  us  to  Acquia  Creek  Landing  where  we  got  off 

and  went  back  from  the  Landing  about  half  a  mile  when  we  got 
coffee,  etc.,  we  cleaned  our  guns  and  accoutrements.  In  the  after 
noon  I  was  down  to  the  Landing  helping  to  load  wagons.  There  were 
fifty  or  sixty  rebel  prisoners  a,t  the  place  who  had  been  captured  at 
Fredericksburg  a  day  or  two  before;  they  seemed  to  be  very  clever 
fellows.  The  steamboat,  Monitor,  was  lying  at  the  wharf,  her  decks 
covered  with  hay,  made  re<ady  for  the  accommodation  of  the  wounded 
that  were  to  come  on  the  cars  from  the  la-te  battlefield,  thence  to  be 
taken  to  Washington  City." 

For  the  first  time  we  came  in  contact  with  some  of  our  veteran 
soldiers  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  real  soldiers  who  had  "smelt 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          505 

powder,"  and  we  looked  upon  them  with  feelings  akin  to  wonder  and 
veneration.  At  8  :00  A.  M.  on  the  17th,  the  Regiment  resumed  its 
march,  now  in  a  western  direction,  across  the  country  from  the  land 
ing  on  the  Potomac  to  Falmouth  on  the  Rappahannock.  The  road 
was  in  a  horrible  condition ;  it  was  one  of  those  Virginia  roads  wind 
ing  through  the  woods;  sandy  soil  with  no  bottom  to  it  in  wet 
weather,  as  was  then  the  case,  and  the  constant  stream  of  arm}' 
supply  trains  passing  along,  together  with  the  many  thousands  of 
feet  of  soldiers  moving  to  the  front,  churned  the  mud,  in  and  along 
the  side  of  the  main  road  to  a  breadth  of  five  or  six  rods,  into  the 
consistency  of  very  thin  mortar  almost  knee  deep. 

Amid  all  the  misery  of  the  march  many  ludicrous  things  hap 
pened.  It  was  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world  for  one  to  stumble  on 
hidden  roots,  and  being  loaded  top-heavy,  he  would  almost  invariably 
come  down  into  the  mud  with  a  splash.  To  this  day  I  have  a  distinct 
picture  in  my  memory  of  Comrade  Simon  Stover  standing  on  his 
head  and  feet  at  the  same  time,  his  body  forming  an  acute  angle.  He 
had  stumbled  and  his  heavy  knapsack,  receiving  an  impetus,  slipped 
forward  and  pulled  his  head  down  into  the  mud,  holding  it  securely 
down  by  the  straps  round  the  shoulders.  Comrade  Stover  had  quite 
a  struggle  to  extricate  himself  from  his  perilous  position.  Knap 
sacks  were  capable  of  another  bad  trick  which  they  sometimes  played 
on  their  owners.  Miscalculating  the  distance  in  leaping  a  ditch,  a 
person  would  sometimes  fail  to  exert  sufficient  force  to  land  himself 
squarely  on  the  opposite  side,  consequently  the  heavy  knapsack  would 
pull  him  back  into  the  ditch. 

A  march  of  about  twelve  miles  brought  us,  in  the  afternoon  of 
the  day  above  mentioned,  into  the  neighborhood  of  the  towns  of  Fal 
mouth  and  Fredericksburg.  We  camped  in  the  woods  and  slept  at 
night  in  the  open  air.  Xo  tents  were  put-up  at  any  time  on  our 
march  from  Washington  to  the  front  They  were  hauled  on  the 
wagon  trains  and  were  not  accessible  on  a  march,  but  at  a  later  period 
of  the  War,  smaller  tents  were  furnished  soldiers,  well  known  as 
"shelter  tents"  and  to  the  old  soldiers  as  ''dog  tents." 

In  every  direction  for  many  miles  the  country  was  thickly 
studded  with  soldiers'  tents.  That  time  the  whole  region  on  the  north 


506  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

side  of  the  Rappahannock  was  covered  with  woods,  there  being  only 
a  few  small  fields  dotting  the  landscape,  and  to  anticipate  the  follow 
ing  spring  -there  was  not  left  a  solitary  tree  or  stick  of  wood  in  all 
that  region,  all  having  been  cut  down  and  used  for  building  soldiers' 
quarters  and  for  fuel.  At  last  even  the  stumps  and  roots  were  dug 
up  for  fuel.  We  were  now  among  the  old  soldiers  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  who  had  been  with  McClellan  on  the  Peninsula,  with 
Pope  at  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  again  with  McClellan  at 
Antietam  and  only  a  few  days  before,  in  the  terrible  slaughter  yonder 
at  the  base  of  Marye  Heights,  plainly  in  view,  just  beyond  the  old 
town  of  Fredericksburg.  From  them  were  soon  learned  the  details 
of  their  recent  struggle  with  the  enemy,  also  the  undeniable  fact  that 
our  Army  had  suffered  a  severe  repulse.  The  situation  of  affairs  was 
somewhat  depressing  to  our  feelings. 

On  the  18th  day  of  December  the  Regiment  moved  on  several 
miles  farther  and  went  into  camp  on  the  northern  slope  of  a  slight 
elevation,  having  been  assigned  to  the  Second  Corps,  First  Division, 
First  Brigade. 

The  boys  of  the  148th  Regiment  were  ordered  at  once  to  erect 
winter  quarters.  These  were  log  structures,  fourteen  feet  by  seven 
feet,  about,  and  four  feet  high.  Two  "A"  tents  were  joined  and  set 
on  top  of  the  upper  logs  for  the  roof,  and  a  chimney  of  logs  was 
built  at  one  end  of  the  cabin  and  this,  as  well  as  the  spaces  between 
the  logs  of  the  cabin,  was  well  plastered  with  mud,  of  which  there 
was  an  abundance  in  that  country.  A  low  door  was  inserted  near  the 
fire  place.  The  quarters  were  warm  and  comfortable,  but  as  there 
were  eleven  men  to  be  accommodated  in  each,  the  space  was  rather 
crowded.  The  floor  was  simply  dry  earth  strewn  with  pine  branches 
on  which  the  boys  slept  at  night,  lying  "spoon  fashion,"  and  filling 
up  the  space  from  the  rear  end  of  the  cabin  to  the  fire  place  in  front 
If  one  wished  to  turn  all  were  obliged  to  turn  and,  as  might  be  imag 
ined,  positions  were  seldom  changed  during  the  night. 

Now,  housekeeping  was  properly  inaugurated  but  there  was  yet 
a  great  deal  to  learni  in  order  to  extract  some  degree  of  comfort  out 
of  the  dreary  surroundings.  We  learned  by  experience — sad  experi 
ence  sometimes — and  also  by  observing  the  methods  in  vogue  among 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          507 

the  veteran  soldiers  around  us.  For  instance,  we  noticed  that  they 
put  a  handful  of  ground  coffee  into  one  quart  of  water,  thus  making 
it  sufficiently  strong  to  carry  an  egg,  figuratively  speaking,  or  as 
some  one  stated,  two  eggs.  We  learned  that  difficult  art  of  evolving 
sufficient  heat  out  of  three  wet  cornstalks  to  boil  that  same  quart  of 
water  for  coffee,  or  how  to  start  a  roaring  fire  with  an  armful  of 
green  sap  pine  sticks  in  a  heavy  rain.  We  also  learned  at  an  early 
day,  in  default  of  bread,  how  to  conquer  the  flinty  hardness  of  the 
army  biscuit,  or  "hard  tack,"  and  extract  therefrom  nourishment  for 
empty  stomachs.  Other  items  might  be  mentioned.  But  in  one  spe 
cial  department  the  boys  of  the  148th  Regiment  stood  pre-eminent 
and  could  take  no  lessons  from  the  old  soldiers — no  matter  how  old— 
and  that  was  in  the  matter  of  private  foraging — or  moving  things  in 
order  to  change  the  ownership  of  same.  To  Company  G  was  ac 
corded,  by  general  consent  and  ungrudgingly,  the  first  place  in  this 
line  of  accomplishments.  And  Company  A  came  in  second  in  the 
scale  of  gradation.  '  It  was  the  general  opinion  that  it  was  a  Com 
pany  G  boy  who  stole  General  Hancock's  breakfast  on  a  certain  occa 
sion  ;  and  it  was  not  disputed  at  the  time  that  the  man  who  carried 
off,  in  the  dead  of  night,  a  box  of  "hard  tack"  from  the  Irish  Brigade 
Commissary,  undismayed  by  the  bullet  from  the  sentinel's  musket 
crashing  through  his  box  as  he  went — it  was  not  disputed  that  this 
man  was  also  a  member  of  Company  G.  And  we  knew  for  a  cer 
tainty  that  the  boy  who  dragged  on  a  dark  night,  a  large  quarter  of 
beef  across  the  sentinel's  beat  to  a  spot  accessible  to  his  accomplices 
was  a  member  of  Company  A ;  so  also,  at  a  later  period,  the  boy  who 
dragged  from  under  the  head  of  the  Adjutant's  cook,  as  it  were,  a  big 
ham  and  made  way  with  it,  was  a  member  of  the  same  company. 

Monday,  December  22d,  the  Regiment  was  reviewed  by  General 
Hancock.  This  was  the  first  time  we  saw  the  gallant  General.  He 
passed  along  the  line  slowly  and  seemed  to  scrutinize  each  individual 
soldier.  After  the  review  some  German  officer  inspected  the  Regi 
ment,  My  diary  for  December  23d  says: 

"Today  our  Brigade  and  several  others  were  reviewed  by  Gen 
erals  Burnside,  Sumner  and  Hancock  and  their  staffs.  I  think  there 
were  present  about  eight  thousand  men  and  a  battery  of  seven  guns. 


508  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

1  had  a  good  view  of  General  Burnside  as  he  passed  along  the  line ; 
he  is  a  tall  man  and  his  complexion  rather  dark ;  he  has  very  black 
hair.  General  Sumner  is  not  so  stout  and  tall  as  General  Burnside. 
He  appeal's  to  be  pretty  old  already,  as  he  has  gray  hairs." 

Looking  over  my  diary  records  for  that  time  I  observe  that  our 
Regiment  was  out  drilling  almost  every  day,  if  the  weather  was  fair. 

Among  the  daily  routine  of  exercises  dress  parade  held  the  most 
conspicuous  place.  It  afforded  >an  opportunity  for  strutting  gait,  and 
a  display  of  the  most  elaborate  and  ornate  vestments  of  the  military 
wardrobes  of  both  the  officers  and  privates ;  the}  ill-fitting  blouse,  in 
the  hurry  and  bustle  of  preparation,  was  flung  into  a  corner;  the 
dress  co&t  wias  taken, 'from  its  peg  in  tihe  tent,  carefully  brushed,  its 
brass  buttons  polished.  The  garment  was  then  pulled  on  and  care 
fully  buttoned  from  top  to  'bottom,  while  gloves  and  paper  collars 
were  sacredly  held  in  reserve  for  such  occasions,  and  shoes  were  ex 
pected  to  bo  polished.  At  the  appointed  hour  in  the  evening,  if  the 
weather  was  propitious,  tihe  companies  of  the  Regiment  were  formed 
in  their  respective  streets  and  at  tihe  proper  signal  marched  to  the 
parade  ground  and  formed  into  regimental  line. 

The  evolutions  which  preceded  the  formation  were  really  a  beau 
tiful  sight,  especially  while  the  Regiment  was  still  large,  uniforms 
not  yet  soiled  from  long  and  hard  service,  the  gorgeous  banners  un- 
dimcmed  by  the  dust  of  the  march  and  the  smoke  of  battle  and  their 
folds  without  rent  by  the  leaden  hail  of  minie  balls.  When  once 
formed  into  line  tihe  men  saw  but  little  of  the  imposing  and  magnifi 
cent  pageant  of  which  they  formed  a  part,  for  each  face  must  be  held 
rigidly  to  the  front,  the  vision  of  the  eye  striking  the  ground  fifteen 
paces  in  front. 

And  now  came  upon  the  scene  the  drum  corps ;  starting  at  the 
extreme  right  they  marched  in  front  of  the  line  to  the  extreme  left, 
there  wheeled  and  returned  to  the  point  from  which  they  had 
started.  On  they  came,  with  stately  step,  some  ten  or  twelve  drums 
and  .several  fifes,  in  the  procession,  and  the  crash,  and  thunder  peal 
ing  forth  from  the  moving  pageant  made  the  welkin  ring. 

"Say,  Comrade  Gettig,  who  is  that  chap  with  the  sword  lead 
ing  the  drum  corps  ?  Is  he  a  bigger  man  than  General  Hancock  ?" 


THE  ijSTH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          509 

"Why,  Comrade  Royer,  he  must  be  almost  as  big  in  rank,  and 
I  think  his  name  is  Cassidy." 

And  such  was  the  case  as  to  name.  He  was  "our  own"  Bob 
Cassidy,  whom  the  boys  learned  later  on  to  know,  love  and  respect 
as  a  most  genial  comrade  and  brave  soldier.  Drum  Major  Cassidy 
was  a  very  efficient  officer  in  -his  line  of  duty.  He  drilled  his  com 
pany  of  musicians  incessantly,  thoroughly.  On  nice  days  one  would 
see  them  in  squads  of  twos  and  threes,  some  distance  away  from 
camp,  practicing  for  hours  at  a  time;  and  unceasingly  the  noisy 
racket  went  on.  It  used  to  be  said  that  the  drum  corps  of  the  148th 
was  the  best  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  While  yet  in  our  inno- 
cency  as  soldiers,  we  used  to  think  that  the  drum  corps  would  take  a 
very  conspicuous  part  in  time  of  battle — in  fact,  would  be  up  to  the 
front,  and  with  its  inspiring  music  would  infuse  martial  ardor  and 
courage  into  the  souls  of  the  charging  men.  This,  however,  was  a 
wrong  impression.  The  drums  were  left  at  a  safe  distance  in  the 
rear  when  the  fight  was  on,  but  the  musicians  were  not  solely  for 
ornament  and  entertainment;  they  assisted  at  the  hospitals  and 
helped  the  wounded  off  the  field  and  thus  often  exposed  themselves 
on  the  firing  line. 

Inspection  was  an  event  of  some  importance  in  military  routine, 
and  was  anticipated  by  the  boys  with  considerable  anxiety  and  dread. 
On  those  occasions  the  companies  were  formed  generally  in  their 
respective  streets,  the  men  coming  out  in  full  uniform,  accoutre 
ments  on,  knapsacks  packed,  musket  with  fixed  bayonets.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  give  all  the  minute  details  of  the  ceremony.  The  com 
rade  who,  on  a  certain  occasion,  stuffed  his  knapsack  full  of  hay,  in 
default  of  the  regulation  supply  of  clothing,  failed  to  pass  inspection 
and  was  severely  reprimanded.  The  inspecting  officer  might  and 
often  would  open  the  buttons  of  the  coats,  if  the  outward  appearance 
of  a  man  gave  rise  to  suspicion,  to  see  whether  he  was  in  the  habit 
of  applying  a  sufficient  quantity  of  soap  and  water  to  his  person,  or 
he  might  peer  into  his  ears  to  ascertain  whether  all  was  right  in  that 
locality.  Then  while  the  company  was  replacing  knapsacks,  the  in 
specting  officer  visited  the  quarters  of  the  men  and  inspected  also 
them.  The  ceremony  ended  usually  by  the  company  officers  reading 


510  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

to  the  boys  page  after  page  of  the  Army  Regulations.  Some  people 
might  question  the  necessity  of  such  rigid  discipline  in  this  particu 
lar.  It  was  necessary. 

The  importance  of  keeping  the  "powder  dry"  and  arms  in  good 
shape  every  one  admits.  It  is  equally  important  to  maintain  the 
health)  of  the  men  by  strict  attention  to  personal  cleanliness  and  the 
sanitary  conditions  of  the  quarters  and  surroundings  for  the  effi 
ciency  of  an  army  depends  on  the  proper  observance  of  these  things. 
The  greatest  diversity  in  the  habits  and  dispositions  of  the  boys  mani 
fested  itself  in  their  new  environments  of  camp  life.  Some  were  con 
tinually  bathing,  brushing  and  scrubbing  when  in  camp  and  fixing 
up  to  make  themselves  comfortable;  others  were  indifferent  to  such 
matters  and  being  deprived  the  restraining  and  sustaining  influences 
of  their  home  life,  they  speedily  lapsed  into  a  state  of  primal  bar 
barism. 

The  reports  of  inspecting  officers  were  generally  creditable  to 
the  Regiment ;  yet  not  always,  as  appears  from  the  following  extract 
from  General  Orders  No.  2,  issued  February  2,  1863,  from  headquar 
ters  148th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  Camp  Hancock,  Vir 
ginia,  by  James  A.  Beaver,  Colonel  commanding: 

"1.  The  inspection  this  day  made  by  Lieutenant  Colonel  Cart- 
wright  has  not  been  creditable  to  the  Regiment  It  has  revealed  a 
degree  of  filth,  slovenliness  .and  inattention  which  is  as  disgraceful 
to  officers  as  it  is  ruinous  to  the  safety,  health  and  comfort  of  the 
men.  *  *  *" 

The  Colonel  presented  the  derelictions  of  both  officers  and  pri 
vates  in  slightly  exaggerated  terms,  no  doubt,  in  order  to  stimulate 
them  to  efforts  at  reform.  At  the  same  time  he  was  able  to  extract 
a  grain  of  comfort  out  of  the  distressing  state  of  affairs,  as  paragraph 
No.  IV  of  said  order  would  seem  to  imply,  and  which  is  also  quoted 
here,  in  part,  though  at  the  risk  of  exciting  the  envy  of  the  other 
companies  that  could  not  be  named,  conscientiously,  in  connection 
with  like  facts : 

"It  is  but  justice  to  announce  that  Colonel  Cartwright  compli 
mented  Companies  A  and  D  as  being  the  cleanest  and  most  soldierly 
in  the  Regiment.  *  *  *" 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          511 

This  is  simply  another  proof  of  the  justness  of  the  humble  claim 
sometimes  made  that  Companies  A  and  D,  and  more  especially  Com 
pany  A,  were  the  "salt  of  the  earth,"  as  it  were,  to  the  148th  Regi 
ment. 

Considerable  sickness  prevailed  in  the  Regiment  during  the 
winter  months  which  fact  made  it  obligatory  on  those  who  remained 
well  to  serve  on  guard,  picket  or  other  duties  almost  constantly.  This 
excessive  round  of  duties  tempted  even  some  of  the  most  prompt  and 
obedient  of  the  boys  to  shirk  duty  by  "playing  sick."  Such  attempts 
were  liable,  however,  to  be  attended  by  unpleasant  results,  as  the  fol 
lowing  instance  proves :  Comrade  Charles  B —  -  had  returned  from 
a  toilsome  round  of  picket  duties  along  the  Rappahannock,  on  a  cer 
tain  occasion,  and  had  established  himself  in  a  state  of  rest  and  com 
fort  in  his  tent,  when  the  Orderly  Sergeant  stuck  in  his  head  at  the 
door  and  notified  him  of  his  appointment  on  some  other  detail. 

"Well,  Orderly,  I  am  so  tired,  please  put  me  on  the  sick  list." 

"All  right,  Charley,  I  will." 

When  sick  call  was  tooted  at  the  Surgeon's  quarters,  Charles 
failed  to  respond.  Then  the  Orderly  Sergeant  came  running  and 
told  him  to  report  to  the  Doctor. 

"But,"  says  Charles,  "I  ain't  sick." 

"No  matter,  you  are  so  reported  and  must  go." 

He  started,  and  while  on  the  way,  cogitated  deeply  what  malady 
it  were  best  to  report  to  the  Doctor. 

"What  is  the  matter  ?"  querried  Doctor  Davis. 

"My  stomach  is  out  of  fix,"  replied  Charles,  his  body  drawn  up 
in  the  shape  of  an  apple  "snootz"  and  his  hands  pressed  on  the  region 
of  simulated  pain. 

The  Doctor  then  poured  out  into  a  tumbler  a  gill  of  castor  oil 
which  the  luckless  patient  was  compelled  to  gulp  down  and  his  name 
came  off  the  sick  list  speedily. 

News  reached  camp  on  the  26th  that  General  Burnside  had 
relinquished  the  command  of  the  Army,  and  that  General  Hooker 
had  been  appointed  in  his  place.  The  Army  was  reorganized  and 
many  excellent  features  were  introduced.  New  life  was  infused  into 
the  Armv. 


512  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

It  might  be  interesting  to  persons  who  never  had  any  experience 
in  Army  life  to  know  how  the  boys  spent  tiheir  time  when  off  duty, 
matters  too  trivial  for  historians  to  mention.  Certain  services  there 
are  which  go  on  unceasingly,  Sundays  and  week  days,  fair  weather  or 
foul,  dav  and  night  Among  these  are  guard  and  picket  duties.  On 
Sundays  there  was  no  drilling,  nor  when  it  rained,  or  when  the 
ground  was  too  wet  or  muddy.  There  were  many  idle  days,  espe 
cially  during  the  winter  months,  when  time  would  hang  heavily  on 
the  hands  of  the  soldiers,  causing  feelings  of  gloom  and  depression 
of  spirits,  and  even  homesickness,  unless  there  was  some  sort  of 
healthy  diversion  or  recreation  of  the  mind.  Correspondence  by 
letters  with  the  folks  at  home  was  maintained  by  nearly  everyone 
and  afforded  an  amount  of  pleasure.  The  daily  papers  were  eagerly 
bought  and  read,  the  favorite  ones  being  The  New  York  Herald,  The 
Philadelphia  Inquirer  and  The  Washington  Chronicle.  These  were 
staunch,  loyal  papers  and  did  great  service  for  the  Union.  Some  of 
the  boys  played  checkers  but  the  most  popular  game  was  euchre  with 
cards.  Whether  it  was  wrong  to  play  cards  need  not  be  discussed 
here,  but  the  boys  did  not  regard  the  game  as  either  sinful  or  im 
proper,  as  they  played  simply  for  pastime,  not  for  money.  Some 
busied  themselves  brightening  their  guns,  brass  buttons,  plates  on 
belts,  arranging  things  about  their  quarters  and  making  their  sur 
roundings  as  pleasant  and  comfortable  as  circumstances  would  per 
mit.  Practical  jokes  of  the  milder  sort  were  indulged  in,  sparingly. 
The  rougher  kind  were  likely  to  be  resented,  with  force  of  arms.  The 
following  example  of  a  trick  perpetrated  on  Comrade  Benjamin  Beck 
is  a  fair  illustration  of  the  coarser  quality,  which,  though  funny, 
might  have  ended  with  serious  results.  Comrade  Beck,  one  of  the 
stoutest  men  in  the  company,  was  in  the  habit  of  heating  an  old 
bayonet  while  sitting  in  front  of  the  fireplace  during  his  idle  mo 
ments,  and  thrusting  it  into  a  hole  in  a  log  above  the  hearth,  the 
smoke  from  which  operation  would  fill  the  caibin  to  the  great  annoy 
ance  of  the  other  boys.  Returning  from  guard  duty,  at  the  time  of 
this  occurrence,  he  entered  his  quarters  and  assumed  his  accustomed 
seat  at  the  fireplace;  the  other  boys  were  reading,  some  sleeping, 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          513 

apparently.  And  when  Mr.  Beck  noticed  his  bayonet  in  the  fire,  the 
point  heated  to  a  cherry  red,  he  seized  the  tempting  steel,  pushed  it 
with  all  his;  force  into  the  hole,  intending  that  time  to  penetrate  the 
log.  But  there  was  a  terrible  explosion.  Mr.  Beck  lay  sprawling 
upon  his  back  on  the  floor  and  the  bayonet  rattled  against  the  far 
ther  wall  of  the  tent.  The  boys  had  inserted  the  powder  of  several 
cartridges  into  the  hole. 

Comrade  Elias  Edleman  who  had  found  a  rebel  shell  near  camp, 
was  encouraged  by  some  mischief  -loving  boys  to  experiment  with  it, 
and  they  assisted  him  to  load  it  with  powder,  lay  a  train  and  light  it. 
Then  they  fled  to  a  place  of  safety.  For  some  reason  the  explosion 
did  not  come  off  at  once,  and  the  experimenter  went  back  to  ascertain 
the  cause,  and  stooping  down  to  investigate  he  blew  into  the  fuse 
end  of  the  shell  ;  and  now,  the  explosion  came  with  great  suddenness 
and  poor  Elias'  face  was  of  the  color  of  lamp  black,  and  his  eyes  were 
closed  for  a  fortnight. 

As  a  rule  the  boys  were  sociable,  told  stories,  chaffed  each  other 
sometimes,  and  seldom  quarreled  seriously.  One  got  along  best  by 
not  being  too  sensitive.  If  it  happened  that  while  on  the  march 
some  one  outside  the  column  recognized  you  and  yelled,  "How  are 
you,  John  ?"  it  was  more  than  probable  that  the  whole  Regiment 
would  take  up  the  chorus,  "How  are  you,  John,"  swelling  in  volume 
as  it  went  along.  And  it  would  not  help  matters  by  flying  into  a 
rage  about  it 

Nearly  all  the  boys  had  either  the  Testament  or  the  Bible,  and 
devoted  many  hours  to  reading  the  Scriptures.  At  nine  o'clock  at 
night,  the  "'tattoo"  was  beaten,  when  lights  had  to  be  extinguished 
and  all  except  those  on  duty  were  expected  to  turn  into  their  bunks. 

During  our  stay  near  Fredericksburg  we  had  our  full  share  of 
picket  duty  to  perform.  The  first  detail  from  our  Regiment  was 
December  31st.  I  quote  from  my  diary  for  that  date  : 


'This  morning  about  one  hundred  and  twentv  men  of  our  Regi 
ment  w>re  detailed  for  picket  duty.  I  was  among  the  number.  We 
were  marched  to  Falmouth,  thence  west  and  up  the  Rappahannock  a 
short  distnee  where  the  first  reserve  halted.  I  was  stationed  about 
fifty  rods  &>ove  Falmouth  on  a  high  hill,  and  thus  had  an  excellent 


514  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

view  of  the  rebel  batteries  back  from  the  river ;  their  position  is  very 
strongly  fortified ;  they  have  every  elevated  spot  entrenched  and 
mounted  with  cannon.  Close  to  and  along. the  river  they  have  stone 
walls  for  the  protection  of  their  infantry." 

During  the  evening  it  rained,  but  cleared  up  very  cold  towards 
midnight,  and  not  being  allowed  to  have  any  fires,  we  suffered  from 
the  severe  cold.  The  rebel  pickets  had  blazing  fires  all  along  their 
line.  The  river  here  from  Fredericksburg  up  is  quite  narrow  with 
steep,  rocky  banks,  so  that  our  pickets  were  within  a  stone's  throw 
of  the  rebels  on  the  opposite  side.  Later  on,  towards  spring,  we 
picketed  from  Fredericksburg  down  the  river  several  miles.  The 
Rappahannock  is  wider  along  the  site  of  the  old  town,  none  of  us 
being  able  to  throw  a  stone  across  in  our  endeavor  to  emulate  George 
Washington,  who  in  his  boyhood,  it  is  said,  accomplished  the  feat 
The  river  is  navigable  to  this  point  for  small  vessels.  Its  banks  are 
not  precipitous  and  along  both  sides  are  cultivated  fields.  Some 
times  when  no  officers  were  in  sight  the  rebel  pickets  would  come  on 
our  side  in  a  canoe  to  barter  tobacco  and  papers  for  our  fine  coffee 
with  which  Uncle  Sam  supplied  us  bountifully. 

From  Stafford  Heights  we  had  an  excellent  view  of  Fredericks 
burg  and  the  fortified  hills  beyond.     The  old  soldiers  pointed  out  to 
us  the  principal  points  of  attack  of  our  troops  in  the  late  battle,  the 
most  interesting  locality  of  all  being  Marye  Heights  with  its  stone 
wall  along  its  base.     Six  separate  assaults  had  been  made  on  this 
position,  close  up  to  the  stone  wall,  but  each  attempt  was  doomed  to 
failure  with  great  loss  to  our  Army.     I  think  the  Yankee  soldier  ex 
hibited  greater  bravery  and  fortitude  in  those  hopeless  assaults  on 
that  almost  impregnable  position  than  were  displayed  in  the  much 
vaunted  charge  of  Pickett's  Division  at  Gettysburg.     But  the  sta^s 
and  stripes  now  wave,  and  will  forever  wave,  over  Marye  HeigHs, 
guarded  by  the  spirits  of  more  than  fifteen  thousand  Union  solders 
now  reposing  on  the  bosom  of  its  summit.     Soon  after  the  W^r  the 
Government  secured  the  spot  for  a  Soldiers'  National  CemeKy  and 
thither  were  gathered  the  remains  of  the  Federal  soldiers,  a? many  a* 
could  be  found,  who  fell  at  Fredericksburg,  Chancellorsvill",  the  Wil 
derness  and  Spotsylvania.     Could  Washington  have  Vield,  in  his 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          515 

mature  years,  with  prophetic  eye,  the  havoc  that  was  to  be  wrought 
by  those  mighty  hosts  of  his  countrymen  in  fratricidal  strife  on  the 
very  ground,  every  nook  and  corner  of  which  must  have  been  familiar 
to  him  in  his  youthful  days ;  could  he  have  looked  upon  the  dreadful 
scenes  that  were  to  be  enacted  within  a  radius  of  fifteen  miles  from 
his  old  home,  the  fierce  struggle  and  the  awful  slaughter  of  those  bat 
tles,  his  patriotic  soul  would  have  been  overwhelmed  with  grief. 

After  General  Hooker  assumed  command  of  the  Army  there 
were  instituted  some  changes,  especially  in  the  commissary  depart 
ment,  which  were  highly  appreciated  by  the  men  in  the  ranks. 
Bakeries  were  erected  at  various  points  in  the  camp  of  the  Army  and 
bread  of  an  excellent  quality  was  made  and  issued  to  the  soldiers. 
My  diary  states  that  the  first  issue  of  bread  was  made  Tuesday,  Feb 
ruary  10th. 

This  may  seem  a  trivial  matter  now ;  then  it  was  an  important 
event.  Other  luxuries  were  added  to  our  bill  of  fare,  for  which  we 
felt  grateful. 

Our  Regiment  was  rapidly  acquiring  fame  as  being  one  of  the 
best  drilled  bodies  of  men  in  the  Army.  In  proof  of  this  statement 
suffice  it  to  say  that  when  General  Hancock  reviewed  his  Division, 
about  eight  thousand  men,  January  5,  1863,  he  sent  an  Aide  after 
us  to  compliment  us  on  our  splendid  appearance  and  almost  perfect 
movement  on  the  occasion.  To  be  sure,  the  old  soldiers  of  other  regi 
ments  used  to  guy  us  about  our  paper  collars,  but  we  forgave  them 
and  looked  down  upon  them  in  pity  because  of  their  ignorance  of 
such  luxuries  in  their  simple  lives. 

April  8th  President  Lincoln  reviewed  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
I  was  on  picket  this  time  and  had  the  misfortune  to  be  on  similar 
duty  on  several  subsequent  occasions  when  he  reviewed  the  Army 
and  I  never  saw  the  man  who  is  now  acknowledged  to  have  been  the 
greatest  of  his  time. 

Thursday,  April  16th,  the  boys  received  from  the  Governmem 
six  months  and  eight  or  ten  days'  pay — some  $80.00.  Thev 
had  not  been  paid  before  while  in  the  service  except  $27.00  bounty 
which  they  received  at  Harrisburg,  September  6,  1862.  Somt 
of  the  boys  sent  home  nearly  all  of  their  pay.  Since  the 


516  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Government  furnished  almost  everything  to  the  soldier,  there  was 
no  necessity  to  squander  money.  The  temptations  to  spend  one's 
money  in  "riotous  living"  were  few;  there  were  no  "canteens"  es 
tablished  within  regimental  environments  where  the  boys  could  spend 
their  money  for  beer  and  become  drunkards;  and  the  surrounding 
country  was  so  poor  that  the  traditional  turkey  could  not  have  sur 
vived  in  it  an  hour.  But  there  were  officers'  commissaries  at  sundry 
places,  close  corporations  maintained  by  the  Government  where  offi 
cers  purchased  their  supplies  at  reasonable  rates.  Privates  were  pro 
hibited  from  patronizing  those  except  on  orders  from  commissioned 
officers.  At  those  institutions  were  kept  in  store  many  of  the  tempt 
ing  luxuries  which  the  boys  had  been  accustomed  to  in  former  times, 
such  as  ham,  eggs,  butter,  bread ;  and  it  must  be  confessed,  even 
whiskey.  Several  of  the  boys  were  expert  penmen  and  could  closely 
imitate  the  signature  of  certain  officers  and  it  must  have  been  aston 
ishing  to  the  commissary  officials  what  an  amount  of  eatables  and 
liquids  those  Lieutenants  and  Captains  consumed.  Considerable  sums 
of  money  went  there. 

Last,  but  not  least,  must  be  noted  the  army  sutler.  He  main 
tained  a  sort  of  general  store,  under  license,  and  supposed  protection 
of  the  Government,  where  were  sold  almost  everything  in  the  line  of 
eatables  which  were  not  issued  to  the  soldiers  by  the  Government  and 
were  kept  in  store  all  kinds  of  notions  which  a  soldier  would  find  con 
venient  to  have.  Yet  the  sutler  was  not  always  popular ;  his  prices 
were  considered  exorbitant  and  his  gains  correspondingly  enormous. 
Eighty  cents  for  a  pound  of  ancient  butter  and  five  cents  for  a  ginger 
snap  not  larger  than  a  silver  dollar  were  prices  outrageously  steep. 
If  a  soldier  was  improvident  and  bought  on  credit  from  the  sutler, 
the  latter  presented  the  bill  to  the  paymaster  on  pay  day  and  drew 
the  amount,  leaving  the  balance — sometimes  a  very  small  balance — 
to  the  soldier.  However,  the  sutler  was  not  altogether  free  from  the 
calamities  which  may  befall  people  who  have  cast  their  lot  with  an 
army.  The  boys  took  the  advantage  of  him  and  by  hook  or  crook 
got  away  with  his  wares  without  compensating  him.  They  were  im 
bued,  in  this  respect,  with  the  true  Spartan  spirit  They  did  not 
consider  it  a  /sin  to  steal  from  an  enemy,  but  very  reprehensible  to  be 


THE  ijSTH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          517 

detected  in  the  act.     I  remember  how  Comrade  Charles  B ,  with 

a  complacent,  almost  saintly  look,  used  to  saunter  up  to  the  sutler's 
tent,  when  there  were  no  customers  present,  survey  with  delibera 
tion  the  many  good  things  before  him,  and  then  ask  for  some  small 
trinket  in  the  remotest  corner  of  the  establishment,  and  while  the 
sutler's  back  was  turned,  lean  over  the  counter  and  by  rapid,  dexter 
ous  manipulations,  transfer  cans  of  condensed  milk,  canned  fruit 
and  other  delicacies  into  the  enormous  rear  pockets  of  his  army  over- 
.coat,  receptacles  prepared  for  adventures  of  that  kind.  This  opera 
tion  would  be  repeated  several  times — as  often  or  long  as  circum 
stances  seemed  auspicious.  Once  in  a  while  the  sutler's  establishment 
was  "rushed."  A  number  of  the  soldiers  would  assemble  around  the 
tent,  cut  the  ropes  and  pull  down  the  structure,  and  then  with  amaz 
ing  rapidity  the  goods  would  disappear.  Under  such  dire  circum 
stances  the  sutler  fled  in  "tumultuous  and  terrific  haste." 

As  an  apt  illustration  of  army  red  tape  methods,  the  following 
episode,  in  which  Comrade  Daniel  J.  Johnson  and  myself  figure  as 
the  chief  "but  unheroic  actors  is  here  introduced:  While  lying  in 
camp  near  Fredericksburg  during  the  winter  of  1862  and  1863, 
a  great  deal  of  sickness  prevailed  in  the  Regiment.  In 
Company  A  all  except  four  had  succumbed  to  fever  and  other 
diseases  in  succession — not  all  at  once — so  that  those  who 
retained  health  were  obliged  to  be  on  picket  and  guard  duty 
almost  continually.  The  sick  were  put  into  comfortable  hos 
pitals  at  suitable  locations.  There  was  quite  an  extensive  hos 
pital  at  Brook's  Station  on  the  railroad  four  or  five  miles  east  from 
our  camp.  And  an  attempt  to  visit  several  of  our  sick  comrades  at 
that  point  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Johnson  and  myself  opens  this  story. 
One  beautiful  spring  morning,  Sunday,  April  19th,  we  asked  per 
mission  of  Captain  Forster  to  visit  our  sick  at  the  station  just  men 
tioned  ;  he  gave  us  oral  permission  readily ;  it  was  all  right.  The 
boys  were  in  the  habit  all  winter  of  straying  at  will  over  the  whole 
territory  occupied  by  the  different  Army  Corps.  But  General 
Hooker,  contemplating  soon  to  open  the  spring  campaign,  had  issued 
orders  to  the  patrols  to  pick  up  all  soldiers  found  beyond  the  limits 


518  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

of  their  respective  regimental  grounds,  if  not  provided  with  passes. 
This  order  went  into  effect  that  very  morning  and  the  General  had 
failed  to  inform  Johnson  and  myself  of  the  fact.  In  due  time  we 
reached  the  long  railroad  bridge  spanning  Potomac  Creek  and  as  we 
entered  the  west  end  of  the  lofty  structure,  we  noticed  a  squad  of  four 
men  under  a  Sergeant  coming  towards  us  from  the  other  end  of  the 
'bridge.  We  felt  somewhat  apprehensive  but  went  bravely  on  ;  we  met 
them  on  the  center  of  the  bridge  and  the  Sergeant  kindly  but  firmly 
invited  us,  in  default  of  passes  to  "fall  in."  We  endeavored  to  ex 
plain  to  him  how  it  came  that  we  had  no  passes ;  that  we  wished  to 
visit  our  sick  comrades  at  the  hospital  just  beyond  and  plainly  in 
view,  but  the  obdurate  Sergeant  was  not  moved  by  our  pathetic 
appeal,  and  the  paucity  of  his  remarks  plainly  showed  that  he  felt 
no  sympathy  for  us  nor  the  distressed  comrades  at  the  hospital  whom 
we  had  hoped  to  cheer  by  our  presence.  Meanwhile  the  squad  was 
escorting  us  back  whence  we  came,  but  deflected  sufficiently  from 
our  route  to  land  us  in  a  guard  house  of  one  of  the  brigades  of  the 
Fifth  Corps.  Here  our  story  was  repeated  to  the  officer  in  charge, 
but  he  was  not  affected  sufficiently  to  vouch  us  a  reply.  Sometime  in 
the  afternoon  an  Orderly  with  a  big  yellow  envelope  stuck  under  his 
belt,  presented  himself,  called  our  names  and  ordered  us  to  follow 
him.  We  followed.  He  led  us  to  the  guard  house  of  one  of  the 
divisions  of  the  Fifth  Corps.  Our  story  was  again  rehearsed,  almost 
with  tears.  It  produced  no  visible  effect.  After  the  necessary  delay 
the  inevitable  escort,  with  the  big  envelope  under  his  belt,  appeared, 
called  our  names  and  commanded  us  to  fall  in.  This  was  a  new  man 
again  and  a  new  document  as  well.  It  was  a  new  outfit  every  time  a 
fresh  start  was  made.  The  distance  to  ibe  traversed  was  evidently 
increasing,  for  this  Orderly  was  on  horseback.  And  we  found  thai 
the  distance  to  headquarters  of  the  Fifth  Corps,  whither  we  were 
taken  nex£,  was  considerable.  Guard  house  again. 

I  had  lost  faith  in  endeavoring  to  explain  our  situation  to  guard 
house  officials,  as  I  began  to  perceive  that  red  tape  had  to  be  carried 
out  to  the  last  infinitesimal  thread  thereof.  But  Comrade  Johnson 
rehearsed,  as  heretofore,  and  improved  in  the  delivery.  The  next 
Orderly  who  called  us  out  was  also  on  horseback,  the  yellow  envelope 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          519 

under  his  belt  being  conspicuous.  Our  course  now  lay  in  the  direc 
tion  of  General  Hooker's  army  headquarters,  a  large  brick  building 
on  Stafford  Heights,  in  plain  view  of  Fredericksburg.  Here,  also, 
were  the  provost  headquarters  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  General 
Patrick  was  in  command  and  to  him  our  escort  introduced  us,  not  in 
a  formal  way  with  accompanying  and  mutual  salutations,  but  by 
simply  handing  him  the  yellow  envelope.  The  General  read  its  con 
tents.  Meanwhile  Comrade  Johnson  was  making  the  usual  explana 
tions  with  pathos  and  volubility.  By  this  time  he  had  acquired  consid 
erable  oratorical  efficiency.  The  grizzled  old  General  looked  us  over 
a  moment  in  a  sort  of  a  paternal  manner,  the  suspicion  of  a  pitying 
smile  flitting  across  his  stern  face  but  he  said  nothing,  merely 
nodded  to  the  escort  in  the  direction  of-  a  camp  some  fifty  yards 
across  the  way,  whither  we  were  then  led.  This  proved  to  be  the 
prison  pen  of  the  Army.  It  occupied  a  space  of  two  acres  probably, 
and  there  were  set  up  in  it  a  number  of  the  large  circular  Sibley 
tents,  quarters  for  the  prisoners  there  confined.  There  was  no  stock 
ade  or  enclosure  of  any  kind ;  the  place  was  guarded  by  a  company 
or  battalion  of  Regulars.  We  were  free  to  roam  anywhere  within 
the  limits  of  the  camp  and  to  enter  any  tent  in  which  room  could  be 
found.  We  selected  a  tent  which  was  not  crowded,  but  the  surround 
ings  were  not  pleasant  There  was  not  a  stool,  bench,  bunk  or  any 
thing  whatever  in  the  tent  except  a  few  burning  sap  pine  sticks  on  a 
pile  in  the  center  which  emitted  more  smoke  than  heat  It  was  now 
almost  night.  Meanwhile  it  began  to  rain  and  as  we  had  neither 
overcoat  or  blanket  we  became  chilly.  Some  kind  of  rations  were 
furnished  us  which  were  thankfully  accepted  as  we  did  not  have  any 
dinner. 

Curling  up  round  the  smoldering  sticks,  on  the  damp  ground, 
without  any  covering,  we  endeavored  to  secure  some  sleep,  apprehen 
sive  all  the  time  of  our  clothes  becoming  infested  with  the  festive 
army  "gray  back."  Our  Regiment  was  distant  from  our  prison 
camp  not  more  than  five  miles,  yet  we  could  not  send  word  to  our 
officers  about  our  predicament,  nor  were  we  released.  The  only  way 
to  communicate  with  them  was  by  letter,  which  was  done,  but  it  re 
quired  a  message  several  days,  as  it  would  first  go  to  Washington, 


520  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

thence  back  to  the  Regiment.  Several  cavalry  soldiers,  who  had  been 
picked  up  the  same  as  we,  occupied  the  tent  with  us.  The  prisoners 
of  this  camp  were  a  promiscuous  crew.  They  were  deserters,  bounty 
jumpers  and  criminals  of  our  own  Army ;  there  were  a  number  of 
long  haired  citizens  of  all  classes,  suspects  of  the  neighborhood,  be 
sides  rebel  prisoners  and  rebel  deserters.  On  the  first  night  we  were 
startled  by  the  report  of  several  shots.  Next  day  we  learned  that  a 
prisoner  had  escaped  and  was  fired  after.  My  diary  states  for  Thurs 
day,  April  23d:  "Three  rebel  deserters  came  in  last  night,  but  the 
rebel  prisoners  would  not  allow  them  to  occupy  the  same  tent  with 
them."  Among  the  Confederate  prisoners  was  a  Lieutenant  of  the 
famous  Black  Horse  Cavalry  of  Virginia,  with  whom  I  became  ac 
quainted.  In  regard  to  the  organization  to  which  he  belonged,  he 
said  it  was  not  near  so  numerous  as  was  popularly  supposed.  He 
and  I  got  along  quite  sociably  until  our  conversation  drifted  into 
politics.  Then  we  were  soon  at  variance.  He  said  Lincoln  would 
proclaim  himself  a  dictator.  I  strenuously  denied  it.  He  reiter 
ated.  I  intimated  that  he  was  a  liar.  We  then  mutually  consigned 
each  other  to  another  clime  and  agreed  to  fight  it  out  if  ever  we 
should  meet  in  battle.  To  my  recollection  we  never  met. 

The  scenes  of  prison  camp  were  ever  shifting ;  prisoners  of  every 
description  were  being  brought  in  continually,  while  those  within  were 
being  discharged  as  rapidly  or  sent  to  Washington  and  other  points 
north.  I  witnessed  an  occurrence  during  our  sojourn  here  at  the 
prison  camp  producing  an  impression  on  my  mind  which  these  many 
years  have  failed  to  efface.  As  already  stated,  the  camp  was  guarded 
by  soldiers  of  the  Regular  Army.  Most,  if  not  all,  of  them  were 
new  recruits ;  mere  boys  who  had  not  yet  acquired  all  the  intricacies 
of  military  drill.  A  spider-legged  young  stripling  of  a  Second  Lieu 
tenant,  lately  arrived  from  West  Point,  was  officer  of  the  day,  I 
think.  At  any  rate,  he  happened  to  pass  o<ne  of  these  young  senti 
nels  on  the  beat  who  failed  to  salute  his  mighty  highness,  the  Sec 
ond  Lieutenant  of  the  Regular  Army,  with  that  exactness  and  alac 
rity  of  movement  which  a  rigid  construction  of  the  Army  Regula 
tions  required,  or  that  was  his  just  due  as  an  officer  of  such  lofty 
rank  and  pretentious.  Whereupon  the  Lieutenant  swore  at  him, 


I'HE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          521 

cursed  him  and  threatened  to  run  his  sword  through  him,  all  of  which 
abuse  the  trembling  recruit  bore  in  silence,  not  daring  to  open  his 
mouth.  My  blood  boiled  as  I  looked  on.  Of  all  the  unpleasant 
features  of  army  life  there  was  nothing  so  loathsome  to  the  volun 
teer  soldier  as  this  arbitrary,  tyrannical  assumption  of  authority  on 
the  part  of  some  officers.  But  this  sort  of  officers  in  the  Civil  Wai- 
were  the  exception,  not  the  rule,  for  which  fact  the  soldier  in  the 
ranks  was  devoutly  thankful.  This  fellow  was  probably  the  son 
of  some  saloon  keeper  or  beer  brewer  of  New  York  City  who  had 
sufficient  political  "pull"  to  secure  the  appointment  of  his  son  to 
West  Point. 

Looking  back  in  the  light  of  the  history  of  some  men  who 
achieved  a  great  name  in  that  War,  we  can  state  with  certainty  what 
they  severally  would  have  done  if  chance  had  placed  them  in  the 
position  of  the  young  Lieutenant  General  John  Sedgwick,  dressed 
in  plain  army  blouse  and  slouch  hat,  whom  his  boys  often  familiarly 
addressed  "John,"  would  have  said,  "Never  mind  saluting  me  every 
time  I  pass.7'  General  Hancock  would  have  said  nothing,  but  he 
would  probably  have  cast  his  piercing  glance  across  the  shoulders  of 
the  sentinel  in  search  of  the  officer  in  command  with  a  view  of  read 
ing  him  one  of  those  pointed,  explosive  lectures  of  his  which  were 
record  breaking  in  their  line,  for  he  was  never  known  to  reprove  a 
private  for  any  irregularity,  but  he  diligently  sought  for  the  officer 
in  charge  and  then — but  we  drop  the  curtain  on  the  harrowing  scene. 
General  Grant,  had  he  noticed  the  incident  at  all,  would  have  taken 
the  musket  from  the  hands  of  the  boy  and  kindly  shown  him  how. 
'And  finally  what  would  our  OWTI  Colonel  have  done  in  the  premises  ? 
Why,  in  order  to  give  a  needed  demonstration  of  an  important  lesson 
to  be  learned,  he  would  have  grasped  the  musket,  and  placed  himself 
in  the  sentinel's  position,  while  the  latter  would  have  been  invested  in 
a  'brief  authority  as  a  superior  officer,  for  don't  wre  have  the  proof — 
of  analogy,  at  least — of  such  a  thing  in  the  celebrated  case  of  his 
versus  Sweitzer  which  occurred  about  the  same  time  ? 

On  Thursday  of  same  week  our  names  were  again  called  and  we 
were  led  by  a  mounted  escort,  armed  with  the  inevitable  yellow  en 
velope  in  his  belt,  to  Second  Corps  headquarters,  thence  by  descend- 


522  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

ing  climax,  from  one  headquarters  to  another,  by  successive  escorts, 
until  we  reached  our  own  regimental  headquarters.  The  Colonel  did 
not  impose  any  punishment  but  simply  made  some  remark  about  the 
prodigal  sons  having  returned  and  dismissed  us,  without  ordering  the 
fatted  calf  to  be  killed.  During  our  enforced  absence  several  of  the 
boys  had  written  home,  stating  that  Comrade  Johnson  and  I  had 
deserted,  garnishing  their  tale  with  a  profusion  of  imaginary  facts. 
Looking  back  now  to  our  prison  experience,  I  am  constrained  to  say 
that  a  soldier's  military  life  has  not  been  fully  rounded  out  unless  he 
has  been  at  one  time  or  other  in  the  guard  house. 

A  series  of  rapid,  strategic  moves  on  the  military  chess  board, 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  with  the  exception  of  the  Sixth  Corps, 
finds  itself  in  battle  array  on  the  south  side  of  the  Rappahannock 
River  at  Chancellorsville.  Our  Division  (First  Division,  Second 
Corps)  which  had  crossed  the  river  on  pontoons  at  United  States  Ford, 
in  the  evening  of  April  30th,  by  a  night  march,  reached  the  position 
assigned  it  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  night,  without  any  molestation  on  the 
part  of  the  enemy.  The  distance  was  not  more  than  nine  or  ten 
miles,  but  we  were  loaded  down  with  eight  days'  rations,  and  the 
column  was  much  retarded  by  masses  of  other  troops  along  the  route. 
It  was  a  beautiful  moonlight  night,  which  made  the  march  over 
woodland  roads  less  disagreeable.  The  Army  wasi  in  splendid  fight 
ing  condition,  due  in  a  great  measure  to  the  reforms  introduced  bv 
the  zeal  and  energy  of  General  Hooker.  He  is  also  accorded  much 
praise  by  military  critics  for  the  skill  and  grand  strategy  he  dis 
played  in  massing  his  immense  Army  so  successfully  in  such  an  ad 
vantageous  position. 

Desiring  to  avoid  needless  repetitions,  I  shall  not  attempt  to 
write  a  detailed  history  of  the  share  our  Regiment  took  in  the  battle 
of  Chancellorsville,  but  rather  give  some  of  the  reminiscences  of  the 
great  contest,  record  some  of  the  impressions  of  a  soldier's  experiences 
in  his  first  battle  and  mention  some  historical  facts  incidentally. 

Friday  morning  found  us  in  bivouac  along  the  borders  of  a 
small,  clearing,  within  half  an  hour's  march  of  Chancellorsville. 
Not  many  of  the  troops  of  the  other  corps  were  visible  to  us, 
for  the  whole  region  round  about  was  forest  with  heavy  under- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          523 

brush  in  most  places,  with  a  few  clearings  interspersed  here  and 
there.  At  ten  o'clock  we  got  under  arms  and  began  to  move  towards 
"the  front  where  was  heard  heavy  cannonading  and  musketry.  It  was 
a  delightful  spring  morning.  The  sun  shone  bright  and  warm,  the 
trees  were  just  beginning  to  put  forth  their  green  leaves  and  the 
grass  and  early  flowers  had  already  changed  the  grayish  sandy  soil 
to  brighter  and  more  attractive  hues.  Our  column  passed  the  Chan 
cellor  House,  a  large  brick  building  then,  but  now  modernized 
and  reduced  to  two-thirds  its  former  dimensions.  This  was  the  only 
building  in  sight,  situated  on  the  now  famous  Old  Turnpike  leading 
past,  thence  east  to  Frederick&burg,  ten  miles  distant,  and  was  Gen 
eral  Hooker's  headquarters  during  the  first  stages  of  the  battle. 
There  was  a  busy  scene  about  the  old  mansion,  more  stirring  and 
momentous  than  it  had  ever  experienced  in  the  palmy  days  of  the 
southern  chivalry,  and  their  hilarious  gatherings  there  on  great 
occasions. 

Going  into  battle  is  a  serious  matter,  an  ordeal  which  the  brav 
est  dread.  Outwardly,  some  may  not  exhibit  a  sign  of  fear,  but 
it  requires  all  the  will  power  a  brave  man  is  able  to  put  forth  to 
stand  in  ranks  to  be  shot  at — one  feels  as  though  he  were  suspended 
over  eternity  by  a  slender  thread.  Some  boasted  they  were  not 
afraid,  but  they  were  mere  cowardly  blow-horns  who  always  slunk 
out  of  ranks,  or  hid  behind  rock  or  trees  in  the  rear  when  the  bullets 
began  to  whistle.  There  seem  to  be  well  attested  instances  of  sol 
diers  having  presentiments  of  wounds  or  death  on  going  into  battle. 
I  know  of  one  instance,  however,  in  which  the  supposed  premonition 
of  death  in  an  engagement  failed  to  come  true.  As  we  approached 
Chancellorsville  on  our  way  to  the  front,  Comrade  John  A. 
Miller,  by  my  side,  said,  "Henry,  I  will  be  killed  in  this  battle.  1 
feel  it ;  here  take  my  pocketbook  and  papers  and  send  them  to  my 
family  when  I  am  dead."  I  told  him  that  lie  could  not  know  whether 
he  would  be  killed  or  not;  besides  I  would  be  as  liable  to  be  hit  as  he, 
and  T  declined  to  take  his  money  and  papers.  Well,  Mr.  Miller  went 
through  that  fight  without  receiving  a  scratch  and  through  all  the 
subsequent  battles  of  the  War  in  which  the  Regiment  took  a  part, 
with  the  exception  of  some  slight  skirmish  somewhere,  and  he  never 


524  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

was  hurt  more  seriously  than  a  slight  wound  of  one  of  his  thumbs. 

With  their  names  and  place  of  residence  legibly  written  on  the 
fly  leaf  of  diary  or  Bible,  or  stamped  on  metallic  badges  securely 
fastened  to  their  clothes,  for  the  purpose  of  identification  in  the  event 
of  being  left  dead  upon  the  field,  steadily  our  rather  sad  looking 
boys  moved  in  the  direction  of  the  firing  in  front.  Notwithstanding 
the  seriousness  of  the  occasion,  we  could  not  refrain  from  smiling  at 
the  sight  of  the  myriads  of  cards  strewn  all  along  the  whole  breadth 
of  the  road,  and  among  the  bushes  along  the  sides,  lying  thick  as 
autumnal  leaves.  The  troops  that  passed  along  the  road  before  us 
to  enter  the  battle  flung  away  their  decks  of  cards  for  the  reason  that 
none  of  the  boys  would  have  a  report  go  home,  in  case  they  should  be 
badly  wounded  or  killed,  that  there  was  found  on  their  person  a  deck 
of  cards.  Other  scenes,  productive  of  graver  thoughts  now  presented 
themselves.  Streams  of  wounded  soldiers  were  coming  back  from 
the  battle  then  in  progress ;  wounds  of  all  descriptions  met  the  view ; 
some  of  the  men  dragged  themselves  along  by  the  aid  of  rude 
crutches;  some  came  with  a  shattered  arm  dangling  by  their  side 
and  others  more  seriously  hurt,  were  brought  in  on  ambulance  or 
stretcher. 

We  were  formed  in  line  of  battle  on  a  hill  about  one  and  a  half 
miles  from  Chancellorsville  in  the  direction  of  Fredericksburg,  on 
the  right  of  the  Turnpike,  and  at  right  angle®  to  it,  facing  east.  As 
we  filed  into  position  we  observed  one  of  our  skirmish  lines  ascend 
ing,  at  a  slow  pace,  a  hill  to  our  left  and  front,  firing  as  they  ad 
vanced.  We  noticed  some  dropping  down  killed  or  wounded.  This 
was  our  first  view  of  a  battle,  and  to  us  inexperienced  soldiers  it  was 
magnificent.  The  rebel  batteries  sent  shells  over  us,  above  the  tree 
tops  in  the  direction  of  Chancellor  House;  the  roar  of  the  artillery, 
the  unearthly  screech  of  the  shells  overhead,  and  the  explosions 
which  followed,  all  that  was  magnificent,  too.  Later  on,  however, 
their  batteries  got  the  range  of  our  position  and  when  shells  began  to 
smash  things  right  in  our  midst  it  became  decidedly  unpleasant.  Our 
military  ardor  which  had  been  raised  to  a  high  pitch  by  the  carnival 
of  war  around  us,  cooled  very  rapidly  under  the  potent  influence  of 
the  bursting  shells. 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          525 

Sometime  in  the  afternoon  General  Hooker  began  to  draw  in  his 
lines,  which  move,  it  is  claimed,  was  a  great  mistake.  At  any  rate, 
the  grand  success  that  had  attended  all  his  operations  up  to  that 
moment,  now  was  followed  by  a  series  of  reverses  to  the  end  of  the 
campaign.  Our  command  was  also  withdrawn  from  our  advanced 
position  and  posted  in  the  clearing  about  the  Chancellor  House,  the 
right  of  our  Regiment  resting  close  to  the  building.  We  lay  down 
and  watched  for  the  Confederates  who  in  a  brief  time  came  swarm 
ing  through  the  woods  towards  our  position.  One  of  our  batteries, 
Pettit's,  about  fifty  yards  in  rear  of  our  line,  opened  fire  over  our 
heads,  with  shell  and  grape  and  canister,  and  checked  the  rebel  ad 
vance.  Some  of  the  wooden  blocks  used  in  packing  canister,  and 
fragments  of  several  shells  which  had  exploded  prematurely,  came 
down  into  our  ranks.  The  boys  yelled  at  the  men  of  the  battery  and 
they  ceased  firing.  One  of  these  missiles  went  through  the  body  of 
Comrade  Holloway,  of  Company  D,  the  first  man  killed  of  our  Regi 
ment.  We  soon  again  changed  position  and  Companies  A  and  I  were 
detached  from  the  Regiment  and  put  forward  as  skirmishers.  Wo 
remained  out  all  night  as  pickets,  witjh  orders  to  keep  awake,  which 
precaution  seemed  to  us  quite  necessary,  though  it  was  difficult  to 
keep  the  eyes  open.  About  ten  o'clock  at  night  we  heard  the  voice 
of  a  Confederate  officer  some  distance  in  our  front  giving  the  com 
mand,  "Forward."  Similar  commands  were  given  at  intervals  and 
were  becoming  more  distinct,  and  finally  the  rustling  of  the  leaves 
on  the  ground  and  the  snapping  of  twigs,  showed  that  the  enemy  was 
close  at  hand.  But  then  the  command,  "Halt,"  was  given  by  the 
same  officer,  and  the  night  attack,  which  we  expected,  did  not  come 
off,  rather  to  our  regret,  as  it  was  a  beautiful  moonlight  night  and  our 
boys  being  concealed  behind  trees  and  logs  would  have  had  the  ad 
vantage  of  the  first  volley  at  close  range. 

On  the  following  morning,  May  2d,  we  had  a  skirmish 
with  the  enemy  at  eight  o'clock.  Companies  D,  C,  H  and  G,  having 
in  charge  the  colors,  were  separated  from  the  Regiment  and  placed 
in  position  in  another  part  of  the  field.  The  terrible  ordeal  these 
companies  went  through  the  following  morning,  Sunday,  May  3d, 
will  be  narrated  by  others  having  in  charge  the  general  history  of 


526  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

the  Regiment.  Companies  A,  B,  E,  F,  I  and  K  remained  on  the 
picket  line  which  extended  north  from  and  at  right  angles  to  the 
Turnpike,  the  left  of  the  line  curving  west,  the  Chancellor  House 
being  to  the  rear.  This  was  a  fortunate  circumstance  for  those  com 
panies,  because  they  suffered  but  few  casualties  in  the  skirmishes 
that  they  participated  in  Saturday  evening  and  Sunday  morning. 
During  a  certain  period  of  the  fight  Colonel  K.  O.  Broady,  of  the 
61st  New  York,  a  heavy  set  Scotchman  with  a  strong  Scottish 
brogue,  commanded  our  part  of  the  skirmish  line.  He  experienced 
some  trouble  in  manoeuvring  the  line  through  the  thick  underbrush 
and  over  swampy  places.  The  boys  may  still  remember  how  he  re 
peatedly  called,  during  an  awkward  hitch  in  the  operation,  for  Lieu 
tenant  Blank,  who  was  supposed  to  be  in  charge  of  a  certain  portion 
of  the  line,  "Where  is  Lieutenant  Blank?  Where  is  Lieutenant 
Blank  ?"  Lieutenant  Blank,  in  response  to  these  urgent  calls,  finally 
emerged  from  behind  a  tree,  rather  far  in  the  rear,  whereupon 
Colonel  Broady  remarked,  "Lieutenant  Blank,  you  ought  to  be  at 
home  with  your  mother  and  eat  butter  bread,"  to  the  intense  delight 
of  the  boys,  for  the  lofty  airs  and  strutting  manner  of  the  Lieutenant 
in  times  past,  had  not  endeared  him  greatly  to  his  company.  Occa 
sionally,  as  the  exigencies  of  the  situation  required,  Colonel  Broady 
gave  the  command,  "Lie  down"  in  such  broad,  deep-toned  accents 
that  the  boys  could  not  repress  a  smile,  -and  later,  whenever  the 
Colonel  came  within  sight  of  the  boys,  he  could  have  heard,  if  his 
hearing  was  not  too  dull,  the  refrain,  "lie  down,"  in  tones  rivaling 
that  of  the  musical  frog  in  the  pond. 

About  dusk,  Saturday,  a  tremendous  uproar  began  on  the  right 
of  our  Army.  There  was  a  continuous  roar  of  musketry  and  thun 
der  of  cannon,  accompanied  by  cheers  and  yells  of  men  in  deadly  con 
flict.  The  evening  being  calm  and  sultry,  the  tumult  of  the  struggle 
resounded  through  the  forest  with  such  terrible  distinctness  that  we 
imagined  the  awful  scene  to  be  quite  close  to  our  position.  The 
battle  continued  until  after  dark.  It  need  hardly  be  stated  that  this 
was  Jackson's  assault  on  the  Eleventh  Corps,  but  as  our  picket  line 
was  strung  along  through  the  woods  and  being  isolated  from  the  rest 
of  the  Armv  in  a  manner  we  did  not  know  what  momentous  events 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          527 

were  then  transpiring.  Nor  had  we  much  time  to  conjecture,  for  the 
rebels  made  an  attack  on  our  line,  at  about  the  same  time,  and  kept 
it  up  until  long  after  dark.  Col.  Nelson  A.  Miles,  now  Lieutenant 
General  of  the  Army  (retired)  was  in  charge  of  the  picket  line  and 
was  in  our  midst  about  the  time  of  the  attack  by  the  rebels  and  the 
boys  remember  him  as  a  very  youthful  looking  officer. 

To  our  right  a  number  of  our  men,  but  of  some  other  regiment, 
were  wounded  and  killed  and  re-enforcements  being  sent  for,  Captain 
Forster,  of  our  company,  called  for  ten  volunteers  to  take  the  place 
of  those  that  fell  and  a  sufficient  number  of  us  responded,  passed  to 
the  right  several  hundred  yards  and  occupied  points  assigned  us. 
W.  C.  Meyer  is  the  only  one  of  these  ten  whom  I  can  now  remember. 
Orders  were  issued  to  put  up  entrenchments  and  all  night  we  chopped 
down  trees,  dug  pits  and  succeeded  in  erecting  formidable  works. 
It  was  well  this  precaution  was  taken,  for  at  an  early  hour  on  the 
following  morning  (Sunday)  the  rebels  again  opened  on  us.  But 
we  felt  secure.  In  our  front  was  a  tangle  of  underbrush.  Our  en 
trenchments  were  strong,  and  though  our  force  was  merely  a  heavy 
skirmish  line,  many  a  Johnny  would  have  dropped  before  the  enemy 
could  have  surmounted  all  those  obstacles.  We  held  this  position 
until  near  noon,  and  all  this  time  were  ignorant  about  the  result  of 
the  conflict  on  the  right  of  our  Army  which  we  heard  the  evening 
before,  or  what  had  taken  place  in  tlie  same  locality  up  to  that  mo 
ment.  Were  our  troops  successful,  or  did  they  suffer  defeat  ?  These 
were  anxious  thoughts.  But  we  were  not  to  be  left  in  doubt  much 
longer.  Shells  began  to  drop  in  rapid  succession  into  our  line,  com 
ing  from  the  direction  of  Chancellorsville.  At  first  it  was  supposed 
that  our  own  batteries  were  trying  to  send  shells  across  our  men  into 
the  lines  of  the  enemy,  and  that  the  guns  were  not  properly  elevated. 
A  Lieutenant  went  back  to  notify  our  batteries  of  their  mistake.  He 
brought  the  intelligence  that  they  were  rebel  guns.  Huge  volumes 
of  smoke  arose  to  our  rear,  caused,  as  we  learned  later,  by  the  burn 
ing  of  Chancellor  House.  Captain  Forster  having  been  wounded 
during  the  morning,  May  3<1,  was  obliged  to  go  to  the  rear  and  Lieut. 
S.  S.  Wolf  assumed  command  of  the  company. 


528  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

It  now  became  plainly  and  painfully  evident  that  we  were  being 
hemmed  in  on  all  sides  by  the  enemy.  We  beat  a  hasty  retreat, 
every  man  for  himself,  and  by  taking  advantage  of  several  deep 
ravines,  and  by  an  acceleration  of  speed,  we  succeeded  in  extricating 
ourselves  out  of  the  trap.  Our  picket  line  to  the  right  of  us  was 
captured.  As  we  emerged  from  the  woods  and  entered  a  small  field, 
we  saw  the  entrenchments  of  a  new  line  on  the  opposite  side.  In 
this  field  were  a  mass  of  retiring  troops,  leisurely  and  without  forma 
tion,  moving  in  the  direction  of  the  new  line  of  works,  just  men 
tioned.  Looking  back  across  the  field  in  the  direction  of  Chancellors- 
ville,  I  noticed  coming  up  at  a  gallop,  a  Confederate  battery  and 
taking  position  in  the  woods  on  the  other  side  of  the  clearing.  In 
less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  it,  they  were  in  position  and  opened 
a  terrific  storm  of  shot  and  shell  into  our  retreating  troops,  and  it 
accelerated  their  retreat  wonderfully.  The  sickening,  dull  thud  of 
the  cannon  balls  tearing  through  their  mass  was  distinctly  heard 
from  my  point  of  observation,  two  hundred  yards  away  from  the 
scene.  When  the  field  was  clear  our  batteries  opened  on  those  of  the 
rebels  and  silenced  them  in  a  moment.  After  I  got  inside  our  new 
line,  a  piece  of  shell  grazed  my  right  leg  above  the  knee.  I  dropped 
my  gun  and  clapped  both  hands  to  the  spot  and  thinking  that  half 
the  limb  was  cut  off,  I  dreaded  to  look  down.  The  injury  was  not 
very  serious,  however,  simply  a  black  spot  as  large  as  a  hand,  and 
my  leg  stiff  for  a  day. 

Now  we  first  learned  of  the  events  of  the  evening  before,  and 
that  Sunday  morning,  which  occurred  on  the  right  of  the  Army ;  the 
flight  of  the  Eleventh  Corps,  'the  terrible  loss  the  balance  of  our 
Regiment  sustained,  only  a  few  hours  before,  and  the  severe  wound 
ing  of  Colonel  Beaver,  which,  at  the  time,  was  reported  to  be  fatal. 
Company  D  suffered  most  and  was  reduced  from  sixty-five  men  to 
eleven,  who,  for  the  time  being,  were  joined  to  Company  A.  Here 
at  the  apex  of  'the  new  line  we  lay  until  our  withdrawal  to  the  north 
side  of  the  Rappahannoctk. 

We  heard  the  cannonading  at  Fredericksburg,  and  learned  of 
its  capture  by  Sedgwick,  and  later,  also,  of  his  retreat.  ^N"ews  from 
every  part  of  the  field  was  discouraging.  Hooker  had  been  stunned 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          529 

by  a  cannon  ball  striking  a  pillar  of  Chancellor  House,  against 
which  he  had  been  leaning,  rendering  him  very  incapable  to  command 
the  Army,  though  he  relinquished  his  authority  to  General  Couch, 
next  in  rank,  for  only  a  few  hours.  We  saw  him  sometime  after 
the  accident,  as  he  rode  past;  he  looked  pale  and  dejected. 

The  enemy  did  not  attack  our  new  position  seriously,  but  there 
were  frequent  artillery  duels  of  short  duration.  The  indifference  to 
danger  and  the  hardness  of  heart  those  old  veteran  artillerists  ex 
hibited,  at  least  those  who  were  in  close  proximity  to  us  on  our  new 
position,  were  surprising  to  us  new  soldiers,  and  really  shocking. to 
our  moral  sensibilities.  During  those  intervals  of  inaction,  they,  in 
groups  of  four,  squatted  themselves  down  on  the  outstretched  corners 
of  a  rubber  blanket,  deposited  by  their  respective  sides  wads  of 
greenbacks,  produced  a  deck  of  cards,  and  then  gambled  until  the 
Johnnies  opened  on  them  with  shot  and  shell.  Then,  hastily  grasp 
ing  their  respective  "piles"'  and  the  other  accessories  of  the  game, 
they  rushed  to  the  guns  and  opened  a  furious  counterstorm  of  hiss 
ing,  screaming  missiles  on  the  enemy.  After  the  racket  subsided, 
they  calmly  and  deliberately  resumed  their  places  on  the  blanket,  and 
reopened  the  game  at  the  point  where  it  had  been  interrupted.  Xhis 
performance  was  repeated  a  number  of  times. 

Monday,  May  4th,  both  sides  seemed  comparatively  inactive,  ex 
cept  that  at  4:00  p.  M.,  the  rebels  shelled  our  position,  continuing 
for  about  half  an  hour.  On  the  5th  we  anticipated  an  attack  by 
the  enemy,  and  we  received  orders  to  hold  our  position  at  all  hazards. 
A.  heavy  thunderstorm  burst  over  us  and  continued  till  dark.  This 
fact  was  thought  to  be  the  reason  why  the  attack  was  not  mad  3. 
But  they  would  not  have  taken  us  by  surprise  as  they  did  the 
Eleventh  Corps,  and  our  position  would  have  been -held.  In  the 
evening,  May  5th,  we  received  orders  to  keep  ourselves  in  readiness 
to  move  at  a  moment's  notice.  It  now  dawned  upon  us  that  the 
campaign  was  a  complete  failure  and  that  we  would  retreat.  At 
one  o'clock  that  night  our  march  for  the  rear  began,  and  at  9  :00 
A.  M.,  May  6th,  we  recrossed  the  Rappahannock  at  United  States 
Ford,  and  on  the  same  day  repossessed  our  old  quarters  near  Fal- 
mouth.  That  was  a  memorable  night ;  the  boys  trudged  along  through 


550  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

the  flowing  mud,  over  roots  and  stumps,  in  moody  silence.  They 
were  mad;  to  jostle  one  with  the  weight  of  the  little  finger,  was  to 
cause  an  explosion.  One  said,  Comrade  Jesse  L — ,  "I  would  sell 
the  Union  for  a  loaf  of  bread,  darn  the  Eleventh  Corps." 

One  could  hardly  expect  much  prowess  in  the  boys  after  that 
campaign ;  they  felt  gloomy ;  they  were  much  disheartened ;  the 
rumor  that  our  retreat  was  made  because  of  the  possibility  of  the 
river  rising  and  sweeping  away  the  pontoon  bridges,  thus  cutting  off 
the  supplies  of  the  Army,  did  not  seem  a  satisfactory  explanation. 
The  stern  faet  remained  that  we  were  licked,  and  the  termination 
of  the  War  seemed  farther  off  than  ever.  But  the  Yankee  soldier  is 
peculiar;  his  inability  to  stay  "licked"  is  an  element  of  superiority 
in  his  military  composition  over  that  of  any  other  nationality.  All 
he  wants,  after  a  defeat,  is  one  or  two  square  meals,  a  night's  rest 
and  sleep,  and  his  buoyancy  of  spirits  return,  and  in  his  next  battle 
he  will  fight  "like  the  devil." 

We  took  some  comfort  in  blaming  the  Eleventh  Corps  in  general, 
and  the  Germans  in  that  corps,  in  particular,  as  being  the  cause  of 
all  our  misfortune.  The  feeling  against  this  corps  among  the  troops 
was  bitter,  and  for  a  long  time  the  boys  called  it  the  "flying  half 
moon."  The  taunt  being  an  allusion  to  the  corps  badge  which  was  a 
half  moon,  and  to  the  wild  flight  of  its  troops. 

The  following  incident  fully  illustrates  the  sentiment  of 
the  troops  on  the  subject.  On  our  retreat  from  the  south  side 
of  the  river,  one  of  the  unfortunate  members  of  the  Eleventh 
Corps  straggled,  during  the  night,  into  our  column,  daylight 
coming,  his  half  moon  badge  was  revealed,  and  that  betrayed 
him.  Major  Fairlamb,  who  then  commanded  the  Regiment, 
saw  him,  and  yelled,  "Get  out  of  this,  you  -  — ;"  the  boys  yelled, 
"Shoot,  him,"  "Kill  him,"  and  the  poor  fellow  retired  to  seek  more 
congenial  companionship.  But  in  justice  to  the  men  of  that  corps, 
let  it  be  remembered  that  on  many  a  hotly  contested  field,  later  in 
the  War,  they  nobly  redeemed  themselves.  The  officers,  certain  ones, 
deserve  the  blame  for  all  the  misfortune  suffered  on  the  occasion, 
because  they  failed  after  repeated  warnings,  to  guard  against  sur 
prise  and  make  preparations  to  check  the  assault  of  Jackson's  Corps. 


THE  ijSTIJ  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          551 

h  was  said  at  the  time  that  the  Germans  in  the  corps  were  greatly 
dissatisfied  with  General  Howard ;  they  would  have  preferred  to  fight 
"mid  General  Sigel,"  as  their  commander. 

Hooker  was  popular  with  the  men  of  the  Army ;  he  was  of  fine 
physique,  commanding  presence,  an  ideal  soldier,  who  had  justly 
earned  the  distinguished  sobriquet,  "Fighting  Joe,"  but  the  boys 
began  to  doubt  his  ability  of  handling  a  large  army. 

Chancellorsville  passed  into  history  as  a  badly  managed  affair, 
of  an  Army  suffering  defeat,  while  one-third  of  its  number,  thirty- 
tive  thousand  men,  never  got  an  opportunity  to  fire  a  gun. 

A  battle  possesses  a  wonderful  potency  for  separating  the  chaff 
from  the  wheat  in.  a  regiment.  The  blowhorn,  who  was  in  the  habit 
of  boasting  of  his  great  prowess,  will,  thereafter,  key  his  horn  to  a 
lower  pitch;  the  strutting  officer  of  lofty  mien  and  arrogant  speech, 
lacking  "sand"  to  back  his  pretensions,  will  subside  into  becoming 
humility.  Thenceforth  the  cowardly  private  will  ''play  off"  sick, 
and  secure  a  discharge,  if  he  can,  or  desert ;  the  officer  who  loathes  the 
smell  of  gunpowder,  will  find  an  excuse  to  resign,  and  the  difference 
!>etween  the  crime  of  desertion  on  the  part  of  the  private,  and  the 
dishonorable  resignation  on  the  part  of  the  officer,  lies  purely  in  the 
results  which  may  followr ;  the  one  may  b3  shot  for  his  offense,  while 
the  other  may  be  rewarded  with  a  seat  in  Congress  by  a  grateful 
constituency. 

The  Army  of  the  Potomac  resumed  business  at  the  old  stand. 
Vvre  cleaned  our  guns,  fixed  up  things  generally,  rested,  and  took 
advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  secure  a  good  night's  sleep.  This 
last  statement  may  seen  funny,  but  it  is  a  fact  that  from  the  time 
we  crossed  the  Rappahannock,  April  30th,  until  our  return,  May 
()th,  we  did  not  enjoy  five  hours'  sound  sleep. 

May  lOtth  the  Regiment  changed  its  camp,  moving  farther  east 
about  a  mile,  near  to  the  railroad.  On  the  siame  day  Orderly  Ser 
geant  W.  W.  Bierly  and  Sergeant  J.  I.  Jones  came  back  from  the 
hospital  to  the  company.  On  the  following  day  Lieut.  Col.  Robt. 
McFarland,  who  -had  been  home  on  a  sick  leave,  returned  to  the 
Regiment.  Monday,  June  1st,  the  boys  received  $26.00  each,  two 
month's  pay.  June  4th  Capt.  R.  H.  Forster,  of  our  company,  who 


552  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

had  been  wounded  at  Chancellorsville,  returned  from  a  twenty  days' 
sick  leave.  There  were  many  "rumors  of  war"  about  this  time,  and 
signs  of  impending  military  operations  on  a  large  scale.  Troops  on 
our  side  were  continually  in  motion;  the  Sixth  Corps  had  crossed 
the  Rappahannock  several  miles  below  Fredericksburg,  and  in 
trenched  itself.  The  Confederates  were  observed  throwing  up  new 
lines  of  entrenchments  along  their  old  positions  back  of  Fredericks- 
burg.  Our  signal  corps  made  daily  ascensions  in  a  balloon  to  spy 
out  the  operations  of  the  enemy.  The  latter  would  sometimes  shell 
the  balloon,  causing  it  to  descend  in  haste.  It  was  ascertained, 
finally,  that  Lee  was  passing  by  our  right,  north.  June  13th  we 
learned  that  our  military  stores  were  being  removed  from  Falmouth 
and  the  station  torn  down.  On  the  same  day  the  sick  of  the  hospital 
were  removed  North. 

Sunday  evening  at  dark,  June  14th,  we  began  the  march,  to 
Gettysburg.  Our  Corps  was  the  last  of  the  troops  to  leave  the  old 
camp  about  Falmouth.  At  break  of  day,  on  the  16th,  we  fell  into 
ranks  to  resume  our  march.  First,  'however,  other  important  matters 
demanded  our  attention.  The  days  were  excessively  hot,,  our  bag 
gage  was .  intolerably  heavy,  and  each  one  of  the  boys  took  an  in 
ventory  of  his  belongings  to  ascertain  what  articles  of  luxury  might 
be  dispensed  with,  and  the  burden  lightened.  As  for  myself,  1  fore 
off  half  of  my  woolen  blanket  and  -hung  it  on  the  bushes — and  by  the 
way,  the  remnant  retained  suffered  a  similar  mutilation  next  morn 
ing — bade  adieu  to  my  best  friend,  my  army  overcoat,  a  pair  of  ex 
cellent  boots  I  discarded  and  put  on  the  army  shoe,  because  the 
latter  is  the  most  comfortable  and  serviceable  footgear  for  hard  march 
ing.  Other  articles  were  eliminated  from  the  pile.  But  there  are  a 
few  things  to  which  a  soldier  will  stick  under  all  circumstances ;  they 
are  his  rubber  blanket,  his  half  of  a  shelter  tent,  his  Bible  or  Testa 
ment,  his  diary,  if  he  keeps  one,  pen,  ink,  some  paper,  and  several 
smaller  items  which  are  not  cumbersome,  such  as  combs,  pocket  look 
ing  glass,  small  case  of  thread  and  needles.  The  long  weary  march 
in  heat  and  dust  is  matter  of  history  and  is  well  described  in  other 
stories. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          533 

While  bivouacked  at  Occoquan  River  we  gave  our  money  to  our 
Chaplain  Stevens  to  take  home  for  us.  It  is  said  that  an  amount 
exceeding  $30,000  was  given  him  on  the  occasion,  a  fact  which  shows 
that  the  boys  placed  unlimited  confidence  in  their  Chaplain. 

We  remained  in  camp  at  Thoroughfare  Gap  until  the  morning 
of  the  25th.  Our  sojourn  in  that  nighborhood  is  one  of  the  few 
pleasant  memories  of  our  soldier  life.  The  scenery  of  the  place  is 
beautiful,  cherries  and  mulberries  were  abundant,  and  war,  ap 
parently,  had  not  laid  its  blighting  hand  on  everything  in  sight. 
Here  we  first  got  an  introduction  to  Col.  Edward  E.  Cross,  of  the 
5th  Regiment  New  Hampshire  Volunteers,  who  was  placed  in  com 
mand  of  our  Brigade.  His  demeanor  towards  our  Regiment  from 
the  beginning  did  not  impress  us  favorably. 

During  this  day's  march  an  incident  occurred  which  roused  the 
indignation  of  both  the  officers  and  privates  of  the  148th  Regiment 
to  the  highest  pitch.  Several  of  the  men  of  Company  G,  in  crossing  a 
small  stream,  caused  some  delay  in  some  way  or  other,  and  Colonel 
Cross,  our  brigade  commander,  seeing  the  transaction,  flew  into  a 
passion  and  struck  one  of  the  men  with  the  sword.  In  five  minutes 
every  man  in  the  Regiment  knew  of  the  act 

My  diary   entry  for  June  26th,   is   as  follows: 

"'We  resumed  our  march  7:00  A.  M.,  arriving  at  Edwards  Ferry 
on  the  Potomac  at  2  :00  p.  M.,  rested  here  until  the  wagon  trains 
had  crossed  on  the  pontoons;  we  crossed  at  midnight  and  camped 
in  Marvland.  It  rained  nearly  all  day;  distance  marched,  sixteen 
miles." 

On  the  north  side  of  the  Potomac  we  found  excellent  roads ;  it 
was  an  entirely  different  country  from  the  one  we  had  just  left; 
evidences  of  the  industry,  thrift  and  prosperity  of  the  people  ap- 
[>eared  on  all  sides ;  farms  in  fine  condition,  substantial  dwelling 
houses,  large  barns,  and  sleek  cattle  grazing  in  the  fields. 

On  the  29th  the  corps  resumed  its  march  at  8  :00  A.  M.,  and  pass 
ing  through  a  number  of  small  villages,  over  good  roads,  reached 
Uniontown  after  night,  having  made  a  record  breaking  march  of 
thirty-five  miles.  The  day  'happened  to  be  cool,  otherwise  it  would  not 
have  been  possible  to  make  such  a  distance.  Many  pleasant  incidents 
occurred  during  the  day  to  lighten  the  toil  and  severity  of  that  long 


534  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

march.  At  every  farm  house,  and  in  every  village,  along  our  routez 
the  people,  old  and  young,  stood  in  front  of  their  homes  with  buckets 
of  water,  baskets  with  bread,  cakes  and  otiher  eatables,  which  they 
distributed  among  the  boys  as  they  passed,  until  their  provisions 
were  all  gone,  meantime  speaking  words  of  welcome,  sympathy  and 
encouragement.  Such  demonstrations  we  had  not  been  accustomed  to 
farther  south  in  Dixie.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  straggling  that 
day ;  the  degree  of  endurance  of  individuals  varies,  of  course,  and 
it  is  only  the  most  hardy  that  will  be  able  to  make  such  a  march ;  the 
weaker  ones  will  fall  back,  and  on  that  occasion  not  more  than 
half  the  men  were  in  ranks  when  the  different  regiments  went  into 
bivouac.  But  the  stragglers  came  up  during  the  night.  Utterly 
worn  out  by  the  toilsome  march,  their  clothes  wet  from  perspiration. 
numbers  of  the  boys  simply  dropped  down  on  the  bare  ground,  as 
they  reached  the  place  of  bivouac,  pulled  a  rubber  blanket  or  a 
piece  of  a  shelter  tent  over  them,  and  fell  asleep  in  a.  moment,  with 
out  making  coffee  or  partaking  of  a  mouthful  of  food. 

The  night  having  been  quite  cool,  many  of  the  boys  caught  a 
severe  cold ;  and  they  would  have  been  in  a  poor  condition  to  resume 
the  march  the  following  morning,  but  fortunately  for  them,  the  Corps 
remained  in  camp  all  day.  I  was  sick. 

Our  next  destination  was  Gettysburg,  soon  to  become  famous  as 
the  scene  of  one  of  the  most  sanguinary  and  momentous  battles  of  the 
century.  Comrade  Xathaniel  Bierly  of  the  drum  corps,  carried  my 
gun  for  me,  for  which  act  of  kindness  I  felt  very  grateful.  Late  in 
the  afternoon  an  ambulance  passed  us  to  the  rear  with  the  corpse  of 
General  Reynolds.  On  the  route  we  passed  a  group  of  badly  fright 
ened  young  ladies  who  told  us  that  the  rebels  were  not  far  off,  and 
they  "hoped  to  God"  we  would  defeat  them !  It  was  dark  when  our 
Corps  went  into  bivouac,  in  line  of  battle,  across  the  Taneytown  road, 
within  several  miles  of  Gettysburg. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  July  2d,  after  a  rigid  inspection  of  our 
arms,  our  Corps  moved  forward  and  took  position  on  a  slightly  ele 
vated  ridge  about  midway  between  Cemetery  Hill,  north,  and  Little 
"Round  Top,  south,  facing  west. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          535 


The  Confederate  soldiers  had  been  living,  for  the  two 
previous,  on  the  "fat  of  the  land."  Their  march  north  was  made  by 
easy  stages,  and  they  were  in  excellent  fighting  trim.  On  our  side, 
there  would  have  been  some  excuse  for  discouragement;  our  recent 
reverses  and  the  frequent  change  of  commanders,  would  tend  to 
lessen  confidence.  Our  boys  had  made  toilsome  marches,  under  a 
broiling  sun,  just  on  the  eve  of  battle.  They  were  pale,  tired,  and  not 
in  a  fit  condition  physically  to  engage  in  a  prolonged  battle.  But  it 
was  imperative  that  our  Army  should  be  victorious;  defeat  would 
have  meant  tremendous  loss  to  the  cause  of  the  Union,  and  to  the  last 
ing  honor  of  our  brave  soldiers,  the  account  they  gave  of  themselves, 
during  those  momentous  days,  in  spite  of  these  depressing  influences 
was  magnificent.  It  wiped  from  Northern  soil  henceforth  forever 
the  rebel  horde,  and  changed  their  supercilious  sneer  into  a  look  of 
horror  and  dismay. 

All  day  we  lay  on  the  ground  in  the  hot  sun,  in  line  of  battle. 
Desultory  firing  011  skirmish  and  picket  lines,  cannonading  at  inter 
vals  in  order  to  develop  the  positions  of  the  opposing  sides,  troops 
moving  wherever  the  eye  could  see,  batteries  ranging  into  position, 
orderlies  and  aides  galloping  to  and  fro — these  were  the  events  and  the 
panoramic  scenes  preparatory  to  a  great  battle.  We  had  read  in  the 
papers  of  McClellan's  soldiers,  in  the  series  of 'battles  on  the  Penin 
sula,  lying  down  along  side  of  batteries  and  going  to  sleep  while  the 
roar  of  battle  went  on ;  this  seemed  incredible,  but  such  a  possibility 
was  verified  that  day  at  Gettysburg.  While  lying  in  the  hot  sun  in 
line  of  battle,  some  of  the  boys  slept,  though  shells  and  solid  shot 
came  crashing  into  our  midst. 

At  4 :00  P.  M.  a  large  body  of  troops  was  seen  to  advance  from  our 
left  across  the  fields  and  through  woods  in  the  direction  of  the  rebel 
lines.  The  corps  flag  showed  that  it  was  the  Third  Corps.  The 
long  lines  of  battle  went  forward  in  splendid  order,  the  right  of  the 
advancing  line  faced  west,  and  was  plainly  in  view;  the  left,  faced 
south,  but  that  part  of  the  line  was  not  visible  to  us.  This  position 
became  famous  as  the  "peach  orchard,"  in  the  history  of  the  battle. 
At  once  the  rebels  assailed  our  forces  there  with  tremendous  on 
slaught  both  of  cannon  and  musketry.  The  conflict  was  most  desper- 


556  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

ate  for  a  brief  time,  the  smoke  from  the  batteries  rose  in  huge  vol- 
umns  like  heavy  summer  clouds,  enveloping  the  combatants  and  ob 
scuring  the  sun.  It  was  a  magnificent  spectacle.  All  at  once  order 
lies  came  dashing  along  our  lines,  and  we  said,  "JSTow,  look  out,  we'll 
get  into  that,  too."  Our  conjecture  was  correct.  General  Sickles 
had  called  for  re-enforcements.  Our  Division,  commanded  by  Gen 
eral  C  aid  well,  was  quickly  formed  in  position  to  move,  in  columns  by 
brigades.  The  Irish  Brigade,  which  belonged  to  the  Division,  was 
first  assembled  in  solid  mass  and  their  Chaplain,  or  Priest,  performed 
some  religious  ceremony  of  a  few  minutes  duration,  while  the  men 
stood,  undisturbed  by  bursting  shells,  with  bowed  heads  in  reverent 
silence.  Then  the  whole  Division  was  marched  off  at  a  "double 
quick'7  across  fields  and  through  patches  of  woods  in  the  direction  of 
the  conflict.  It  was  a  most  exhausting  run  of  three-fourths  of  a  mile. 
Having  reached  the  "wheat  field,"  the  troops  were  halted  for  a  few 
minutes  and  the  lines  were  straightened  up  for  action.  This  field 
slopes  to  the  southwest,  and  was  bordered  on  the  south  and  west  by 
woods.  Along  the  farther  half  of  the*  south  side  was  a  stone  fence, 
which  the  rebels  already  held,  and  the  woods  to  the  left  beyond,  and 
came  in  swarming  on  the  west  side.  Our  Brigade  occupied  about  the 
breadth  of  the  field,  and  moved  forward  diagonally  in  the  direction 
of  the  southwest  corner  of  the  field,  and  as  we  advanced  the  rebel 
bullets  began  to  reach  our  lines.  We  were  the  first  troops  to  cross  the 
field,  and  the  yellow  grain  was  still  standing.  I  noticed  how  the  ears 
of  wheat  flew  in  the  air  all  over  the  field  as  they  were  cut  off  by  the 
enemy's  bullets. 

We  reserved  our  fire  because  it  would  have  been  useless  to  shoot 
at  such  a  distance  when  the  rebels  were  well  protected  by  the  stone 
fence,  trees  and  rocks.  Comrade  William  C.  Meyer  shot  at  a  fright 
ened  rabbit  which  scurried  along,  our  front;  he  thought  of  the  im 
poverished  condition  of  his  haversack  and  could  not  allow  this  oppor 
tunity  to  replenish  it  pass  by  unimproved,  though  rebel  bullets 
whizzed  around  his  head.  I  looked  back  and  saw  Colonel  Cross,  our 
brigade  commander,  following  down  the  slope,  waving  his  sword. 
He  had  tied  around  his  head  a  black  cloth  and  had  then  been 
wounded ;  a  [moment  later,  he  received  another  shot  which  proved 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          537 

fatal.  In  consequence  of  the  oblique  direction  of  our  advance,  our 
company  reached  the  stone  fence  while  the  men  on  our  right  were 
,  still  in  the  field,  and  the  rebels  continued  firing  into  the  right  of  our 
line  until  we  leaped  on  the  wall  and  took  them  in  flank.  I  remember 
having  put  a  double  portion  of  powder  in  the  gun  barrel  the  first 
load,  and  as  I  got  on  the  other  side  of  the  fence,  I  took  aim  at  one 
of  the  rebel's  not  over  two  rods  away,  expecting  to  shoot  him  clean 
through  the  body  and  also  hit  with  the  same  ball  his  comrade  on  the 
other  side  of  him.  But  just  as  I  was  pressing  the  trigger,  the 
Johnnies  waved  their  handkerchiefs  in  token  of  surrender,  and  I 
desisted  with  some  regret. 

Here  the  battle  opened  with  great  energy.  Being  too  much 
crowded,  a  number  of  us  from  the  right  of  our  company,  advanced 
in  front  of  the  line  about  a  rod  and  lay  down  and  began 
to  fire  on  the  rebels  in  front  in  the  woods.  Thick  smoke  soon  covered 
the  scene,  ibut  lying  on  the  ground,  we  had  a  better  view  than  stand 
ing.  Most  of  the  boys  in  our  rear,  lay  down,  too,  and  fired  so  close 
to  our  heads  that  the  powder  burned  our  faces.  I  watched  the  rebels 
as  they  moved  from  tree  to  tree,  and  shot  at  several  with  steady 
aim ;  whether  any  were  hit,  I  could  not  tell. 

Men  in  battle  will  act  very  differently ;  some  become  greatly 
excited,  others  remain  perfectlv  cool.  One  of  the  boys  in  my  rear 
was  sitting  flat  on  the  ground  and  discharging  his  piece  in  the  air  ai 
an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  as  fast  as  he  could  load. 

"Why  do  you  shoot  in  the  air?"  I  asked. 

uTo  scare  'em,"  he  replied. 

He  was  a  pious  young  man,  and  the  true  reason  why  he  did  not 
shoot  at  the  enemy  direct,  was  because  of  his  conscientious  scruples 
on  the  subject.  What  struck  me  as  being  peculiar  was  that  some 
of  the  boys  swore  energetically,  who  never  before  were  heard  to  utter 
an  oath. 

In  battle  one  fails  to  take  a  correct  note  of  the  flight  of  time ; 
to  me  it  seemed  we  had  'been  engaged  only  about  half  an  hour;  it 
really  was  almost  two  hours.  Intent  on  watching  the  Johnnies  who 
dodged  behind  rocks  and  trees  in  my  front,  I  failed  to  notice  our 
Regiment  withdrawing.  The  fire  in  my  rear  having  ceased,  I  looked 


538  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

around  and  observed  that  the  boys  had  left.  Going  back  to  the  stone 
fonce,  I  saw  Comrade  Jacob  Lanioh  lying  dead,  being  shot  through 
the  head  from  ear  to  ear.  Sergt.  G.  W.  Leitzell  was  shot  through 
the  knee ;  he  asked  me  to  assist  him  off  the  field.  I  got  him  on  his 
feet,  but  was  too  weak  myself  to  be  of  much  service  to  him,  and  he 
requested  me  to  lay  him  down.  I  then  gave  him  my  canteen  which 
was  filled  with  water  in  exchange  for  his,  which  was  empty.  Half 
an  hour  later  he  was  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  All  the  rest  of  the 
wounded  of  our  company  got  back  into  our  lines  that  evening. 

I  joined  the  troops  which  had  relieved  our  Regiment  and  ad 
vanced  with  them  in  the  direction  of  the  western  border  of  the  field, 
not  knowing  then  where  our  men  had  gone.  Then  I  started  for  the 
rear,  passing  along  the  south  side  of  the  wheat  field ;  here  were  lying 
many  of  our  wounded  boys,  among  them  a  number  of  Company  B. 
The  troops  that  had  relieved  our  Brigade,  part  of  the  Fifth  Corps, 
were  driven  back,  and  our  wounded  still  remaining  on  the  field, 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  that  evening.  Later  on,  however, 
by  the  varying  fortunes  of  the  battle,  they  again  found  themselves 
within  our  lines.  On  my  way  back,  I  caught  up  with  Comrade 
Manasses  Gilbert,  who  had  received  a  wound  in  the  shoulder-blade, 
and  was  quite  weak,  being  hardly  able  to  walk.  Together  we  reached 
the  northern  slope  of  Little  Round  Top,  where  Comrade  Gilbert  sat 
down  leaning  against  a  tree,  being  too  weak  to  proceed  any  farther.  He 
desired  me  to  fetch  him  some  water,  and  as  I  proceeded,  I  met  the 
head  of  a  column  of  troops  coming  up,  part  of  the  Sixth  Corps,  which, 
one  of  their  men  told  me,  had  just  arrived  on  the  field  after  a  march 
that  day  of  some  thirty  miles.  They  went  right  into  action. 

The  sun  was  just  sinking  behind  the  western  hills  in  a  cloud  of 
sulphurous  smoke,  but  the  battle  increased  in  fury  and  the  deafening 
tumult  seemed  to  surge  rapidly  towards  our  line  along  Little  Round 
Top.  I  found  a  small  spring  back  of  our  lines  some  distance ;  there 
were  a  number  of  rebel  prisoners  at  the  place.  When  I  returned  to 
the  slope  of  Little  Round  Top,  it  was  already  dark  and  the  place 
was  crowded  with  soldiers.  I  was  unable  to  find  Comrade  Gilbert. 
Exhausted  and  sick,  I  lay  by  the  side  of  a  huge  boulder,  not  caring 
vc-rv  much  whether  I  should  rise  again  or  not.  All  night  long  were 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          539 

heard  the  monotonous  tramp  of  moving  troops,  the  low  rumble  of  the 
wheels  of  the  ambulances,  the  ammunition  and  supply  trains,  and  the 
artillery  over  the  stony  roads.  The  sharp  command  of  the  officers, 
the  curses  of  the  teamsters  heard  above  the  murmur  of  many  voices, 
the  groans  of  the  wounded  and  dying  made  a  medley  of  weird 
and  discordant  sounds. 

At  early  dawn  the  following  day,  July  3d,  the  battle  opened 
with  crash  of  musketry  and  thunder  of  cannon  at  our  right,  and 
continued  with  unabated  fury  until  eleven  o'clock.  The  significance 
of  the  struggle  we  could  not  understand  at  the  time,  yet  it  was  evi 
dent  our  men  were  driving  the  rebels,  for  the  sound  of  the  strife  was 
steadily  receding.  It  was  the  assault  of  the  Twelfth  Corps  to  recover 
the  entrenchments  on  Gulps  Hill  which  its  troops  had  abandoned, 
in  part,  the  day  before,  to  re-enforce  Sickles  on  our  left,  if  necessary. 
•  Our  Division  had  resumed  its  former  position  in  our  regular 
line  of  battle  between  Cemetery  Hill  and  Little  Round  Top ;  breast 
works  of  fence  rails,  with  ground  heaped  against  them,  were  hastily 
constructed.  The  enemy  would  soon  again  strike  somewhere,  but  it 
was  not  certain  what  part  of  the  line  would  receive  the  blow.  On 
our  left,  their  success,  slight  as  it  had  been,  was  purchased  at  too 
great  a  sacrifice;  on  our  right  they  had  just  been  driven  out  of 
entrenchments  which  had  fallen  into  their  hands  while  our  troops 
had  abandoned  them  and  gone  to  another  part  of  the  field.  The 
tide  of  battle  seemed  to  be  turning. 

At  1 :00  P.  M.  in  response  to  signal  guns  fired  by  them  the 
rebels  opened  upon  us  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  guns  and  with 
terrific  roar  belched  forth  a  storm  of  shot  and  shell  into  our  lines. 
Seminary  Ridge,  on  which  their  batteries  were  placed,  appeared  to 
be  a  volcano  emitting  smoke  and  flame.  Our  lines  being  more  con 
tracted,  not  more  than  eighty  guns  could  be  put  in  position,  these 
reserved  their  fire  for  a  short  time,  and  it  is  said  the  enemy  were 
under  the  impression  they  had  knocked  our  batteries  to  pieces.  For 
some  reason  or  other,  the  rebel  batteries  failed  to  get  a  proper  range 
of  our  lines,  as  the  greater  number  of  their  shells  passed  over  us. 
In  due  time  our  guns  opened  and  the  deafening  roar  increased,  and 
continued  without  abatement  for  two  hours.  It  was  sublime.  The 


540  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

heaviest  peal  of  thunder  is  as  nothing  compared  to  the  roar  of  the 
artillery.  It  is  not  hyperbole  to- say  that  the  earth  trembled ;  it 
was  literally  true.  The  air  seemed  full  of  hissing,  screaming  iron 
missiles;  shells  bursting  high  in  air  emitting  lurid  flame,  the  frag 
ments  coming  down  with  discordant  hiss  and  screa-m.  When  a  shell 
bursts  in  the  air,  it  leaves  a  globular  puff  of  smoke  which  retains  its 
form  for  several  moments ;  the  air  was  filled  with  these  balls  of  white 
smoke.  On  the  right  of  us,  toward  Cemetery  Ridge,  the  point 
whither  the  rebel  fire  was  concentrated,  ten  or  twelve  of  our  caissons 
blew  up,  one  after  another,  increasing  the  volume  of  the  roar  of 
battle.  The  loss  of  life  in  our  lines  wras  small,  but  such  a  storm  of 
shot  and  shell  produces  a  demoralizing  effect,  A  shell  passing  fifty 
feet  overhead  will  cause  one  to  "duck,"  or  hug  the  earth  more  closely 
when  lying  flat  on  the  ground  ;  it  is  the  horrid  noise,  and  the  con 
sciousness  of  the  fearful  effect  of  a  shell  when  it  hits  that  strikes 
terror  into  the  soul.  A  mere  skirmish  with  muskets  might  have 
resulted  in  a  greater  number  of  casualties.  General  Hancock,  know 
ing  that  an  infantry  charge  would  follow  this  furious  cannonade, 
and  in  order  to  prevent  any  inception  of  panic  among  his  men, 
rode  along  the  whole  extent  of  his  line,  accompanied  by  several  of  his 
staff,  while  the  cannonade  was  at  its  most  furious  stage.  The  men 
lying  down  and  hugging  the  ground,  were  inspired  with  new  courage 
at  the  sight  of  their  leader  riding  leisurely  along  their  front,  his 
countenance  and  manner  not  exhibiting  the  least  sign  of  fear. 

The  fire  ceased  on  the  part  of  the  rebels  and  then  came  Pickett's 
Division,  with  its  supports  on  either  flank,  in  deep  columns,  and 
magnificent  array,  across  the  plain  direct  for  our  line.  But  the 
story  is  familiar  to  every  school  boy — how  our  batteries  tore  wide 
gaps  through  their  advancing  ranks,  how  a  few  of  them,  led  by 
General  Armistead,  succeeding  in  penetrating  our  line  at  one  point^- 
a  spot  now  designated  as  the  "High  Water  Mark  of  the  Rebellion," 
how  they  were  finally  repulsed  leaving  two-thirds  of  their  fifteen 
thousand  men  on  the  field  dead,  wounded  or  prisoners.  All  the 
field  officers  of  Pickett's  Division  were  either  killed  or  wounded, 
except  one,  Col.  U.  R.  Aylett  of  the  53d  Virginia.  On  their  right 
a  mass  of  the  enemy,  during  the  wild  melee  of  battle,  started  to 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          541 

come  into  our  lines,  when  a  Confederate  officer,  on  a  white  horse, 
galloped  in  front  of  them  and  succeeded  in  turning  them  back.  Our 
loss  was  comparatively  light;  theirs  was  heavy.  The  slaughter  of 
our  troops  in  front  of  Marye  Heights,  a  few  months  before,  was 
fully  avenged.  Prisoners  coming  in  swore  at  their  officers  for  mak 
ing  them  believe  they  were  charging  on  Pennsylvania  militia.  On 
our  side  the  fiction  had  been  circulated  that  a  strong  force  of  militia 
under  General  McClellan  was  near  at  hand,  and  would  support  us. 
We  cast  our  eyes  toward  the  eastern  hills  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  their 
advancing  banners,  but  were  disappointed. 

Incidents  sufficient  to  fill  a  volume  could  be  gathered.  One 
of  the  Confederate  prisoners  with  both  eyes  shot  out  was  led  into 
our  lines,  crying  bitterly.  A  Confederate  officer  related  that  the 
most  pitiful  spectacle  he  ever  beheld  was  that  presented  by  some 
officer  in  their  division  (Pickett's),  sitting  with  his  back  to  the  fence 
along  the  Emmittsburg  road,  having  his  lower  jaw  shot  clean  away ; 
sitting  there  with  staring  eye  watching  the  men  as  they  passed  by  to 
the  charge.  The  conflict  was  over  in  that  part  of  the  field,  as  a 
certain  officer  of  the  rebel  Army,  who  viewed  the  battle  from  the 
cupola  of  the  Lutheran  Seminary,  said :  "When  the  smoke  of  battle 
lifted,  Pickett's  Division  had  melted  away ;  a  few  scattered,  disorgan 
ized  remnants  were  left  on  the  field  and  drifted  back  to  their  own 
line." 

Our  Regiment  suffered  only  a  few  casualties,  being  too  far  to 
the  left  of  the  point  of  attack  to  become  seriously  involved  in  the 
contest. 

A  heavy  thunderstorm  burst  over  the  field  in  the  evening,  add 
ing  to  the  discomforts  of  the  situation.  From  frequent  rains  and 
copious  perspi ration  produced  by  toilsome  marches,  the  boys'  clothes 
never  got  dry  from  the  time  they  left  Thoroughfare  Gap,  June  25th; 
until  several  days  after  the  battle  at  Gettysburg.  The  4th  of  July 
was  celebrated  by  burying  the  dead  and  removing  the  wounded  from 
the  field.  In  our  front  there  was  no  fighting  that  day  except  an  oc 
casional  shot  on  the  picket  line,  and  the  throwing  of  a  few  shells 
now  and  then.  There  were  also  heavy  showers  on  the  4th.  Not 
expecting  an  immediate  attack  from  the  enemy  in  our  front,  the  boys 


542  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

had  an  opportunity  to  explore  the  ground  in  their  vicinity  and  view 
the  effects  of  the  conflict.  The  plain  in  our  front  was  strewn  with 
dead  soldiers  and  dead  horses.  Hats,  haversacks,  canteens,  accoutre 
ments,  shells,  solid  shot,  and  muskets,  wrecked  gun  carriages,  and  all 
the  debris  of  great  battle  were  scattered  in  promiscuous  confusion 
over  field  and  in  the  woods.  The  ground  was  torn  up  in  deep  fur 
rows  by  the  enemy's  solid  shot  and  shell.  I  noticed  one  point  where 
three  such  furrows  had  crossed  each  other,  one  having  been  made  by 
a  ball  coming  from  the  northwest,  one  from  the  west,  and  one  from 
the  southwest,  showing  how  the  fire  was  concentrated  on  that  part  of 
our  line. 

I  pitied  the  poor  wounded  horses  dragging  themselves  about  the 
field,  trying  to  nibble  a  tuft  of  grass  here  and  there  not  trampled  into 
the  ground.  I  noticed  the  day  'before  with  wha.t  patience,  almost 
human,  the  battery  horses  hitched  to  the  caissons,  endured  the  storm 
of  iron  missiles  hurled  over  and  amongst  them.  One  after  another 
the  dumb  brutes  dropped  to  the  ground,  but  none  attempted  to 
break  away.  Corporal  S.  M.  Spangler  of  our  company  was  put  in 
command  of  a  detail  to  shoot  the  wounded  horses  in  that  part  of  the 
field. 

Every  house,  barn,  shed  or  building  whatsoever,  was  crowded 
with  wounded  and  dying  soldiers.  In  one  of  these  crowded  sheds 
near  General  Doubleday's  headquarters,  I  noticed  a  young  boy,  who 
was  badly  wounded,  trying,  in  his  delirium,  to  creep  through  .an 
opening  in  the  side  of  the  shed,  moaning  and  crying  in  piteous  tones. 
The  first  few  days,  the  wounded  suffered  greatly  for  want  of  food, 
water,  nursing  and  proper  medical  attendance,  for  sufficient  supplies 
and  assistance  could  not  be  brought  to  the  field  in  a  moment.  Sev 
eral  hundred  steps  to  the  rear  of  our  Kegiment  was  a  small 
dwelling  house  with  some  outbuildings.  These  were  crowded  with 
wounded  soldiers.  A  small  orchard  of  about  an  acre  in  extent, 
near  by,  was  literally  covered  with  the  dead ;  they  presented  a 
ghastly  sight,  some  being  covered  with  rubber  blankets,  or  parts  of 
shelter  tents,  lying  there  in  the  rain  and  mud.  Close  by  was  a 
small  spring  in  a  swampy  place  where  the  boys  used  to  get  their 
water  while  occupying  their  position  in  that  part  of  the  field.  During 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          543 

the  rain,  surface  water  carried  blood  from  the  field  into  the  spring, 
but  water  being  scarce  in  the  locality,  the  boys  were  obliged  to 
fill  their  canteens  with  the  tainted  liquid.  In  front  of  the  house 
just  mentioned  was  buried  General  Barksdale  of  Mississippi,  who 
fell  mortally  wounded  on  the  2d.  Comrade  Win.  C.  Meyer  saw 
him  soon  after  he  was  brought  into  our  lines ;  he  had  cut  off  a  fringe 
of  gold  lace  from  the  General's  coat  collar,  which  he  showed  us. 
He  also  told  us  about  the  remark  the  General  had  made  before  he 
died,  now  famous  in  history,  "Tell  my  wife  I  am  shot,  but  we 
fought  like  hell."  Sometime  after  the  battle  his  remains  were  ex 
humed  and  taken  to  his  people. 

The  members  of  Company  xV  wounded  as  reported  in  company 
records,  July  2d  at  the  wheat  field,  were:  John  Weight,  fatallyt; 
Sergt.  Elias  Mingle,  fatally;  Matthias  Guiser,  knee;  Israel  Otto, 
slight  scalp  wound;  Charles  Bierly,  leg;  Charles  W.  Weiser;  Fred 
erick  Limbert,  G.  W.  Leitzell,  knee ;  Manasses  Gilbert.  Killed  :  Jacob 
Lanich  and  Aaron  Miller.  Wounded  on  the  skirmish  line,  July  3d, 
Adam  Boyer,  severely;  Amos  Erhard  and  Geo.  M.  Rupp,  slightly, 
Geo.  Corman  was  stunned  by  a  shell  in  the  wheat  field  and  was  taken 
prisoner.  As  already  stated  Colonel  Cross,  who  commanded  our 
Brigade,  was  wounded  twice,  in  quick  succession,  the  last  time  fatally. 
On  the  5th  our  skirmish  line  advanced  across  the  position  of  the 
enemy,  and  met  only  a  few  pickets ;  their  army  had  retreated.  Some 
of  our  troops,  the  Sixth  Corps,  followed  them;  our  Corps  moved 
down  the  Baltimore  Pike  four  or  five  miles  and  went  into  camp  for 
the  night.  We  had  left  the  gory  field  without  getting  a  sight  of  the 
town  of  Gettysburg.  News  of  the  capture  of  Vicksburg  and  the 
surrender  of  Pemberton's  Army  there,  caused  great  rejoicing  in  our 
Army. 

Remained  in  camp  July  6th,  July  7th  marched  about  ten  miles, 
and  July  8th  we  marched  twenty  miles  and  went  into  camp  near 
Frederick  City,  Maryland.  But  to  note  all  the  places  we  passed 
through  and  all  the  minor  incidents  on  our  way  back  to  and  acros? 
the  Potomac  would  not  be  of  great  interest, 

We  saw  Lee's  Army  successfully  recross  the  Potomac  at  Wil- 
liamsport,  what  was  left  of  it,  on  the  14th;  with  the  exception  of  a 


544  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

small  body  of  rear  guard  that  fell  into  our  hands.  Thence  we 
marched  down  the  left  bank  of  the  Potomac,  crossing  a  part  of  the 
Antietam  battlefield  on  the  way,  and  went  into  camp  at  Harper's 
Ferry,  at  which  point  the  Second  Corps  crossed  into  Virginia,  July 
18th.  Although  we  exulted  over  a  great  victory  won  on  Pennsyl 
vania  soil,  and  rejoiced  over  General  Grant's  success  at  Vicksburg. 
yet  our  return  to  the  sand  and  mud  of  Virginia,  and  the  prospect  of 
again  fighting  over  territory  so  often  fought  over  before,  was  quite 
dispiriting.  The  long  and  toilsome  marches  of  the  campaign  which 
culminated  at  Gettysburg,  the  excessive  heat,  the  mental  and  physi 
cal  strain  of  the  battle,  were  exhausting  to  the  boys  in  the  extreme. 
They  were  emaciated,  weak,  and  many  were  unable  to  carry  muskets, 
myself  bring  one  of  the  latter,  until  we  advanced  in  line  of  battle 
on  the  rebel  works  at  Williamsport,  there  I  picked  up  a  gun  belong 
ing  to  one  of  our  men  who  went  home  "without  a  pass."  Comrade 
Thos.  E.  Boyer  was  another  of  those  emaciated  fellows ;  he  possessed 
hardly  sufficient  corporeal  density  to  cast  a  shadow.  Some  one  mali 
ciously  remarked  that  his  inherited  perversity,  strengthened  by 
years  of  practice,  was  the  reason  why  he  did  not  lie  down  and  permit 
himself  to  be  buried.  He  owed  his  recovery  to  an  almost  exclusive 
diet  on  blackberries  of  which  there  was  an  abundance  all  along  our 
i cute.  For  certain  complaints  there  was  more  medicinal  virtue  in 
blackberries  than  in  a  ton  of  drugs,  and  scores  of  soldiers  could 
testify  to  the  fact. 

July  18th,  our  corps  bivouacked  in  Loudon  Valley.  Col.  Jas.  A. 
Beaver  came  back  to  the  Regiment,  and  was  placed  in  command  of 
our  Brigade  the  following  day.  Our  progress  southward  was  slow^ 
keeping  pace  with  the  Confederate  Army  which  moved  in  the  same 
direction  west  of  the  mountains.  Some  of  our  troops  made  excur 
sions  into  the  gaps;  Ashley's  on  the  22d,  and  Manassas  on  the  23d. 
July  28th  Col.  Nelson  A.  Miles  was  put  in  command  of  our  Brigade. 
As  we  moved  forward  it  was  rumored  in  the  ranks,  that  our  destina 
tion  was  Morrisville.  The  prospect  of  camping  near  a  town  was 
pleasing  to  the  boys;  it  would  be  a  slight  change  in  the  monotony 
of  camp  life.  July  31st  we  arrived  in  the  vicinity  of  the  place 
we  longed  to  see,  but  were  somewhat  disappointed  in  finding  nothing 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEER*          545 

more  in  the  form  of  a  town  than  three  brick  chimneys,  the  houses 
having  been  burned  to  the  ground  at  an  earlier  period  of  the  War. 
According  to  the  prevailing  style  of  Virginian  architecture  the 
chimney  is  an  institution  by  itself,  standing  on  its  own  bottom,  as 
it  were,  and  the  house  built  against  it,  so  that  the  house  may  burn 
to  the  iitf'iind  while  the  chimney  proudly  and  defiantly  survives  the 
elemental  scourge  of  fire.  But  our  stay  in  the  place,  which  con 
tinued  until  about  the  middle  of  September,  was  pleasant.  The  heat 
during  the  time  we  lay  at  Morrisville  -was  excessive.  August  3d  the 
boys  received  two  months'  pay,  $26.00.  The  President  appointed 
August  6th,  as  a  Thanksgiving  day,  and  our  Brigade  assembled  in 
a  grove  near  camp,  and  duly  observed  the  day  by  appropriate  religious 
services,  the  Chaplain  of  the  81st  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers  officiating.  This  preacher  frequently  held  services  in  our  Regi 
ment,  no  doubt  "exchanging  pulpits"  with  our  own  Chaplain.  Tt  would 
be  proper  to  state  that  our  Chaplain  held  divine  service^  regnlarty 
every  Sunday  when  we  lay  in  camp  and  the  weather  was  propitious. 
The  Chaplains  certainly  did  a  good  work  among  the  men.  Besides 
their  attendance  to  their  purely  religious  services  they  visited  the 
sick,  wrote  letters  for  them  to  their  friends,  if  desired,  and  supplied 
all  at  times  with  religious  tracts  and  papers.  The  boys  sometimes, 
before  going  into  a  battle,  made  the  Chaplain  the  depository  of  their 
money,  aggregating  large  amounts. 

August  18th  our  Brigade  marched  in  the  direction  of  Falmouth, 
within  seven  miles  of  that  town  for  the  purpose  of  securing  a  lot  of 
telegraph  poles.  These  were  cut  near  Hartford  Church,  thence  the 
command  returned  to  Grove  Church  and  camped  there  for  the  night. 
A  number  of  the  Company  A  boys  reposed  for  the  night  in  the 
cemetery,  making  use  of  the  grassy  mounds  over  the  graves  as  pillows, 
fearing  less  the  dead  under  ground  than  the  prowing  guerrillas  on 
top  of  the  ground.  The  march  the  day  previous  had  been  quite 
severe,  having  covered  a  distance  of  twenty  miles.  Nevertheless,  we 
enjoyed  the  trip;  there  was  an  abundance  of  green  corn,  and  at  the- 
midday  hour  the  gratefiil,  inspiring  aroma  of  roasting  corn  ears 
arose  from  innumerable  little  fires,  and  floated  like  sweet  incense 
on  the  gentle  breeze  through  the  bushy  tops  of  pine  and  cedar. 


546  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

August  31st  forty  rounds  of  cartridges  were  issued  and  two 
days7  rations,  and  our  Corps  moved  forward  to  Hartford  Church, 
thence  to  United  States  Ford  on  the  Rappahannock ;  distance,  twenty 
miles.  Our  Regiment  did  picket  duty  at  Richardson's  Ford,  near 
the  other  ford  above  named  and  had  a  skirmish  with  the  rebel 
cavalry.  On  September  4th  our  Division  returned  to  Morris- 
ville.  It  used  to  be  said  that  the  Second  Corps  was  called  on 
more  frequently  than  any  other  corps  in  the  Army  to  perform  such 
expeditionary  services ;  'at  any  rate,  the  Corps  had  been  acquiring  an 
enviable  reputation  as  the  "Foot  cavalry  of  the  Army  of  the  Po 
tomac."  Jackson's  Corps  of  the  Confederate  Army  had  achieved 
;.!  similar  fame  as  the  "Foot  cavalry  of  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia," 

Frequent  changes  of  position  were  now  made;  from  Morrisville 
(12th)  to  Bealton  Station;  thence  to  Rappahannock  Station;  thence, 
next  day,  to  Brandy  Station,  on  to  Culpeper  and  some  distance 
beyond.  We  lay  also,  several  days  near  Rapidan  Station.  Sep^ember 
23d  the  paymaster  made  his  appearance  and  left  with  the  boys  two 
months'  pay.  On  the  24th  our  Regiment  was  transferred  from  the 
First  Brigade  to  the  Third  Brigade.  October  2d  our  Division  was 
formed  to  witness  the  execution  of  a  deserter  of  the  66th  New  York. 
On  the  '6th  our  Division  went  into  camp  north  of  Culpeper  about 
two  miles,  later  the  other  two  Divisions  of  our  Corps  assembled  at 
the  same  place;  in  fact  the  whole  Army  of  the  Potomac,  except  one 
corps,  was  then  in  camp  about  Culpeper.  The  place  was  delight- 
fv.l ;  we  went  about  with  alacrity  fixing  up  our  quarters  and  making 
ourselves  comfortable.  We  felt  an  impulse  to  build  our  "tabernacles" 
for  a  prolonged  sojourn,  but  Lee  was  just  then  planning  for  us  other 
and  more  lively  diversions.  On  the  10th  our  Corps  formed  in  line 
of  battle  two  miles  west  of  Culpeper,  General  Warren  in  command. 
The  Third  Corps  had  been  driven  back  some  distance.  Evidently 
there  was  an  important  move  in  progress.  At  two  o'clock  on  the 
night  of  the  llth,  we  began  a  retrograde  movement,  crossing  the 
Rappahannock  and  going  into  camp  at  Bealton  Station ;  recrossing 
the  Rappahannock  the  following  day,  and  advancing,  in  line  of 
battle,  toward  Brandy  Station.  We  anticipated  a  battle  as  the  rebels 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          547 

were  in  front  of  us  at  no  great  distance.  The  boys  seemed  slightly 
amused  at  Captain  Forster  exhorting  us,  as  we  slowly  moved  for 
ward,  to  be  brave  and  stand  up  to  our  work.  We  considered  our 
selves  advanced  far  beyond  that  stage  in  our  military  experience 
where  such  exhortations  were  necessary. 

At  midnight  we  crossed  the  river  for  the  third  time  and  marched 
northward.  It  was  now  supposed  that  Lee  was  trying  to  get  into  our 
rear  to  cut  off  our  base  of  supplies,  or  perhaps  to  make  a  dash  for 
Washington.  At  any  rate,  he  gave  us  such  a  race  as  we  seldom 
experienced  before.  As  already  stated,  our  march  began  at  midnight, 
and  it  was  continued  without  any  interruption,  hardly,  for  eighteen 
hours,  until  6:00  p.  M.  on  the  13th,  when  the  Corps  went  into 
bivouac  near  Auburn  Mills,  in  a  piece  of  woods,  having  made  one 
or  two  short  counter-marches,  making  altogether  thirty  miles  for  the 
day.  It  was  a  severe  strain  on  our  physical  endurance;  our  legs 
seemed  like  sticks  of  wood  without  feeling,  and  moving  automatically. 
On  this  occasion  it  was  demonstrated  to  our  entire  satisfaction  that 
a  person  may  fall  asleep  while  walking — to  be  rudely  awakened  when 
stumbling  to  the  ground.  As  we  went  into  camp,  our  officers  cau 
tioned  us  to  maintain  silence,  and,  if  I  remember  correctly,  no  fires 
were  lighted.  It  was  evident  that  the  enemy  was  in  close  proximity 
to  our  camp.  The  Second  Corps  bringing  up  the  rear  of  the  Army, 
a  position  in  the  line  of  march  of  a  retreating  Army  fraught  with 
great  danger. 

On  the  14th  our  march  was  resumed  quite  early ;  and  the  opera 
tions  of  the  day  included  the  affairs  of  Auburn  and  Bristoe  Station, 
which  are  described  in  other  stories. 

Directly  in  front  of  our  line  at  Bristoe  extended  a  patch  of 
woods,  close  up  to  the  railroad ;  the  rebels  had  occupied  those  woods, 
and  some  of  their  wounded  must  have  been  left  there.  We  heard  the 
piteous  tones  of  a  young  boy  calling  by  name  one  of  his  comradeb, 
or  a  brother,  for  help.  For  half  an  hour  we  heard  the  wailing  cry 
of  the  poor  fellow,  when  the  voice  grew  fainter  and  finally  ceased, 
whether  in  death  or  whether  assistance  came  to  the  boy,  we  knew  not. 
We  left  Bristoe  soon  after  dark ;  proceeding  some  distance  be 
yond,  we  crossed  a  shallow  stream,  Broad  Run,  which  had  a  very 


548  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

steep  bank  on  the  side  we  emerged  from  the  stream.  The  steep  slope 
was  tramped  hard  and  smooth  by  many  thousands  of  feet,  and  the 
wet  soles  of  the  shoes  finally  made  the  place  slippery  as  an  eel.  It 
was,  therefore,  almost  impossible  to  ascend  the  steep  hill ;  some  tried 
to  climb  up  on  their  hands  and  feet,  and  if  one  succeeded  in  reaching 
the  top — almost — others  would  grab  him  from  behind  in  order  to 
pull  themselves  along,  when  the  whole  bunch  would  slide  back  into 
the  stream  again.  Some  of  the  boys  fixed  bayonets,  thrust  them  into 
the  ground  and  propelled  themselves  along  in  that  manner.  All 
this  struggle  was  going  on  in  almost  inky  darkness;  the  "cursory" 
remarks  accompanying  the  same  would  not  look  well  in  print.  All 
night  the  weary  tramp  continued  and  in  the  morning  the  Division 
came  up  with  the  rest  of  the  Army  on  the  Banks  of  Bull  Run. 

Right  here  I  desire  to  interpolate  a  brief  dissertation  on  the 
subject  of  the  army  straggler,  a  personage  of  importance,  numer- 
cially,  at  least,  and  therefore,  entitled  to  some  consideration  on  the 
part  of  the  historian.  It  certainly  seems  not  inappropriate  that  in 
a  volume  variegated  with  such  subjects  as  the  "Colonel"s  Story,"  the 
"Lieutenant  Colonel's,"  the  "Major's,"  and  so  on  down  the  intermin 
able  list,  the  straggler,  also,  may  be  heard  from.  In  the  first  place,  let 
it  be  remembered  that  the  straggler  is  not  always  such  from  choice, 
but  his  position  at  the  rear  of  the  Army,  his  go-as-you-please  gait^his 
utter  disregard  of  all  military  regulations  as  to  marching,  are  often 
enforced  by  circumstances  over  which  he  has  no  control.  His  feet 
may  be  sore  from  continuous  marching,  or  his  legs  tired;  he  may 
be  worn  out  physically,  or  he  may  be  sick,  these  are  some  of  the 
causes  of  straggling.  During  long,  toilsome  inarches  the  army  of 
stragglers  may  become  quite  numerous,  too  numerous  for  the  effi 
ciency  of  the  corps.  This  was  the  case  in  the  movement  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac  to  Gettysburg;  thousands  of  soldiers  who  were  in 
ranks  when  the  several  corps  left  Stafford  Heights,  near  Fredericks- 
burg,  never  reached  Gettysburg  to  participate  in  the  battle.  When 
the  Second  Corps  went  into  bivouac  near  Uniontown,  Maryland, 
after  that  thirty-five  mile  march,  not  much  more  than  half  the  men 
were  present  to  stack  arms — 'the  balance  coming  in  during  all  hours 
of  the  night.  Other  instances  could  be  mentioned.  Of  course,  the 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          549 

officers  did  all  in  their  power  to  prevent  straggling,  but  when  men 
are  no  longer  able  to  keep  up  with  the  moving  column,  neither  threat 
nor  punishment  will  avail.  Besides  the  causes  of  straggling  above 
mentioned  others  could  be  named,  and  one  of  these  may  best  be 
illustrated  by  relating  the  experience  of  a  boy  who  straggled  on 
the  night  march  from  Bristoe  to  Bull  Run.  Who  it  was  is  imma 
terial.  There  was  very  little  falling  back  during  the  severe  marches 
from  Culpeper  to  Bristoe,  for  the  Confederates  followed  our  rear 
closely,  and  to  lag  behind  meant  capture  and  the  rebel  prison  pen. 
The  march  from  Bristoe  to  Bull  Run  was  very  toilsome  and  annoy 
ing.  The  gait  was  so  irregular ;  sometimes  the  column  forged  ahead 
with  long,  rapid  strides,  then  again  slowed  to  a  snail's  pace.  At 
frequent  intervals  the  column  would  stop  for  a  few  seconds,  a  few 
minutes,  or  twenty  minutes  perhaps,  but  one  wrould  never  know  how 
long,  or  he  might  sit  down  and  rest  during  the  longer  periods.  And 
here  begins  the  story  of  our  straggler. 

At  one  of  those  intervals  of  halting  he  assumed  the  risk  of 
stepping  outside  the  ranks  and  sitting  down  to  rest,  expecting,  of 
course,  to  return  to  his  place  the  moment  the  column  began  to  move 
again.  However,  sitting  down  and  falling  asleep  were  simultaneous 
occurrences.  Waking  after  a  time,  he  saw  nothing  of  the  Army ;  all 
was  silent  as  the  grave.  He  started  after  the  troops  as  he  thought, 
but  certain  remembered  landmarks  convinced  him  that  he  was  going 
in  the  wrong  direction,  whereupon,  after  a  moment's  reflection,  he 
faced  about  and  traveled  in  the  opposite  direction,  though  it  seemed 
like  returning  to  Bristoe.  For  an  hour  he  hastened  along,  seeing  or 
hearing  nothing  to  assure  him  that  he  was  on  the  right  course,  but 
finally  there  was  seen  in  the  distance  a  faint  flicker  of  a  fire,  which 
ho  approached  with  caution,  as  it  might  be  a  rebel  picket  post.  A 
careful  reconnaissance  revealed  the  fact  that  a  solitary  fellow  Yankee 
straggler  held  the  position.  The  two  fraternized,  cooled  coffee  to 
gether,  and  our  hero  was  glad  to  learn  that  he  was  on  the  right  trail. 
The  two  moved  on  and  ere  long  other  fires  appeared  at  shorter 
intervals,  surrounded  by  squads  of  men,  who  after  sacrificing  the 
remaining  few  fence  rails  which  escaped  former  raids,  fell  in,  as 
the  swelling  procession  passed  by,  and  when  daylight  came  there  was 


550  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

revealed  a  full  regiment  of  stragglers.  Xow,  came  after  from  the 
rear,  several  mounted  scouts  who  urged  the  stragglers  to  hasten  on, 
as  there  were  rebel  cavalry  coming  up.  But  the  stragglers  heeded 
not  the  warning,  and  said,  "Let  them  come,  we  can  lick  a  division  of 
rebel  cavalry."  It  was  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  the  regi 
ment  of  stragglers  crossed  Bull  Run,  and  distributed  themselves 
among  their  respective  commands. 

The  Army  remained  in  cam])  near  Ontervillo  until  October 
19th,  when  Bull  Run  was  recrossed  and  the  march  southward  re 
sumed.  The  railroad  Imving  been  torn  up  by  the  rebels  from  the 
Rappahannock  to  Bristoe,  our  knapsacks  were  loaded  with  nine 
days'  rations,  as  the  furnishing  of  supplies  might  be  uncertain  until 
the  road  would  be  rebuilt.  We  had  thought  that  the  utmost  limit 
of  a  soldier's  carrying  capacity  had  been  reached  when  eight  day*' 
rations  were  loaded  on  our  backs  during  the  Chancellorsville  cam 
paign,  but  in  that  our  judgment  had  been  at  fault.  We  halted  for 
the  night  near  Bristoe ;  next  day  continued  on  to  Auburn  Mills,  more 
familiarly  known  to  the  boys  as  "Hot  Coffee  Hill,"  the  scene  of  the 
diversion  of  our  Division  with  the  enemy  on  the  morning  of  the 
14th.  We  forded  streams  four  times  during  the  day,  and  came  a 
distance  of  fifteen  miles.  On  the  21st  we  moved  forward  and  went 
into  camp  about  four  miles  east  of  Warrenton.  On  the  30th  the 
Regiment  received  two  hundred  and  twenty Jtwo  conscripts,  of  which 
number  seventeen  were  assigned  to  Company  A.  November  7th,  at 
one  o'clock  at  night,  we  drew  eight  days'  rations,  and  then  left  camp 
near  Warrenton,  passed  Warrenton  Junction,  and  Bealton  Sta 
tion  and  went  into  camp  near  Kelly's  Ford,  on  .the  Rappahannock, 
in  the  evening.  During  the  greater  part  of  the  day  cannonading  was 
heard  in  our  front. 

General  French,  commanding  the  left  wing  of  the  Army  com 
posed  of  the  First,  Second  and  Third  Corps,  had  forced  the  passage 
of  the  river  after  a  spirited  engagement.  On  the  right,  Sedgwick, 
with  the  Fifth  and  Sixth  Corps,  effected  a  crossing  at  Rappahannock 
Station,  taking  a  number  of  prisoners.  Our  Corps  crossed  the  river 
in  the  morning  of  November  8th  and  marched  west  about  eight  mile* 
and  went  into  camp  near  a  place  called  Stevensburg,  south  of  Brandy 


WILLIAM   OTTO. 
Company  A. 


(ON 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          551 

Station.  On  the  13th  the  boys  received  two  months'  pay.  On  the 
14th,  our  Captain,  Robt,  H.  Forster,  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
Major  of  our  Regiment,  and  First  Lieutenant,  John  L.  Johnston  of 
Company  IT,  was  promoted  to  Captain,  and  placed  in  command  ol 
Company  A.  Captain  Johnston  was  a  brave  soldier  and  was  well 
liked  by  the  men  of  Company  A,  but  it  was  never  explained  satis 
factorily  why  several  of  our  own  men,  equally  brave  and  efficient, 
were  ignored  in  the  matter  of  promotion.*  November  16  several 
promotions  in  Company  A  were  announced:  Simon  M.  Spangler, 
from  Corporal  to  First  Sergeant ;  Corporals  Win.  Harper  and  J. 
I.  Jones  to  Sergeants ;  Privates  Thomas  E.  Rover,  Samuel  R.  Gettig, 
Amos  Erhard  and  Henry  Meyer  (the  writer),  to  Corporals,  respec 
tively.  W.  W.  Bierly  from  Second  Lieutenant  to  First  Lieutenant, 
he  had  been  promoted  only  a  short  time  before,  from  Orderly  Ser 
geant  to  Second  Lieutenant. 

On  the  19th  one  hundred  and  fifty-eight  conscripts  arrived,  ol 
which  number  Company  A  received  fifteen. 

The  Army  was  again  put  in  motion  on  the  morning  of  the  26th, 
and  the  different  corps  crossed  the  Rapidan  at  several  fords.  The 
Second  Corps  crossed  the  river  at  Germania  Ford,  advanced  a  mile 
beyond  and  went  into  camp.  The  resulting  operations  are  known 
in  history  as  the  "Mine  Run  Campaign,"  the  scene  whereof  was 
laid  in  the  "Wilderness,"  a  wild  country  of  forest  with  tangles  of 
underbrush  almost  impenetrable,  with  here  and  there  a  small  clear 
ing,  the  whole  traversed  by  narrow,  zigzagging  roads  difficult  to  find, 
and  in  wet  weather,  well  nigh  impassable.  The  Turnpike  which 
leads  from  Orange  Court  House  in  a  straight  line  in  a  direction 
nearly  due  east,,  to  Wilderness  Tavern,  thence  to  Chancellorsville, 
and  on  to  Fredericksburg  is,  however,  a  good  road ;  so,  also  the  Plank 
Road,  farther  south,  running  nearly  parallel  to  it,  is  an  exception  to 
the  generally  unserviceable  roads  in  that  part  of  Virginia.  The 
former  of  these  roads  just  named  our  Corps  followed  west  until 
the  Confederate  lines  were  met  near  Mine  Run.  The  follow 
ing:  dav  a  farther  advance  of  two  miles  was  made  in  the  same 


*See  the  Colonel's  Story,  page  105.— EDITOR. 


552  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

direction  when  the  rebels  were  found  strongly  entrenched  on  a  range 
of  hills.  There  was  some  cannonading  and  skirmishing,  but  as  it 
rained  all  day,  serious  operations  were  impracticable ;  in  the  evening 
il:  cleared  up.  Our  company  happened  to  be  located  in  a  small 
cleared  space  for  the  night ;  the  boys  deposited  pine  branches  on  the 
ground  on  which  they  lay  and  pulled  their  blankets  over  them.  Some 
time  during  the  night  cattle  were  brought  close  to  our  place  of  biv 
ouac  to  be  slaughtered  for  the  Army ;  a  number  of  these  stampeded 
and  charged  right  among  and  over  us.  We  simply  pulled  ourselves 
together  under  our  blankets,  much  like  unto  a  snail  withdrawing 
itself  into  its  shell,  when  danger  threatens,  and  the  cattle  jumped 
over  us  without  causing  any  one  serious  injury.  After  the  racket  was 
over  a  number  of  the  boys  got  up,  went  to  the  butcher's  and  procured 
some  liver  and  steaks,  and  began  to  have  a  feast  and  be  merry. 

At  break  of  day  orders  were  issued  to  march,  but  for  some  rea 
son  our  company  failed  to  receive  the  order.  So,  while  the  head  of 
the  Regiment  was  forming  into  line  and  moving  off,  our  boys  were 
still  in  the  midst  of  their  culinary  exercises,  boiling  coffee  and  fry 
ing  liver  and  steaks ;  the  coffee  was  then  hastily  emptied  into  the 
canteens  and  the  sizzling  contents  of  the  frying  pans  dumped  into  the 
haversacks,  and  the  accoutrements  and  other  articles  of  personal 
property  were  snatched  up  to  be  properly  adjusted  while  the  pro 
prietors  were  on  a  run  to  catch  up  with  the  disappearing  column. 
Comrade  John  A.  Miller,  who  was  always  exact  and  methodical  in 
his  way  of  doing  things,  got  incensed  at  the  undignified  and  tangled 
state  of  affairs,  and  jerked  his  pan  off  the  fire,  swung  it  round  his 
head  and  made  the  liver  fly  to  all  points  of  the  compass,  which-  said 
flying  pieces  were  picked  up  and  complacently  appropriated  by  one 
of  the  other  boys  who  took  things  more  philosophically. 

Our  Corps  marched  to  the  rear  some  distance,  then  south  and 
struck  the  Plank  Road,  above  mentioned,  at  White  Church,  and  ad 
vanced  west  several  miles,  in  the  direction  of  the  rebel  lines.  At 
ten  o'clock  at  night  our  company,  with  several  others  of  the  Regi 
ment,  were  sent  forward  to  the  picket  line.  The  night  was  cold  and 
our  proximity  to  the  enemy  rendered  it  unsafe  to  have  fires.  Day 
light  revealed  the  fact  that  our  picket  posts  were  within  two  hundred 


^IPV^V^^M^^ft  "^  ^Mf  ^ 

©if* 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          555 

and  fifty  yards  of  the  rebel  entrenchments,  with  a  narrow  meadow, 
through  which  meandered  Mine  Run,  a  tiny  stream,  to  the  north, 
between  the  opposing  lines.  Their  position  was  on  high  ground  and 
from  our  posts  we  could  see  that  their  lines  were  strongly  entrenched. 
At  first  the  rebels  sent  some  shells  into  our  picket  line.  This  prob 
ably  seemed  to  them  an  extravagant  waste  of  ammunition,  and  they 
ceased  firing,  but  their  sharpshooters  picked  at  us  all  day ;  it  was  a 
great  risk  to  expose  the  least  portion  of  one's  anatomy.  Instructions 
had  been  communicated  to  us  that,  at  signal  guns  to  be  fired  by 
Sedgwick,  on  our  right,  at  8  :00  A.M.,  a  charging  column  of  twenty- 
five  thousand  men,  composed  of  the  Second,  and  parts  of  the  Third 
and  Sixth  Corps  under  the  command  of  General  Warren,  would  make 
an  assault  on  the  enemy's  work  in  our  front,  and  that  our  picket  line 
was  to  deploy  as  skirmishers  and  advance  ahead  of  the  charging 
battalions. 

Those  were  anxious  moments.  We  knew  that  it  was  almost 
certain  death  to  us  on  the  picket  line  the  instant  we  would  emerge 
from  cover  to  advance.  The  signal  guns  were  fired  at  the  time  speci 
fied  ;  we  looked  back  and  watched  for  the  approach  of  the  assaulting 
lines  of  battle;  we  waited  in  awful  suspense,  fifteen,  twenty,  thirty 
minutes,  but  no  troops  with  waving  banners  came  into  view. 
Finally  we  noticed  both  Generals  Meade  and  Warren,  some  distance 
in  the  rear,  examining  the  rebel  position  through  their  field  glasses. 
Well,  the  charge  was  not  made  and  we  on  the  picket  line  were  not 
sorry.  Later  we  learned  that  General  Warren  deemed  the  under 
taking  too  hazardous,  with  which  opinion  General  Meade  concurred, 
after  a  thorough  inspection  of  the  situation. 

December  1st  found  us  still  on  the  picket  line.  It  was  cold  and 
a  number  of  the  wounded  froze  to  death.  At  eight  o'clock  at  night 
we  left  the  picket  line,  joined  the  Corps,  marched  all  night,  recrossed 
the  Rapidan  at  break  of  day  and  in  the  evening  of  the  2d,  reached 
our  old  quarters  near  Brandy  Station,  the  time  for  our  retrograde 
movement  having  been  twenty-two  hours,  and  the  distance  more  than 
thirty  miles.  The  march  was  severe,  and  went  on  and  on,  everlast 
ingly  on,  without  hardly  any  opportunity  for  rest. 


554  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Slight  changes  of  position  were  again  made  successively  on  the 
3d,  5th  and  7th,  going  into  permanent  winter  quarters  on  the  last 
date  mentioned,  near  Stevensburg,  south  of  Brandy  Station  about 
four  miles.  The  boys  went  to  work  at  once,  and  put  up  substantial 
and  comfortable  cabins,  built  of  logs,  and  being  seven  feet  wide  and 
twelve  feet  long,  intended  to  accommodate  a  mess  of  four  or 
five  men.  A  "mess"  associated  voluntarily,  according  to  their 
own  tastes  and  congeniality  without  any  interference  on  the 
part  of  the  officers.  Thus  Jacob  Breckbil,  Israel  Maze,  William 
CL  Meyer  and  the  writer  agreed  to  club  together,  build  quarters  and 
occupy  the  same — so  throughout  the  company  and  Regiment. 
About  the  time  we  had  our  cabins  erected,  the  camp  site  cleared  up 
and  everything  in  good  shape,  General  Hancock  came  back  to  the 
Army  and  assumed  command  of  the  Second  Corps,  and  it  was 
rumored  about  camp  that  he  inspected  the  ground  and  condemned 
the  same  as  being  too  swampy  and  unhealthy,  and  that  we  would 
have  to  move  to  a  higher  location  which  would  afford  better  sanitary 
conditions.  Now  the  private  soldier  is  no  respecter  of  person — 
especially  when  such  person  interjects  himself  between  said  private 
and  the  enjoyment  of  his  rights  and  privileges,  and  the  pursuit  of 
happiness — and  if  the  grim  old  warrior  could  have  strolled  through 
the  company  streets  unobserved  he  could  have  heard  himself  de 
nounced  in  choicest  terms,  more  emphatic  than  those  of  his  own  vo 
cabulary  for  which  he  was  so  justly  famed. 

Our  men  had  respect  for  the  Sabbath,  day,  as  witness  the  follow 
ing  from  my  diary,  December  13th: 

"We  did  not  work  at  our  quarters  today.  The  Sabbath  was 
decently  observed  by  the  men  of  our  Regiment ;  the  men  of  some  of 
the  other  regiments  worked  at  their  quarters  as  usual." 

The  winter  was  spent  pleasantly  in  those  warm,  comfortable 
cabins,  and  nothing  serious  occurred  to  mar  the  "even  tenor  of  our 
way."  Our  principal  occupations  were  building  corduroy  roads  from 
corps  headquarters  to  the  railroad  station,  putting  up  buildings  for 
the  officers,  chapel  for  religious  services  and  doing  guard  and  picket 
duties.  The  last  named  was  disagreeable,  especially  during  bad 


THE  ijSTH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          555 

weather.  Our  picket  line  was  down  along  Kelly's  Ford,  distant  from 
camp  about  five  miles.  We  generally  remained  out  three  or  four 
days.  The  Confederates  of  General  Swell's  Corps  had  erected  splen 
did  winter  quarters  in  that  locality,  built  of  split  logs  and  covered 
with  like  material,  in  which  they  reckoned,  no  doubt,  to  pass  the 
winter  in  comfort ;  but  certain  movements  of  our  Army,  which  began 
November  7th,  made  it  necessary  for  them  to  retire  beyond  the  Rapi- 
dan  and  make  other  arrangements. 

An  innovation  in  the  line  of  a  bayonet  exercise  or  drill  was  in 
augurated  during  the  winter  and  conducted  according  to  directions 
laid  down  in  a  work  which  had  been  elaborated  by  General  Mc- 
Clellan  after  a  French  system  on  the  subject.  The  drill  taxed  onp.'s 
athletic  abilities  to  the  utmost,  and  while  it  may  have  answered  a 
good  purpose  as  a  physical  exercise  I  never  saw  or  heard  that  in 
actual  warfare  it  proved  of  any  benefit  whatever.  Really,  the  bay 
onet  seldom  performed  a  very  conspicuous  part  in  a  battle;  it  was 
more  useful  for  sticking  stray  pigs,  digging  entrenchments,  and  as 
a  substitute  for  a  candlestick. 

February  18,  1864,  the  soldiers  received  two  months'  pay. 

February  23d  the  Second  Corps  was  reviewed  by  Generals 
Meade,  Warren  and  Kilpatrick  and  Vice-President  Hamlin,  ac 
companied  by  a  number  of  ladies.  March  1st  our  company  received 
two  volunteer  recruits,  Noah  Gilbert  and  John  W.  Shively ;  Moses 
Gilbert,  also  a  volunteer,  came  on  the  16th.  March  27th  our  Regi 
ment  was  transferred  to  the  Fourth  Brigade,  commanded  by  Gen. 
John  R,  Brooke.  On  the  29th  Lieutenant  General  Grant  was  to  re 
view  the  Army,  but  on  account  of  the  rain  the  matter  was  postponed. 
He  had  joined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  to  exercise  a  closer  super 
vision  over  its  operations.  Thereafter  the  long  distance  generalship 
from  the  city  of  Washington  to  the  Army  in  front  was  to  cease. 
Think  of  it,  a  bespangled  and  beslippered  General  sitting  in  a  gor 
geously  upholstered  hall  at  Washington,  and  with  the  aid  of  several 
clerks,  pretending,  as  had  hitherto  been  the  custom,  to  direct  the 
manoeuvres  of  an  immense  army  in  the  tangle  of  the  brush  and  for 
ests  of  Virginia. 


556  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

General  Barlow  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  our — the  First 
Division.  April  20th  was  pay  day ;  same  day  Captain  Brady  in 
spected  our  Regiment,  The  boys,  no  doubt,  remember  the  stubby 
little  fellow ;  when  on  horseback  his  short  legs  reached  only  half  way 
down  the  sides  of  his  war  steed.  For  some  reason  the  Captain  had 
the  misfortune  to  incur  the  ill  will  of  the  men  of  the  148th  Regiment 
and  was  persecuted — at  a  safe  distance,  from  behind  trees,  or  when 
his  back  was  turned — by  uncomplimentary  remarks.  It  made  him 
furious  and  he  threatened  dire  vengeance,  but  later  he  got  into  the 
good  graces  of  the  boys  and  was  well  liked  by  them.  After  the  War 
he  took  up  his  residence  in  Petersburg,  Virginia,  and  was  sent  to 
Congress  from  that  district. 

We  had  review  of  the  Fourth  Brigade  by  General  Barlow 
April  15th ;  of  the  First  Division,  by  General  Hancock,  on  the  16th, 
and  Lieutenant  General  Grant  reviewed  the  Second  Corps  on  the  22d. 
The  columns  marched  by  "divisions  closed  in  mass,"  and  my  diary 
says  it  was  a  "magnificent  military  display."  We  all  were  anxious 
to  get  a  good  look  at  General  Grant  of  whose  splendid  military  oper 
ations  out  West  we  had  been  well  informed  through  the  medium  of 
the  daily  papers.  As  we  approached  the  reviewing  stand,  where 
General  Grant  and  many  other  officers  all  on  horseback  had  stationed 
themselves,  we  had  a  good  view  of  him  by  side  glances  in  passing, 
turning  the  eyes  without  turning  the  head  in  the  least,  for  on  such 
an  occasion  the  soldier  feels  that  the  reputation  of  his  organization 
is  at  stake ;  and  he  will  look  straight  ahead  according  to  strictest 
military  requirements,  heeding  nothing  that  might  cause  him  to  turn 
his  head  or  unbend  his  dignified  martial  bearing.  The  boys  did  not 
regard  Grant  as  an  officer  of  very  imposing  presence.  "He  looks 
like  a  farmer,"  they  said. 

Tn  that  group  of  officers  there  were  individuals  who  were  his 
superiors  as  to  physique,  and]  outshone  him  in  the  splendor  of  their 
equipage;  neither  did  Grant  appear  to  pay  any  attention  to  the  art 
of  attitudinizing — an  art  in  which  some  officers  took  great  delight. 
The  boys  placed  great  confidence  in  him  as  their  commander,  and 
admired  him  for  his  unpretentious,  democratic  ways  of  which  they 
had  heard  much  before  his  coming  into  our  Army. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          557 

The  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  again  reorganized  in  some  par 
ticulars  and  greatly  strengthened  by  the  addition  of  numerous  re 
cruits,  and  the  accession  of  other  commands.  The  five  corps  were 
consolidated  into  three,  the  First  and  Third  being  disintegrated  and 
the  parts  incorporated  with  the  other  corps,  the  Second,  Fifth  and 
Sixth,  but  retaining  their  distinctive  corps  badges.  The  Second 
Corps  contained  more  than  twenty-five  thousand  men  and  was  again 
commanded  by  General  Hancock.  The  other  two  corps  contained 
about  the  same  number,  twenty-five  thousand  men,  respectively.  The 
Ninth  Corps  was  also  on  the  move  to  join  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

May  2d  we  received  orders  to  demolish  our  winter  quarters  and 
carry  away  the  logs,  all  except  the  lower  one,  on  which  were  to  be  set 
our  shelter  tents.  This  order  implied  to  our  minds  an  immediate 
movement  of  the  Army.  What  good  purpose  was  to  be  accomplished 
by  this  order,  we  could  not  understand,  except  on  the  same  principle 
which  impels  the  parent  eagle  to  scratch  the  nest  from  under  her 
young  brood  in  order  to  make  them  get  out  and  learn  to  fly. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  May  4th  our  Corps  began  to  move  in 
the  direction  of  the  Eapidan  River  and  crossed  at  Ely's  Ford.  There 
were  two  pontoon  bridges  not  far  apart.  The  boats  of  the  bridge 
where  we  crossed  were  made  of  canvas,  the  first  we  had  seen  of  the 
kind.  They  were  not  as  heavy  as  those  constructed  of  boards  and 
were  therefore  more  easily  transported.  The  river  was  about  two 
hundred  feet  wide  at  the  ford,  with  steep  banks  on  the  south  side. 
The  other  corps  crossed  farther  up  the  river,  at  Germania  Ford.  Once 
again  and  for  the  third  time  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  plunges  into 
the  thickets  of  the  Wilderness  to  grapple  with  their  old  foe,  the  Army 
of  Northern  Virginia.  The  boys  were  in  the  best  of  spirits,  and 
went  forward  eagerly,  with  the  "swing  of  victory"  in  their  move 
ment,  confident  that  this  would  be  their  last  campaign,  and  that  the 
War  would  soon  terminate.  Their  fond  hopes  were,  however,  not  so 
soon  to  'be  realized.  The  three  corps,  with  the  cavalry,  at  the  time  of 
crossing  the  Rapidan,  aggregated  one  hundred  thousand  men,  while 
the  Ninth  Corps,  then  in  the  vicinity  of  Brandy  Station,  numbered 
nearly  twenty  thousand  men.  Many  thousands  of  the  poor  fellows 


558  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

that  crossed  into  the  Wilderness  those  beautiful  days  of  May,  were 
destined  to  find  their  graves  in  the  region  lying  between  the  Rapidan 
and  the  Appomattox. 

Before  noon,  the  Second  Corps  reached  the  old  battle  ground  of 
Chancellorsville,  without  any  molestation  on  the  part  of  the  enemy, 
having  marched  twenty  miles.  A  division  of  cavalry  had  preceded 
our  Corps.  The  other  corps  by  parallel  roads  reached  points  west  of 
Chancellorsville,  at  the  Wilderness  Tavern  on  the  Turnpike.  It  was 
with  fascinating  interest  that  we  looked  over  the  historic  field  where 
just  a  year  before  we  received  our  baptism  of  fire  on  the  line  of  battle. 
The  aspect  of  things  had  changed  but  little;  the  intrenchments  re 
mained  almost  intact ;  the  wreckage  of  battle  were  still  thickly 
strewn  over  field  and  through  woods ;  the  Chancellor  House  was 
in  ruins,  desolation  met  the  eye  everywhere.  Several  of  us  strolled 
away  from  camp  to  discover  the  places  where  we  had  been  stationed 
on  the  entrenched  picket  line  during  the  battle  a  year  before,  and 
we  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  the  localities. 

I  was  especially  interested  in  noting  the  dent  in  the  log  where  a 
bullet  went  in  which  a  Johnny  had  aimed  at  my  head.  We,  myself 
and  the  Johnny  just  mentioned,  had,  that  Sunday  morning  engaged 
in  a  duel  for  an  hour  probably,  I  firing  through  a  space  between  two 
logs  and  he  from  behind  a  tree,  distant  about  fifty  steps,  and  hidden 
partly  by  underbrush.  I  found  the  bullet  mark  and  realized  how 
narrowly  I  escaped  ending  my  brilliant  military  career  on  that  day. 

At  noon  on  the  5th  our  Corps  moved  southwest  along  the  Cathar- 
pin  road  eight  or  ten  miles,  and  took  position  on  a  range  of  hills  near 
Shady  Grove  Church.  On  the  6th  there  was  considerable  fighting, 
but  our  Regiment  was  not  engaged.  On  the  7th  the  battle  became 
more  general,  and  on  some  points  of  our  line,  desperate  and  sanguin 
ary.  The  men  on  both  sides,  stood  up  to  their  work  with  grim  deter 
mination  ;  shot  each  other  down  until  whole  lines  of  battle  in  some 
instances  were  almost  completely  wiped  out.  It  was  remarked  at  the 
time  that  both  Union  and  Confederate  soldiers  fought  with  greater 
valor  and  desperation  than  ever  before. 

Our  position  was  on  the  left  of  the  Army,  the  Fifth  and  Sixth 


THE  I4&TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          559 

Corps  occupying  the  right  of  the  line,  the  whole  forming  a  front  of 
many  miles  in  extent.  The  fighting  was  not  all  done  in  a  ten-acre 
field  where  one  could  view  the  whole  of  the  contest.  What  was  trans 
piring  in  other  parts  of  this  vast  area  of  forest  and  underbrush  could 
only  be  conjectured  from  the  rattle  of  musketry  and  roar  of  cannon. 
Having  had  fair  and  warm  weather  for  several  days  the  brush  and 
leaves  on  the  ground  became  dry  and  were  set  on  fire  by  bursting 
shells.  From  the  wooded  area  for  miles  around,  wherever  the  battle 
raged,  volumes  of  smoke  from  the  burning  forests  rose  to  the  sky,  a 
scene  terrible  to  contemplate,  for  we  knew  that  hundreds  of  helpless, 
wounded  soldiers  were  being  consumed  by  those  raging 'fires. 

In  the  morning,  May  7th,  Company  A  was  detailed  for  duty 
on  the  skirmish  line.  In 'going  to  the  front  of  our  lines,  we  passed 
over  the  entrenchments  of  a  New  York  regiment — whose  number 
need  not  be  mentioned  here — composed  almost  entirely  of  Germans, 
lately  come  'from  the  fatherland,  and  mustered  on  their  arrival  on 
our  shores.  They  understood  not  a  word  of  English,  and  knew  next 
to  nothing  about  the  great  issues  which  precipitated  this  tremendous 
War.  These  foreigner^  may  have  been  brave,  but  they  were  in  the 
war  business  for  money  considerations  principally,  and  their  patriot 
ism  could  not  possibly  be  of  a  high  order.  It  was  amusing  to 
us  to  observe  a  line  of  provost  guards,  with  fixed  bayonets,  stationed 
several  yards  to  the  rear  of  these  men  to  keep  them  in  the  entrench 
ments  in  case  of  an  assault  by  the  enemy.  Our  company  was  de 
ployed  as  skirmishers,  connecting  on  our  right  and  our  left  with  other 
organizations,  disposed  in  like  manner.  Captain  Johnston  and  Lieu 
tenants  W.  W.  Bierly  and  D.  E.  Shafer  had  charge  of  our  part  of  the 
line.  Slowly  and  cautiously  we  crept  through  the  woods  and  under 
brush  in  the  direction  of  the  enemy.  Our  task  was  an  unpleasant 
one.  It  requires  courage  of  a  stern  quality  to  advance  in  line  of 
battle  on  an  enemy  that  is  visible,  or  to  make  a  charge  on  a  battery 
Mching  forth  graj>e  and  canister,  but  it  is  more  trying  to  one's 
nerves  to  advance  through  tangled  brush  upon  an  enemy  who  lies  in 
waiting,  concealed,  with  his  finger  on  the  trigger,  ready  to  fire  the 
moment  one  comes  within  the  scope  of  his  vision.  The  certainty  of 


560  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

getting  shot  at,  and  yet  the  uncertainty  of  the  moment  when  the  shot 
is  to  be  fired,  is  a  condition  which  holds  one's  mind  in  terrible  sus 
pense.  Besides,  the  uniforms  of  the  Confederates,  or  other  style 
of  clothes  in  default  of  uniforms,  were  gray,  or  of  some  neutral 
color,  so  that  the  wearers  could  not  easily  be  distinguished  from  ob 
jects  in  the  woods,  such  as  logs,  stumps,  trees  and  old  leaves  on  the 
ground.  The  statement  that  during  that  whole  day  on  the  skirmish 
line,  which  surged  back  and  forth  with  the  changing  fortunes  of  the 
battle,  few  of  us  got  a  glimpse  of  a  rebel,  may  seem  strange,  but  it 
is  true.  Our  line  advanced  probably  the  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  before  meeting  an  enemy.  Then  suddenly  a  volley  was  fired 
into  us,  and  bullets  whizzed  past  our  heads.  In  an  instant  we 
dropped  to  the  ground,  shoved  our  head  behind  saplings,  if  any 
were  convenient,  and  hugged  mother  earth  closely. 

'Comrade  James  M.  Fleck,  on  my  left,  a  new  recruit  who  had 
never  seen  service  before,  merely  kneeled  down  in  an  open  space  and 
was  shot  through  the  heart  in  a  second.  He  should  have  laid  down 
flat.  By  a  little  manoeuvring  the  rebels  were  driven  out  of  their 
lair  behind  a  rampart  of  old  logs,  and  our  line  pressed  forward.  As 
the  line  moved  on,  one  of  our  conscripts,  whose  loud  talk  while  yet 
in  camp  and  boasting  about  his  prowess,  used  to  disgust  us  greatly, 
hid  himself  behind  a  log,  some  thirty  steps  to  the  rear  and  declined 
to  move  on,  whereupon  Captain  Johnston  licked  him  out  of  his  hid 
ing  place  with  the  broad  side  of  his  sword.  The  fellow  then  rushed 
forward  to  our  line,  swearing  and  boasting  how  he  would  slay  the 
rebels,  and  mistaking  some  of  our  own  men  to  our  right  and  some 
what  in  advance  of  our  line  for  the  enemy ;  he  took  aim  and  shot  one 
of  them.  Half  a  dozen  enraged  comrades  instantly  pointed  their 
muskets  at  him,  but  pitied  the  cowardly  scamp  and  restrained  them 
selves. 

Our  progress  was  necessarily  slow  because  of  the  difficulty  en 
countered  in  penetrating  the  thickets  and  also  because  of  die  reluct 
ance  exhibited  by  the  Johnnies  to  retire  more  rapidly.  On  a  certain 
occasion  during  the  progress  of  our  skirmish,  the  left  of  our  com 
pany,  where  the  men  of  short  stature  are  placed,  stampeded,  led  by 
a  Corporal  who  lost  his  hat  in  the  excitement  of  the  panic,  declaring 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          561 

that  overwhelming  numbers  of  rebels  were  sighted  in  the  front.  We 
on  the  right  of  the  line  being  taller,  having  a  better  view  of  the  front, 
saw  no  rebels,  held  our  ground ;  not  that  we  were  any  braver  than  the 
boys  on  the  left,  but  rather  because  our  range  of  vision  was  more  ex 
tensive. 

Captain  Johnston  requested  Thomas  E.  Rover  and  myself  to  do 
a  little  scout  duty  and  ascertain  whether  the  rebels  were  in  such  close 
proximity  and  of  such  vast  numbers ;  also  to  re-establish  our  line  so 
as  to  connect  again  with  the  skirmishers  on  our  left  All  of  which 
was  done  and  no  enemy  was  encountered.  Farther  on  our  line  came 
in  contact  with  the  forest  fires.  Some  fifty  steps  in  our  front  we 
saw  one  of  our  wounded  soldiers  lying  in  the  fire,  his  clothes  burn 
ing.  He  was  writhing  in  agony,  but  we  were  not  able  to  reach  and 
rescue  him  from  the  flames,  as  the  brisk  firing  of  the  enemy  com 
pelled  us  to  fall  back.  When  night  came,  our  company  rejoined  the 
Regiment  in  the  woods  somewhere.  Through  tangle  of  green  thorn 
vines  and  thick  underbrush,  in  utter  darkness,  under  enjoined  si 
lence,  the  Regiment  crept  along  and  finally  emerged  from  the  un 
pleasant  situation  and  set  foot  on  a  good  road. 

During  the  night  and  the  following  day,  May  8th,  the  Army 
moved  by  the  left  flank  and  took  up  a  new  position,  our  Corps  being 
stationed  at  Todd's  Tavern  and  entrenchments  were  constructed. 
During  the  day  some  of  the  details  of  the  battle  just  ended  were  com 
municated  by  soldiers  who  had  been  in  other  parts  of  the  field.  Our 
losses  had  been  heavy,  and  no  decided  advantage  had  been  gained. 
Confederate  prisoners  made  the  statement  that  their  officers  expected 
our  Army  would  retreat  But  Grant  was  not  in  the  habit  of  retreat 
ing.  We  also  learned  that  many  of  our  wounded  were  burned  in  the 
forest  fires.  There  are  some  things  which  may  happen  to  a  soldier 
in  battle  which  he  dreads  above  all  else :  the  possibility  of  being  left 
in  the  burning  woods,  wounded,  and  unable  to  get  away  from  the 
fire ;  or,  if  in  winter  season,  to  be  left  wounded  on  the  field  to  freeze 
to  death ;  or  getting  wounded  in  the  intestines ;  or  being  run  over 
and  crushed  to  death,  while  lying  on  the  ground  helpless,  by  bat 
teries  in  their  mad  rush  to  get  into  position  during  some  great  crisis 


562  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

of  battle  when  time  is  noted  by  seconds,  not  by  hours,  when  scores 
of  wounded  are  sacrificed  without  a  moment's  hesitation  that  greater 
calamities  may  be  averted.  (The  operations  at  Po  River  and  Spot- 
sylvania  are  fully  treated  of  elsewhere  in  this  work. — EDITOR.) 

In  the  fight  on  the  Po  the  first  shot  I  fired  raised  the  dust  within 
a  few  rods  of  the  rebel  position.  I  then  elevated  the  rear  sight  of  my 
gun,  but  the  range  may  then  have  been  much  too  high.  After  firing 
several  more  shots  a  bullet  went  through  my  left  hand,  and  dropping 
my  musket,  I  went  to  the  piece  of  woods  in  the  rear,  passing  the  pros 
trate  form  of  Comrade  Franklin  Wolf  who  was  killed  a  moment  be 
fore.  I  wrapped  a  handkerchief  around  my  hand,  dropped  my  knap 
sack,  containing  some  clothes,  a  portfolio  of  writing  material,  a  pocket 
dictionary,  for  some  Johnny  who  would  be  along  presently,  and 
hastened  down  the  ravine  just  mentioned.  Looking  back,  I  noticed 
a  number  of  our  wounded  boys  coining  after,  some  were  able  to  walk, 
some  were  led  by  their  comrades,  others  were  carried.  It  was  a 
sad  sight,  brother  leading  brother,  or  bending  over  and  catching  the 
last  faint  word  of  a  dying  brother.  Among  the  wounded  were  David 
Rossman,  Henry  Miller,  Henry  Meyer  (the  writer),  Wm.  Boob  and 
Nathaniel  Boob,  brothers,  the  former,  William,  died  of  his  wounds  at 
Richmond  some  time  after  the  battle;  Jeremiah  Beam,  conscript; 
Benjamin  Beck,  Wm.  Crum,  conscript,  died  of  his  wounds  at  Wash 
ington  ;  Isaiah  Fulmer,  fatally,  died  at  Richmond,  or  Petersburg,  Vir 
ginia  ;  Wm.  D.  Eymer,  conscript,  slightly ;  S.  K.  Furley,  conscript ; 
Samuel  Gilbert,  Henry  Helman,  conscript ;  Wm.  M  Hanly,  conscript; 
Gideon  Kraemer,  John  Roof,  conscript;  Jacob  J  Webb,  conscript; 
Philip  Wile,  conscript ;  William  Wolf,  conscript ;  and  \Villiam 
(\  Meyer.  The  last  named  Comrade  Meyer  was  not  wounded  se 
verely;  he  went  to  the  rear,  but  loath  to  leave  his  comrades  in 
action,  he  returned  to  speak  words  of  encouragement  to  them,  say- 
ii;g,  "Boys,  I  can't  help  you  any  longer,  but  stick  to  your  post," 
There  was  not  a  braver  boy  in  the  Army  than  he.  William  Fullmer, 
brother  of  Isaiah  Fullmer  above  named  was  killed;  Noah  Gilbert, 
who  joined  the  company  only  a  few  months  before  as  a  volunteer, 
a  young  boy,  was  killed ;  and  Franklin  Wolf,  named  above,  was  the 
first  one  killed  in  the  engagement.  Number  wounded,  twenty; 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          563 

killed,  three;  total  loss,  twenty-three;  as  near  as  can  be  ascertained, 
there  were  fifty-four  men  in  the  ranks  when  the  battle  opened,  nearly 
one  half  of  whom  were  killed  or  wounded  in  this  engagement  of 
less  than  an  hour's  duration. 

Reaching  the  swamp  to  which  reference  was  made  above,  and 
knowing  that  I  would  have  to  cross  it,  or  be  captured  by  the  rebels, 
\vho  would  close  in  on  the  place.  I  found  it  a  bog  of  soft  mud  and 
\vater,  and  about  one  hundred  yards  wide,  but  how  deep  I  could 
not  tell,  being  the  first  one  to  venture  in.  Slowly  I  dragged  myself 
along  by  bushes,  sinking  down  at  some  places  to  the  waist;  spent 
balls  and  shells  dropping  in  all  around  me,  stimulating  me  to  greater 
efforts,  and  finally  the  opposite  bank  was  reached.  A  few  minutes 
latter  the  Colonel's  horse  stuck  fast  in  this  morass  and  had  to  be 
abandoned  to  its  fate.  I  happened  to  reach  the  river  at  a  narrow 
point  where  a  log  lay  across  which  afforded  an  easy  passage  to  the 
opposite  bank.  There  I  met  Comrade  Benjamin  Beck  who  was 
wounded  in  the  left  leg,  and  was  also  working  his  way  to  the  rear; 
he  cut  off  the  belts  of  my  cartridge  box  to  relieve  me  of  their  encum 
brance.  At  the  same  moment  a  solid  shot  from  the  rebel  guns  struck 
the  ground  close  to  us  and  ricochetted  along  the  surface  quite  a 
distance.  This  was  the  last  cannon  ball  that  whizzed  past  my  head, 
for  my  military  career  was  now  closed. 

Colonel  Beaver  succeeded  in  extricating  the  Regiment  from  its 
perilous  position,  a  full  account  of  which,  as  well  as  all  the  opera 
tions  of  the  same,  on  die  9th  and  10th  of  May  appear  in  the 
"Colonel's  Story"  of  this  volume. 

The  majority  of  the  original  members  of  Company  A  were  born 
and  raised  in  Miles  Township  (Brush  Valley),  a  number  in  Penn 
Township  and  several  in  other  localities.  The  conscripts,  seventeen 
of  whom  joined  the  company  October  30,  1863,  and  fifteen  November 
19th,  same  year,  came  from  various  parts  of  the  state.  Eight  volun 
teer  recruits,  from  Miles  Township  and  other  localities,  joined  the 
company  in  the  fall  of  1863  and  spring  of  1864.  Many  of  the  men 
that  constituted  the  company  originally  were  of  kin,  such  a3  fathei 
and  son,  brothers,  cousins,  uncle  and  nephew.  Thus,  of  the  two 
Strayers,  Levi  was  the  father,  Samuel,  his  son.  The  groups  of 


564  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

brothers  were :  Lanioh,  Jacob  and  George  W. ;  Boob,  William,  Levi 
and  Nathaniel ;  Bierly,  James  and  Solomon ;  Gorman,  James  T.  and 
George;  Fullmer,  Levi  H.,  William  and  Isaiah;  Grim,  Adam  and 
John;  Gilbert,  Manasses,  Moses  and  Noah  (one  brother  of  these 
Gilberts,  John  D.,  was  in  the  150th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun- 
tters,  and  another,  Jacob  J.  in  Company  I,  203d  Regiment  Penn 
sylvania  Volunteers)  ;  Harper,  William  and  Simon;  Kreamer,  Jesse 
and  Gideon;  Miller,  John  and  Aaron;  Otto,  William  and  Israel 
(Samuel,  another  brother,  was  a  member  of  Company  C)  ;  Weight, 
John  and  William;  Wolf,  Lieutenant  Simon  S.,  and  Henry.  The 
relationship  of  cousin  among  the  members  of  the  company,  branching 
out  also  to  members  of  several  other  companies  of  the  Regiment, 
was  extensive,  and  would  require  too  much  space  to  delineate. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          565 
STORY  OF  COMPANY  A. 

SUPPLEMENT. 

The  following  supplemental  story  of  Company  A,  giving  incidents  of  interest, 
is  by  Sergeant  T.  P.  Meyer,  of  Lock  Haven,  Pennsylvania — EDITOR. 

Near  midnight  of  February  4,  1864,  orders  reached  the  148th 
to  pack  up  and  be  ready  to  move  at  a  moment's  notice.  All  was  com 
motion  at  once,  and  down  came  our  tents.  In  thirty  minutes  we  were 
fully  ready  to  move,  but  we  did  not  move  till  daybreak,  when  we 
saw  great  masses  of  troops,  of  the  Fifth,  Sixth,  Ninth  and  Second 
Corps,  moving  off  to  the  left  and  form  in  battle  order  and  advance. 
They  had  not  gone  far  when  the  continuous  rattle  of  musketry  and 
the  loud  roar  of  artillery  was  evidence  that  the  enemy  had  already 
been  found  and  attacked.  The  firing  soon  extended  along  the  line 
and  the  battle  became  general. 

The  Johnnies  had  evidently  been  surprised.  They  were  driven 
from  their  works,  which  were  at  once  occupied  by  our  troops  who 
repulsed  three  counter  charges.  The  Union  troops  at  once 
commenced  to  change  the  trenches  in  reverse  and  fronting  them 
with  abatis,  fighting  at  times  and  working  hard,  on  the  6th  and  7th, 
on  forts  and  trenches,  putting  up  new  camps  at  the  same  time.  Our 
lines  were  advanced  and  extended  several  miles  to  the  left ;  a  new 
line  of  works  sprang  up  as  if  by  magic ;  heavy  skirmishing  broke  out 
at  intervals,  day  and  night  for  several  days;  but  we  held  the  new 
lines.  The  weather  was  very  cold,  the  ground  frozen  hard  as  a  rock ; 
the  troops  suffered  greatly  on  account  of  the  cold. 

The  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  then  under  Col.  James  F. 
Weaver,  was  sent  back  to  our  old  camp,  to  garrison  and  hold  Fort 
Cummings,  in  anticipation  of  an  attack  in  force  by  Lee's  Army  at 
this  point.  This  movement  went  into  history  as  the  second  cam 
paign  and  battle  of  Hatcher's  Run,  a  tributary  of  the  Nottoway 
River.  During  these  periods  of  activity,  great  vigilance  was  main 
tained  all  along  the  lines ;  the  forces  in  the  trenches  were  doubled 
during  the  nights ;  the  men  were  held  close  and  in  constant  readiness. 


566  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Every  morning  at  four  o'clock  the  troops  were  called  out,  fully 
equipped  and  ready  for  fight,  moved  into  the  trenches,  rain  or  hail, 
snow  or  frost,  water  and  mud  hindered  not,  and  remained  till  eight 
o'clock.  This  was  early  rising  and  on  cold  inclement  mornings  it 
required  resolution  to  get  up  and  turn  out. 

On  one  occasion,  when  zero  weather  prevailed,  reveille  sounded 
and  I  hustled  out;  but  finding  it  very  cold  I  thought -I  would  let  Ser 
geant  Miller,  who  shared  this  responsibility  with  me,  take  the  com 
pany  out  alone,  while  I  remained  where  it  was  not  so  cold.  So  1 
rushed  along  in  the  still  midnight  darkness  and  called  into  every 
tent,  "Turn  out,  boys,  to  occupy  the  trenches,"  till  I  reached  Ser 
geant  Miller's  tent,  and  shouted,  "Wake  up,  boys,  to  go  to  the 
trenches."  "Yes,  yes,"  came  the  response  and  I  thought  he  was  fully 
awake.  I  returned  to  my  tent,  fixed  myself  again  in  my  nest  of  pine 
twigs  and  soon  slept  again.  I  was  awakened  by  loud  calls  from  the 
boys  in  the  trenches,  "Turn  out,  Company  A,"  and  then  loud  laugh 
ter.  I  rushed  out;  it  was  broad  daylight;  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  the  trenches  were  full  of  soldiers,  save  the  position  to  be  filled 
by  Company  A.  It  was  then  I  became  wonderfully  active.  I  hustled 
out  fifteen  or  twenty  men,  some  of  them  still  "rasling"  with  their 
overcoats,  when  we  started  on  a  "double  quick"  toward  our  position. 
When  we  were  half  way  to  our  post,  Captain  Sutton,  who  was  officer 
of  the  day,  shouted,  "Halt  that  company/'  We  halted,  fronted  and 
"dressed  the  line."  "Order  arms  and  consider  yourselves  under 
arrest,"  came  next.  We  obeyed,  and,  as  directed  so  consid 
ered  ourselves.  We  had  scarcely  done  this  when  Sergeant  Miller 
came  dashing  down  to  join  the  company,  making  a  clatter  on 
the  frozen  ground  exceeding  the  noise  made  by  the  storied  steed 
rode  by  the  Knight  of  La  Mancha,  and  also  became  a  pris 
oner.  Sergeant  Miller  was  a  good  soldier,  red  faced,  red  haired, 
heavy  set,  tall,  gawky,  and  irritable;  he  was  "guyed"  a  great  deal 
in  the  Regiment  and  always  resented  in  wordy  outbreaks.  On  this 
occasion  the  troops  in  the  trenches  shouted  all  manner  of  uncouth 
gibes  and  commands  to  the  company  and  calling,  "John  A.  Miller," 
"Wake  up,  John  A.  Miller,"  "Fetch  your  boar  -  -  meat,  John  A. 
Miller,"  "Stand  firm;  steady  there,  Miller,"  etc.  For  a  full  hour 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          567 

we  were  roasted  in  this  way.     None  of  us  made  reply,  save  only 

Sergeant  Miller,  who  frequently  shouted,  "Go  to  h ,  you  s— 

of  b ."     A  roar  of  laughter  would  come  up  from  the  trenches 

and  the  taunts  would  multiply  in  quantity  and  variety. 

But  all  things  must  have  an  end,  and  so  did  this  show.  The 
troops  were  dismissed  from  the  works  about  eight  o'clock  and  retired 
to  their  quarters,  from  where  their  gibes  and  jeers  still  reached  us ; 
but  still  Company  A  stood  fast,  and  could  not  move  out  of  the  cold 
till  orders  came.  Orders  finally  did  come  from  Colonel  Weaver, 
commanding  the  Regiment,  to  march  the  company  to  camp,  stack 
arms,  get  breakfast  and  await  orders,  under  arrest  We  were  glad 
to  do  this  and  warm  our  half  frozen  feet,  About  eleven  o'clock  orders 
from  the  Colonel  reached  me:  "Without  arms,  march  Company  A 
to  my  headquarter  s."  I  did  so  and  reported,  "Company  A,  under 
arrest,  is  in  line  outside."  The  Colonel  came  out  and  made  us  a 
speech  and  in  part  said : 

"Company  A,  I  am  sorry  that  after  years  of  most  faithful  serv 
ice  in  this  War  of  long,  hard  marches  and  on  terrible  fields  of  battle, 
in  camp,  in  the  fatiguing  work  of  building  fortifications,  during  all 
hours  of  day  and  night  and  regardless  of  weather,  as  well  as  in  the 
long  and  dangerous  watches  of  the  night  till  you  were  wearied  well 
nigh  unto  death,  you  did  your  whole  duty  promptly  and  well.  I  sa\ 
1  am  sorry  to  inflict  even  the  odium  of  arrest  upon  a  company  ol 
such  gallant,  honorable  and  brave  men.  I  do  not  know  of  a  man 
belonging  to  Company  A  who  was  under  arrest  up  to  this  time ;  but 
you  failed  in  the  early  watch  of  this  morning;  while  the  line  of 
battle  was  formed  in  the  trenches,  you  were  asleep  in  your  tents,  and 
there  was  a  gap  in  the  line,  which  it  was  your  duty  to  fill.  Still,  I 
am  fully  aware  that  it  was  not  in  a  spirit  of  insubordination  or 
mutiny,  and  therefore  I  will  be  as  lenient  with  you  as  the  case  will 
admit.  I  cannot  at  once  come  to  a  decision.  Sergeant  (addressing 
me),  march  the  company  back  to  their  quarters,  let  them  take  their 
arms,  be  ready  for  your  accustomed  duties,  and  when  I  want  you,  1 
will  send  for  you." 

The  Colonel  never  sent  for  us.  To  this  day  he  has  suspended 
sentence.  Col.  James  F.  Weaver  was  not  imperious  or  tyrannical, 
and  had  the  good  will  of  all  his  men,  which  could  not  be  said  of  many 
Colonels  in  the  Army. 


568  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


LIEUT.  S.  M.  SP  ANGLER. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  lived  with  his  father  on  his  farm  near 
Rebersburg,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania,  when  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion  broke  out  in  April,  186-1,  and  when  the  first  call  for  troops 
was  made  he  ran  away  from  home  and  enlisted  for  three  months  and 
joined  Company  B,  10th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers ;  was 
mustered  out  a  private  in  August,  1861 ;  re-enlisted  August  22,  1862, 
as  a  Corporal  in  Company  A,  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  and 
was  promoted  to  First  Sergeant  December,  1863 ;  was  wounded  May 
12,  1864,  at  Spotsylvania,  Virginia,  a  minie  ball  passing  through 
his  neck  and  shoulder,  from  which  he  was  confined  in  hospital  in 
Philadelphia  until  latter  part  of  August ;  in  September  he  returned 
to  Regiment.  In  November,  1864,  was  promoted  to  First  Lieuten 
ant  and  the  Captain  being  absent  wounded  and  never  returned  to  the 
Regiment,  the  Lieutenant  took  charge  of  the  company ;  commanded 
it  till  the  end  of  the  War  and  returning  with  his  company  to  Harris- 
burg,  Pennsylvania,  in  June,  1865,  when  it  was  discharged  and  the 
discharges  of  the  members  of  -the  company  bore  his  signature  as  com 
manding  officer  of  the  company. 

Lieutenant  Spangler  has  framed  his  commission  which  is  dated 
November  22,  1864,  and  bears  the  signature  of  Andrew  G.  Curtin, 
Pennsylvania's  great  War  Governor.  His  promotion,  which  wa& 
suggested  by  Colonel  Beaver  on  the  ground  that  he  had  won  it  by 
gallantry  as  a  soldier,  came  to  him  wholly  as  a  pleasant  surprise. 


THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  "C.! 


PART  I. 

Based  upon  tetters  q/  Capt.  Robert  M.  Forster. 

The  effort  to  raise  a  complete  "Centre  County  Regiment"  would 
undoubtedly  have  succeeded,  if  those  who  were  engaged  in  it  could 
have  had  more  time.  When  the  project  was  first  broached,  recruiting 
for  at  least  twelve  or  fourteen  companies  began  at  different  places 
throughout  the  county.  These  different  efforts  have  been  more  or  less 
fully  sketched  in  k'The  Citizen's  Story,"  and,  as  therein  indicated,  the 
results  of  three  of  them  ended  in  the  combination  which  afterwards 
became  C  Company  of  the  llSth  Regiment,  under  the  command  ol 
Capt.  Robert  M.  Forster,  of  Harris  Township,  now  College.  Wil 
liam  II.  Bible,  of  Belief  on  to,  and  Francis  Stevenson,  of  Patton 
Township,  who  had  recruited  a  number  of  men,  joined  with  Captain 
Forster  in  making  a  full  company  and  they  became  First  and  Second 
Lieutenants  respectively.  Jt  was  the  third  company  in  the  Regiment 
in  reaching  the  maximum  number  of  recruits  and  early  reached  Har- 
risburg  in  the  manner  which  has  been  detailed  in  other  parts  of  this 
story  and  was  not  different  from  the  experience  of  other  companies. 

Captain  Forster  was  a  man  in  middle  life  who  left  a  family  o± 
a  wife  and  three  boys  at  home,  was  an  intelligent,  progressive  farmer 
and  merchant  and  occupied  a  leading  position  in  his  community, 
being  the  first  postmaster  at  " Farmers  High  School/'  now  State 
College.  He  was  a  mature  man,  with  strong  convictions  and  entered 
the  service  because  of  them.  He  was,  therefore,  much  relied  upon  in 
the  Regiment,  took  a  serious  view  of  his  responsibility  as  a  company 
commander  and  could  always  be  counted  for  faithful,  efficient  and 
intelligent  service. 

After  the  election  of  the  field  officers  of  the  Regiment  and  after 
the  commissions  for  Captains  of  the  several  companies  were  received, 
it  was  found  that  he  was  the  ranking  Captain  of  the  Regiment.  What 
effect  this  might  have  had  on  future  promotions  cannot  be  deter- 


570  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

mined,  for  he  met  his  untimely  end  at  Gettysburg,  before  that  time 
arrived. 

^o  company  in  the  Regiment  perhaps  was  more  entitled  to  the 
honor  of  color  company  than  C.  The  position  required  steadiness 
and  reliability,  and  C  soon  acquired  these  characteristics  under  the 
leadership  of  its  substantial  and  reliable  Captain.  In  one  sense  he 
was  not  a  born  soldier.  He  did  not  take  readily  or  naturally  to  drill 
and  to  the  love  of  display  which,  within  certain  limits,  is  desirable 
in  a  soldier's  make-up,  but  in  steadiness,  in  seriousness,  in  thought- 
fulness  for  the  welfare  of  his  men,  in  devotion  to  duty  and  in  pains 
taking  attention  to  the  details  of  a  good  company  commander's  work, 
it  is  safe  to  say  that  no  man  stood  higher  in  the  Regiment  than  Cap 
tain  Forster.  His  influence  soon  became  felt  in  his  company  and 
the  characteristics  of  the  man  were  soon  exemplified  in  its  condition. 

The  results  which  followed  such  a  condition  were  not  always 
those  whicli  gave  unmitigated  pleasure.  Fitness  for  duty  often  led 
to  details  which  were  by  no  means  agreeable  and  were  yet  necessary 
for  the  good  of  the  sendee.  This  was  discovered  to  its  Captain's 
great  regret  soon  after  the  company  became  established  and  accus 
tomed  to  its  position  at  Cockeysville  the  headquartes  of  the  Regi 
ment.  The  Captain  of  one  of  the  other  companies  having  been,  de 
tailed  to  recruit  his  company  to  the  maximum,  it  was  left  in  the 
hands  of  an  officer  who  had  little  experience  and  no  aptitude  for 
discipline,  and  the  complaints  which  came  from  the  neighborhood  in 
which  it  was  placed  led  to  the  necessity  for  an  exchange  which  is  thus 
told  by  the  Captain  in  a  letter  to  his  wife,  dated  October  10,  1862, 
in  which  he  says : 

"You  will  see  from  the  name  of  our  camp  ('Camp  Forster)  at 
the  head  of  this  sheet  that  we  are  not  at  the  same  place  you  left  us.  I 
was  never  more  sorry  to  leave  any  place  in  my  life  than  I  was  at 
leaving  Camp  Beaver.  It  was  such  a  delightful  place.  We  are  about 
four  miles  up  the  railroad  toward  Harrisburg  in  a  very  lonesome  and 
disagreeable  place.  We  are  at  the  same  old  business — guarding  the 
railroad.  The  cause  of  our  being  moved  was  the  complaints  which 
came  to  regimental  headquarters  in  regard  to  the  company  which  was 
stationed  here  and  Colonel  Beaver  thought  I  had  the  best  behaved 
company  and  he  sent  us  to  take  their  place.  That's  what  we  get  for 
being  good  boys." 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          571 

Soon  after  the  company  became  fixed  in  their  new  quarters  the 
prospect  of  a  change  was  gladly  heard.  It  came  in  the  shape  of  a  lead 
pencil  memorandum,  evidently  written  on  horseback,  which  read  as 
follows : 

"Captain :  Cook  two  days'  rations,  distribute  all  your  ammuni 
tion  and  be  ready  to  move  at  a  moment's  notice.  Don't  take  down 
your  tents.  Pennsylvania  is  invaded  and  we  are  wanted  in  Harris- 
burg.  James  A.  Beaver,  Colonel  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
llth  October,  1862." 

This  cautionary  command  was  given  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
Governor  Curtin  had  telegraphed  the  Colonel  that  his  Regiment 
would  be  needed  in  Harrisburg.  He  seemed  to  forget,  however, 
that,  although  from  his  own  home  and  from  his  own  state,  the  Regi 
ment  had  passed  from  under  his  control  and  its  movements  were 
directed  by  an  officer  of  the  United  States  Army,  who,  when  con 
sulted  about  the  matter,  seemed  to  think  it  was  just  as  important  to 
have  the  Northern  Central  Railway  guarded  as  to  have  Harrisburg 
protected.  The  company,  therefore,  remained  in  its  secluded  and 
out-of-the-way  place  until  the  time  for  final  marching  orders  came 
from  proper  authority. 

Company  C  soon  established  itself  in  the  regard  of  the  com 
munity  and  the  Captain  so  commended  himself  to  the  people  in  the 
neighborhood  that  he  was  often  invited  out  for  dinner  and  supper 
and  writes,  at  one  time,  that  he  had  more  invitations  than  he  could 
accept.  The  men  also  fared  well  in  this  detached  camp,  the  people 
of  the  community  being  quite  willing  to  treat  them  generously,  but 
disliking  very  much  to  have  their  poultry,  fruit  and  vegetables  taken 
without  their  permission. 

Notwithstanding  the  hospitality  of  the  people  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  his  new  camp,  Captain  Forster  was  not  thereby  deceived  as 
to  the  sentiments  of  the  people  about  him.  In  a  letter  to  his  sister 
he  wrote: 

"I  attended  Episcopal  preaching  a  short  distance  from  camp 
today.  The  people  are  very  aristocratic  here  and  generally  seces 
sionists,  particularly  the  ladies." 


572  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

He  writes  also,  "We  had  preaching  in  camp  this  afternoon." 
November  26th,  in  another  letter  to  his  sister,  he  writes:  "I 
cannot  say  that  I  dislike  soldiering  but,  as  Captain  of  a  company,  I 
have  some  very  unpleasant  duties  to  perform."  In  this  respect  he 
was  not  peculiar  and,  with  an  independent  command,  it  was  impos 
sible  to  transfer  the  responsibility  to  other  shoulders  and  he  was, 
therefore,  compelled  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  position ;  but,  as 
already  intimated,  he  was  always  ready  to  do  this. 

About  this  time  the  weather  became  very  uncomfortable  and 
numerous  complaints  were  made  by  his  men  as  to  the  insufficiency  of 
their  bed  clothing.  In  one  of  the  letters  he  writes  that  he  has 
arranged  to  get  an  additional  blanket  for  each  one  of  them  and,  later, 
says : 

"It  has  been  raining  here  almost  constantly  for  three  days.  It 
is  very  unpleasant  in  our  tents,  but  the  lumber  has  come  for  our  bar 
racks  and  one  week  from  now  will  find  us  all  in  comfortable  houses." 

About  the  time  the  houses  were  finished  and  the  company  was 
ready  for  a  comfortable  winter,  the  order  to  move  came,  as  detailed 
in  other  parts  of  this  history,  and  C  Company  left  its  dreary  quar 
ters  to  join  the  Regiment  and  move  through  Baltimore  and  Wash 
ington  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

The  company's  experiences  during  these  movements  were  not 
specially  different  from  those  of  other  companies  but,  after  reaching 
Washington,  a  number  of  C  Company,  under  its  Captain,  were  left 
there  to  guard  a  wagon  train  of  provisions  which  had  been  drawn 
by  the  Quartermaster  and  was  to  follow  the  Regiment  the  next  day 
and  also  to  gather  up  any  stragglers  belonging  to  the  Regiment  who 
might  have  been  left  by  reason  of  its  sudden  departure  or  through  a 
desire  on  their  part  to  see  the  sights  of  the  city. 

In  one  of  his  letters  to  his  wife,  after  speaking  of  the  hospital 
ity  of  Baltimore  and  the  comfortable  quarters  occupied  by  the  Regi 
ment  there  and  of  the  trip  to  Washington,  Captain  Forster  says : 

"On  the  afternoon  of  the  llth  of  December,  the  Regiment,  all 
but  myself  and  part  of  my  company,  took  up  the  line  of  march.  1 
remained  in  Washington  until  the  morning  of  the  13th,  but  left  thert) 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          573 

about  four  o'clock  and  marched  twenty-seven  miles.  It  was  the  hard 
est  day's  work  I  ever  did  in  my  life.  We  then  encamped  in  a  field 
until  the  next  morning  and  started  on  our  way  and  about  noon  came 
upon  the  Regiment.  They  had  no  provisions  and  were  waiting  foi 
us  to  come  up.  I  had  fourteen  wagons  in  charge,  loaded  with  pro 
visions  and  baggage.  The  next  day  was  Sunday  and  we  again  took 
up  the  line  of  march,  went  seventeen  miles  and  halted  about  two 
o'clock." 

The  march  down  the  east  side  of  the  Potomac,  the  crossing  of 
the  river  and  marches  and  incidents  relating  to  the  brigading  of  the 
Regiment  are  all  told  elsewhere  and  need  not  here  be  repeated. 

The  Captain's  letter  of  January  1st  to  his  wife  gives  his  experi 
ence  on  picket  duty,  upon  which  he  often  dwells  in  his  letters  and 
which  seemed  to  be  peculiarly  disagreeable.  After  wishing  his  fam 
ily  a  Happy  New  Year,  he  writes,  January  1st : 

"My  New  Year's  day  has  not  been  as  pleasant  as  many  that  I 
have  spent.  I  was  sent  out  yesterday  morning  with  one  hundred  and 
six  men  to  do  picket  duty  at  eight  o'clock  and  did  not  get  back  to 
camp  until  this  afternoon.  We  picket  or  guard  the  Rappahannock 
River ;  the  men  are  placed  about  one  hundred  yards  apart,  three  at 
each  post.  They  must  keep  a  constant  watch  and  are  not  allowed  to 
have  fire.  After  night  it  was  very  cold  yesterday.  The  river  Is 
quite  narrow  here,  so  the  little  boys  (those  he  had  left  at  home) 
could  throw  a  stone  over  it  in  many  places.  The  rebels  are  imme 
diately  on  the  other  side.  We  could  talk  to  each  other  across  the 
nver  but  it's  not  allowed,  nor  is  it  allowed  to  fire  at  each  other,  as 
was  formerly  the  custom." 

On  February  1st,  there  is  another  reference  to  a  tour  of  picket 
duty  which  was  rather  remarkable,  'but  which  will  be  well  remem 
bered  by  all  who  were  on  the  detail  for  picket  that  day.  After  speak 
ing  of  a  dinner  of  beefsteak,  fried  potatoes  and  fried  mush,  crackers 
and  coffee,  which  he  regarded  as  "a  pretty  good  dinner,"  he  says: 

"I  suppose  you  have  snow  and  cold  weather  at  this  time.  We 
had  a  snow  here  about  twelve  inches  deep  last  week  on  Wednesday. 
I  was  sent  out  on  picket  duty  that  morning.  It  commenced  snow 
ing  about  nine  o'clock  and  snowed  until  the  next  morning.  I  was 
out  about  thirty  hours  and,  having  no  fire,  it  was  very  cold.  I  think 
I  will  never  forget  that  day  and  night." 


574  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

C  Company  fared  well  in  the  epidemic  of  sickness  which  pre 
vailed  in  the  Regiment  during  this  winter.  Whilst  some  companies 
had  as  many  as  thirty  men  on  their  sick  report,  most  of  them  in  the 
hospital,  it  had  but  four  or  five  and  passed  the  winter  with  much 
less  of  sickness  than  some  others.  This  may  have  been  occasioned 
partly  by  the  fact  that  it  occupied  the  center  and  highest  part  of  the 
camp  and  that  the  drainage  in  all  directions  was  good  from  its  quar 
ters.  The  companies  on  the  flanks  were  on  much  worse  ground  and 
this  may,  in  some  degree,  have  accounted  for  the  increased  sickness  in 
some  of  them. 

The  great  amount  of  sickness  in  the  Regiment  required  heavier 
details  and  more  frequent  service  on  the  part  of  the  officers  and  men 
who  were  in  good  health,  and  this  fact,  of  course,  made  the  details 
from  C  Company  unusually  heavy.  Notwithstanding  this  fact,  how 
ever,  and  the  general  uneasiness  which  prevailed  in  camp  on  account 
of  the  epidemic  of  fever  which  prevailed  in  the  Regiment  in  general, 
there  was  much  of  general  comfort  and  social  and  other  enjoyments 
among  both  officers  and  men.  This  is  apparent  from  a  letter,  dated 
April  12,  1863,  in  which  Captain  Forster  says  to  his  wife: 

"I  wish  you  could  have  been  here  this  evening.  I  had  quite  an 
oyster  supper  at  my  .tent.  We  had  five  quarts  of  oysters  and  could 
hot  eat  them  all.  Our  party  consisted  of  Colonel  Beaver,  Major 
Fairlamb,  Captain  Weaver,  Captain  Core,  Lieutenant  Wilson,  Lieu 
tenant  Bible  and  myself. 

"We  have  a  great  deal  of  fun  here  sometimes,  notwithstanding 
our  surroundings  and  the  pressure  of  our  duties.  The  weather  has 
much  improved  and  we  are  having  summer  here  now  I  think.  The 
last  few  days  have  been  very  warm.  I  am  afraid  it  will  get  very  hot 
before  long  and  our  water  is  very  bad.  This  beautiful  weather  makes 
me  feel  like  being  at  home  working  on  the  farm  or  helping  you  to 
make  garden." 

On  the  17th  of  April,  1863,  in  a  letter  to  his  brother-in-law, 
Mark  Halfpenny,  Esq.,  of  Lewisburg,  Captain  Forster  wrote: 

"Our  Regiment  was  paid  on  Thursday — much  to  the  satisfaction 
of  us  all.  I  think  the  Regiment  sent  home  at  least  $60,000.  I  sent 
a  company  package  of  $6,600.  Our  Chaplain  (Mr.  Stevens)  took 
the  money  home. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          575 

"There  has  been  a  great  alteration  in  our  camp  within  the  last 
few  days.  We  gave  up  all  our  A  tents  and  came  down  to  shelter 
tents.  The  men  have  sent  their  overcoats,  dress  coats  and,  in  fact, 
everything  away  but  a  change  of  underclothes.  We  have  eight  days' 
rations  in  knapsack  and  haversack  and  sixty  rounds  of  ammunition. 
I  assure  you  that  it  makes  a  heavy  load  for  a  man  to  carry  and  the 
men  feel  the  want  of  their  overcoats  very  much  indeed,  when  on  duty 
at  night  or  it  is  rainy  weather.  The  blouses  or  sack  coats  are  very 
thin  and  light.  The  weather  is  delightful  here  at  present  during  the 
day.  It  is  really  uncomfortably  warm  and  makes  me  often  feel 
like  being  at  home  working  on  the  farm.  There  is  a  general  impres 
sion  that  we  will  move  on  Monday  next.  Our  sick  and  all  men  unfit 
to  march  have  been  sent  away." 

Although  exceptionally  favored  in  the  matter  of  health  in 
camp  during  this  winter,  the  company  was  to  fare  badly  in  its  first 
engagement  at  Chancellorsville.  Captain  Forster  was  quite  ill  before 
this  battle,  and  although  not  able  to  join  in  the  march,  he  remained 
in  the  Army  and  wrote,  May  10th,  after  the  battle: 

**I  have  been  very  sick  and  am  not  much  better  yet.  I  can 
hardly  hold  my  head  up  to  write  these  few  lines.  We  have  seen  bad 
times  since  I  wrote  you  last.  I  took  about  seventy  men  with  me 
from  camp  here  and  brought  twenty  back,  the  balance  all  having 
been  killed  or  wounded.  Lieutenants  Bible  and  Stevenson  were  both 
killed,  also  Green  Carter  and  Simon  Segner;  Sowers  boys  both 
wounded." 

Chancellorsville  was  a  sad  blow  to  C  Company,  not  only  because 
of  those  who  were  killed  outright  on  the  field  but  of  promising  non 
commissioned  officers  and  others  who  died  from  wounds  received 
there.  First  Sergt,  C.  C.  Herman,  who  died  in  hospital  from  the 
effects  of  a  wound,  was  especially  missed,  as  he  was  a  faithful,  re 
liable  and  capable  First  Sergeant,  and  would  undoubtedly  have  been 
made  First  Lieutenant  of  his  company,  if  he  had  lived.  A.  Green 
Carter,  who  wras  killed,  was  also  a  very  capable  man  and  would 
certainly  have  been  heard  from  later,  had  he  lived. 

After  Captain  Forster  had  been  in  the  hospital  for  a  little  time 
in  Washington  and  been  to  his  home,  he  returned,  and,  in  his  first 
letter  to  his  wife,  under  date  of  May  31st,  after  deploring  the  loss 
of  Bible,  Stevenson  and  others  of  his  company,  says : 

UI  have  forty-three  men  in  camp  now.  Henry  Rover  came  back 
to  the  company  last  evening.  He  looks  well.  When  I  was  home, 


576  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

they  were  expecting  his  discharge  soon  but  'he  is  now  sent  back  here 
and  it  will  probably  be  many  a  day  before  he  gets  home.  You  can 
say  to  Mrs.  Carter  that  Green  is  certainly  dead.  Our  killed  at  Chan- 
cellorsville,  besides  our  officers,  were  Green  Carter,  Jacob  Beard, 
William  Morris,  Simon  Segner,  Jacob  Dorman  and  Nathan  Yarnell. 
We  have  one  man,  Henry  Markle,  that  I  think  will  die  from  his 
wounds.  His  leg  was  amputated  some  days  ago  and  yesterday  they 
were  compelled  to  make  a  second  amputation,  so  that  the  leg  is  now 
off  close  to  his  body.  Lieutenant  Edmunds  left  this  morning  for 
home  on  a  sick  leave.  Captain  Weaver  and  Major  Fairlamb  expect 
to  leave  tomorrow  morning.  There  have  been  seven  deaths  within  the 
last  ten  days  out  of  our  Regiment,  among  them  Lieutenant  Musser, 
of  Company  D.  I  send  this  with  Lieutenant  Wolf,  of  A  Company, 
who  leaves  for  Brush  Valley  tomorrow  morning  on  a  five  days'  Ieave2 
and  takes  the  body  of  his  brother,  who  died  a  few  days  ago,  with 
him." 

The  manoeuvring  which  took  place  early  in  June  to  discover 
the  position  and  plans  of  the  Confederates  and  the  final  break  of 
camp  when  we  returned  from  Chancellorsville  and  the  march  north 
ward  have  been  fully  detailed  elsewhere  and  it  is  needless  to  repeat 
those  details  here. 

A  number  of  letters  written  by  Captain  Forster  immediately 
preceding  and  during  the  march  have  been  preserved  by  his  friends — 
one  in  lead  pencil  to  his  wife,  dated  June  21st,  in  which  he  describes 
the  condition  of  the  battlefield  of  Second  Bull  Run  and  the  manner 
in  which  the  dead  were  buried. 

In  a  letter  of  the  23d  of  June  to  his  sister  he  says: 

"We  marched  some  days  as  much  as  twenty  miles  and  for  the 
first  four  days  of  our  march  I  have  never  felt  the  heat  so  in  my  life. 
The  dust  in  the  road  was  many  times  shoe-mouth  deep.  The  soldiers 
gave  out  by  hundreds  and  it  was  nothing  uncommon  to  see  men  drop 
down  as  if  dead  from  sunstroke,  and  in  some  cases  they  never  re 
covered.  I  had  command  of  the  Regiment  for  three  days  in  the 
start,  which  gave  me  a  horse  to  ride,  which  was  a  great  improvement 
over  walking.  (This  was  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  Colonel 
Beaver  and  Major  Fairlamb  were  both  absent  wounded,  and  Lieuten 
ant  Colonel  McFarlane,  although  with  the  Regiment,  had  not  fully 
recovered  from  his  attack  of  typhoid  fever.)  Our  mess  chests  have 
been  taken  from  us  and,  consequently,  we  can  take  nothing  with  us 
but  what  we  carry  on  our  backs. 

"The  rebel  cavalry  made  a  dash  at  our  pickets  yesterday  morn 
ing  and  captured  twenty  and  two  wagons. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          577 

"I  think  we  are  staying  here  for  the  purpose  of  guarding  this 
gap  which  is  said  to  be  an  important  point,  but  this  morning  our 
sick  were  all  sent  away  and  we  may  again  be  on  the  march  in  a 
very  short  time.  Our  Corps  is  the  only  one  here." 

Five  days  later,  June  28th,  he  writes  to  his  wife : 

"We  have  now  been  marching  for  fifteen  days  around  through 
different  places  in  Virginia.  We  have  rested  in  that  time  about  three 
days;  have  marched  a  great  deal  at  night.  On  Friday  night  (which 
was  June  26th),  about  twelve  o'clock  we  crossed  the  Potomac  into 
Maryland;  glad  to  leave  old  Virginia.  We  have  now  marched  thirty- 
five  miles  through  Maryland  since  yesterday  morning,  reaching  this 
place  about  one  o'clock.  We  are  all  very  tired.  Our  camp  is  about 
two  miles  from  Frederick  City.  It  is  in  sight  and  looks  to  be  a 
large  place.  The  rebels  are  about  five  miles  from  us,  the  pickets 
have  been  firing  at  each  other  all  day.  We  will  probably  leave  this 
camp  tomorrow  and,  if  the  rebels  make  a  stand,  will  soon  be  up  to 
them  and  no  doubt  have  a  fight.  It  may  be  that  we  will  be  in  Penn 
sylvania  before  many  days  but  that  is  very  uncertain. 

"We  left  Thoroughfare  Gap  last  Thursday  morning  and  I  thbjk 
just  in  time,  for  the  rebels  would  probably  have  surrounded  us  and 
given  us  a  good  thrashing,  for  they  were  much  stronger  than  we. 
They  attacked  us  early  in  the  morning,  nearly  all  around  our  lines, 
and  we  packed  up  and  left  in  a  hurry.  We  had  not  marched  more 
than  three  miles  to  a  little  town  called  Haymarket,  by  which  time 
they  had  some  cannon  in  position  and  fired  upon  us.  They  blew  up  a 
caisson,  killed  and  wounded  some  ten  or  twelve  men  and  killed  five 
horses.  We  stepped  out  lively  and  took  long  steps  until  we  got  out 
of  the  range  of  their  guns.  I  have  stood  the  march  well,  except  that 
my  feet  are  very  sore. 

"We  have  reached  a  country-  where  we  can  get  plenty  to  eat. 
There  are  fine  farms  here.  The  wheat  is  nearly  ripe;  in  fact  I 
have  seen  wheat  in  shock  in  the  valley  and  a  fine  crop  it  is.  I  am 
well  and  in  great  spirits." 

This,  so  far  as  is  known,  was  the  last  letter  written  by  Captain 
Forster.  The  next  intelligence  received  by  any  of  his  family  was  a 
letter  dated  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  6,  1863,  addressed 
to  his  brother-in-law,  Mark  Halfpenny,  Esq.,  and  written  by  his 
kinsman,  R.  H.  Forster,  Captain  Company  A,  148th  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers,  which  is,  in  part,  as  follows: 

"It  is  with  feelings  of  the  most  profound  sorrow  that  I  take 
this,  the  very  first  spare  moment,  to  give  you  the  sad  intelligence  of 
the  death  of  your  brother-in-law,  Capt.  Robert  M.  Forster,  who  fell. 


578  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

while  gallantly  leading  his  company  into  the  action  of  Thursday 
evening  near  Gettysburg,  pierced  through  the  head  with  a  musket 
ball.  His  death  was,  of  course,  instantaneous.  His  body  was  brought 
from  the  field  and  now  lies  buried  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Jacob  Him- 
melbach,  about  one  mile  from  Gettysburg,  and  is  marked.  I  visited 
the  spot  myself,  in  order  that  I  might  be  able  to  render  you  any 
assistance  in  my  power  to  recovering  it  at  some  future  time.  You 
will,  of  course,  convey  this  sad  and  heartrending  news  to  his  mother. 
"I  will  not  attempt  to  offer  any  vain  words  of  consolation  of 
my  own  to  hearts  that  I  know  will  be. almost  over-powered  with  grief 
and  sorrow  at  the  receipt  of  the  sad  intelligence  this  letter  bears.  I 
can  only  add  that  we  all  feel  that  the  Regiment  has  lost  one  of  its 
bravest  and  most  efficient  officers,  while,  for  myself  personally,  I 
am  fully  conscious  that  as  a  valued  friend  and  camp  companion  his 
place  will  never  be  filled." 

The  exact  details  relating  to  the  Captain's  death  are  told  in 
Osman's  story,  which  is  a  part  of  that  of  the  company. 

It  will  perhaps  be  well  to  close  this  portion  of  the  story  of 
Company  C  with  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  and  the  loss  of  its  gallant 
Captain. 

Before  doing  so,  however,  and  as  its  fitting  close,  it  is  proper 
to  emphasize  what  elsewhere  appears  in  the  "Colonel's  Story"  and 
which  is  graphically  portrayed  in  the  page  bearing  the  faces  of  the 
martyrs  of  Company  C.  As  has  already  appeared  in  this  chapter, 
First  Lieut.  William  II.  Bible,  and  Second  Lieut.  Francis  Stevenson, 
were  both  killed  at  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville.  Captain  Forster 
was  killed,  as  already  appears,  at  Gettysburg.  This  left  C  Company 
bereft  of  all  its  original  commissioned  officers.  Several  of  its  ra.nk- 
ing  non-commissioned  officers  were  either  killed  or  subsequently  died 
of  wounds  received  at  Chancellorsville.  Sergt.  Jacob  S.  Lander,  who 
was  promoted  from  Sergeant  to  First  Lieutenant,  October  31,  1863, 
was  killed  at  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia,  June  3,  1864.  Sergt.  David 
G.  Ralston,  who  was  promoted  from  Sergeant  to  Second  Leiutenant, 
August  26,  1863,  and  to  First  Lieutenant,  July  31,  1864,  was  killed 
at  Reams  Station,  August  25,  1864.  Capt.  Jacob  B.  Edmunds,  who 
was  promoted  from  First  Lieutenant  of  Company  G,  \<>veml>er  15, 

1863,  having  been  in  command  of  the  company  for  some  time  after 
the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  was  killed  at  Petersburg,  Virginia,  June  22» 

1864,  and  First  Lieut.  Samuel  Everhart,  who  was  promoted  from 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          579 

Sergeant  of  Company  G,  October  3,  1864,  and  had  been  commis 
sioned  Captain,  March  1,  1865,  but  not  mustered,  was  killed  at  Five 
Forks,  Virginia,  March  31,  1865. 

The  fatality  thus  shown  among  the  commissioned  officers  of  this 
company,  numbering  seven  killed  outright  on  the  field  of  battle,  is 
not  known  to  have  its  parallel  in  the  history  of  any  company  on 
either  side  during  the  Civil  War.  Just  how  remarkable  this  record 
ir>  will  be  more  plainly  apparent,  when  it  is  stated  that,  whilst  a 
number  of  officers  of  other  companies  in  the  Regiment  died  in  conse 
quence  of  wounds — some  of  them  on  the  same  day  or  within  a  day 
or  two  after  being  wounded — and  many  officers  were  wounded — some 
of  them  severely  and  often — none  others,  except  the  seven  nameol 
were  actually  killed  in  battle.  Is  this  record  paralleled  or  surpassed 
by  that  of  any  single  company  in  either  Union  or  Confederate  Army  ? 


580          THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS 


THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  C. 


PART  II. 

By  Martin  Funk. 

I  was  born  at  Gatesburg,  Centre  County,  February  3,  1838 ; 
enlisted  at  Stormstown,  August  19,  1862,  under  Lieut  William 
Bible  of  Company  C.  Robert  M.  Forster  was  elected  Captain,  and 
Frank  Stevenson  Second  Lieutenant.  Sworn  into  the  service  at 
Bellefonte  by  United  States  officer.  Stayed  one  night  in  town  on 
account  of  the  mustering  officer  having  too  much  benzine.  Governor 
Curtin  ordered  him  penned  up  till  morning. 

When  we  were  sworn  in,  we  started  for  Harrisburg,  bidding  our 
friends  good-bye.  Crossed  the  mountains  to  Lewistown  in  wagons, 
took  the  train  there  to  Harrisburg;  from  there  to  Camp  Curtiii. 
There  we  began  to  play  soldier,  doing  camp  duty,  drilled  some  in  the 
afternoon  and  had  dress  parade  at  five  o'clock. 

Went  with  the  Regiment  to  Cockeysville,  Maryland. 

We  joined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  in  December;  made  our 
winter  camp  at  Falmouth,  Virginia,  and  spent  the  winter  in  camp 
and  picket  duty,  drills  and  dress  parade.  The  weather  was  severe 
but,  with  all  the  hardships  we  enjoyed  ourselves,  as  there  was  always 
some  excitement  among  some  of  the  boys. 

With  the  opening  of  spring  came  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville 
and,  on  Sunday,  the  3d  of  May,  we  had  a  general  engagement,  Out 
of  sixty-four  men  in  our  company,  if  I  remember,  there  were  but 
sixteen  that  escaped  without  having  been  wounded — a  great  many 
killed ;  Lieutenant  Bible  and  Stevenson  were  killed  and  the  Colonel 
wounded ;  also  the  Major  slightly,  and  our  First  Sergeant  and  my 
self.  I  lost  the  use  of  my  right  arm.  As  I  was  getting  a  cap  out  of 
my  box,  a  ball  took  the  whole  end  off  my  elbow,  crippling  me  for 
life.  Most  of  the  wounded  were  sent  across  the  river  that  night,  I 
saw  our  Orderly  die  at  night  and  a  great  many  others  out  of  our 
Regiment. 

We  stayed  at  division  hospital  a  short  time  and  then  were 
sent  to  Point  Lookout.  There  I  took  sick  and  lay  on  my  back  three 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          581 

months,  lacking  four  days.  In  the  fall,  Governor  Curtin  had  all  our 
wounded  transferred  to  our  own  state,  and  I,  with  others,  was  sent 
to  Chestnut  Hill,  Philadelphia,  and  had  a  pass  to  come  home  on 
election  day,  returned  and  put  in  the  winter  there  and,  being  one  of 
the  unlucky  ones,  not  being  able  to  go  to  the  front,  was  sorry  I 
coiildn't  be  with  the  boys,  but  with  others  of  the  wounded  was  put  in 
the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps ;  thence  to  Washington  to  do  guard  duty 
around  the  hospitals  and  gather  up  stragglers,  while  Meade  was 
making  the  rebels  fly  a/t  the  front. 

We  had  a  detail  from  the  148th  on  guard  at  General  Hancock's 
headquarters  and  one  of  the  men  had  drawn  rations  of  bread  and 
got  a  loaf  that  was  couched  in  all  around.  He  growled  awhile  and 
then  started  for  General  Hancock's  headquarters  and  asked  him  if  he 
thought  that  was  a  day's  rations  for  a  man.  The  reply  was  that  it 
was  rather  small  and  some  more  questions  were  asked.  Finally  Han 
cock  says: 

"Do  you  get  half  enough  ?" 

"Yes,"  the  soldier  replied. 

"Then,"  said  the  General,  "damned  poor  soldier  that  can't  steal 
the  other  half." 

Soon  after  this  the  General  missed  his  breakfast.  When  Sam, 
the  colored  waiter,  left  the  kitchen  to  call  the  General,  the  table 
was  swept  of  its  contents.  A  few  days  later  the  General  called  aj; 
the  Colonel's  quarters  and  told  him  what  a  fine  Regiment  he  had, 
and  said  if  he  could  get  them  within  a  mile  of  Richmond  they  would 
steal  the  city. 

I  was  discharged  from  the  service  October  12,  1864,  on  surgeon's 
certificate  of  disability.  I  have  been  an  invalid  for  the  last  sixteen 
years  and  slept  in  a  chair  for  fourteen  years. 


582  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

THE  STOKY  OF  COMPANY  C. 


PART  III. 
By  A.  L.   Whitehill. 

I  have  been  asked  by  some  of  my  comrades  to  contribute  some 
thing  to  the  History  of  our  Regiment. 

I  had  the  honor  to  be  a  member  of  Company  C,  the  color 
company.  Our  flag  was  never  captured  or  disgraced,  but  what  was 
left  of  our  colors  was  turned  over  to  the  proper  authorities  at  the 
close  of  the  War. 

As  appears  in  other  portions  of  this  History,  our  company  has 
the  unique  distinction  of  having  lost  more  commissioned  officers 
killed  in  battle  than  any  other  company  in  the  Union  Army  (and, 
as  far  as  known,  in  either  Army).  It  lost  seven  officers  killed  and 
a  number  wounded. 

In  the  summer  of  1863,  I  was  sent  to  the  general  hospital  at 
Point  Lookout,  Maryland.  This  place  is  about  one  hundred  and  ten 
miles  from  Washington,  and  was  a  summer  resort  before  the  War. 
The  cottages  and  a  large  hotel  were  converted  into  hospitals  during 
the  War.  There  was  also  a  lighthouse  on  the  Point  and  what  was 
known  as  the  Circle  Wards  were  built  by  the  Government  and  a 
l^rge  hotel  and  other  buildings  were  erected  by  private  parties. 

The  Point  was  later  used  as  a  rebel  prison.  At  one  time  the 
prisoners  numbered  twenty-six  thousand,  and  a  better  site  for  a 
prison  would  be  hard  to  find.  It  is  a  point  of  land  which  divides 
the  Chesapeake  Bay  and  the  Potomac  River.  Not  a  prisoner  could 
make  his  escape.  I  saw  two  men  who  were  foolish  enough  to  try. 
One  dark  night  they  waded  neck  deep  along  the  bay  shore  and  came 
to  land  outside  the  stockade  and  were  captured  by  some  cavalry  and 
brought  back  to  camp.  Before  putting  them  in  the  pens,  we  took 
them  into  our  barracks  where  they  wanned  themselves  and  dried 
their  clothing. 

This  prison  contained  about  sixty  acres  and  was  surrounded  by 
a  board  fence  about  fourteen  feet  high,  with  a  division  fence  that 
separated  the  officers  from  the  privates,  there  being  a  board  walk  a 
few  feet  lower  than  the  fence  for  the  sentinels  to  walk  on.  A 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          585 

stockade  from  river  to  bay  and  back  of  the  stockade  was  artillery, 
cavalry  and  infantry,  and  on  the  bay  and  river  were  gun  boats  and 
beside  the  prison  were  infantry  and  artillery,  so  that  it  can  be 
easily  seen  that  escape  was  next  to  impossible,  although  an  escape 
was  planned  by  the  rebel  officers. 

One  of  the  sentinels  noticed  an  officer  walking  back  and  forth 
as-  near  the  dead  line  as  he  dared  go,  without  being  shot.  He  had  in 
his  hand  a  stone  tightly  wrapped  about  with  a  piece  of  paper,  that 
proved  to  be  an  order,  stating  that  at  a  certain  hour  that  night  a 
signal  would  be  given  and  the  battery  captured  that  had  taken 
position  near  the  prison,  and  turned  on  the  Union  soldiers  and  that 
every  man  must  do  his  duty  and  make  good  his  escape.  But  it  all 
came  to  naught,  the  officer  being  detected  in  throwing  the  order  over 
the  fence,  and  no  one  was  allowed  to  touch  it.  The  officer  of  the 
guard  was  called  and  picked  it  up  and  delivered  it  to  headquarters. 
That  night  all  guards  were  doubled,  but  no  outbreak  occurred. 

Among  the  prisoners  were  Colonel  Breckinridge  and  the  noted 
guerrilla  chief  Jeff.  Thompson.  There  was  also  an  old  gray-headed 
man,  said  to  be  the  sheriff  that  hung  John  Brown,  but  that  may  not 
be  true.  One  prisoner  turned  out  to  be  a.  southern  belle  dressed  in 
male  attire  and  was  Lieutenant  of  a  battery. 

Some  of  the  prisoners  were  detailed  to  build  two  sand  fojts. 
Barrels  were  filled  with  sand  and  stood  on  end  in  rows  many  barrels 
deep.  How  they  would  stand  the  test  of  a  seige  I  do  not  know. 

The  hardest  battle  I  had  in  my  three  years7  service  was  at  Chan- 
cellorsville,  where  a  comrade  was  killed  on  each  side  of  me,  but  that 
was  nothing  compared  to  a  whirlwind  which  struck  the  Point  about 
seven  o'clock  one  morning.  It  came  from  the  Virginia  side  of  the 
bay  and  the  noise  it  made  reminded  me  of  thunder.  It  came  in  the 
shape  of  two  large  balls  that  could  be  seen  very  distinctly.  The 
circles  were  about  fifteen  feet  in  diameter  and  reminded  me  of  two 
great  swarms  of  bees  flying  around  the  circle  at  the  rate  of  one  hun 
dred  miles  a  minute.  The  war  vessels  fired  shells  into  it  with  very 
little  effect.  The  balls  of  air  I  speak  of  appeared  to  be  about  two 
hundred  feet  from  the  earth.  When  they  reached  the  wharf,  on  which 
was  piled  a  lot  of  baled  hay,  it  disappeared  in  a  few  seconds  and 


584  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

its  course  was  upward.  The  next  to  disappear  wTas  a  sutler's  stand, 
but  the  big  fat  sutler  was  left  behind  badly  wounded.  None  of 
the  cottage  wards  were  destroyed  but  a  few  of  them  were  turned 
partly  around.  But  some  of  the  circle  wards  fared  much  worse. 
One  ward  in  particular  disappeared,  leaving  the  floor  behind.  The 
building  was  full  of  sick  and  wounded  soldiers  and  not  a  man  was 
hurt.  Some  other  wards  were  partly  destroyed.  A  colored  man  that 
was  standing  on  a  pair  of  steps  was  blown  into  the  bay.  Fortunately 
not  a  man  was  seriously  hurt  during  the  storm. 

No  Regiment  remained  long  on  guard  duty.  The  Second  and 
Twelfth  New  Hampshire,  after  their  re-enlistment,  did  duty  for  some 
months  and  then  were  sent  to  the  front.  One  hundred  day  men  from 
Ohio  served  out  thedr  time  on  the  Point.  The  First  Battery  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps  men  did  duty  there  for  a  short  time  and  were  relieved 
b\  colored  troops  from  Massachusetts.  They  were  sent  there  after 
the  battle  of  Petersburg  where  their  loss  was  very  heavy.  They 
remained  there  through  the  War,  some  of  them  being  former  slaves. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  hear  of  some  of  the  doings  of  those 
dusky  troops.  As  I  said  before,  some  of  them  were  ex-slaves.  The 
general  supposition  was  that  all  slaves  were  ill-treated  and  no  doubt 
a  great  majority  were,  but  I  believe  there  were  a  few  exceptions  to 
the  rule.  A  former  slave  being  on  duty  noticed  his  old  master  pac 
ing  back  and  forth  as  near  the  sentry's  beat  as  he  dared  to.  He 
said  not  a  word,  as  the  prisoners  were  not  allowed  to  talk  to  the 
sentries  and  vice  versa.  Thinking  that  his  old  master  needed  some 
money,  he  threw  him  a  bill  and  said,  "Take  that;  I  am  not  allowed 
to  talk  to  you,"  thus  showing  his  love  for  his  old  master.  The  same 
thing  occurred  near  the  same  time  but  showed  a  different  spirit. 
The  master  said  to  his  former  slave,  "Do  you  know  me?"  The 
answer  was,  "I  used  to  know  you,"  but  at  the  same  time,  patting  his 
gun,  he  said,  "Be  careful  now  or  this  will  know  you." 

As  the  Johnnies  were  brought  to  the  Point  by  the  boat  load, 
they  were  at  once  marched  and  formed  into  line  in  front  of  the  pro 
vost  marshal's  quarters  for  examination.  One  of  the  guards, 
a.  negro  Corporal  that  stood  near  the  front  line  of  prisoners,  was 
recognized  and  spoken  to  by  a  Johnny  rob.  He  asked  the  Corporal 


Corp.  James  K.RWard 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          585 

if  he  remembered  the  fun  they  had  along  a  certain  stream  in  Virginia. 
The  fun  must  have  been  one-sided  for,  in  a  moment,  the  Corporal 
was  crazy  mad.  Forgetting  that  his  gun  was  loaded,  he  put  in  the 
second  cartridge  and  quickly  took  aim;  but,  before  he  had  time  to 
pull  the  trigger,  the  gun  was  wrenched  from  his  grasp  by  an  officer 
arid  the  Corporal  taken  to  the  guard  house. 

Toward  the  latter  part  of  the  War  the  Indians  made  an  outbreak 
and  it  became  necessary  to  send  troops  to  conquer  them.  The  Gov 
ernment  enlisted  a  regiment  of  prisoners  that  had  taken  the  oath  of 
allegiance  to  the  United  States.  They  were  uniformed  and  drilled 
before  leaving  for  their  destination.  A  rebel  officer  said  to  me: 

"I  see  you  are  from  Pennsylvania  ;  what  county  are  you  from  ?" 

"Centre  County,"  I  said. 

"Were  you  ever  in  Lock  Haven  ?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  I  said. 

"Are  you  acquainted  with  Miss  Maggie  White,  a  daughter  of 
Landlord  White  of  Lock  Haven  ?" 

"Xo,  sir,"  I  said,  "but  I  stopped  at  the  hotel  while  in  Lock 
Haven  but  had  no  chance  of  making  her  acquaintance." 

"I  am  very  well  acquainted  with  Maggie  and  would  like  very 
much  to  hear  from  her.  I  spent  some  time  in  Lock  Haven  before 
the  War,"  he  said. 

"Where  in  the  world  do  all  you  rebels  come  from  anyway  ?"  I 
asked. 

"That  question  is  easily  answered ;  we  just  shake  all  we  want  off 
bushes  and  trees." 

A  deserter  belonging  to  a  Xew  Hampshire  regiment,  was  a 
bounty  jumper  and  deserter  and  had  joined  different  regiments  and 
made  a  great  deal  of  money  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  but  finally  he 
was  recognized  and  reported,  court-martialed  and  shot.  His  wife 
came  to  see  him  and  remained  on  the  Point  for  some  time.  His 
request  to  the  firing  squad  was,  "Don't  shoot  me  in  the  face."  They 
said  they  would  not  He  was  not  blindfolded  but  knelt  beside  the 
coffin  and  took  his  medicine  like  a  man. 


586  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  C. 


PART  IV. 

By  E.  B.  Walter. 

Please  make  room  for  one  more  log  on  our  camp  fire.  The 
writer  of  this  partial  history  of  Company  C  of  the  148th  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Infantry,  was  born  in  Snydertown,  April 
9,  1845,  and  with  Wm.  T.  McCaLmont,  James  T.  Beck,  Wm.  Smith 
and  Robert  Grater,  from  Jacksonville ;  and  Jacob  S.  Lander,  Joseph 
Lee,  Frederick  Yocum,  Henry  W.  Markle,  Christian  Swartz,  Henry 
Swartz  and  Zachariah  Truckenmiller,  from  Hublersburg;  and  Jacob 
Dorm  an,  from  Snydertown,  enlisted  in  Robert  M.  Forster's  company 
at  Bellefonte  August  27,  1862.  After  the  election  of  officers  we  took 
private  conveyance  to  Lewistown,  our  nearest  railroad  station,  and 
arrived  at  Harrisburg  about  1 :00  p.  M.  August  28th,  where  dinner 
was  ready  for  us  in  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  depot  After  dinnei 
we  reported  to  Camp  Curtin.  At  the  organization  of  the  Regiment 
September  1,  1862,  we  first  learned  that  we  were  Company  C  of 
the  148th  Regiment, 

On  my  first  detail  for  guard  duty  the  hours  began  to  get  pretty 
long  so  I  thought  I  would  take  a  rest.  I  took  a  seat  at  the  end  of 
my  beat  and  heard  no  enemy  approaching  but  felt  a  sudden  jar. 
After  rubbing  my  eyes  and  looking  up  found  the  officer  of  the  guard 
before  me.  I  saw  a  possible  court  martial  and  marching  to  my  last 
resting  place,  the  last  act  to  be  performed  by  my  own.  comrades,  but, 
through  the  goodness  of  the  officer  of  the  guard  (Lieutenant,  after 
ward,  Chaplain,  Stevens)  it  was  never  reported.  This  was  a  lesson 
that  was  never  forgotten. 

Soon  after  receiving  our  rifles  we  boarded  a  train  of  box  cars 
and  one  morning  landed  in  Cockeysville.  While  enroute  our  rifles 
became  very  useful  to  make  openings  that  we  might  be  able  to  see 
any  possible  enemy.  Here  we  were  ordered  out  of  our  Pullmans, 
companies  formed  and  marched  a  short  distance  south  where  we  went 
into  camp. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          587 

One  day  word  was  received  at  headquarters  that  a  large  resi 
dence  about  two  miles  northwest  was  a  rendezvous  of  rebel  recruits 
and  spies.  After  a  council  it  was  decided  to  capture  them,  and  two 
companies,  C  and  H,  I  think,  were  sent  on  that  mission.  Aftei 
marching  about  one  mile  a  halt  was  called  and  rifles  were  loaded. 
An  elaborate  plan  of  approach  was  made  and  carried  out  to  sur 
round  the  house  and  surprise  and  capture  .the  spies.  But  we  were 
doomed  to  disappointment,  for  on  the  final  round  up  we  had  an 
empty  house. 

Some  time  after  this  Company  C  was  detached  from  the  Regi- 
ment  and  stationed  at  Phoenixville,  about  eight  miles  north  o± 
Cockeysville.  Here  I  was  exempt  from  guard  duty,  being  appointed 
to  carry  the  mail  from  headquarters  to  Company  C,  but  was  subject 
to  drill.  On  Saturday  while  the  Captain  and  First  Lieutenant  were 
on  duty  at  headquarters  the  company  was  left  in  charge  of  our  Sec 
ond  Lieutenant.  On  this  morning  about  one-half  of  the  company, 
of  their  own  free  will,  went  to  the  creek  to  wash  and  bathe.  After 
dinner  the  Lieutenant  ordered  the  company  formed  and  taken  to 
wash  and  bathe,  in  charge  of  the  First  Sergeant,  when  those  that  had 
been  there  refused  to  go.  Then  he  ordered  those  refusing,  to  be 
formed  for  drill.  He  took  them  on,  a  side  hill  on  double  quick  and 
continued  that  movement  until  he  was  tired ;  and  he  stood  and  gave 
the  command  and  when  once  we  were  headed  toward  quarters  we 
heard  no  other  command  and  the  Lieutenant  came  into  camp  by 
himself.  For  this  we  were  lectured  by  the  Captain  and  the  Lieu 
tenant  was  placed  under  arrest. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  flag  presentation  to  the  Regiment  of 
course  every  company  was  to  appear  at  its  best,  and  Company  C 
would  not  lag  on  her  part.  We  had  pride  enough  to  outdo  the  other 
companies  if  possible,  so  we  went  to  shining  our  brasses  with  a  will. 
One  comrade  learned  to  shine  copper  and  brass  at  home  when  he  sug 
gested  salt  and  vinegar,  which  we  proceeded  to  use  and  it  worked 
like  a  charm  and  was  a  saving  of  time.  When  the  brasses  on  our 
dress  coats  were  clean  and  bright  they  were  stowed  in  our  knapsacks 
until  we  would  arrive  near  the  field  where  the  Regiment  was  to  be 
formed,  when  we  brushed  the  dust  from  ourselves  and  donned  our 


588  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

dress  coats,  'but  imagine  our  surprise ;  the  shining  yellow  we  put  into 
our  knapsacks  came  out  a  green.  This  accounts  for  Company  C 
being  in  line  without  its  brasses.  The  exercises  here  were  grand 
and  when  the  comrades  learned  that  the  ladies  of  Pennsylvania  had 
presented  the  flag  to  the  Regiment  to  carry  and  protect  it  from  its 
enemies,  we  all  felt  that  we  had  a  great  charge  in  trust  and  we  all 
saw  more  clearly  our  duty  to  country  and  responsibility  to  friends 
at  homa 

December  9th  we  were  ordered  to  Washington  on  our  way  to 
join  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  About  half  way  to  the  front  our 
rations  gave  out ;  we  had  not  yet  learned  to  confine  ourselves  to  our 
daily  allowance.  Hence  the  name  of  our  camp — "Starvation."  On 
this  march  near  Port  Tobacco  we  met  with  a  field  of  turnips  and  we 
would  have  made  a  record  as  a  Regiment  here  but  our  Colonel  in 
terfered,  knowing  we  could  not  endure  such  a  strong  diet.  On  this 
march  we  lost  one  man  by  desertion.  We  arrived  at  Fredericksburg 
as  the  Army  was  moving  into  their  old  camp  after  the  battle.  Here 
we  were  assigned  and  went  into  camp  as  a  part  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  to  share  with  its  victories  and  defeats  to  the  close  of  the 
struggla  While  here  we  had  a  loss  of  four  comrades:  George 
Gates,  Daniel  Gates,  Abraham  Freed  and  John  Mclvason  by  disease. 

Our  brigade  commissary  furnished  us  with  extra  rations,  but 
for  the  Irish  Brigade  commissary  we  had  a  special  liking,  for  much 
of  its  stores  found  their  way  to  our  company. 

While  the  deep  snow  covered  the  ground  and  the  camp  guard 
were  excused  for  that  day  some  of  the  boys  availed  themselves  of  the 
opportunity  of  getting  fuel  when  they  proceeded  to  tear  down  the 
guard  house,  which  disappeared  as  by  magic,  but  soon  the  guard 
was  again  posted  and  a  new  guard  house  built.  It  was  my  pleasure 
to  occupy  one  room  in  this  mansion  (unjustly  I  think).  I  was  on 
camp  guard  and  at  noon  the  relief  had  permission  to  go  for  dinner, 
during  which  time  a  general  officer  came  through  camp  and  our  re 
lief  not  being  there  to  salute,  the  officer  of  the  day  ordered  our  entire 
relief  into  the  guard  house. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          589 

That  same  evening  the  returning  picket  guard  were  ordered  to 
be  ready  for  dress  parade,  which  they  refused  to  do,  when  they  were 
brought  into  the  guard  house,  which  crowded  us  too  much  for  com 
fort.  While  their  names  were  taken  and  divided  into  reliefs  I  took 
my  leave. 

About  April  28th  we  broke  camp  for  our  Chancellorsville  cam 
paign.  When  we  had  crossed  the  river  the  cry  was  heard  all  night, 
"On  to  Richmond !" 

In  the  morning  we  arrived  at  Chancellorsville.  We  were  in  no 
great  hurry  to  go  forward.  About  11 :00  A.  M.  the  report  of  a  cannon 
greeted  us  and  we  were  ordered  about  two  miles  east  of  the  Chancel 
lor  House  to  support  a  battery.  All  was  quiet  east  of  us,  but  to  our 
right  the  skirmish  fire  was  pretty  warm  and  the  bullets  came  too  close 
for  comfort  and  we  wished  the  battery  we  were  supporting  would 
open  fire  on  that  part  of  the  field.  We  had  not  long  to  wait  for  an 
officer  rode  up  and  ordered  our  battery  to  open  fire  on  a  rebel  battery 
east  of  us.  The  order  was  obeyed  and  we  soon  had  a  reply.  Then 
if  I  could  have  lowered  myself  into  the  earth  three  or  four  feet  I 
would  have  hastened  to  do  so.  This  was  our  first  experience  under 
artillery  fire. 

After  some  time  we  were  ordered  back  to  the  Chancellor  House 
where  we  were  massed  with  the  artillery  in  rear  of  the  infantry. 
When  the  rebels  charged  a  battery  south  of  us  and  our  artillery  in 
rear  fired  over  us  we  lost  our  first  man  in  battle  as  elsewhere  related. 

Soon  after  this  we  were  ordered  some  distance  east,  until  night, 
when  we  returned  to  near  the  Chancellor  House,  where  we  were 
ordered  to  build  breastworks,  which  we  did  very  willingly.  They 
were  built  of  brush  with  heavy  logs  on  top  and  then  we  felt  safe 
from  the  enemy  on  the  east  but  it  was  not  to  be  so  for  long,  for  during 
the  night  General  Hancock  happened  along  where  we  were  and  seeing 
our  defenses  he  inquired  what  they  were.  Imagine  our  surprise 
when  he  ordered  us  in  front  of  them.  I  know  we  were  inclined  to 
criticise  his  order,  but  to  obey  orders  is  the  duties  of  a  soldier.  In 
this  position  we  remained  until  morning  (Sunday),  then  we  were 
ordered  into  action  west  of  the  Chancellor  House,  where  we  received 
our  baptismal  fire  and  where  our  losses  were  larger  than  any  other 


590  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

regiment  and  I  think  Company  C  lost  more  men  than  any  company 
in  the  Regiment, 

I  was  both  fortunate  and  unfortunate  in  this  engagement;  for 
tunate  that  I  escaped  with  my  life,  unfortunate  in  that  I  was  slightly 
wounded  twice  and  a  ball  through  my  knapsack,  haversack  and 
bayonet  scabbard.  With  alii  this  I  came  out  one  better  than  I  went 
into  the  engagement,  for  when  we  were  ordered  to  fall  back  a  few 
rods  I  spied  a  rebel  in  the  act  of  ramming  a  load  in  his  gun.  I  drew 
a  bead  on  him  and  he  threw  up  his  hands  in  token  of  'Surrender. 
When  I  turned  him  over  to  our  commander,  Fairlamb,  he  turned, 
looked  at  the  prisoner,  and  told  him  to  go  to  the  rear.  Soon  after  we 
retreated  in  rear  of  the  defenses  that  had  been  erected.  O'ur  with 
drawal  from  'Chancellorsville  is  fresh  in  the  memory  of  all  our  living 
comrades.  Our  (Company  C)  casualties  were:* 

Our  march  to  Gettysburg  began  June  12th.  Hard  marching 
was  an  every  day  occurrence.  At  Snicker^  s  Gap  we  had  a  little  brush 
with  the  rebels  in  which  they  used  a  horse  battery  which  seemed  to 
be  everywhere  at  the  same  time.  We  continued  our  march  without 
molestation.  On  this  march  the  company  lost  one  man  by  desertion. 
We  arrived  near  Gettysburg  about  9  :00  P.  M.  of  the  first  day  battle, 
July  1,  1863.  One  day  previous  to  this  we  were  amused  to  see  the 
excited  citizens  congregate  along  the  route  of  march  and  I  asked 
them  if  there  was  any  fighting  up  there,  and  the  answer  was,  "You 
bet;  drive  them  back  here  and  we  will  drive  them  farther."  But 
the  two  following  days  was  too  much  for  them,  for  on  our  return 
there  were  no  crowds  of  citizens  until  about  fifteen  miles  away  we 
met  some  of  them  returning.  Arriving  near  the  battlefield  on  July 
1st,  9  :00  P.  M.,  we  were  formed  in  line  of  battle  and  lay  on  our  arnih 
until  day  break  of  the  2d,  when  we  were  taken  to  the  front  and 
assisted  in  forming  the  line  manoeuvring  to  keep  out  of  range  of 
the  enemy's  shells.  Here  we  lost  Comrade  George  Ozman.  After 
the  line  was  established  we  began  throwing  up  breastworks,  but  we 
were  not  long  to  occupy  them  for  in  the  afternoon  we  were  taken 

*Comrade  Walter  gives  a  full  list  of  losses,  all  of  which  will  be  found  under 
the  head  of  "Casualties."— EDITOR. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          591 

left  in  front  into  the  wheat  field  to  check  the  enemy  in  their  attempt 
to  capture  Little  Round  Top  and  cut  off  the  Third  Corps. 

Here  we  had  some  hot  work.  A  ball  lodged  in  my  rifle  and  on 
turning  around  I  saw  the  Captaim  and  asked  him  to  drive  it  down 
with  a  stone.  This  was  the  last  time  I  saw  the  Captain  alive.  After 
ward  we  were  relieved  by  a  portion  of  the  Fifth  Corps  and  retired 
to  the  rear  of  Little  Round  Top  until  the  morning  of  the  3d,  when 
we  again  took  the  position  we  had  left  the  previous  day.  We  at  once 
began  to  strengthen  our  defenses  and  had  just  completed  them  when 
the  historic  artillery  duel  began.  During  this  duel  I  was  sitting 
with  my  back  to  the  works.  Sergeant  Graham  was  sitting  with  his 
feet  in  the  ditch  and  his  face  to  the  front.  All  at  once  he  exclaimed, 
"Look  out,  Walter,"  at  the  same  time  raising  his  feet  when  a  piece 
of  shell  buried  itself  in)  the  earth  between  his  feet.  Soon  after  this 
he  again  gave  the  warning  when  a  piece  of  shell  dropped  upon  my 
left  shoulder  causing  a  bruise. 

July  the  4th  I  spent  in  helping  to  bury  the  dead,  and  in  the 
afternoon  of  the  4th,  I  believe,  we  withdrew  to  the  Two  Taverns. 
Our  casualties  in  this  engagement  were:  (See  "Casualties.") 

We  were  left  here  without  a  commissioned  officer.  Our  com 
pany  was  in  command  of  Sergeant  Ralston.  After  a  day  of  rest  we 
again  resumed  our  return  march  by  way  of  Fredericktown,  Mary 
land,  to  near  Williamsport,  where  we  again  met  the  enemy  strongly 
posted.  Nothing  but  a  few  exchanges  of  shots  occurred  here.  After 
a  few  days  we  again  advanced  and  had  some  skirmishing  with  the 
rebels.  We  started  for  Harper's  Ferry  by  way  of  the  tow  path.  Here 
we  were  very  short  of  rations,  for  our  supply  train  could  not  go  with 
us,  but  had  to  takei  a  circuitous  route  to  Sandyhook,  where  we  drew 
new  clothing  and  fresh  beef.  After  a  few  days  of  rest  we  resumed 
our  inarch  for  \7irginia,  by  way  of  the  London  Valley,  Warrington 
and  Manassas  Gap. 

Hearing  of  some  fresh  meats  about  two  miles  out  I  went  with 
two  other  comrades  to  investigate,  when  I  found  the  report  true. 
We -at  once  proceeded  to  fill  our  haversacks,  when  to  our  left  we 
heard  some  cavalry  and  having  no  great  desire  to  see  Mosby  we  de 
camped  in  short  order.  In  our  retreat  we  had  to  cross  a  millrace, 


592  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

which  I  did,  but  how,  I  am  unable  to  say,  and  succeeded  in  reaching 
a  thicket  and  not  a  minute  too  soon,  for  the  moment  I  was  in  a  cav 
alryman  rode  to  where  I  entered.  After  remaining  quiet  for  some 
time  and  the  coast  seemingly  clear,  I  worked  my  way  to  camp  with 
my  haversack  full  of  beef  and  mutton. 

The  next  morning  we  again  resumed  our  march  when  we  learned 
that  Mosby  had  not  been  after  the  boys  but  our  own  provost  guard 
and  quite  a  goodly  number  they  had  to  exhibit  in  the  ring  at  the 
close  of  the  day's  march.  Stevensville,  I  believe^  was  our  objective 
point  where  we  remained  during  August. 

In  September  we  advanced  on  Brandy  Station  and  Culpeper. 
While  we  advanced  on  Brandy  Station  we  had  a  grand  view,  the  long 
lines  of  shining  steel  advancing  in  line  of  battle.  In  the  evening 
we  camped  in  line  of  battle.  When  we  gathered  fuel  to  cook  supper 
in  a  grove  near  by  the  owner  came  out  and  claimed  to  be  a  Union 
man  but  complained  because  we  were  taking  his  dry  wood  and  the 
boys  threw  down  their  wood  and  went  for  the  fences  and  the  siding 
on  his  house.  The  good  supper  I  had,  of  tomatoes  which  came  to  my 
hand  somehow,  will  ever  be  fresh  in  my  memory. 

The  next  morning  the  advance  was  continued  to  Culpeper,  and 
how  pleasant  the  southern  ladies  looked  at  the  boys  in  blue  as  they 
marched  through  their  historic  town.  At  the  Kapidan  we  concluded 
to  stop  for  reasons  well  known  by  all.  In  a  few  days  our  Corps  re 
turned  to  near  Brandy  Station  where  we  remained  until  October, 
when  General  Lee  concluded  we  had  rested  long  enough  and  turned 
the  right  of  our  Army,  aiming  to  establish  himself  between  Wash 
ington  and  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  While  I  was  on  picket  the 
Regiment  moved  some  two  miles  into  a  thicket.  Rations  and  a 
guide  awaited  the  returning  picket;  in  fact  it  required  a  competent 
guide  to  find  the  148th  Regiment.  About  5  :00  P.  M.  the  boys  began 
to  get  hungry  and  thirsty.  We  gathered  wood  and  built  fires,  when 
Major  Fairlamb  came  tearing  through  the  brush  and  gave  the  com 
mand,  "Fall  in  148th."  The  boys  sprang  to  their  guns.  He  said, 
"Not  exactly  fall  in  but  you  can't  make  coffee."  This  was  a  by-word 
with  the  company  while  we  were  in  the  sendee. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          593 

This  same  evening  about  9  :00  p.  M.  we  started  on  our  retreat  to 
Bull  Run  after  we  had  recrossed  the  Rappahannock ;  ammunition 
and  commissary  stores  were  being  destroyed ;  then  it  dawned  upon 
us  that  we  were  being  flanked. 

Our  next  brush  was  at  Auburn — "Coffee  Hill" — where  the  61st 
!N"ew  York  (having  lately  been  filled  with  recruits  with  full  knap 
sacks)  stacked  arms  in  rear  of  our  Regiment,  sought  safety  in  flight 
and  I  secured  a  full  knapsack,  just  what  I  needed,  for  the  nights 
were  getting  cold. 

Our  drum  corps  was  outgeneraled  here,  for  they  could  find  no 
rear.  After  the  Second  and  Third  Divisions  had  cut  their  way 
through,  we  retreated  to  a  position  where  the  rebels  could  not  attack 
us,  but  marched  by  our  right  flank  causing  us  to  make  a  hurried 
retreat.  During  this  move  I  was  on  the  line  of  flankers,  and  when 
we  arrived  at  Bristoe,  Comrade  English  (F  Company,  I  think) 
walked  from  the  line  of  battle  to  the  left  onto  an  eminence,  behind 
which  lay  a  line  of  battle  when  he  exclaimed,  "Captain,  by  G — ,  here 
they  are,"  and  at  the  same  time  fired.  We  soon  had  plenty  to  do. 

About  9  :00  P.  M.  we  continued  our  march  to  Bull  Run,  arriving 
there  in  the  early  morning.  During  our  stay  here  (two  or  three 
days)  we  witnessed  a  sad  sight.  The  death  penalty  was  inflicted 
upon  a  comrade,  when,  with  one  lone  drummer  he  was  taken  to  his 
place  of  execution. 

We  again  took  up  our  march  for  the  Rappahannock,  crossing 
that  stream  with  little  opposition.  About  December  1st  we  started 
on  the  Mine  Run  campaign  which  was  not  without  its  hardships, 
on  account  of  the  advanced  season.  After  our  return  to  Brandy  Sta 
tion  we  went  into  winter  quarters.  Here  I  experienced  three  days  of 
the  hardest  picket  duty.  The  three  last  days  of  1863  rained  all  the 
time  until  about  4 :00  P.  M.  of  the  third  day,  when1  the  skies  cleared 
and  by  9  :00  p.  M.  the  earth  was  frozen  hard. 

We  were  anxious  when  the  new  year  would  dawn  and  our  relief 
come.  This  camp  was  pleasantly  located  in  the  timber  but  I  was  not 
to  winter  here.  One  day  while  about  camp  duties  I  was  approached 
by  an  Orderly  from  regimental  headquarters  with  an  order  to  report 
at  once  at  the  Adjutant.  I  was  informed  that  with  Sergeant  Baum- 


594  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

gardner  and  Sergeant  Jones,  1  was  detailed  on  recruiting  service  with 
Captain  Patterson  in  charge.  So,  through  the-  favor  of  Adjutant 
Muffly,  I' was  permitted  to  return  to  my  home.  After  our  arrival 
at  Harrisburg  and  reporting  at  headquarters,  we  were  informed  that 
one  of  every  recruiting  detail  was  to  remain  at  Harrisburg  for  duty, 
and  I  being  the  junior  member,  was  left  at  this  post.  Our  duties 
here  were  to  enlist  and  forward  recruits  as  they  arrived  from  the 
interior  to  their  respective  commands,  and  to  arrest  deserters  and 
bounty  jumpers. 

About  the  first  of  April  I  received  an  order  from  the  War  De 
partment  detailing  me  on  recruiting  service  at  Harrisburg.  I  re 
mained  until  about  October  27,  1864,  when  I  was  relieved  and  re 
ported  to  my  company,  about  November  15th.  The  company  was 
stationed  at  Fort  Morton  in  front  of  Petersburg.  During  my  ab 
sence  many  changes  had  taken  place  in  Company  C,  which  T  will 
endeavor  to  give.  During  the  three  days  in  the  Wilderness  May  5, 
6,  7,  1864,  no  losses  were  reported  but  in  the  subsequent  operations 
from  Po  River  and  Spotsylvania  to  Ream's  Station.  At  Po  River 
the  following  were  reported,  numbering  sixty-seven  men,  besides 
fifteen  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps.  (See  "Casualties.") 

Sigfried  Heiligstein,  substitute,  deserted  May  10th.  Of  this 
comrade  it  was  said  that  he  had  captured  a  rebel  flag  and  a  Union 
officer  took  it  from  him.  We  never  heard  anything  from  him  after 
this  date.  (See  "Casualties.") 

Such  were  our  losses  when  1  rejoined  the  company  about  No 
vember  15,  1864.  Soon  after  the  above  date  the  Ninth  Corps  re 
lieved  us,  when  we  took  position  some  distance  to  the  left  (Forts 
Sampson  and  Cummings)  when  we  were  exempt  from  picket  duty, 
but  instead  we  had  to  man  the  works  from  before  daylight  until  day 
light,  During  the  extension  of  our  line  in  February  we  were  not 
ordered  out  of  our  quarters  until  the  rebels  assaulted  Fort  Stedman 
March  25,  1865.  We  were  then  ordered  to  make  an  attack  on  the 
South  Side  Railroad  in  our  front.  An  incident  might  be  mentioned 
here.  AVhile  the  Division  was  being  formed  with  the  Irish  Brigade 
on  the  right  and  the  First  Brigade  on  the  left,  an  order  was  received 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          595 

for  the  148th  Regiment  to  proceed  to  the  right  of  the  Division.  When 
passing  the  Irish  Brigade  they  made  this  remark,  "Go  in  148th  with 
your  seven  shooters/'  and  I  replied,  "All  right,  Pat,  we  will  give  it 
to  them."  We  deployed  from  the  rear  on  double  quick  through  an 
open  field  and  joined  with  the  Sixth  Corps  skirmishers.  The  division 
moved  to  the  left  into  some  timber  where  the  rebels  charged  upon 
them,  and  we  raked  them  in  the  flank  which  caused  them  to  retire, 
thereby  saving  the  Division  from  heavy  loss.  Xo  doubt  the  Irish 
Brigade  were  convinced  that  we  were  worthy  of  the  repeating  rifles. 
About  9  :00  p.  M.  we  returned,  into  our  old  quarters,  where  we 
remained  until  March  29th,  when  Sheridan  with  his  cavalry  came 
by  our  camp  followed  by  the  Fifth  Corps,  the  Second  in  turn  fol 
lowing  the  Fifth  Corps,  the  cavalry's  right  resting  on  the  breast 
works  extending  at  a  right  angle,  when  the  Fifth  Corps  filed  in  rear 
of  cavalry  and  took  position  on  left  of  cavalry  and  Second  Corps  on 
left  of  Fifth  Corps.  When  we  were  in  this  position  the  cavalry 
took  position  on  our  left  Now  we  found  ourselves  separated  from 
the  balance  of  the  Army.  About  March  31st  the  Fifth  Corps,  then 
across  Hatcher's  Run,  were  surprised  and  thrown  in  confusion,  when 
the  Second  Corps  were  ordered  to  rally  them,  but  we  were  unable  to 
do  so,  and  the  Second  Corps  was  ordered  forward  with  fixed  bayonets. 
When  we  arrived  at  the  run  a  halt  was  called,  lines  dressed  and  then 
commanded  forward  on  the  charge.  Here  were  the  last  words  spoken 
by  me  to  Lieutenant  Everhart.  They  were  in  regard  to  crossing  the 
run  which  was  a  sluggish  stream  about  two  rods  wide,  with  bunches 
of  grass  and  reeds  growing  in  it.  The  LieuJtenant  asked  how  I  pro 
posed  to  cross  it.  I  replied,  "Jump  from  one  grassy  plot  to  the 
other,"  thinking  there  was  some  earth  in  the  plots,  but  I  was  dis 
appointed  for  my  first  leap  found  me  in  water  and  mud  nearly 
waist  deep  and  the  Lieutenant  plunged  in  beside  me.  The  charge 
was  continued  some  distance.  Our  right  wing  could  not  drive  the 
enemy  in  front  of  them,  causing  a  cross  fire  on  our  line,  when  we 
-\\ere  recalled.  (In  the  first  charge  we  lost  Lieutenant  Everhart, 
killed.)  We  again  charged  a  little  to  the  right  of  our  first  charge, 
this  time  driving  them  back  into  their  defenses.  Here,  when  we 


596  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

broke  the  rebel  line,  Company  C  deployed  as  skirmishers,  without 
orders  and  continued  driving  the  rebels  into  their  works. 

1  think  I  have  some  claim  on  this  part  of  Virginia.  While  we 
were  in  line  endeavoring  to  rally  the  Fifth  Corps,  I  had  some  fresh 
beef  on  the  fire  boiling,  thinking  all  would  be  over  in  a  few  minutes*, 
but  instead  we  were  ordered  forward.  The  meat  must  be  Avell  done 
now. 

About  9  :00  p.  M.  we  moved  to  the  left  in  rear  of  the  burning 
breastworks,  and  on  the  morning  of  April  1st  we  were  confronting 
the  rebel  works  defending  the  South  Side  Railroad.  Two  brigades 
of  our  Division  assaulted  them  but  were  repulsed.  Word  was  brought 
to  General  Miles  (who  was  close  to  us)  of  the  repulse  when  he  used 
some  emphatic  language  and  said,  "I  can  take  the  place  with  the 
148th  Pennsylvania,"  and  ordered  two  companies  out  and  the  old 
Irish  Brigade  skirmish  line  to  advance  with  them.  Companies  C 
and  H  were  ordered  forward  and  when  we  arrived  on  the  field  we 
found  the  enemy  strongly  posted  behind  breastworks.  We  were 
ordered  forward  and  started  on  a  double  quick  when  the  rebel  skir 
mish  line  opened  fire  on  us,  but  instead  of  the  old  skirmish  line  ad 
vancing  with  us  they  opened  fire  on  the  rebels,  some  of  their  bullets 
coming  too  close  to  us  for  comfort,  when  we  were  recalled  and  the 
balance  of  the  Regiment  was  brought  to  our  assistance.  We  again 
went  forward ;  soon  had  to  extend  our  line  to  twenty  paces  to  cor 
respond  with  the  enemy's  line.  We  charged  and  carried  the  works, 
capturing  more  than  seven  hundred  prisoners  and  some  seven  pieces 
of  artillery.  Here  I  was  nearly  buried  alive.  In  a  temporary  halt 
while  the  line  was  being  extended  I  saw  a  washout  some  distance  in 
advance,  which  I  occupied,  when  a  sharpshooter  crowded  in  beside 
me.  Then  we  had  a  game  of  ball  with  the  rebels,  this  being  the  last 
resistance  to  us  of  any  importance.  We  had  a  few  skirmishes  with 
them. 

While  the  battle  of  Farmville  was  fought  our  Regiment  was 
on  duty  foraging  for  the  Division.  On  the  morning  of  April  9th 
we  were  again  in  line  of  battle  awaiting  orders,  when  the  white  flag 
was  displayed.  Our  caps  went  into  the  air  and  cheer  followed  cheer. 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          597 

This  was  a  happy  day  for  me,  it  being  my  twentieth  birthday.     The 
return  to  Washington  was  noted  for  the  hard  marching. 

Comrades  of  Company  C,  we  can  have  a  just  pride  in  our  rec 
ord  above  any  other  company  in  our  Regiment,  not  wishing  to  pluck 
one  flower  from  their  wreath,  of  glory,  but  to  us  was  given  Old  Glory 
to  guard  and  protect  and  from  the  time  it  was  given  to  us  to  escort 
to  the  Colonel's  quarters  after  the  dress  parade  until  our  muster  out 
it  was  never  allowed  to  trail  in  the  dust  nor  be  polluted  by  the  touch 
of  a  rebel's  hand.  Trusting  we  may  be  as  true  to  the  Captain  of  our 
Salvation  as  we  have  been  to  Old  Glory,  I  remain  your  comrade. 

(The  Editor  regrets  the  necessity  of  condensing  the  stories.  Comrade 
Walter's  contribution  contains  a  very  complete  list  of  losses  in  his  company, 
but  as  they  all  appear  elsewhere,  space  could  not  be  spared  for  them  in  this 
chapter.  Hence  the  lists,  with  many  other  matters  of  interest,  must  be  omitted. ) 


598        THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  C. 


PAKT  V. 

By  Lemuel  Osman. 

Many  rumors  of  war  came  to  our  community  early  in  1861.  1 
was  then  working  upon  a  farm  near  State  College.  I  was  one  day 
plowing  near  the  road  when  a  man  who  was  passing  came  to  me 
and  asked  how  I  felt  about  going  to  war.  I  said  I  would  like  to 
go  but  was  not  old  enough. 

"How  old  are  you  ?"  said  he. 

"Fifteen/7  I  replied. 

He  said  that  was  too  young. 

I  kept  thinking  all  the  while  of  becoming  a  soldier.  Time 
passed  and  the  War  continued,  until  the  fall  of  1862.  I  then  asked 
my  father  if  he  would  be  willing  to  have  me  enlist.  He  said,  "You 
are  too  young,  and  this  War  won't  last  long,  but  if  you  must  go, 
try  it.  Who  are  you  going  with  ?"  was  the  next  question.  I  was 
then  living  with  a  man  by  the  name  of  Mallory,  in  Ferguson  Town 
ship,  who  had  two  sons  in  the  Second  Pennsylvania  Cavalry.  The 
boys  wrote  home  as  to  what  battles  they  were  in  and  how  our  boys 
gave  it  to  the  rebels.  This  still  aroused  me  the  more  and,  when  I 
went  home  one  evening  to  State  College,  I  met  Robert  M.  Forster, 
who  said  to  me: 

"Lemuel,  I  am  going  to  raise  a  company  of  one  hundred  men, 
will  you  be  one  to  help  fill  it?" 

"Yes,"  I  quickly  replied. 

It  was  made  known  in  the  neighborhood  that  there  would  be  a 
meeting  in  the  old  Swartz  School  House  for  the  purpose  of  enlisting 
men  for  this  company.  I  was  the  first  man  to  sign  the  roll.  A  com 
pany  of  one  hundred  men  was  raised  in  a  short  time.  What  a  fine 
let  of  fellows  they  were,  with  their  rosy  cheeks  and  quick  and  light 
step! 

I  do  not  remember  how  the  company  was  filled,  but  we  were 
taken  to  Bellefonte,  examined,  and  sworn  into  the  service  and  thence 
went  to  LewTistown  by  wagon  and  to  Harrisburg  by  rail.  When  we 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          599 

reached  Harrisburg,  we  marched  to  a  long  shed  and  took  dinner, 
—and  such  a  dinner!  Hard  tack  and  pork  as  thick  as  a  cheese. 
Coffee  was  served  also.  I  looked  up  and  down  the  ranks  of  the  com 
pany  to  see  how  the  rosy-cheeked  lads  were  taking  it,  and  lo!  to 
my  surprise,  I  saw  in  the  ranks  with  the  boys,  a  cracker  and  a  piece 
of  fat  pork  in  his  hand,  Governor  Curt  in,  who  was  having  lots  of 
fun  with  the  boys  and  who,  by  his  presence  and  good  humor,  helped 
to  hearten  the  situation.  We  then  marched  to  Camp  Curtin,  which 
was  then  famous  as  the  point  for  assembling  Pennsylvania  volunteers 
before  their  entry  into  service. 

The  first  service  which  I  recall  in  camp  was  the  dress  parade 
the  evening  after  we  reached  there.  At  the  next  roll  call,  with 
several  others,  I  was  detailed  for  guard  duty  in  the  morning.  I  rose 
early  anxious  to  know  what  my  duty  was.  Guard  mounting  came 
and  afterwards  the  guard  was  divided  into  reliefs.  I  was  on  the 
third  relief,  post  Xo.  19.  For  a  weapon  I  had  something  like  a 
baseball  bat.  Some  had  guns  and  some  other  weapons  but,  as  we 
were  in  a  friendly  country,  this  made  but  little  difference.  It 
did  not  seem  long  until  we  were  equipped  with  arms  and  accoutre 
ments,  ready  for  active  service. 

Marching  orders  at  length  came  and  we  went  by  rail  from  Har- 
risburg  over  the  Xorthern  Central  Railroad,  arriving  at  Cockeys- 
ville,  Maryland,  the  next  morning.  We  then  began  company  and 
squad  drill  and  soon  became  acquainted  with  the  manual  of  arms 
and  other  parts  of  the  school  of  the  soldier.  We  were  not  allowed 
to  remain  at  Cockeysville  but  were  taken  to  a  little  village  east  of  it 
to  guard  the  railroad  but  still  kept  on  drilling.  What  a  fine  time 
we  had  there.  Our  principal  rations,  hard  bread  and  fat  pork,  with 
bean  soup  for  dessert;  and  the  company  cooks,  what  a  clean  lot  they 
were!  You  could  not  imagine  their  looks,  cooking  at  the  smoking 
fire-place,  all  black  and  greasy;  but  we  thought  little  of  it  at  the 
time.  They  did  the  best  they  could  and  we  were  content. 

If  I  could  only  write  fully  what  is  in  my  mind,  what  a  story 
I  could  give  of  Company  C,  commanded  by  Capt.  Robert  M.  Forster ! 
What  a  fine  officer  he  was  !  Always  at  his  post,  when  called  upon  for 
dntv  and  alwavs  readv  for  whatever  was  demanded  of  him. 


600  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

We  camped  at  Cockeysville  for  several  months  and,  as  winter 
approached,  barracks  were  built  in  good  shape,  ready  for  the  cold 
weather.  We  worked  hard  upon  our  winter  quarters,  thinking  what 
a  nice  place  we  would  have,  but  slept  in  them  one  night  only. 
Marching  orders  came  in  December.  All  the  companies  of  the  Regi 
ment  were  assembled  at  Cockeysville  to  proceed  by  rail  to  Baltimore. 
When  the  companies  came  together,  what  a  fine  Regiment  it  was,  led 
out  with  the  drum  corps  and  Colonel  Beaver  at  the  head.  I  can 
see  him  yet  on  his  little  bay  horse.  How  proud  he  looked,  and  not  he 
only,  but  the  company  officers  felt  proud  to  see  a  long  line  of  men 
move  out  together,  and  the  ladie?,  with  whom  our  boys  got  ac 
quainted,  giving  us  good-bye.  Arriving  in  Baltimore,  we  got  sup 
per  and  stayed  all  night  and  marched  across  the  city  to  take  the  train 
for  Washington,  where  we  arrived  and  spent  the  night.  Crossed 
the  river  (east  branch  of  the  Potomac)  the  next  day  on  our  march  to 
the  front. 

We  spent  about  three  days  on  our  march.  What  a  pleasant  time 
we  had.  Lots  of  fun  and  jokes  of  all  kinds  passed  upon  each  other 
as  we  marched. 

Among  the  things  for  which  we  prepared  most  carefully  in 
camp  were  our  inspections.  Sometimes  we  had  a  general  inspection 
on  Sunday  morning  and  at  these  the  Colonel  was  always  very  par 
ticular.  We  learned  to  get  ready  for  them,  so  as  to  have  everything 
in  the  best  order.  We  had  monthly  inspection,  when  an  officer  from 
another  regiment  usually  acted  as  inspector.  I  remember  at  one  of 
the  inspections  I  thought  I  had  gotten  myself  up  in  good  shape, 
but  my  hat  rim  was  turned  up.  The  inspecting  officer  looked  me  all 
over  but  said  nothing.  Colonel  Beaver  followed  him  and,  looking  me 
over,  took  my  hat  off  of  my  head  and,  turning  the  rim  down,  took 
his  white  handkerchief  out  of  his  pocket  and  dusted  it  and  put  it 
back  on  my  head,  without  saying  a  word.  That  cut  me  worse  than 
i*  he  had  given  me  a  good  scolding.  He  never  had  to  repeat  that 
with  me,  as  I  remembered  the  lesson  well. 

We  finally  came  to  the  Potomac  about  five  o'clock  in  the  even 
ing,  crossed  over  next  day  and  lay  in  the  woods  and  next  day 
marched  to  camp.  While  putting  up  quarters  for  the  winter,  there 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          601 

was  quite  a  time  getting  the  logs  in  from  the  woods,  but  we  soon 
had  our  huts  up  and,  after  finishing  our  camp,  spent  most  of  the 
winter  in  drill  and  doing  picket  duty.  We  were  called  upon  to  per 
form  all  kinds  of  military  duty,  getting  ourselves  in  good  shape  for 
the  coming  spring  campaign. 

When  spring  came,  marching  orders  came  with  it,  We  crossed 
the  river  to  Chancellorsville,  the  story  of  which  will  be  fully  told 
by  others.  We  formed  line  with  other  troops  at  different  points 
which  we  held,  as  directed,  when  we  were  finally  formed  in  line  of 
battle  and  the  command  "Forward !  Guide  center!"  given.  The 
story  has  been  told  that  there  were  no  pickets  in  front  but  I  saw 
at  least  two,  when  we  were  going  through  the  woods.  They  said, 
"Look  out;  there  they  are,"  and  fell  in  with  us,  but  what  regiment 
they  belonged  to  I  cannot  tell.  When  the  Colonel  gave  the  com 
mand  "Lie  down,"  one  of  them  fell  on  me  dead.  Henry  Sowers 
was  wounded  in  the  side,  the  blood  from  his  wound  running  over 
my  haversack.  We  finally  got  up  without  a  command,  for  all  of 
Company  C's  officers,  Lieutenants  Bible  and  Stevenson,  who  were 
with  us  in  battle  were  killed.  One  Sergeant  was  left  with  us.  Captain 
Forster  being  sick  was  not  with  us  at  the  front.  I  was  struck  with 
a  ramrod;  was  giving  a  Company  D  man  a  drink  of  water.  As 
I  was  about  to  lift  him,  the  ramrod  struck  the  tree  he  was  leaning 
against,  gave  me  a  side-wipe  and  cut  my  knapsack  in  two.  We  had 
drawn  eight  days'  rations;  I  had  two  plugs  of  Xavy  tobacco  and  a 
portfolio  of  paper,  etc.,  so  you  see  how  I  was  left  in  coming  out. 
Green  Carter,  of  our  company,  was  wounded.  I  helped  him  to  the 
rifle  pits  and  he  says  to  me  in  a  low  whisper,  '"Lena,  I  can't  go  any 
further."  He  bled  to  death.  By  helping  him  I  had  lost  the  Kegi- 
ment  but  soon  found  it  at  the  left  of  the  Chancellorsville  House, 
badly  shattered.  After  falling  back  across  the  river  and  regaining 
the  old  home  camp,  out  of  twelve  of  us  who  had  occupied  one  of 
our  shelter  huts,  I  was  the  only  one  left  to  occupy  the  home.  Mv 
feelings  may  be  imagined,  but  I  cannot  describe  them.  In  a  few 
days  some  came  back. 

I  recollect  one  evening,  as  our  Regiment  was  on  dress  parade, 
Governor  Curtin  made  us  a  visit  and  made  a  little  speech.     He  was 


602  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

overcome  for  a  time  and  could  not  speak.  The  tears  rolled  down  his 
cheeks,  thinking  of  the  many  home  boys  left  on  the  battlefield.  He 
said  there  would  be  many  others  to  kiss  the  dust  yet,  before  the  Wai- 
was  ended.  He  was  right. 

After  remaining  in  camp  for  several  weeks,  we  took  up  our 
march  for  Gettysburg — a  forced  march,  upon  which  we  met  the 
enemy  occasionally.  At  the  Thoroughfare  Gap  I  remember  we 
gave  them  a  warm  reception.  During  this  march  we  came  to  a  stream 
of  water  through  which  we  were  compelled  to  wade.  I  pulled 
my  shoes  off,  so  that  I  would  not  get  sand  in  them,  and  tied  them 
together.  The  current  was  strong,  every  man  was  pressing  forward 
for  himself  and,  in  the  confusion,  my  shoe  string  came  open  and 
away  went  my  shoes.  I  was  in  a  bad  way  but  was  compelled  to 
march  on  without  any  covering  for  my  feet. 

We  approached  the  battlefield  that  evening  and  lay  down  for 
the  night.  Captain  Forster  and  I  slept  together.  I  can  see  him  on 
his  knees  praying  that  God  would  be  with  him  and  the  rest  of  us. 
1  fell  asleep,  listening  to  his  prayer.  The  next  morning  I  asked  him 
what  we  would  have  for  breakfast  and  he  said,  "Bring  my  haver 
sack  and  we  will  see  what  I  have."  He  found  some  meat  and  soft 
bread  and  told  me  to  bring  water  and  he  would  make  the  fire.  On 
my  way  for  the  water,  I  came  to  a  soldier  who  was  coming  from  the 
hospital.  He  had  an  extra  pair  of  shoes.  I  told  him  what  had 
happened  to  mine  and  he  gave  me  a  pair.  I  thanked  him  very  much. 
They  didn't  fit  very  well,  for  they  were  No.  10's  and  I  wore  No.  7's. 
They  answered  the  purpose,  however.  I  brought  the  water,  we 
cooked  breakfast  and  ate  heartily,  never  thinking  that  that  was  my 
last  meal  with  the  Captain.  After  breakfast  we  were  ordered  to  fall 
in  and  march  out  in  front,  forming  in  line  of  battle.  The  rebs  got 
our  range  with  their  artillery  and  we  changed  our  position  and  lay 
down,  some  of  us  very  tired  and  sleepy.  The  rebs  still  kept  firing  a 
shot  now  and  then  and  my  uncle,  George  Osman,  who  was  no  doubt 
in  a  sleep,  was  hit  by  a  spent  shell  which  struck  him  on  the  car 
tridge  box.  It  was  a  terrible  shock,  from  which  he  did  not  recover. 
He  was  the  first  man  killed  at  that  place. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  603 

Our  next  move  was  to  the  wheat  field  and  in  front  of  us  was  a 
stone  fence,  behind  which  the  enemy  were  gathered  thick.  Their 
guns  were  raised  on  the  fence;  the  barrels  of  them  glittered  like  a 
looking  glass.  All  at  once  their  line  broke,  the  left  of  our  line 
having  given  them  a  cross  fire.  They  couldn't  stand  it  and  Captain 
Forster  says,  "They  are  falling  back,  boys;  forward!"  The  barrel 
of  my  gun  had  got  hot  and  dry  and  I  couldn't  force  a  ball  down.  I 
stepped  back  and  told  Captain  Forster,  who  told  me  to  throw  it  down 
and  hunt  another.  I  threw  it  down,  ran  along  the  line,  got  one  in 
Company  I.  When  I  came  back  the  Captain  was  dead;  the  blood 
was  running  down  his  cheek.  I  picked  up  his  cap  and  laid  it  on 
his  head,  but  did  not  think  of  getting  what  was  in  his  pockets.  Sergt. 
John  Benner,  the  color  bearer  brought  off  his  sword  and  belt  and  the 
next  winter  when  on  furlough  took  them  home  to  his  sister.  I  after 
wards  saw  the  sword  and  recognized  it  by  some  peculiar  marks,  hav 
ing  often  cleaned  it  for  the  Captain.  I  came  back  and  rejuined  tl.e 
ranks  having  loaded  the  gun  I  had  picked  up  and  just  as  I  was  about 
to  shoot,  a  rebel  gave  himself  up  as  a  prisoner.  He  passed  through 
to  the  rear  and,  coming  to  the  81st  Pennsylvania,  drew  a  big  revolver 
from  his  belt  and  shot  a  Sergeant  through  the  body.  I  struck  him 
over  the  head  with  my  gun  and  knocked  him  down.  Just  then  an 
officer  of  the  81st  gave  him  a  blow  with  his  sword.  He  used  it  freely. 
As  I  was  busy  loading  and  firing,  standing  close  to  our  colors  (ours 
was  the  color  company)  the  Sergeant  who  carried  the  blue  flag  was 
shot  dead.  I  picked  it  up,  jumped  across  the  little  stream  near  our 
monument  at  Gettysburg,  stuck  the  flag  staff  in  the  ground  near  the 
woods,  and  seeing  the  rebs  forming  a  new  line,  I  raised  the  flag  and 
took  it  back  and  gave  it  to  John  Benner,  as  the  new  line  of  battle 
was  approaching.  I  feared  we  were  too  weak  to  withstand  it,  but 
we  held  our  ground.  I  was  putting  a  cap  on  my  gun,  when  a  shell 
burst  above  me,  knocked  the  barrel  off  my  gun  and  I  had  nothing  in 
my  hands  but  the  bare  stock.  David  Krebs,  a  soldier  of  our  com 
pany,  was  just  then  wounded  and  I  got  his  gun. 

Ammunition  was  getting  short  and  orders  were  given  to  fall 
b?ck.  We  fell  back  near  the  stone  fence.  The  command  then  was 
given  "Lie  down."  The  bucktails  passed  over  us,  when  we  arose  and 


604  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

marched  to  the  rear.  The  sun  was  just  setting,  when  we  got  our  sup 
per,  after  which  we  formed  a  new  line  and  lay  down  for  the  night; 
feeling  very  tired. 

The  next  day  was  a  very  trying  day,  lying  there  in  line.  Every 
thing  was  quiet.  We  could  hear  the  nimble  of  the  cannon  till  at 
last  everything  was  in  readiness.  General  Hancock  came  riding  along 
our  line.  He  >asked  Colonel  McFarlane,  who  was  in  command  : 

"Where  in  the  -  -  is  General  Caldwell  ?" 

The  Colonel  replied:  "To  the  left  of  us." 

"Why  in  the  -  -  hasn't  he  got  his  men  throwing  up  breast 
works  ?" 

It  was  not  long  till  we  had  the  breastworks  up  and  the  shelling 
commenced,  but  the  breastworks  were  of  little  use  to  me.  Lying 
behind  them,  we  all  got  very  thirsty  and  I  volunteered  to  go  for 
water.  I  took  all  the  canteens  I  could  carry  and,  when  I  was  at  the 
spring  filling  them,  a  cannon  was  fired  and  then  another  and  then 
the  ball  opened  for  certain.  Shells  were  flying  in  every  direction, 
just  as  bad  in  the  rear  as  in  front.  The  like  I  never  saw — bursting 
and  hitting  one  another.  I  brought  the  water  to  the  company  and, 
meeting  an  officer  commanding  the  battery  which  was  placed  along 
our  Regiment,  he  took  me  by  the  hand  and  led  me  to  a  large  stone 
that  lay  in  rear  of  our  markers  and  told  me  over  and  over  what  I 
should  do.  Of  course,  I  had  to  obey,  as  our  company  had  no 
officers.  The  piece  I  was  with  had  two  men  killed  and  three  horses 
badly  used  up.  I  went  to  work  according  to  the  officer's  direction 
and  carried  shell  and  canister  to  the  gunner.  That  w<as  a  hot  place 
for  me.  Shells  would  burst  in  front  of  me,  the  burnt  powder  would 
hit  me  in  the  face  and  burn  me  and,  as  the  line  of  battle  wras  ad 
vancing  across  the  field,  it  looked  as  though  it  was  all  over  for  us. 
But,  as  they  came  on  and  grape  and  canister  were  used,  it  mowed 
them  down  like  flies,  but  they  would  close  up  together  and  then  an 
other  volley  would  make  it  hot  for  them.  The  result  is  known  to  all. 
So  you  see  I  was  in  two  hot  fires  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg — once 
with  my  own  company  and  afterwards  in  the  artillery.  After  the 
battle  was  over,  the  officer  came  to  me  and  said  I  did  well ;  I  never 
could  find  out  the  officer's  name  or  what  battery  it  was.  They 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  605 

treated  me  well  and  I  have  always  thought  I  would  like  to  meet  one 
of  them  again. 

The  next  move  I  recall  was  to  Falling  Waters.  I  was  on  the 
skirmish  line  and  captured  lots  of  prisoners  lying  all  along  the 
way.  At  that  place  we  had  quite  a  skirmish  with  some  rebel  cavalry 
who  had  with  them  several  pieces  of  artillery.  When  we  were  near 
St.  James'  'College,  I  was  on  picket;  it  was  raining;  Daniel  Baum- 
gardner  and  Thomas  McBath  and  I  were  on  together.  We  built 
a  rail  pen  and  put  some  straw  on  it  for  a  roof.  There  was  a  straw 
stack  near.  I  was  wounded  at  this  place,  by  a  sharpshooter,  in  the 
right  leg.  I  went  over  the  hill  just  close  by  and  made  some  coffee 
and  came  back  and  sat  down  to  eat  my  breakfast,  There  was  a 
straw  stack  near  us  behind  which  was  a  sharpshooter.  He  was  the 
one  that  shot  me.  I  had  nothing  to  bandage  my  leg  with  and  thought 
of  everything  possible  that  I  could  use  for  that  purpose.  At  last  I 
thought  of  the  lining  in  my  haversack  and  took  it  out  and  made  the 
best  use  of  it  I  could;  lay  there  all  day.  At  length  the  officer  of 
the  day  came  his  rounds.  Looking  to  the  left  of  us  I  saw  a  reb 
crawl  up  a  tree  to  shoot  him,  when  he  would  come  in  good  range, 
but  I  soon  stopped  his  plans,  for  I  shot  him  off  the  tree.  He  had 
on  him  one  of  our  officer's  coats.  We  were  relieved  during  the  night 
and  marched  to  camp.  I  was  very  lame ;  my  leg  was  swelled  badly. 
I  stuck  to  the  Regiment  all  day.  We  soon  reached  Harper's  Ferry 
and  lay  along  the  canal,  where  we  drew  clothes  and  a  ration  of 
whiskey.  While  we  were  lying  there,  I  took  the  bandage  off  my  leg, 
washed  it  and,  rubbing  it,  I  found  a  buckshot  deep  in  the  flesh. 
I  had  a  combination  knife,  with  fork  and  spoon,  and,  taking  the 
knife  rubbed  it  upon  a  stone  and  made  it  as  sharp  as  I  could,  cut 
the  ball  out,  tied  it  up  again  and  it  soon  got  well.  We  reached 
Manassas  Gap  July  20,  1863. 

We  lay  down  there  for  the  night  and  marched  the  next  day. 
When  night  came  on,  I  was  detailed  for  picket.  As  we  were  forming 
a  new  picket  line  that  evening,  the  officer  in  charge  of  us  said,  "Three 
men  drop  out  here."  It  was  at  the  edge  of  the  woods.  I  threw  off 
my  roll  which  I  had  on  my  back  and  sat  down  on  a  log,  looking  to 
the  front;  could  see  no  one  in  front  of  me,  but  there  were  some 


606  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

cavalry  pickets  there.  One  shot  at  me  several  times  before  I  could 
locate  where  he  was.  I  had  a  good  place  to  conceal  myself  behind 
the  log;  at  last  I  found  out  where  he  was  concealed, — behind  a  cedar 
tree.  I  raised  the  first  sight  of  my  rifle,  saw  and  hit  him  just  below 
the  apple  of  his  throat.  Just  in  rear  of  where  he  lay  his  horse  was 
tied  to  a  stone.  Our  pickets  were  withdrawn  the  next  morning  and 
the  cavalry  took  our  place. 

After  the  Gettysburg  campaign  and  the  return  of  the  Army  to 
\7irginia,  we  marched  in  retreat  to  Bull  Run,  the  belief  being  that 
General  Lee  was  turning  our  right  flank.  On  our  retreat  our  Brigade 
brought  up  the  rear  and  at  Coffee  Hill,  as  it  was  called  (otherwise 
Auburn  Mills),  where  we  met  the  enemy,  it  appeared  as  if  they  had 
surrounded  us.  There  was  a  sharpshooter  in  the  rear  of  us  picking 
ofi'  our  men.  I  saw  him  run  under  a  tree.  His  little  boy  was  carry 
ing  his  bundle,  haversack  and  canteen ;  I  shot  him  in  the  side.  The 
reason  I  know  it,  was  that  we  passed  by  him  as  he  lay  under  a  per 
simmon  tree.  The  little  boy  was  crying  and  leaving  him  there  to 
die.  On  this  march  we  had  quite  a  sharp  little  fight  at  Bristoe  Sta 
tion,  we  being  still  the  rear  guard.  We  gave  them  a  warm  reception. 
That  is  the  place  where  Sergeant  Barr  lost  his  arm.  We  were 
formed  along  the  fill  of  the  railroad.  There  was  a  thicket  of  woods 
in  front  of  us  out  of  which  came  a  rebel  officer  and  his  staff,  all  on 
horseback.  They  were  taking  in  the  situation ;  Colonel  Fairlamb 
was  close  by  and  also  General  Caldwell.  The  Colonel  was  looking 
through  his  field  glass.  I  was  shooting  at  the  rebel  officer.  I  shot 
four  or  five  times  before  I  hit  him.  He  fell  to  the  ground.  " There," 
says  the  Colonel,  "you  hit  him  that  time."  We  had  quite  an  exciting 
time  there  for  a  while  but  at  last  the  shades  of  night  came  on  and 
I  was  detailed  for  picket.  I  was  on  post  all  night  without  a  relief. 
We  continued  to  retreat,  until  we  crossed  what  I  was  told  was  Bull 
Run.  We  then  retraced  our  steps,  passing  over  very  nearly  the  same 
ground. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  season  we  came  near  the  Rapidan  and 
put  up  for  the  winter.  We  had  our  usual  camp  life,  doing  police 
duty,  enjoying  the  comforts  of  camp  and  picketing  the  Rapidan 
River.  At  one  time  I  was  on  picket  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  my 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          607 

beat  being  like  a  rainbow — low  in  the  center  and  high  at  each  end. 
At  the  left  the  river  made  a  little  curve  and  from  that  direction  there 
would  come  occasionally  a  stray  shot  but  I  could  not  find  out  where 
the  picket  from  the  other  side  fired  from  until  evening.  After  I 
was  relieved,  I  was  sitting  back  a  little  ways,  when  the  guard  called 
me.  I  grabbed  my  gun  quickly  to  see  what  was  wrong.  There  was 
a  large  snapping  turtle  came  up  out  of  the  river.  We  tied  it  in  a 
gnm  blanket  and,  while  standing  there,  looking  to  our  front,  I  saw  a 
light*  I  drew  my  rifle  quickly  to  my  face,  when  it  went  out.  I 
saw  another  light  and  shot  at  it.  It  was  from  the  rebel  who  was 
shooting  at  me  during  the  day.  I  shot  him  in  the  head.  There  was 
a  tree  blown  out  of  root  and  he  was  concealed  behind  it. 

We  took  the  turtle  to  camp  next  day  and  had  turtle  soup.  The 
boys  who  enjoyed  that  dish  are  no  more.  Well  the  story  about  the 
man  I  shot.  He  was  an  old  man,  about  sixty  years  of  age,  a  great 
smoker.  The  next  morning  the  rebels  stepped  out  in  front,  stuck  the 
butts  of  their  guns  up — that  meant  no  firing  at  each  other.  They 
wanted  to  exchange  tobacco  for  coffee.  I  made  it  suit  to  pass  the 
place  where  I  shot  the  old  man  the  night  before.  He  had  been  light 
ing  his  pipe.  The  first  match  went  out.  He  lit  the  second  one 
and  that  gave  me  a  good  mark.  Coming  back  from  exchanging 
coffee  for  tobacco,  I  passed  this  place.  He  had  a  poke  of  tobacco 
tied  to  his  shirt  as  large  as  a  small  salt  sack  and  a  nice  meerschaum 
pipe.  I  took  the  pipe  and  thought  I  would  keep  it  and  send  it  home 
for  a  relic  but  my  knapsack  took  legs  and  walked  away  one  night  and 
with  it  the  pipe  disappeared. 

When  spring  opened,  we  crossed  the  Rapidan  and  marched  over 
the  Chancellorsville  battlefield,  thinking  of  the  poor  boys  who  were 
lying  there  in  the  woods.  I  was  in  the  wagon  guard  at  this  place. 
Hiram  Clapp,  a  Company  H  man,  and  I  were  on  guard.  After  we 
were  relieved,  we  took  a  walk  in  the  woods,  where  he  had  been  en 
gaged  the  year  before.  When  we  came  back,  the  rebel  cavalry  made 
a  dash  on  our  wagon  train  but  were  driven  back  with  a  few  killed. 
We  captured  some  prisoners.  We  left  the  train  to  join  our  Regiment 
engaged  in  the  Wilderness. 

I  came  out  all  right  on  the  skirmish  line  at  Spotsylvania.     That 


608  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

was  a  terrible  night — raining,  dark  and  a  very  heavy  fog  the  next 
morning.  We  surprised  the  enemy  in  the  charge.  We  made  and 
captured  a  large  number  of  prisoners  and  many  pieces  of  artillery. 
Cold  Harbor  was  to  me  a  horrible  place.  I  was  on  picket  that 
morning.  Orders  were  given  to  move  forward  to  the  slope  of  the 
hill  and  lie  down.  We  lay  there  till  dusk.  The  rebels  sent  out  a 
new  line  or  a  regiment.  They  met  us  there.  We  had  quite  a  time, 
still  holding  our  ground.  There  was  a  rebel  who  had  a  little  flag 
with  a  sharp  spear  on  it  came  at  me,  trying  to  prod  me  with  it  I 
shot  and  wounded  him.  It  was  dark  and  I  took  the  flag,  set  my 
foot  .on  the  staff,  tore  the  flag  off  and  was  just  about  sticking  it 
in  my  bosom,  when  I  was  shot  down  by  a  rebel.  He  shot  me  in  the 
head.  I  fell  and  lay  on  the  battlefield  (that  night  <and  two  days  and 
nights  following,  without  anything  to  eat  or  drink.  When  I  came 
to  my  senses,  I  had  no  shoes,  no  blouse,  my  pockets  were  turned 
wrong  side  out,  $6.00  in  greenbacks,  and  $10.00  in  rebel  money 
gone.  I  was  very  weak  after  the  loss  of  so  much  blood.  My  hair  was 
full  of  blood  dried  like  paint  and  my  wound  full  of  maggots.  I  had 
no  use  of  my  left  arm  nor  my  left  leg,  but  I  managed  to  crawl  back 
tc  our  pickets  and  wa,s  taken  back  to  the  Third  Brigade,  from 
there  to  the  field  hospital  and  thence  to  Findley  Hospital  at  Wash 
ington  in  the  Fourth  Ward.  This  ended  my  military  service  with  my 
company  and  Regiment. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          609 


SERGT.  JAMES  KXOX  SAYS: 

"I  helped  to  carry  Colonel  Beaver  from  the  field  at  Chancellors- 
ville.  We  carried  him  first  by  the  arms  and  legs,  then  in  a  blanket, 
and  finally  got  a  stretcher. 

On  the  march  after  Gettysburg  I  was  taken  sick  and  left  on  the 
roadside  to  die,  but  a  surgeon  of  the  Second  Division  happened 
along  and  gave  me  some  medicine,  and  next  day  I  rode  in  the 
ambulance,  and  a  few  days  later  I  was  on  picket. 

I  was  wounded  at  Po  River  May  10th  and  walked  to  Fredericks- 
burg  at  night  and  lay  in  the  Court  House.  Next  morning  we  were 
taken  in  wagons  to  Acquia  Creek  and  sent  by  boat  to  Washington. 
From  there  at  Satterlee  Hospital,  Philadelphia,  and  rejoined  the 
Regiment  March  2,  1865,  and  took  part  in  action  at  Hatcher's  Run, 
where  one  hundred  of  us  were  sent  to  the  right  of  the  line,  crossed 
the  run  and  drove  the  enemy  out  of  his  work.  We  lay  in  the 
woods  all  night  without  fire,  and  rejoined  the  Brigade  at  Adams 
Farm  on  the  morning  of  the  31st. 

At  Sutherland  Station,  April  2d,  a  detachment  of  one  hundred 
under  Captain  Sutton  or  Captain  Harper  was  sent  to  the  right. 
We  drove  the  enemy  and  captured  seven  hundred  prisoners,  two 
guns  and  two  flags.  Next  evening  we  helped  take  a  wagon  train. 
Being  detailed  to  forage  for  the  Division,  at  Farmville,  we  found 
the  bridge  on  fire,  but  we  went  through  the  fire  and  got  into  the 
town.  We  got  some  cattle,  sheep  and  hogs,  and  drove  them  across 
the  river.  They  were  afterward  driven  back  and  after  the  sur 
render  given  to  the  southern  soldiers." 


610        THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 
SKETCH  OF  LIEUT.  W.  H.  BIBLE. 

By  his  son,  Frank  E.  Bible,  Esq. 

Lieut.  Wm.  H.  Bible  was  the  oldest  son  of  Daniel  and  Harriet 
Passmore  Bible,  and  was  born  in  Potter  Township,  Centre  County, 
July  10,  1827. 

Like  hundreds  of  other  families,  his  was  found  on  both  sides 
of  the  late  War,  Col.  John  Bible,  of  Chaittanooga,  Tennessee,  a  scion 
of  the  Virginia  branch,  being  found  baittling  against  the  old  flag, 
while  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  with  his  brother,  Daniel  P.,  Adjutant 
of  the  51st  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Regiment,  and  his  cousin,  Wil 
liam  Bible,  of  the  148th,  were  found  in  the  Union  ranks.  Of  the 
three  members  of  his  family  in  the  late  War  two — Lieut,  Wm.  H. 
and  William,  his  cousin,  lost  their  lives  at  Chancellorsville,  the  latter 
being  mortally  wounded,  the  former  killed  outright  and  his  body 
never  recovered. 

Of  the  military  career  of  Lieutenant  Bible  and  the  men  who 
perished  at  Chancellorsville,  little  can  be  said  beyond  the  perform 
ance  of  the  routine  of  duty  incident  to  army  life  and  gallant  conduct 
in  their  first  and  last  fight.  Killed  "in  the  bud."  Just  a  memory 
for  the  gallant  color  company  of  the  Regiment  in  its  marches  and 
battles  leading  on  to  the  great  end — the  preservation  of  the  tTnion. 

In  the  old  days,  immediately  preceding  the  War  for  the  Union 
the  martial  spirit  of  Centre  County's  sons  was  kept  alive  by  various 
military  organizations.  To  the  Bellefonte  Dragoons,  with  their 
helmets  and  yellow  caterpillar  decoration  (hardly  a  plume)  Lieuten 
ant  Bible  belonged.  It  was  a  cavalry  company. 

At  and  before  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion  Lieutenant 
Bible  was  engaged  with  his  brother-in-law,  David  Edmiston,  in  the 
construction  of  the  Tyrone  and  Clearfield  Railroad.  He  resided  at 
Osceola  as  did  his  father's  family.  The  writer  recalls  an  informal 
family  council  after  the  fall  of  (Sumter.  The  question  of  who  should 
go  was  talked  over.  Three  sons  there  were  in  Daniel  Bible's  family 
—William,  the  oldest,  Daniel  P.  and  George  W.  "Some  one  must 
go,"  said  the  head  of  the  family.  "Yes,  father,"  said  his  wife. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          611 

"Will  is  married  and  has  a  little  family,  George  is  crippled  in  the 
hands  and  they  would  not  take  him.  There  is  no  one  but  Daniel." 

Daniel  joined  the  51st  Regiment  and  was  in  the  North  Carolina 
campaign,  taking  part  in  the  battles  of  Roanoke,  Xewbern,  etc. 

William  was  ever  restless  -after  Daniel  had  enlisted,  and  while 
his  business  interests  were  great  he  found  time  to  study  military  tac 
tics  and  was  constantly  engaged  in  patriotic  works,  drilling  the  young 
men  of  the  neighborhood  and  urging  their  enlistment.  The  family 
realized  that  he  could  not  be  kept  at  home  and  as  the  dark  days  grew 
darker  he  made  his  arrangements  for  enlisting.  Some  time  after  his 
youngest  child  was  born  and  mother  and  babe  were  doing  nicely,  he 
said  on  one  of  our  drives,  "It  is  settled — we  will  go  to  War." 

Things  looked  blue  for  the  old  flag  and  a  sense  of  duty  to  the 
country  appealed  to  men  of  Lieutenant  Bible's  age  in  all  walks  of 
life  in  the  North.  It  was  a  matter  of  calmly  and  deliberately  offering 
a  life  if  need  be  to  preserve  intact  what  our  ancestors  had  struggled 
so  long  and  valiantly  to  accomplish.  The  deliberation  and  calmness 
with  which  he  went  about  the  matter  was  remarkable,  for  he  was 
a  man  of  quick  impulses  and  rather  fiery  temper.  One  of  his  old 
employes  on  the  railroad,  "Bart"  Maguire,  whom  he  used  to  dis 
charge  for  being  drunk  and  then  hire  over  again,  called  him  a  "fire 
ball."  Big  of  body,  heart  and  mind,  tender  as  a  woman  and  without 
fear,  he  was  but  a  type  of  the  men  whom  Centre  County  had  sent 
forth  to  every  War  in  her  history.  Xo  eulogy  can  be  passed  on  an 
officer  of  the  Regiment  which  will  not  apply  to  the  men  in  the  ranks. 
Often  in  his  letters  to  his  wife  does  he  refer  to  the  loyalty  of  his 
men  to  their  officers  and  to  duty. 

September  9,  1862,  he  writes  from  Camp  Curtin : 

"Our  company  has  the  honor  of  being  the  color  company,  and 
its  letter  will  be  C.  I  think  we  will  leave  tomorrow  for  Hagerstown." 

From  camp  near  Phoenix,  October  17,  1862,  he  writes: 

"If  you  haven't  sent  the  socks  don't  send  them  for  I  have  plenty 
of  everything  except  money." 


612  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

November  7,  1862: 

"It  has  been  snowing  all  day  and  we  have  nothing  but  our  tents 
for  shelter ;  are  just  beginning  to  experience  the  realities  of  War ;  am 
writing  this  in  my  tent  with  a  blanket  about  ma" 

Camp  Forster,  November  16,  1862: 

"Had  some  lady  visitors  from  Bellefonte,  Mrs.  James  Burn- 
side  and  Miss  Mary  Wilson.  This  was  a  red  letter  day  in  the  life  of 
the  148th — visitors,  and  of  the  fair  sex  at  that,  besides  the  presenta 
tion  of  colors.  Had  a  flag  presentation  and  the  gentleman  who  pre 
sented  it  said  that  he  'had  presented  twenty-seven  flags  to  Pennsyl 
vania  regiments  and  that  the  148th  was  the  best  drilled  Regiment 
he  had  seen.'  That  speaks  well  for  the  148th." 

Forty-two  years  after  this  event  a  prominent  officer  in  the  late 
War,  and  one  who  was  qualified  to  judge,  made  almost  the  same  re 
mark,  and  'attributed  its  excellence  as  a  regiment  to  its  Colonel,  who 
was  a  past  master  of  discipline,  and  the  fact  that  the  Regiment  wab 
practically  made  up  of  picked  men. 

Camp  near  Fredericksburg,  December  21,  1862 : 

"We  left  Washington  on  the  llth  inst  and  marched  through  to 
this  place  on  Saturday  of  the  fight.  We  could  hear  the  battle  all  day 
Saturday  and  Sunday.  It  has  been  a  fearful  slaughter  and  we  have 
gained  nothing  as  yet  but  hope  for  the  better.  *  We  can  see 

the  rebel  camp  fires  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  can  see 
them  marching  through  Fredericksburg  during  the  day.  Saw  Wil 
liam  Dolph,  Mike  Connors  and  lots  of  the  boys.  Thomas  Maguire  was 
wounded  in  the  last  battle  but  will  get  well.  It  is  very  cold  and  we 
have  no  tents  as  yet.  Are  going  to  build  winter  huts." 

The  names  mentioned  in  this  letter  are  men  from  Clearfield 
County,  I  think. 

Hancock's  Division,  Sumner's  Corps,  December  19,  1862: 

"After  a  long  march  from  Washington  we  arrived  in  front  of 
Fredericksburg.  Just  came  up  after  the  battle.  They  are  still  bury 
ing  the  dead.  We  got  the  worst  of  the  fight.  Captain  Blair  was  in 
the  fight ;  didn't  get  hurt  and  only  had  four  men  wounded.  No  pay 
yet.  Send  me  some  stamps. 

"Don't  be  uneasy  about  me  for  I  have  laid  out  nine  nights  with 
out  a  tent  and  got  along  well." 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          615 

Camp  near  Frederieksburg,  January  11,  1863: 
a*  #  *  ^e  are  Ailing  hard  every  day.  Was  out  on  picket 
two  days  and  nights  with  thirty  men.  The  rebels  are  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river.  They  occasionally  call  over  to  our  pickets  and  ask 
them  when  they  are  coming  to  Fredericksburg.  If  it  is  an  old  soldier 
he  will  say,  'We  are  coming  around  by  Antietam  or  South  Moun 
tain.'  *  *  *  Send  me  some  socks."  *  *  * 

Gamp  near  Falmouth,  February  1,  1863 : 

"It  is  Sunday  night  and  raining.  I  am  in  my  little  cabin  snug, 
dry  and  well.  Am  almost  ashamed  to  tell  you  how  much  I  weigh 
with  only  my  blouse  on — 194  pounds — and  if  nothing  happens  I 
think  I  will  reach  200  by  the  first  of  April.  But  when  spring  -comes 
with  hard  marching  then  I  look  for  rough  times  and  I  will  lose  some 
flesh.  The  only  hard  labor  we  have  to  perform  is  picket  duty,  and 
that  without  fire,  no  matter  what  the  weather  may  be." 

Camp  near  Frederieksburg,  January  10,  1863: 

"We  are  now  in  winter  quarters.  Lieutenant  Stevenson  and  I 
have  built  a  comfortable  cabin.  Was  on  picket  duty  last  night.  Saw 
lots  of  rebs.  Did  not  talk  to  them  nor  allow  my  men  to  talk  to  them. 
They  would  call  over  and  ask  the  boys  when  they  were  coming  to 
Frederieksburg  again.  We  have  orders  not  to  hold  conversation  with! 
them  and  obey  orders." 

Camp  near  Falmouth,  February  10,  1863 : 

"Came  in  off  picket  yesterday.  Saw  lots  of  rebels.  Weather  just 
like  spring.  Would  like  to  come  home  on  a  furlough  and 

think  it  likely  I  may  get  one  in  the  spring.  From  present  appear 
ances  I  think  there  will  be  a  move  soon,  perhaps  before  this  reaches 
you.  I  haven't  the  least  idea  of  resigning.  When  I  come  home  1 
want  to  come  honorably,  so  that  it  will  be  a  credit  to  my  children, 
and  if  never  I  shall  never  bring  disgrace  upon  them." 

The  reference  in  this  letter  to  resigning  was  brought  about  by 
the  youthful  thoughtlessness  of  the  writer  in  asking  him  to  resign. 
In  another  letter  he  says,  "I  can  not  resign  with  honor  and  my  boy 
does  not  want  me  to  come  home  any  other  way."  There  were  no  fur 
ther  requests  for  a  resignation — indeed  he  refers  to  resignations  in 
very  uncomplimentary  terms. 

Camp  near  Falmouth,  February  27,  1863  : 

"Lieutenant  Colonel  McFarlane  is  at  home  with  the  fever.  He 
left  camp,  sick.  He  is  a  noble  little  man  and  I  would  be  very  sorry 
to  hear  of  his  death.  Lieutenant  Stevenson  went  home  sick  and  has 


614  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

not  returned.  Hope  he  will  soon  get  around.  Would  like  to  get 
home  on  furlough  for  ten  days,  but  there  is  nothing  certain  about 
that." 

Camp  near  Falmouth,  March  10,  1863  : 

*  *  "We  just  got  orders  to  hold  ourselves  in  readiness  to 
march  at  an  hour's  notice.     I  shall  not   get   home  for    some    time. 
Tell  father  to  still  battle  for  the  old  Union.     The  cause  is  gaining 
and  it  is  just," 

Camp  near  Falmouth,  March  20,  1863: 

"The  Irish  Brigade  lies  alongside  of  us  and  on  the 
17th  they  had  a  series  of  games. — a  steeple  chase.  It  was  very  fine. 
All  the  Generals  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  were  present.  Only 
one  man  was  killed  and  that  occurred  in  the  morning.  At  two 
o'clock  our  men  on  the  right  got  into  a  fight.  General  Meagher,  of 
the  Irish  Brigade,  rode  among  the  men  and  said  that  the  enemy  had 
crossed  the  river  and  that  we  would  have  to  fight.  Up  went  the  hats 
with  a  hearty  cheer.  We  were  ready,  but  the  fight  was  short  and 
soon  over.  We  captured  about  two  hundred.  They  look  pretty  hard 
— all  kinds  of  clothing  on  them.  I  was  on  picket  last  night  and  had 
to  walk  continually  to  keep  from  freezing.  It  is  a  pretty 

hard  life,  but  nevertheless  I  am  willing  to  stand  it  for  my  country. 
Just  a  note  to  Franky:  I  am  glad  you  are  learning  to  write  so 
well.  Write  me  soon  and  a  good  letter  so  that  I  can  show  it  to  Doc 
Potter." 

Camp  near  Falmouth,  March  27,  1863: 

"Dr.  Geo.  L.  Potter  was  with  me  all  afternoon  yes 
terday.  He  and  Major  Fairlamb  are  the  same  old  fellows  of  yore." 

It  is  a  source  of  satisfaction  and  pleasure  in  reading  over  these 
old  War  time  letters  to  note  the  kindly  feeling  with  which  he  speaks 
of  his  fellow  officers  and  men  from  the  Colonel  down. 

The  picture  referred  to  was  a  tin  type.  It  was  a  full  length 
picture,  the  background  representing  a  camp  scene.  The  picture  in 
this  History  is  from  an  enlarged  bust  taken  from  the  original. 

Camp  near  Falmouth,  April  17,  1863: 

*  *     *     "I  send  you  my  picture.     It  is  not  good,  all  say,  but 
it  is  the  best  they  can  do  here.  We  have  marching  orders 
and  eight  days'  rations." 

This  was  his  last  letter,  at  least  the  last  received.  Sixteen  days 
after  came  Chanoellorsville. 


THE  i4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          615 


SKETCH  OF   LIEUTENANT  STEVENSON. 

Lieutenant  Francis  Stevenson  was  born  in  Grand  Isle  County, 
Vermont,  December  27,  1829,  of  Irish  descent,  and  with  his  father's 
family  came  to  Centre  County  in  the  50's.  For  two  years  following 
1857  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  United  States  Government  in 
charge  of  cattle  at  frontier  posts  and  at  the  close  of  his  service  he 
rode  home  to  Buffalo  Run  on  horseback. 

On  his  return  to  Centre  County  he  joined  one  of  the  several 
military  companies,  possibly  that  at  Stormstown. 

When  the  148th  was  being  raised  Captain  Forster  and  Lieu 
tenant  Bible  were  engaged  in  enlisting  men  for  what  afterwards  be 
came  C  Company.  They  went  to  Stevenson's  home  on  Buffalo  Run 
one  Sunday  morning  before  daylight  and  he  agreed  to  help  raise  the 
company.  Stevenson's  experience  evidently  suggested  him  as  avail 
able  material  for  an  officer  in  the  company.  On  its  organization  he 
was  elected  Second  Lieutenant  and  commissioned  by  Governor 
Curtin. 

He  was  a  man  of  sunny  disposition  and  undoubted  courage  and 
is  highly  spoken  of  by  those  who  knew  him  at  home  and  in  the  Army. 

He  was  attacked  with  fever  and  sent  home  in  the  winter  of 
1863,  some  time  in  January  and  got  back  to  his  Regiment,  not  fully 
recovered,  a  few  days  before  the  Army  began  to  move  in  the  spring. 
He  was  killed  at  Chancellorsville. 


THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  D. 


PART  I. 
By  Lieut.  William  Gemntill. 

Company  D  was  made  up  of  men  from  Aaronsburg  in  the  east 
ern,  and  from  Pine  Grove  in  the  western  part  of  the  County.  The 
way  in  which  these  extremes  came  together  was  in  this  wise.  In 
August,  1862,  great  effort  was  made  to  fill  Centre  County's  quota  of 
men  without  resort  to  the  draft.  Meetings  were  held  in  many  parts 
of  the  County  to  stimulate  volunteering.  Andrew  Musser,  then  a 
student  of  the  Theological  Seminary,  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  had 
been  authorized  by  Governor  Curtin  to  raise  a  company.  He  was 
enthusiastically  assisted  in  recruiting  by  the  Rev.  L.  C.  Edmonds, 
then  pastor  of  the  Reformed  Church,  Aaronsburg,  Pennsylvania. 
They  held  a  meeting  in  Aaronsburg  on  the  evening  of  August  19, 
1862,  at  which  a  number  of  men  were  enlisted.  They  quickly  raised 
a  considerable  body  of  men  but  not  enough  to  constitute  a  company. 
There  was  considerable  competition  between  recruiting  parties  and 
he  soon  saw  that  it  was  not  possible  to  fill  up  his  company  in  that 
locality. 

Musser  had  been  a  student  at  Pine  Grove  Academy  some  time 
before  and  was  held  in  high  esteem  by  principal  and  students.  In 
the  Pine  Grove  School,  at  this  time,  there  was  a  goodly  number  of 
young  men  fit  for  military  duty.  This  was  known  to  Musser  and 
in  his  extremity  he  turned  to  Pine  Grove.  He  sent  word  of  his  pur 
pose  and  set  Thursday  evening,  August  21st,  as  the  time  of  his  com 
ing.  The  War  spirit  was  strong  among  the  students.  Some  had 
already  gone  out  in  Company  G.  The  rest  were  only  waiting  for 
what  they  thought  the  right  opportunity  for  them  to  enlist.  Musser' s 
coming,  esteemed  as  he  was,  gave  them  their  opportunity.  A  meet 
ing  was  held  in  the  afternoon,  at  which  a  lawyer,  Bush  by  name,  I 
think,  spoke.  He  made  a  strong  appeal  and  tried  to  stampede  us 
by  portraying  the  terrors  of  the  draft.  But  he  didn't  move  a  man. 
We  were  waiting  for  some  one  else. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          617 


The  evening  of  August  21st,  after  supper,  we  assembled,  as 
our  custom,  in  front  of  Swartz's  store.  The  coming  meeting-  wa»> 
our  theme.  Some  one  proposed  that  if  Musser  would  give  Pror. 
J.  E.  Thomas  the  First  Lieutenancy  we  all  go.  The  banter  was  at 
once  taken  up,  and  one  and  another  said,  "If  you.  go  I'll  go,  "If  you 
go  I'll  go."  So  hands  were  clasped  and  the  compact  sealed.  A 
committee  was  appointed  to  set  the  matter  before  the  Professor.  That 
committee  consisted  of  J.  J.  Fleming  and  the  writer.  It  was  short 
notice  and  he  gave  no  decisive  answer,  even  to  the  second  appeal.  The 
meeting  was  held  in  the  Academy  Hall.  The  students  entered,  un 
decided  as  to  what  they  would  do.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Moore,  of  the  Pres 
byterian  Church,  madei  a  stirring  address.  At  its  close  Musser  was 
called.  He  rose  and  said,  "I  am  not  here  to  make  a  speech.  I  am 
here  to  enlist  men  for  the  War,"  and  sat  down.  The  call  then  wab 
for  Thomas,  who  at  the  time  was  busy  writing.  He  rose,  came  to  the 
edge  of  the  platform,  paper  in  hand  and  waving  it  said,  "It  is  a  time 
for  action,  not  words.  Young  gentlemen,  you  have  challenged  me. 
Come  on."  Instantly  there  was  an  uprising  and  a  rush  for  the  plat 
form  and  a  score  or  more  of  his  students  and  many  men  of  the  town 
and  vicinity  enrolled  themselves.  The  day  following  other  names 
were  added  to  the  list.  We  separated  to  arrange  our  affairs  at  our 
homes  and  met  again  in  Pine  Grove  Wednesday,  August  2Yth,  and 
were  taken  to  Centre  Hall  where  we  met  the  men  from  Aaronsburg. 
Here  we  met  with  some  difficulty  in  completing  our  organization. 
Quartermaster  S.  D.  Musser  tells  what  that  difficulty  was  and  how 
it  was  overcome.  (See  the  Quartermaster's  Story,  page  282.— 
EDITOR.  ) 

With  the  enrollment  of  S.  D.  Musser  and  those  with  him,  the 
Company  had  its  full  complement  of  men,  and  we  organized  with 
Andrew  Musser,  Captain;  John  E.  Thomas,  First  Lieutenant, 
and  L.  C,  Edmonds,  Second  Lieutenant,  and  on  Thursday,  August 
28,  1862,  were  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States  at 
Centre  Hall,  Centre  County.  Late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day 
we  were  on  our  way  to  Harrisburg  going  over  the  Seven  Mountains 
to  Lewis  town. 


618  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Many  touching  scones  and  incidents  occurred  among  the  boys 
when  bidding  farewell  to  their  friends.  Such  scenes  were  doubtless 
then  very  common  all  over  our  land.  I  was  from  home  and  n 
comparative  stranger,  and  after  a  quiet  good-bye  to  my  few  friends 
got  into  S.  D.  Musser's  buggy  and  from  that  vantage  ground  took 
a  grim  survey  of  the  scenes  taking  place  about  me,  feeling  thankful 
the  while  that  my  friends  were  far  away.  The  parting  scenes  were 
in  most,  cases  very  affecting.  But  it  is  said  not  to  be  far  from  the 
sublime  to  the  ridiculous,  and  I  recall,  at  this  late  day,  incidents 
that  move  to  laughter  rather  than  to  tears. 

The  meetings  held  throughout  the  county  awoke  the  spirit  of 
patriotism  and  roused  the  loyal  people  to  a  sense  of  their  country's 
need.  The  more  intelligent  and  thoughtful  recognized  the  crisis  o± 
the  times  in  which  they  lived,  and  the  sacrifice  demanded  of  them, 
and  under  the  pressure  of  the  Nation's  need,  they  yielded,  ofttimes  a 
reluctant  assent,  to  those  in  their  own  homes,  who  felt  the  call  was 
to  them.  But  there  were  many  who  did  not  see  this  need,  or  seeing 
had  no  sympathy  with  it,  and  ofttimes  hindered  or  opposed  those 
anxious  to  obey  the  call.  Now,  when  everyone  has  a  kind  word  foi 
the  old  soldier  and  everybody  believes  that  it  was  a  good  thing  foi 
the  country  and  humanity  that  the  Union  was  preserved  it  is  difficult 
to  realize  the  bitter  opposition  to  the  cause  of  the  Union  which  pre 
vailed  in  many  localities.  Those  who  actively  sought  to  promote  en 
listments  soon  came  in  touch  with  it.  The  Rev.  L.  C.  Edmonds  tells 
of  his  experience,  when  engaged  in  recruiting  in  his  home  locality. 
One  of  his  parishioners  was  heard  to  say,  "Mer  sut  den  Schwartz 
Kepublikaner  nf  der  strose  um  schiese."  (Some  one  ought  to  shoot 
down  this  black  Republican  upon  our  street )  Several  women  whose 
friends  had  enlisted,  with  great  fervor  expressed  the  wish  that  the 
first  bullet  of  the  foe  would  hit  Edmonds.  But  it  was  when,  as 
Lieutenant  of  Company  D,  clothed  in  the  Army  blue,  he  returned 
home  from  Camp  Curtin,  to  arrange  his  business  affairs  and  preach 
his  farewell  sermon  to  his  people,  that  he  roused  to  fever  heat  the 
hostile  sentiment  of  the  community.  The  thought  of  his  going  into 
the  pulpit  in  uniform  to  preach  was  more  than  they  could  endure. 
A  committee  of  the  vestry  was  sent  to  warn  him  not  to  venture  into 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          619 

the  church  in  military  garb,  and  an  elder,  a  good  friend  of  his  plead 
with  him  not  to  make  the  attempt.  He  told  them  he  could  not  lay 
off  his  uniform  and  on  Sabbath  morning  he  made  his  way  through 
an  excited  crowd  and  preached  his  farewell  sermon.  For  this  he 
received  the  compliments  of  loyal  men  and  women  and  the  curses  of 
those  whose  sympathies  were  with  the  other  side.  The  church 
authorities  put  on  record  a  resolution  declaring  that  the  good  brother 
should  never  again  be  allowed  to  preach  in  that  church.  But  the 
past  has  long  been  forgotten  and  he  has  frequently  preached  there 
since. 

We  reached  Harrisburg  the  afternoon  of  Friday,  August  29th, 
and  were  taken  out  to  Camp  Curtin.  Here  we  were  furnished  tents, 
cooking  utensils  and  rations.  Some  of  the  Company  G  boys  came  ta 
our  aid  and  helped  us  pitch  our  tents.  They  had  been  in  camp  a 
couple  of  weeks.  They  were  already  veterans.  They  could  pitch 
their  tents,  cook  their  grub,  get  out  of  camp  without  a  pass  and 
back  again  without  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  guards.  They  gavt? 
generous  help  in  all  these  lines  to  the  new  comers.  We  soon  learned 
to  prepare  our  meals,  make  our  beds  and  get  to  town  and  back  again. 
We  had  drill,  did  guard  duty  now  and  then  under  very  lax  discipline. 

Our  first  Sabbath  in  camp  was  unlike  any  Sabbath  some  of  us 
had  ever  seen.  In  the  evening  Lieutenant  Edmonds  preached,  hav 
ing  a  store  box  for  a  platform  and  C.  F.  Speaker  and  John  Rote  to 
hold  the  lights. 

Tuesday,  September  2d,  we  received  our  uniforms  and  sent 
our  civilian  clothing  home.  The  uniforms  made  a  great  change 
in  the  appearance  of  the  men  and  marked  so  plainly  the  great  change 
which  had  taken  place  in  our  lives. 

On  the  8th  we  received  our  arms  and  were  organized  into  a 
regiment  and  numbered  148  and  were  designated  as  Company  D 
with  James  A.  Beaver,  of  the  45th  Pennsylvania  \7olunters,  as  our 
Colonel.  Our  play  at  Camp  Curtin  was  over  and  we  were  about  to 
enter  into  real  service. 

On  the  night  of  September  9th  we  left  Harrisburg  in  box  car-; 
for  Cockeysville,  Maryland.  It  was  a  moonlight  night.  Weird 
shadows  and  strange,  fantastic  shapes  were  seen  as  we  sped  on  our 


620  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

way,  fancy  free,  through  light  and  shadows,  among  the  mountains. 
We  were  going  out  of  Pennsylvania.  We  felt  we  were  going  from 
home  to  enter  upon  a  new,  strange  life,  so  full  of  peril.  It  was  a  fit 
occasion  to  stir  solemn  thoughts  in  sober  minds  as  we  looked  to  the 
future  and  wondered  what  it  had  in  store  for  us.  In  the  early  morn 
ing  we  reached  our  destination.  Leaving  the  cars,  we  marched  down 
to  the  Turnpike,  over  the  bridge  and  filed  into  the  meadow  on  the 
right,  Here  we  stacked  arms  and  had  our  breakfast  of  hard  tack  and 
coffee.  We  were  afterwards  marched  up  the  grove  beyond  the  rail 
road  station,  where  our  permanent  camp  was  located. 

The  day  after  reaching  Cockeysville  considerable  excitement 
was  occasioned  by  the  report  that  there  was  rebel  cavalry  in  the  neigh 
borhood.  Scouting  parties  were  sent  out,  and  the  roads  for  some  dis 
tance  from  our  camp  were  picketed.  We  were  out  over  Saturday 
night  and  got  back  to  camp  some  time  during  the  forenoon.  I  well 
remember  the  good  breakfast  a  few  of  us  got  after  being  relieved 
Sunday  morning  at  a  near-by  Quaker  home. 

We  found  no  cavalry  but  we  got  a  little  experience.  We  had  a 
fine  location  for  a  camp  and  every  care  was  taken  to  keep  it  in  a 
healthful  condition.  O*ur  principal  business  here  was  to  guard  the 
railroad  and  especially  the  bridges.  To  do  this  to  the  best  advantage 
the  Regiment  was  divided  and  some  companies  were  sent  north  where 
two  camps  were  formed,  and  one  company,  A,  was  sent  south  to 
Lutherville,  while  Companies  F,  D,  T  and  K  occupied  the  headquar 
ters  camp  at  Cockeysville, 

We  lost  no  time  in  getting  down  to  real  solid  work.  Here  we 
were  set  to  learn  the  duties  of  the  soldier,  and  how  to  perform  them 
in  a  soldierly  way ;  to  form  proper  habits  of  camp  life,  and  to  care 
for  camp  and  quarters.  We  had  to  learn  how  to  care  for  our  arms 
and  equipment  and  it  was  no  light  task.  There  were  our  bras? 
shoulder  pieces — scales  they  called  them — and  all  those  other  brasse> 
we  so  dutifully  polished,  on  belt  and  cartridge  box,  letters  and  figures 
and  buttons  on  coat  and  blouse  and  cap,  with  gun  and  bayonet,  all 
to  be  kept  bright  in  rain  or  shine,  in  mud  or  dust,  in  wet  or  dry. 
There  was  also  the  care  of  our  clothing,  cleanliness  of  person,  with 
proper  personal  appearance  as  military  order  and  proper  self-respect 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          621 

required.  It  was  no  trilling  matter,  in  all  kinds  of  weather,  with 
only  the  aids  the  knapsack  could  furnish,  to  keep  one's  self  in  sol 
dierly  trim,  or  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  standard  set  for  us,  and 
those  who  did  were  worthy  of  high  approval.  The  proper  care  of 
person,  of  clothing,  and  of  equipment  was  essential,  not  only  to  the 
proper  appearing  of  the  soldier,  but  also  to  his  real  efficiency; 
and  it  was,  with  us,  one  of  the  first  lessons  the  raw  recruit  had 
to  learn.  Some  did  not  learn  it  easily  or  readily,  but  on  inspec 
tion  days,  when  the  lynx-eyed  inspector  had  his  suspicions  aroused, 
he  would  modestly  open  coat  and  shirt  collar  and  examine  neck  and 
ears  and  perhaps  order  a  detail  to  scrub  the  delinquent  Then  it 
began  to  be  thought  worth  while  to  make  the  special  effort  needed  to 
pass  a  creditable  inspection.  To  our  credit  be  it  said  we  had  few 
such,  but  we  had  some,  and  they  too  in  time  learned  how  to  do  it. 
It  will  be  remembered  that,  in  the  later  history  of  the  Regiment, 
when  in  winter  quarters,  there  were  contests  in  which  the  prize  oi 
a  furlough  was  offered  to  the  most  cleanly  and  soldierly  appearing 
men,  and  that  several  representatives  of  Company  D  carried  off  the 
prize,  men  like  Lansberry  and  Seal,  true  soldiers  and  the  pride  of 
their  officers. 

Another  matter  that  called  for  thought  in  all  volunteer  organi 
zations  was  the  relation  of  officers  and  men.  Many  of  the  officers  had 
been  the  chums  and  familiar  friends  of  men  in  the  ranks.  Now  thev 
were  lifted  above  them  and  within  certain  limits  had  authority  abso 
lute  over  them.  How  to  adjust  ourselves  to  these  new  relations  was 
a  problem  at  first  not  easily  solved.  We  had  to  learn  to  show  regard 
for  rank,  and  recognize  the  distinctions  that  must  exist  for  the  sake 
of  discipline  between  officers  and  soldiers.  These  distinctions  were 
based  on  rank,  and  it  sometimes  went  against  the  grain  to  show  to 
some  men  the  courtesy  which  by  reason  of  rank  was  their  due.  We 
soon  came  to  realize  that  we  were  out  of  civil  life,  that  civilian  days 
were  past,  that  we  were  now  under  military  regulation,  that  the  right 
to  command  belonged  to  the  officer,  and  it  was  plainly  the  duty  of 
the  good  soldier  to  render  instant  obedience.  Order  Xo.  8,  Head 
quarters  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  Cockeysville,  call? 
attention  to  the  courtesy  due  from  a  soldier  to  his  superior  and  also 


622  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

to  the  evil  of  enlisted  men  lounging  about  the  officers'  quarters.  The 
common  sense  requirement  was  in  a  very  little  time  recognized  and 
observed  by  all  without  loss  of  friendship  or  respect. 

A  high  standard  of  soldierly  discipline  was  set  before  us  from 
the  start,  and  we  were  required,  under  penalty,  to  measure  up  to  it. 
O'ur  officers  had  very  little  advantage  over  the  men.  Each  class  had 
its  several  duties  to  learn.  By  some  these  duties  were  easily  and 
quickly  mastered,  and  they  soon  found  in  the  routine  of  military 
life  a  certain  pleasure  and  satisfaction.  With  others  it  was  slow, 
hard  work  to  learn  the  drill,  to  keep  step,  to  touch  elbows,  to  move 
briskly  at  the  word  of  command,  to  master  the  manual  of  arms,  and 
do  each  duty  and  make  each  movement  with  the  promptness  and 
precision  that  was  required.  At  first  many  men  rebelled  in  spirit 
at  the  exacting  demands,  deeming  them  unreasonable  and  tyrannical. 
When  we  first  began  battalion  drill  and  were  faced  about  and  men 
trod  on  each  others  heels,  or  barked  each  others  shins,  and  received  h 
sharp  reprimand  for  slowness  or  native  awkwardness,  they  were 
smothered  threats  and  curses  and  more  than  once  some  overwrought 
and  exasperated  soul  made  threat  of  awful  vengeance  when  the  favored 
opportunity  should  come.  After  we  had  learned  our  drill  and  were 
able  to  go  through  our  manoeuvres  to  the  satisfaction  of  our  Colonel 
and  our  own  comfort  and  credit,  these  same  men  often  times  saw  and 
felt  and  acknowledged  the  benefit  of  the  drill  and  discipline  of  which 
they  at  first  so  bitterly  complained. 

Our  moral  and  spiritual  welfare  was  not  neglected.  Our  com 
pany  officers  were  all  men  of  strict  religious  character,  men  who  tried 
to  live  their  religion.  We  had  our  Chaplain  with  us  from  the  start 
and  he  stood  by  the  boys  and  was  a  help  to  many.  In  all  his  efforts 
among  us,  he  was  well  supported  by  our  Colonel,  who  set  us  a  good 
example  in  matters  moral  and  religious.  There  was  a  large  propor 
tion  of  religious  men  in  the  company,  and  the  greater  number  of 
those  who  made  no  profession  were  yet  men  of  firm  religious  convic 
tions.  I  know  of  one  prayer  meeting  that  was  held  in  some  of  the 
quarters  of  the  company  as  long  as  there  was  left  the  two  or  three, 
of  like  mind  to  meet  together.  But  we  had  all  sorts,  religious  and 
otherwise.  One  of  our  boys,  who  did  not  see  the  profit  of  religious 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          623 

restraint,  after  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  expressed  his  view  of 
religion  as  being;  no  good,  because  a  group  of  boys  in  the  company, 
who  kept  up  a  prayer  meeting,  were  all  among  the  killed  and 
wounded,  not  a  man  of  them  had  escaped.  Taking  their  experience 
as  a  justification  of  his  view  he  said,  "Just  look  at  them  religious 
fellers,  every  one  of  them  got  hit.'7 

Profanity  and  drunkenness  were  outlawed,  and  among  the  boys 
there  were  not  many  infractions  of  proper  conduct.  There  were 
temptations  many,  a«  always  and  everywhere,  and  many  fell  under 
their  power,  and  were  harmed  by  them.  But  for  a  body  of  men  gath 
ered  as  we  were,  away  from  the  restraints  of  home  and  society,  ex 
posed  to  all  the  vices  of  army  life,  the  character  of  the  company  for 
sobriety  and  morality  would  rank  high  and  stand  fair  when  compared 
with  that  of  any  other  company. 

While  at  Cockeysville  we  had  no  idle  time.  With  picket  and 
guard  duty,  guard  mount  and  drill  and  dress  parade,  the  days  passed 
swiftly  by.  There  were  special  days  as  when  the  companies  were 
brought  together  at  Cockeysville,  or  one  of  the  other  camp*  for 
battalion  drill.  During  these  months  we  were  made  familiar  with 
all  the  duties  of  the  soldier  in  camp  and  on  outpost  We  had  ac 
quired  a  soldierly  bearing  and  formed  soldierly  habits.  We  were 
now  to  exercise  ourselves  in  another  line  of  military  duty.  Orders 
came  for  us  to  join  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  The  camp  at  Cockeys 
ville  had  moved  into  barracks  a  few  days  'before  the  order  came. 
The  order  to  get  out  of  the  barracks  came  as  a  glad  relief  to  some 
of  us. 

Some  of  then  boys  determined  to  celebrate  our  departure,  which 
they  did  with  a  great  feast  the  night  before.  Requisition  was  made 
upon  the  community  round  about  for  all  needed  supplies  and  it  is 
needless  to  say  that  there  was  an  abundance.  I  am  told  that,  wheii 
we  were  in  the  cars  and  ready  to  start,  the  railroad  watchman  when 
bidding  some  of  the  boys  good-bye  said  that  "If  they  killed  as  many 
rebs  as  they  had  chickens  at  Cockeysville  our  going  south  would  be 
a  calamity  to  rebeldom."  It  is  safe  to  say  that  we  were  not  a  set  of 
plunderers,  were  not  allowed  to  be,  but  on  the)  last  night  of  our  stay 
there,  manv  unusual  liberties  were  taken. 


624  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

We  landed  at  Cockeysville  with  our  full  complement  of  men, 
one  hundred  and  one.  They  were  for  the  most  part  men  in  the 
first  vigor  of  a  healthy,  hearty  manhood,  mature  enough  to  adapt 
themselves  to  their  new  life  with  consideration  and  judgment. 
Eleven  were  eighteen  years  old,  thirteen  were  nineteen  years,  five 
•were  twenty,  nine  were  twenty-one  years-,  thirteen  were  twenty-two 
years,  ten  were  twenty-three,  twenty  were  between  twenty-four  and 
twenty-eight  years  of  age,  thirteen  between  thirty  and  forty  and  four 
were  over  forty.  The  oldest  men  of  our  number  were  David  Acher  and 
Abram  Hull,  both  forty-two.  We  had  some  magnificent  specimens 
of  young  manhood.  There  was  D.  F.  Fortney,  clean  limbed,  of 
strong,  vigorous  and  well  knit  frame.  When  asked  by  Doctor  Pottei, 
our  examining  surgeon,  at  Centre  Hall,  "How  old  are  you  ?"  replied 
"Nineteen,"  the  Doctor  said  he  could  hardly  believe  a  man  could 
grow  to  such  proportions  in  nineteen  years. 

We  had  a  healthful  camp,  our  duties  were  not  burdensome,  we 
did  not  have  any  considerable  exposure,  we  had  a  regular  supply  ot 
provisions,  and  comfortable  tents  in  which  to  rest  and  sleep,  and  yet 
it  was  but  a  few  weeks  until  we  had  a  considerable  number  on  the 
sick  list.  The  illness  was  in  most  cases  not  of  a  serious  nature,  and 
recovery  speedily  attained.  Eighteen  were  reported  sick  for  the 
month  of  October  and  nineteen  for  November.  On  November  14tb 
we  had  our5  first  loss  by  death,  Wm.  F.  Gable,  who  died  in  the  hos 
pital  at  Cockeysville  and  Sergt.  H.  H.  Weaver  was  sent  home  with 
the  body.  Emanuel  M.  Lytzel  died  in  hospital  while  the  Regi 
ment  was  on  its  way  to  join  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  The  sick, 
five  in  number,  were  sent  to  hospital  at  York,  Pennsylvania,  one  ot 
whom  died  there ;  three  were  discharged  and  but  one  rejoined  the 
company. 

Tuesday,  December  9th,  we  left  Cockeysville  for  Baltimore, 
were  taken  to  the  Union  Relief  where  we  had  supper  and  quarters 
for  the  night.  The  afternoon  of  the  10th  we  took  train  for  Wash 
ington,  where  we  arrived  before  daylight.  We  were  taken  to  the 
Soldiers'  Rest,  and  had  something  to  eat,  and  in  the  afternoon  took 
up  our  line  of  march,  our  objective  being  Liverpool  Point,  Maryland. 
After  a  march  of  a  few  miles  we  camped  near  Fort  Greble.  This 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          625 

camp  is  memorable  as  the  place  where  we  threw  away  our  scales, 
ridding  ourselves  of  what  we  considered  useless  trumpery,  and  we 
were  never  after  required  to  replace  them. 

Friday  morning  we  were  early  on  the  way  plodding  along  through 
the  mud  and  water.  This  was  our  first  full  day's  march.  How  it 
wearied  us  and!  how  welcome  the  order  "Halt"  sounded  in  our  ears. 
We  were  tired  and  sore  that  night.  We  were  ahead  of  our  provision 
train  and  had  to  go  supperless  to  bed.  In  the  morning  we  had 
nothing  but  coffee  for  breakfast.  We  learned  from  this  experience 
the  need  of  a  reserve  supply  of  provisions.  We  were  never  after  so 
badly  caught,  even  when  on  longer  marches.  We  waited  till  after 
noon  for  the  wagons  to  come  up.  The  sutler's  stores  were  cleaned 
out  and  the  country  round  about  our  camp  scoured  for  food.  We 
called  this  "Camp  Starvation."  The  privation  was  slight  and  in  our 
later  experiences  would  have  been  thought  very  little  of,  but  then 
we  made  the  most  of  it.  There  was  some  trouble  in  Compan^  I) 
headquarters  about  a  ham,  and  some  parties  grew  so  warm  over  it 
that  they  were  scarce  restrained  from  blows.  After  we  took  up  our 
line  of  march  some  one  every  now  and  then  would  sing  out,  "Who 
stole  the  ham  ?" 

We  held  on  our  way  till  after  dark  to  make  up  time.  We  were  out 
again  early  Sunday  morning  and  pushed  on  briskly  till  about  4:00 
p.  M.,  when  we  went  into  camp.  We  made  Liverpool  Point  the  after 
noon  of  the  next  day.  The  next  morning  we  took  boat  for  Acquia 
Creek,  and  then  on  to  join  the  Army  before  Fredericksburg. 

On  our  way,  as  we  passed  the  various  camps,  men  coming  out 
and  looking  at  our  full  ranks  would  ask,  "What  brigade  is  that?" 
Others  as  we  were  passing  by  called  out,  "You  ought  to  have  been 
here  a  couple  of  days  ago."  Fredericksburg  had  been  fought  but  a 
few  days  before.  Some  days  passed  before  we  were  permanently 
located.  In  the  meantime  we  had  inspections  and  reviews.  At 
general  inspection  December  22d,  we  first  saw  General  Hancock,  and 
at  review  on  the  24th  we  saw  Generals  Burnside  and  Sumner.  The 
Division  did  not  seem  enthusiastic  at  the  sight  of  Burnside.  When 
he  passed  our  line  our  Colonel  called  for  a  cheer  and  we  gave  it  with 
a  will. 


626  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

We  finally  became  part  of  the  First  Brigade,  First  Division, 
Second  Army  Corps.  Drill  and  building  quarters  were  now  the 
order  of  the  day.  Our  camp  was  regularly  laid  out;  instructions 
were  given  as  to  the  form  and  size  of  our  quarters ;  they  were  built 
of  logs  up  to  the  square,  and  then  covered  with  canvas  and  arranged 
so  as  to  be  opened  up,  to  thoroughly  air  the  interior.  Provision  was 
made  for  wide,  commodious  chimneys,  and  while  wood  lasted  we 
could  easily  keep  comfortable  in  all  kinds  of  weather.  The  interioi 
arrangements  were  left  to  our  own  notions  of  convenience.  Twelve 
men  were  to  occupy  each  building.  This  required  a  doubling  up  of 
messes  that  had  lived  separately  in  close  fellowship  for  months  past. 
We  did  not  look  upon  the  arrangement  with  favor,  but  accepted  it  as  a 
military  necessity.  The  doubling  up  process  was  accomplished,  the 
circle  of  closer  and  more  intimate  friendships  extended,  and  we  lived 
happily  and  comfortably  through  the  winter.  The  camp  completed, 
was  named  for  our  General,  Camp  Hancock.  Our  time  was  no'w 
devoted  to  the  routine  duties  of  a  soldier's  life,  such  as  camp  guard 
and  picket  duty,  drills  by  squad,  by  company  and  battalion,  and  dress 
parade.  Only  the  weather  and  Sundays  stayed  the  drill.  We  didn't 
play  at  soldiering;  we  worked  at  it;  it  was  our  business.  0*ur  offi 
cers  were  constant  and  painstaking  in  the  effort  to  make  the  company 
an  efficient  instrument  for  service,  worthy  of  its  place  in  the  Regi 
ment.  In  all  this  effort  we  were  made  to  work  up  to  the  highest 
ideal.  When,  as  a  Regiment,  we  joined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
and  found  our  place  in  brigade  and  division  we  did  not  copy  after 
the  older  regiments  about  us.  Many  of  these  were  slack  in  discipline, 
neglectful  of  personal  appearance,  and  unsoldierly  in  manner  and 
bearing.  We  had  our  own  standard.  We  were  a  law  unto  ourselves, 
and  the  demand  upon  us  was  as  rigid  and  exacting  as  ever,  requir 
ing  cleanliness  of  person  and  clothing,  burnished  arms  and  equip 
mont,  and  on  state  occasions,  white  gloves  and  paper  collars.  For 
this  some  called  us  Sunday  soldiers,  but  all  the  same  we  were  kept 
up  to  a  high  ideal  in  all  that  pertained  to  soldierly  duty. 

When  in  camp  at  Cockeysville  we  had  been  supplied,  for  the 
most  part  with  soft  bread.     When  we  came  into  the  Army  of  the 


THE  I48TII  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          627 

Potomac  we  were  supplied  with  hard  tack.  The  amount  of  tack 
furnished  did  not  meet  the  needs  of  new  men ;  we  didn't  get  enough 
to  eat.  Our  boys  were  not  the  kind  to  go  hungry,  if  there  was  food 
anywhere  to  be  had.  If  it  was  not  furnished  in  sufficient  quantity 
they  would  try  to  help  themselves.  The  Irish  Brigade  was  in  camp 
near  us.  It  was  reported  to  have  a  well  stored  commissary.  It  was 
also  rumored  that  members  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers 
quietly  made  raids  on  that  commissary  and  carried  off  boxes  of 
crackers,  barrels  of  flour,  syrup,  sugar  and  other  things  that  gave  a 
pleasing  variety  to  army  fare.  I  recall  one  morning  during  the 
period  of  scarcity  that  when  1  woke  some  of  my  mess  were  at  the 
fire-place  toasting  and  eating  hard  tack  and  near  by  was  a  full  box 
newly  opened.  My  inquiry  was,  "Where  did  that  come  from  ?"  The 
reply  was,  "Take  all  you  want  but  ask  no  questions."  Complaints 
were  said  to  have  been  made  to  our  Colonel,  who  made  an  investiga 
tion,  but  found  nothing  contraband.  But  some  say  that,  while 
he  was  making  search,  he  was  sometimes  perilously  near  to  a  barrel 
of  flour,  a  camp  kettle  of  syrup  or  some  other  article  of  diet,  which 
if  found,  would  have  given  color  to  the  complaint.  But  all  the  same 
those  boys  reveled  in  slap-jacks  and  syrup,  and  general  plenty  pre 
vailed  in  our  camp.  When  General  Hooker  succeeded  to  the  com 
mand  of  the  Army  we  received  a  very  welcome  addition  of  potatoes 
and  onions  to  our  ration.  The  boys  blessed  Fighting  Joe  for  these. 
And  after  if  at  the  expected  time  they  were  not  issued,  then  yoii 
could  hear  the  wail,  "Hooker  is  superseded ;"  but  when  they  were 
again  issued,  the  joyful  shout  rose,  "Hooker  is  again  in  command." 

The  sameness  of  our  camp  life  was  broken  January  20th,  by 
orders  to  be  in  readiness  to  move.  We  didn't  move,  however,  but 
we  saw  many  wiio  did,  and  we  heartily  sympathized  with  them  as 
they  marched  by  our  camp  in  a  steady  rain  and  through  deep  mud. 
It  was  the  noted  Burnside  Mud  March.  February  8th  was  a  notable 
day  in  our  calendar,  the  day  on  which  we  exchanged  our  clumsy  guns 
for  new  Springfield  rifles.  We  were  proud  of  our  new  guns,  for  we 
felt  that  we  could  rely  on  them  when  the  time  came  to  use  them. 

It  was  a  rule  of  our  camp  that  details  must  go  and  come  in 


628  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

strict  military  order.  On  the  night  of  February  21,  1863,  there 
a  heavy  snowfall,  followed  by  a  cold,  piercing  wind.  Our  picket 
detail  was  not  relieved  until  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  22d.  Their 
haversacks  were  empty.  After  ai  wearisome  march  they  came  strag 
gling  into  camp.  At  the  entrance  to  the  camp  stood  the  Colonel.  Our 
disorder  and  slack  discipline  was  plain,  but  no  notice  was  taken  of 
it,  but  instead  a  welcome  home,  with  the  comforting  assurance  that 
there  was  hot  coffee  ready  for  us. 

March  17,  1863,  St.  Patrick's  Day  in  the  morning,  was  a  day 
to  be  remembered  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  The  Irish  Brigade 
that  day  furnished  entertainment  for  the  Army.  There  were  horse 
races,  foot  races,  sack  races  and  all  sorts  of  fun.  Officers  and  soldiers 
were  gathered  from  all  parts  of  the  Army.  In  the  afternoon,  while 
some  foot  races  were  being  run,  General  Meagher  came  up  on  the 
gallop  and  waving  his  hand  said,  "Men,  hurry  off  to  your  com 
mands.77  The  men  thought  at  first  that  he  was  joking  and  they 
jeered,  but  he  anxiously  exclaimed,  "Men,  for  God's  sake,  hurry  off 
to  your  commands."  Some  of  us  thought  ilti  the  part  of  prudence  to 
obey,  and  were  off  on  double  quick  to  our  camp.  Parts  of  two  com 
panies  were  already  on  the  color  line,  and  as  fast  as  we  could,  we 
went  for  our  arms,  but  before  the  Regiment  formed  the  scare  had 
subsided.  It  was  rumored  that  the  rebs  were  making  a  demonstra 
tion  a  short  distance  above  us. 

One  day  when  in  charge  of  the  camp  guard,  General  Hancock 
and  an  Orderly  made  the  circuit  of  our  camp,  coming  in  by  the  rea*. 
The  guard  was  wide  awake  and  promptly  in  position  to  receive  him. 
His  reception  seemed  to  please  him  and  after  a  few  pleasant  words 
he  went  away  in  a  seemingly  good  humor. 

There  were  two  Saturdays  that  stand  out  clear  in  memory, 
April  11  and  18,  1863,  when  blank  cartridges  were  issued  and  we 
went  out  to  practice  firing.  How  excited  some  of  the  men  became. 
The  orders  would  be  ready,  aim,  and  before  the  order  fire  was  given, 
bang  would  go  some  fellow's  gun.  It  took  but  little  imagination  to 
make  it  seem  a  very  real  affair,  even  if  the  firing  was  only  on  one 
side. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          629 

April  14th  we  were  under  marching  orders,  with  eight  days' 
rations — three  days'  rations  in  haversacks.  The  same  day  we  packed 
our  dress  coats  and  overcoats  and  all  unnecessary  impedimenta  and 
turned  them  over  to  the  care  of  the  Quartermaster's  department. 

The  winter  at  Camp  Hancock,  for  the  first  two  months  or  more, 
was  in  some  respects  both  dull  and  gloomy.  The  defeat  at  Freder- 
icksburg  with  its  attendant  slaughter  had  a  depressing  effect  upon 
the  Army  and  upon  the  whole  country.  Those  at  home  opposed  to 
the  War,  wrote  to  their  friends  in  the  Army,  and  in  some  cases  did 
them  incalculable  harm  by  injecting  doubts  into  their  minds  as  to 
the  righteousness  of  the  Union  cause,  and  of  the  ability  of  the  Go\  - 
ernment  to  overpower  the  Rebellion.  Letters  and  papers  came  repre 
senting  the  country  to  be  in  a  terrible  condition,  and  all  this  because 
of  the  attitude  of  the  Government!  in  the  conduct  of  the  War.  Such 
communications  were  in  some  cases  the  moving  cause  that  led  to  de 
sertion,  while  in  other  cases  they  led  to  dissatisfaction  with  the  lite 
and  work  of  the  soldier  and  wrought  in  him  so  that  he  lost  faith  in 
his  cause  and  interest  in  the  service,  and  when  a  man  has  lost  these, 
he  has  lost  his  efficiency.  Discouraging  news  from  home  led  on  to 
homesickness  and  that  made  men  heartsick  and  hopeless,  and  that  led 
to  the  hospital  and  in  some  cases  to  the  grave.  We  had  something  of 
that  in  our  company  that  winter,  and  it  didn't  do  anybody  any  good. 
We  had  a  great  deal  of  sickness  during  the  winter.  There  were  two 
deaths  in  our  regimental  hospital,  Emanuel  "Fox  and  Jonathan 
Wolf.  Frank  G.  Mattern  was  sick,  nigh  unto  death,  in  the  division 
hospital.  He  recovered  but  was  never  able  to  return  to  the  Regiment. 
We  were  credited  with  two  cases  of  desertion  and  quite  a  number 
were  discharged  from  the  service.  So  that  after  various  losses  we 
reported  in  April  fifty-three  men  present  for  duty,  eight  on  extra 
duty,  and  ten  sick,  making  an  aggregate  of  seventy-one  men.  Toward 
spring  we  began  to  hearten  up  as  the  weather  and  season  began  to 
suggest  active  operations ;  a  spirit  of  courage  and  hopefulness  pos 
sessed  us,  a  feeling  quite  different  from  that  which  we  felt  several 
months  before. 

In  the  meantime  changes  had  taken  place  among  our  commis- 


650  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

sioned  officers.  Lieutenant  Thomas  had  resigned  in  January  and  re 
turned  home  to  take  up  the  work  of  teaching  from  which  he  had  been 
taken  by  his  boys.  Lieutenant  Edmonds  resigned  in  February  and 
returned  home,  but  later  went  out  as  Captain  of  Company  I,  184th 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers  and  served  to  the  close  of  the  War.  These 
were  both  good,  clean  men  and  both  had  many  warm  friends  in  the 
company,  who  were  sorry  to  see  them  go  from  us.  First  Sergt.  I.  F. 
Musser  was  promoted  to  be  First  Lieutenant,  Sergt.  Alfred  A.  Rhine- 
hart  to  be  Second  Lieutenant.  John  A.  Burchfield  was  made  First 
Sergeant  Company  D.  There  were  promotions  in  order  among  the 
Sergeants  and  Corporals  and  some  new  men  were  promoted  to  these 
honorable  positions.  About  this  time  there  was  something  of  an  epi 
demic  among  the  non-commissioned  officers  of  the  Regiment,  so 
much  so  that  some  of  us  thought  it  would  be  better  to  resign  our 
honors  rather  than  wait  and  be  stripped  of  them.  But  a  good  friend 
advising,  said,  "Don't  do  it,  but  keep  your  eyes  open  and  mind  your 
business/'  which  we  tried  to  do. 

When  the  weather  was  fine  during  March  and  April  we  put  in 
full  time  at  squad  and  company  drill  on  our  parade  grounds  or  in 
our  company  street.  One  pleasant  day  when  Lieutenant  Rhinehart 
was  putting  us  through  our  paces  on  the  parade  ground,  a  group  of 
officers  were  standing  off  some  distance  watching  our  movements. 
When  we  were  dismissed  Lieutenant  Rhinehart  joined  the  group  and 
they  complimented  him  upon  the  efficiency  of  his  men.  They  had 
timed  our  step  in  our  various  movements  and  found  it  to  be  the  regu 
lation  standard. 

Our  winter's  preparation  was  now  completed.  We  were  now 
ready  to  move.  Parts  of  the  Army  were  already  in  motion.  Early 
01  the  morning  of  April  28th  we  left  Camp  Hancock  in  fine  spirits 
and  in  good  trim,  ready  for  whatever  was  in  store  for  us.  Lieuten 
ant  Musser  was  on  the  sick  list  and  had  to  be  left  behind.  By  easy 
stages  we  came  to  the  Rappahannock  River,  crossing  at  United  States 
Ford  in  the  evening.  We  struck  the  pontoon  bridge,  all  keeping  step 
and  by  the  time  the  half  of  us  were  on  it  we  had  it  on  the  swing,  and 
General  Hancock  called  to  us  in  language  both  vigorous  and  em- 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          631 

phatic  to  break  step  or  we  would  break  the  bridge.  We  got  over 
safely  and  marched  on  till  midnight,  when  we  halted  in  the  vicinity 
of  Chancellorsville,  the  third  day  from  leaving  camp.  We  formed 
line  in  the  woods,  stacked  arms,  and  sought  rest  in  sleep.  We  had 
abundant  material  ,(dry  leaves)  to  make  a  good  bed.  What  a  good 
night's  rest  we  had.  We  were  now  on  the  battlefield  that  was  to  be. 
Our  opportunity  for  efficient  training  was  beyond  that  of  many. 
Seven  months  of  constant  application,  under  the  eye  of  a  thorough 
soldier,  who  was  conscientious,  persistent  and  painstaking  in  the 
performance  of  duty,  and  ambitious  for  the  improvement  of  his 
men,  could  have  but  one  result — a  regiment  of  practiced  soldiers  to 
whom  it  had  become  second  nature  to  move  at  and  according  to  the 
word  of  command.  That  Regiment  was  now  to  be  tried  by  the  su 
preme  test  of  battle ;  to  show  in  actual  conflict  the  effect  of  discipline, 
and  prove  its  fitness  for  the  work  for  which  it  had  been  preparing. 
Friday  forenoon.  May  1st,  was  spent  in  the  woods,  cleaning  up 
and  resting.  The  Captain  left  us  that  morning  sick.  Lieutenant 
Rhinehart  was  now  in  command  of  the  company.  In  the  afternoon 
we  were  taken  out  into  the  open  and  stacked  arms,  waiting  for 
orders.  Firing  began  off  to  our  left  As  we  sat  there  waiting,  listen 
ing  to  that  firing  a  horrible  feeling  came  over  me.  I  have  no  ques 
tion  that  others  felt  it  too.  I  got  up  and  took  hold  of  one  of  my 
chums  and  chucked  him  against  his  neighbor.  At  once  the  company 
was  on  its  feet  sparring  and  the  horrid  feeling  was  gone.  The  call 
came  to  fall  in  and  we  were  run  out  some  distance  on  the  road 
toward  Fredericksburg  and  filed  into  a  small  clearing ;  the  Regiment 
formed  in  two  divisions.  Our  Colonel  said,  "Boys,  they  call  us  Sun 
day  soldiers.  Let  them  see  what  Sunday  soldiers  can  do.  Load." 
I  recall  a  sight  of  General  Hancock  in  advance  and  to  the  left  of  us, 
by  a  section  of  a  battery,  I  supposed  feeling  for  the  Johnnies.  Here 
we  remained  for  a  little  while,  when  we  were  faced  about  and  rushed 
back  to  Chancellorsville,  where  we  lay  in  support  of  a  battery.  Here 
we  lost  our  first  man,  Samuel  Holloway,  of  Company  D,  killed  by 
our  own  fire.  When  the  firing  ceased  we  were  taken  back  again  over 
the  same  road  and  filed  into  the  woods  on  the  left,  took  up  a  new  line 


632  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

and  lay  here  all  night  on  our  arms.  In  the  evening  we  were  shelled 
briskly  but  without  any  serious  result.  In  the  early  morning  we 
moved  out  by  the  left  flank  and  took  up  a  new  position  near  Chan- 
cellorsville.  This  position  we  strengthened  with  a  breastworks 
of  logs.  We  remained  unmolested  until  after  noon ;  being  very 
hungry,  we  obtained  permission  to  make  small  fires  and  cook  coffee 
and  meat.  When  the  cooking  w,as  rightly  under  way  our  smoke  drew 
their  fire  and  they  sent  a  few  shells  which  drove  us  to  cover.  But 
we  couldn't  let  our  meat  and  coffee  go  for  a  trifle  like  that,  and  so 
every  now  and  then  a  rush  would  be.  made  to  save  some  overdone 
meat  or  well  cooked  tin  of  coffee. 

Sunday  morning  the  enemy's  shot  came  inside  our  works.  Here 
Charles  F.  Speaker  and  Daniel  Harter  were  hit  Speaker  had  to 
be  carried  away  but  Harter  remained  with  the  company. 

Early  in  the  morning  we  were  taken  out  and  back  on  to  the  roao 
leading  to  United  States  Ford,  then  by  the  left  flank  we  swept 
across  an  open  space,  shells  dropping  seemingly  at  our  heels,  but  not- 
exploding,  and  on  to  the  wood  where  wei  ran  up  against  the  enemy. 
Their  first  volley  went  over  us.  We  were  ordered  to  lie  down.  But 
they  soon  got  our  range.  They  were  on  our  front  and  right  flank  and 
had  men  in  tree  tops.  Their  volleys  soon  laid  our  boys  out,  Wm. 
Knarr  was  right  in  front  of  me.  He  said,  "I  can't  stand  this,"  and 
raised  himself  to  fire.  Instantly  he  was  struck  and  fell  backward, 
dragged  himself  out  of  the  line  anJ  lay  still — dead.  Men  were  hit 
on  every  hand  and  our  line  shattered.  The  call  came,  "Close  up  on  the 
colors."  I  called  "Come,  boys"  and  made  a.  rush  for  the  colors. 
Xot  more  than  two  or  three  men  followed.  Again  the  call  came, 
"Company  D,  why  dont  you  close  up  on  the  colors?"  After  moving 
up  near  the  colors  I  began  firing.  Having  discharged  my  gun,  with 
my  hand  back  at  my  cartridge  box,  I  lost  consciousness.  When  taken 
to  the  field  hospital  it  was  a  great  surprise  to  me  to  see  so  many  of  the 
boys  there  among  the  wounded.  Our  total  loss  in  killed  and  wounded 
was  forty-four  and  is  as  follows:  (See  "Casualties.") 

Fifteen  were  left  dead  on  the  field  and  three  died  of  wounds  in 
Potomac  Creek  Hospital.     A  few  were  slightly  wounded  and  these 


J.  J.  FLEMIN: 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          633 

in  a  couple  of  months  found  their  way  back  to  the  company.  After 
Chancellorsville  the  Army  crossed  back  over  the  river,  and  our  Regi 
ment  returned  to  its  old  camp.  What  a  sad  spectacle  it  must  have 
been  to  those  who  returned,  a  little  handful  of  men,  eleven  all  told, 
there  were,  who  answered  to  roll  call  in  the  company  street  at  Camp 
Hancock.  Lieutenant  Brown,  of  Company  I,  was  assigned  to  the 
command  of  the  company.  In  June  Lieutenant  Rinehart  was  suffi 
ciently  recovered  to  return  and  take  charge  of  the  company.  When  he 
returned,  he  was  the  sole  surviving  commissioned  officer  of  the 
company.  The  severely  wounded  were  gathered,  after  the  battle, 
in  the  hospital  at  Potomac  Creek.  Those  able  to  go  on  to  Wash 
ington  were  sent  to  the  hospital  there.  Capt.  Andrew  Musser  left 
us  at  Chancellorsville,  sick  with  fever,  and  after  a  brief  illness 
died  at  Potomac  Creek  Hospital  May  14,  1863.  He  was  an  earnest, 
conscientious,  Christian  man,  and  faithful  as  an  officer  in  the  per 
formance  of  his  duty.  The  fate  of  his  company  made  him  heart 
sick  and  doubtless  had  much  to  do  with  the  shortening  of  his  days. 
Lieut.  Israel  F.  Musser  lay  sick  in  the  same  ward  and  twelve  days 
later,  May  26th,  he  too  passed  away.  Kind  and  gentle  Is.  Musser, 
pure  and  upright  in  his  life,  and  loyal  in  his  friendships,  his  memory 
is  precious  to  those  who  knew  him.  The  rest  at  Camp  Hancock  was 
broken  by  the  march  of  Lee  into  Pennsylvania  and  the  rush  of  our 
men  to  meet  him  at  Gettysburg.  In  this  battle  Company  D  had 
three  men  wounded,  Jacob  Reeser,  Robert  Bullock  and  John  Durst. 
Durst  was  taken  to  the  hospital  at  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania.  Hi? 
wound  gangrened  and  he  died.  Upon  the  departure  of  the  Army 
for  Pennsylvania,  the  sick  and  wounded  were  removed  from  Potomac- 
Creek  Hospital.  A  goodly  number  of  us  were  banished  to  Point 
Lookout,  Maryland.  I  recall  Fleming,  who  in  the  later  history 
of  the  Regiment  was  so  well  known  as  "Old  Moseby,"  and  who  for 
long  was  Orderly  Sergeant  of  Company  D  down  to  the  close  of  the 
War.  Henry  C.  Campbell  who  though  twice  severely  wounded  re 
turned  to  the  Regiment  and  was  in  the  service  to  the  end.  There 
was  Davidson,  Harshberger,  Reed,  Runkle,  Wolf  and  others  whose 
names  I  do  not  now  recall,  who  waited  here  for  healing  and  recovery. 


634  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Company  D  with  its  handful  of  men  shared  the  fortunes  of 
the  Regiment  in  its  marches  and  counter-marches  during  the  summer 
months.  In  July  Lieutenant  Rinehart  was  promoted  to  be  Captain 
of  the  company,  and  John  A.  Burchfield  to  be  First  Lieutenant,  and 
both  were  mustered  August  27,  1863.  During  the  fall  months  those 
of  the  wounded  who  were  able  for  duty  in  the  field,  began  to  return 
to  the  companies  from  the  hospitals  where  they  had  been  cared  for. 
In  October,  Company  D  had  twenty-two  present  for  duty.  To  these 
were  added,  October  30th,  twenty-seven  conscripts,  and  again,  early 
in  November,  fourteen  more  conscripts  were  sent  to  join  us,  so  that 
the  old  men  were  outnumbered  by  the  new.  We  made  a  virtue  of 
necessity  and  did  our  best  by  our  new  men.  They  proved  fo.r  the 
most  part  to  be  good  material,  and  with  the  help  of  the  old  experi 
enced  men  soon  learned  to  suit  themselves  to  their  new  conditions. 
Without  time  to  train  them,  we  started  on  the  Mine  Run  Expedition. 
It  was  short  and  fruitless,  but  hard  enough  while  it  lasted.  The 
weather  was  cold,  especially  at  night,  and  where  we  had  to  lie  close 
to  the  ground  we  felt  its  rigor.  It  will  be  remembered  that  on 
Monday  morning  an  assault  was  to  be  made  on  the  enemy's  works. 
The  signal  was  a  cannon  shot  on  the  right.  When  it  rang  out  we 
were  ready.  But  suspense  grew  to  be  agony  as  we  waited  and  won 
dered  "why  don't  they  let  us  go."  In  due  time  word  came  that  the 
order  for  the  assault  was  countermanded,  and  for  one,  I  will  say  that 
I  was  glad.  At  night  we  withdrew  and  began  our  retreat,  in  the 
morning  crossed  the  Rapidan  and  in  the  evening  reached  our  old 
camp.  The  next  few  days  were  spent  in  locating  a  site  for  our 
winter  camp  and  in  building  quarters.  By  Friday,  December  llth, 
our  company  quarters  were  well  under  way,  and  when  completed 
we  had  a  fine,  well  ordered  camp.  Our  opportunities  for  religious 
and  social  improvement  were  better  than  they  had  been  in  any  of 
our  former  camps.  A  snug  chapel  was  built  in  camp  and  it  became 
a  center  of  the  best  social  life  and  the  best  influences  that  mould 
and  shape  the  lives  of  men.  Here  we  had  religious  services,  and 
indeed  this  winter  was  noted  for  its  special  religious  interest.  Sing 
ing  school  was  held  there  also,  as  well  as  school  for  the  commissioned 
and  non-commissioned  officers  of  the  Regiment.  It  is  no  secret  that 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          635 

one  evening  when  the  officers'  call  sounded,  not  an  officer  put  in  an 
appearance;  all  were  busy  issuing  clothing,  deeming  that  sufficient 
reason  for  not  obeying  the  call.  Not  so  with  the  Colonel.  The  duty 
to  which  they  were  called  was  for  the  time  paramount  to  every  other. 
They  were  all  put  under  arrest.  The  next  morning  there  was  not.  a 
commissioned  officer  in  camp  to  act  as  officer  of  the  day.  That  honor 
then  fell  upon  Orderly  Sergt.  Luther  D.  Kurtz,  of  D  Company,  who 
was  detailed  to  that  duty  for  the  time. 

During  this  winter  there  was  no  relaxation  in  discipline  and  drill. 
There  was  special  need  in  Company  D  with  its  great  accession  of  new 
men.  The  only  way  to  keep  men  efficient  is  by  exercise;  so  for  the  good 
of  the  old  men  and  for  the  perfecting  of  the  new  men  we  were  con 
stant  in  squad  and  company  drill.  The  new  men  profited  greatly  by 
the  example  of  the  old  men  who  were  proficient,  and  the  result  was 
that  in  a  couple  of  months  we  could  go  through  the  manual  at  the  tap 
of  the  drum  and  through  the  evolutions  of  the  company  with  com 
mendable  precision.  We  had  a  little  diversion  on  Saturday,  February 
6,  1864,  when  at  6:00  A.  M.  we  fell  in  and  marched  off  to  the  Rapi- 
dan  which  we  reached  about  noon.  The  Third  Division  of  our  Corp> 
crossed  the  river  and  there  was  some  fighting  all  afternoon  and  very 
heavy  at  dark.  The  Second  Division  relieved  the  Third  and  before 
morning  the  Second  Division  was  withdrawn  to  the  north  eside  of 
the  river.  We  were  there  as  interested  spectators.  About  dark  Sab 
bath  night  we  started  for  our  old  camp  which  we  reached  before 
midnight,  glad  to  be  home  again.  On  the  morning  of  March  23d 
a  deep  snow  covered  the  ground.  The  clouds  scattered,  the  sun  shone 
out  bright  and  about  noon  the  snow  was  in  good  condition  for  making 
balls.  The  boys  soon  began  to  make  use  of  it,  and  then  from  combats 
among  themselves  they  became  engaged  with  the  52d  Xew  York. 
Our  boys  crowded  the  52d  boys  into  their  own  camp,  when  some  of 
their  officers  took  charge  of  their  men,  and  drove  our  boys  ba<jk. 
Some  of  our  officers  went  out  to  the  boys  and  we  held  the  52d  outside 
the  camp  and  captured  some  of  their  officers.  All  went  good 
naturedly  until  the  snow  was  gone  and  some  excited  men  caught  up 
sticks  and  stones,  and  we  soon  found  that  a  real  war  was  imminent. 


636  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

But  the  officers  011  both  sides  were  able  to  res-train  the  men  and  put  an 
end  to  the  affair. 

March  26th  seven  new  men  were  added  to  our  number.  The 
day  following  we  were  transferred  to  the  Fourth  Brigade,  commanded 
by  General  Brooke.  The  last  change  among  the  commissioned  officers 
of  Company  D  was  the  resignation  of  Lieutenant  Gemmill,  because 
of  disability  from  wounds  received  in  action,  and  promotion  of 
Luther  D.  Kurtz  to  be  Second  Lieutenant.  J.  J.  Fleming  was  made 
Orderly  Sergeant.  When  the  spring  campaign  opened  Company  D 
had  sixty-two  men  present  for  duty.  The  company  was  as  full  and 
strong  as  it  had  been  the  year  before. 

The  campaign  of  1864  began  for  the  148th  when  it  broke  camp 
on  the  night  of  May  3d.  It  was  about  to  enter  upon  a  campaign 
and  to  do  work  surpassing  anything  it  had  yet  accomplished.  This 
is  true  of  the  whole  Army.  After  crossing  the  river  and  on  the  way 
to  the  Wilderness  the  Regiment  camped  on  the  old  Chancellorsville 
battle  ground.  While  here  some  of  the  boys  placed  a  new  marker 
at  the  grave  of  Samuel  Holloway.  Company  D  had  no  losses  until 
we  reached  Po  River.  Here,  after  much  manoeuvring  we  crossed 
the  river  and  were  again  forced  back,  suffering  a  loss  in  Company  D 
of  three  non-commissioned  officers  and  twelve  men.  Here  the  color 
guard  of  the  Regiment  was  about  wiped  out,  as  Sergeant  Henry  and 
all  the  Corporals  were  killed,  but  Lucas  of  F  and  Henry  C.  Camp 
bell,  of  D.  At  Spotsylvania  May  12th  our  company  suffered  a  loss 
of  twelve  men,  among  whom  were  Corporals  D.  C.  Holloway,  H.  C. 
Campbell,  and  Allen  B.  Cross,  wounded.  May  30th  at  Totopotomoy 
Creek  Sergt.  John  C.  Bathgate  and  Corp.  Charles  F.  Speaker  were 
wounded,  making  a  total  loss  for  the  month  of  May  from  Company 
D  of  twenty-nine  men.  After  constant  struggle,  marching,  throwing 
ii})  breastworks  and  fighting,  the  Army  reached  Cold  Harbor,  and 
here  on  June  3d  Company  D  lost  six  men.  From  Cold  Harbor  the 
Army  was  moved  to  the  James,  and  near  Petersburg  June  16th, 
in  the  assault  in  which  the  Regiment  took  part  the  company  lost 
nine  men;  and  again  on  the  22d  eleven  men  were  taken  prisoners. 
July  27th  one  man  was  wounded  at  Deep  Bottom.  On  the  20th  of 
August,  1864,  Charles  A.  Ramsay,  private  of  Company  D,  was  pro- 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          637 

moted  to  be  Sergeant  Major  of  the  Regiment.  In  the  struggle  to 
get  hold  of  the  Weldon  Railroad  at  Reams  Station  we  had  one  man 
killed  and  one  wounded.  The  total  of  losses  up  to  August  25th 
from  the  crossing  of  the  river  in  May,  was  in  killed,  wounded  and 
missing,  fifty-eight  men.  The  losses  of  Company  D  for  the  sum 
mers  of  1863  and  1864,  make  a  grand  total  exceeding  the  whole 
number  of  men  with  which  we  entered  the  service.  When  the  Army 
invested  Petersburg  and  intrenched,  the  boys  lived  in  bomb  proofs, 
holes  dug  in  the  ground  and  covered  with  heavy  timbers.  Firing 
was  kept  up  day  and  night.  Thus  the  time  passed  until  the  closing 
scenes  of  the  War  began  to  take  place  in  the  spring  of  1865.  Grant 
held  Lee  in  firm  grip  around  Richmond.  In  March  began  the  move 
ments  which  ended  the  War  at  Appomattox.  Xear  Petersburg  March 
25th  we  had  our  last  man  killed, Henry  Coniare,  and  at  Gravelly 
Hun,  March  30th,  Captain  Rhinehart  was  wounded  with  two  of  his 
men.  These  were  our  last  losses  on  the  field. 

The  muster  roll  for  April,  1865,  gives  the  names  of  twenty- 
seven  men  as  present,  and  eighteen  of  these  were  men  who  were 
mustered  into  service  at  Centre  Hall,  Centre  County,  August  22, 
1862.  On  March  20,  1865,  Sergt.  Geo.  M.  Boal  was  transferred 
to  the  83d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  and  made  Regimental  Quar 
termaster  of  the  same.  A  little  later  Sergt.  Major  Charles  A.  Ram 
say  was  promoted  to  be  Adjutant  of  the  148th  Regiment.  After 
the  surrender,  the  Regiment  lay  for  a  couple  of  weeks  at  Farmville, 
while  the  rebel  Army  was  being  paroled  and  preparations  made  for 
the  march  northward.  Then  came  the  Grand  Review  at  Washington, 
the  muster  out  and  return  home.  The  last  appearance  of  the  com 
pany  in  organized  form  was  at  Belief onte,  July  4,  1865,  under  com 
mand  of  Lieut.  Luther  D.  Kurtz.  There  it  broke  ranks,  and  its 
surviving  members  returned  to  the  walks  of  civil  life,  to  do  their 
part  as  nobly  as  they  did  through  the  War. 

It  will  not  do  to  close  this  brief  story  of  Com 
pany  D  without  reference  to  two  classes.  First :  those 
who,  at  the  very  beginning  of  our  active  service  in  the 
field,  fell  at  the  battle's  front,  in  our  first  engagement.  How 
premature  seemed  their  fall.  They  were  cut  off  before  their  time. 


658  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Xor  that  long  list,  made  up  of  the  number  of  those  who,  on  every 
field  maintained  the  honor  of  our  cause,  and  the  good  name  of  our 
Regiment;  proved  their  loyalty  and  worth  by  the  shedding  of  their 
blood  and  the  giving  up  of  life.  Their  names  are  on  record.  They 
did  their  whole  duty.  They  gave  their  full  measure  of  devotion  to 
the  cause  of  the  Union.  Their  names  shall  be  held  in  lasting  remem 
brance.  Second:  those  who  held  on  their  way  until  the  end,  and 
were  mustered  out  at  the  close  of  the  War.  Many  of  them  had 
suffered  from  sickness,  and  from  wounds  received  in  action,  but 
having  recovered,  returned  to  the  company  and  took  up  their  duty, 
and  were  faithful  to  the  end.  In  this  they  set  an  example  of  fidelity 
and  loyalty  worthy  of  imitation.  At  the  head  of  these  were  the 
commissioned  officers,  men  of  the  company  who  came  up  out  of  tho 
ranks,  who  won  their  places  because  they  proved  their  fitness  for 
them,  brave  men,  true  and  tried,  and  when  tried  not  found  wanting. 
The  same  is  true  of  the  non-commissioned  officers,  the  Sergeants  and 
the  Corporals,  who  won  their  places  by  their  fidelity  to  duty,  proved 
men  all. 

Of  the  five  Sergeants  all  are  living  but  Cross.  In  kindly  re 
membrance  let  me  pay  this  tribute.  Sergt.  Allen  B.  Cross  was  tho 
most  light-hearted,  cheery  and  good  natured  man  I  ever  knew.  Never 
out  of  humor,  ready  and  willing  for  any  duty,  always  able  to 
whistle  or  sing,  he  was  the  life  of  his  company,  and  a  source  of 
courage  and  help  to  his  comrades — all  loyal  men  and  true.  It  is 
an  honor  to  be  mentioned  in  connection  with  them,  and  to  have 
done  some  humble  service  in  their  ranks. 

Allenwood,  Pennsylvania,  1902. 

(Comrade  Gemmill  is  a  Presbyterian  Minister  at  the  above  place. — EDITOR.) 


mm 

Allen  B.Cross 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          639 


THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  D. 


PART  II. 

By  Lieut.  L.  D.  Kurtz. 

The  campaign  of  1863,  with  its  long  and  wearisome  marches, 
and  its  hard  fought  battles  was  ended.  The  Army  of  the  Potomac 
had  gone  into  winter  quarters  at  Stevensburg,  Virginia,  feeling  that 
it  had  earned  a  needed  rest  by  its  arduous  labors  in  the  last  cam 
paign.  The  148th  lay  in  a  grove  which  immediately  began  to 
disappear.  Some  of  the  trees  went  up  in  smoke;  others  went  up  in 
the  shj?pe  of  rude  log  huts  which  added  greatly  to  our  comfort. 
Soon  the  transmigration  of  the  grove  was  complete.  The  camp  was 
nicely  laid  out  and  after  the  company  streets  were  cleaned,  everything 
began  to  look  very  comfortable  and  homelike  to  the  veterans,  f redh 
from  the  privations  of  a  hard  campaign.  While  here,  the  shattered 
ranks  of  the  Regiment  -were  filled  with  raw  recruits,  who  were  pre,- 
pared,  by  constant  drill  and  discipline,  for  the  hardships  awaiting 
them  in  the  coming  campaign.  Our  Regiment  had,  by  this  time, 
attained  a  high  standard  in  drill  and  discipline,  and  our  record  bears 
out  the  fact.  Soon  after  the  camp  was  laid  out,  a  chapel  was  built, 
in  which  religious  services  were  regularly  held.  These  meetings 
were  presided  over  by  Chaplain  Stevens  who  was  devoted  to  the 
men,  and  who  took  a  deep  interest  in  their  spiritual  welfare.  Many 
delightful  recollections  are  associated  with  our  camp  life  at  Stevens- 
burg.  Memories,  pleasant  and  sad,  crowd  in  upon  us. 

Comrades  sometimes  disagreed  and  at  times  became  very  much 
in  earnest  On  one  occasion  several  of  the  boys  had  become  very 
loud.  Physical  combat  threatened  and  a  crowd  quickly  gathered. 
Unnoticed  by  most  of  the  crowd  the  Colonel  came  up  behind  and 
gave  the  command,  "Boys,  form  a  ring  and  let  them  fight  it  out." 
The  ring  was  quickly  formed  but  the  "principals"  had  disappeared 
in  the  confusion  and  that  ended  the  excitement.  In  December  two 
of  Company  D's  drafted  men,  took  sick  and  died  and  were  buried 
not  far  from  camp. 


640  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

The  five  months  of  camp  life  were  spent  very  pleasantly  and 
all  the  boys  were  in  good  spirits.  Although  the  weather  was  cold, 
and  picket  and  fatigue  duty  hard  at  times,  they  were  always  cheerful 
and  ready  for  duty.  Spring  came,  and  although  the  coming  cam 
paign  promised  to  be  a  hard  one,  yet  every  one  looked  with  eager 
ness  to  the  breaking  up  of  camp.  The  3d  of  May  came  in  bright 
and  beautiful  and  the  monotony  of  camp  life  was  about  to  be 
broken.  In  the  afternoon  we  received  marching  orders  and  im 
mediately  after  dark  broke  camp.  We  took  up  the  line  of  march, 
reaching  the  battlefield  of  the  Wilderness  at  about  10  :00  A.  M.  the 
next  day.  We  spent  the  remainder  of  the  day  and  the  next  night 
on  the  ground  where  the  year  before  so  many  of  the  brave  boys  gave 
up  their  lives.  The  battle  of  Chancellorsville  was  one  of  the  bloodiest 
battles  ever  recorded  on  the  pages  of  history.  Company  D  came  out 
of  the  fight  with  but  a  Corporal's  squad  fit  for  duty.  In  the  present 
engagement  we  escaped  with  slight  loss.  Up  to  the  evening  of  May 
6th  our  Regiment  had  but  one  killed  and  several  wounded.  In  the 
evening  we  moved  to  the  right.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  8th 
we  encountered  the  enemy  at  Todd's  Farm.  The  next  day  we  strength 
ened  our  position  by  throwing  up  works.  About  6 :00  p.  M.  our 
Regiment,  after  a.  hard  day  at  fatigue  duty,  was  ordered  into  line 
and  crossed  the  Po  River.  Part  of  our  Regiment  was  then  deployed 
as  skirmishers  and  drove  the  enemy  back  so  the  Brigade  could  cross 
without  opposition.  May  10th  still  found  us  on  the  south  side  of 
the  Po,  constantly  changing  position.  At  1 :00  P.  M.  we  had  a 
sharp  engagement.  Companies  A  and  D  being  deployed  in  skirmish 
line  advanced  over  an  open  field  until  within  sight  of  rebel  line  of 
battle,  when  we  retreated,  firing.  When  half  way  across  the  field 
the  rebs  opened  fire  on  us,  wounding  several  of  the  men.  We  joined 
our  command  and  fought  for  about  two  hours.  We  were  then  com 
pelled  to  retreat  being  surrounded  on  three  sides  by  the  enemy  and 
the  woods  in  our  rear  being  on  fire.  We  fell  back  across  the  river, 
being  the  last  of  the  Brigade  to  recross.  Our  loss  was  heavy.  On 
May  llth  it  began  raining  and  at  dark  we  started  on  the  march 
for  the  assault  at  the  Salient — a  brilliant  episode  fully  described  in 
other  stories. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          641 

This  was  a  memorable  day.  The  Regiment  lost  h<  avilv.  Corn- 
pony  D  lost  two  killed,  John  J.  Stover  and  Cyrus  Brubaker.  Five 
were  wounded  and  three  missing.  With  little  rest  through  the 
night,  we  resumed  our  duties  the  next  day,  being  deployed  on 
skirmish  line.  Thus  each  day  brought  with  it  marching  and  fighting 
until  May  16th  found  us  temporarily  in  camp  on  Harrison's  farm, 
near  Spotsylvania  Court  House.  On  the  following  day  we  changed 
our  position  and  on  the  18th  were  shelled  by  a  rebel  battery.  After 
dprk  we  marched  about  five  miles  to  our  left  and  camped  for  the 
uight.  On  the  19th  we  received  a  mail,  the  first  since  we  had  left 
winter  quarters.  The  day  passed  quietly.  In  the  evening  there 
was  some  skirmishing  on  our  right  Our  Regiment  was  ordered  to 
make  a  reconnaissance,  which  we  did.  Marched  about  a  mile  and 
returned  to  camp.  May  20th  at  10 :00  p.  M.  we  took  up  the  line  of 
march.  We  marched  all  night  and  the  next  day  until  2  :00  p.  M., 
when  we  stopped  for  lunch  on  hard  tack  and  coffee.  While  on  the 
march  we  passed  through  Bowling  Green  and  later  through  Milford 
Station,  and  then  crossed  the  Mattapony  River.  On  the  22d  Com 
panies  D  and  I  were  sent  out  scouting.  While  on  this  expedition, 
after  reconnoitering  several  miles  beyond  our  outposts,  a  halt  was 
oidered.  The  boys,  taking  advantage  of  the  rest,  started  out  on  a 
scout  of  their  own  searching  for  something  to  eat.  They  came  to 
an  old  mill  where  several  negroes  were  staying.  Charley  Speaker 
quickly  discovered  some  chickens.  After  some  dickering,  Charley 
bought  the  chickens  for  fifty  cents  apiece.  He  then  searched  the 
mill  for  cormneal  but  found  none.  When  they  returned,  Charley 
proudly  showed  his  purchase,  but  when  he  laid  the  chickens  on  the 
ground  they  both  began  clucking.  Charley  was  made  the  target  of  a 
good  many  jokes,  especially  by  men  of  Company  I,  but  he  stuck  to 
the  chickens.  In  a  short  time  a  Sergeant  of  Company  I  came  in  with 
two  dozen  of  eggs,  which  he  had  bought  at  the  old  mill.  He  had 
paid  a  stiff  price  for  them,  (it  was  characteristic  of  the  148th  to 
pay  well  for  everything  they  bought)  but  seemed  entirely  satisfied 
with  his  bargain.  In  the  evening  Charles  and  I  had  chicken  and 
soft  bread  for  supper,  and  although  the  chickens  were  not  as  fat  as 
they  might  have  been,  they  tasted  fine.  The  Sergeant  of  Company  I 


642  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

really  made  a  better  bargain  than  Charley  did  for  he  found  chickens 
in  all  of  his  eggs. 

We  rested  until  the  27th,  then  resumed  our  march  crossing  the 
Pamunkey.  We  had  sharp  skirmishes  with  the  enemy  every  day.  On 
the  31st  we  advanced  and  drove  the  enemy  from  their  works.  I 
never  experienced  as  hot  skirmishing  before.  Charley  Speaker  was 
wounded  in  the  leg.  We  were  relieved  in  the  evening  and  joined 
the  Regiment.  The  whole  line  then  advanced  and  threw  up  works. 
Thus  we  pushed  our  line  steadily  forward  until  we  reached  Cold 
Harbor.  Here  the  148th  displayed  marked  gallantry.  The  skirmish 
line,  of  which  Company  D  was  part,  in  command  of  Maj.  R.  H. 
Forster,  drove  the  enemy's  advance  and  then  joined  the  Regiment 
in  its  rush  upon  the  works.  We  then  threw  up  works  in  close  range 
of  the  enemy,  using  bayonets,  plates  and  anything  with  which  we 
could  dig  or  shovel.  These  works  we  gradually  advanced  until  we 
were  within  a  stone's  throw  of  their  works.  While  in  this  position 
we  were  constantly  annoyed  by  sharpshooters.  Samuel  Shannon 
had  the  button  shot  off  his  cap,  which  was  rather  a  close  call.  June 
9th  a  flag  of  truce  was  raised  to  bury  the  dead  between  the  lines. 
The  truce  lasted  two  hours  during  which  time  the  boys  in  Blue  and 
Gray  exchanged  tobacco,  coffee  and  hard  tack.  When  the  white  flag 
was  lowered,  hostilities  were  renewed.  Our  next  move  was  to 
wards  the  James.  To  withdraw  the  troops  from  works  so  close  to 
the  enemy,  without  arousing  suspicion,  was  a  delicate  operation,  but 
it  was  successfully  accomplished.  The  pickets  for  our  part  of  the 
line  were  drawn  from  the  148th.  Being  one  of  the  number  I  well 
remember  the  orders  we  received.* 

We  struck  the  James  at  Sweeney's  Landing,  June  14,  1864, 
and  crossing  the  river  pushed  on  towards  Petersburg.  From  the 
time  we  broke  camp  on  the  3d  day  of  May  until  we  crossed  the 
James  was  a  period  which  has  no  parallel  in  history.  Many  of  the 
brave  and  noble  boys  who  started  with  us  on  that  beautiful  May 
morning,  now  sleep  in  their  lonely  graves  beneath  some  shady  pine, 
or  on  the  sunny  slope  of  some  southern  hillside.  And  although  their 
graves  cannot  be  decorated  by  loving  hands  on  each  returning  Memor 
ial  Day,  yet  the  ivy  and  wild  rose  may  make  beautiful  the  spot 

*See  a  full  account  of  the  movement  as  related  by  Lieutenant  Colonel  Wilson, 
page  271. — EDITOR. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          643 

where  each  lies.  We  enshrine  them  in  our  memory  as  brave  and 
loyal  men,  fearless  in  the  discharge  of  their  duty,  and 
true  to  the  colors  for  which  they  died.  Up  to  June  14th  Com 
pany  D  lost  in  killed:  John  J.  Stover,  Cyrus  Brubaker,  George 
Byam  and  Adam  G.  Meyer ;  wounded :  Charles  T.  Speaker,  Henry 
Campbell,  Robert  Bullock,  Allen  B.  Cross,  William  Carter,  David 
Etter,  Daniel  Holloway,  William  P.  Holloway,  Jacob  Reeser,  Simon 
Vanada,  Henry  McCallister,  and  Henry  Staymen;  missing,  five; 
making  a  total  loss  of  twenty-one.  The  Army  pressed  on  towards 
Petersburg.  June  16th  was  a  day  of  hard  fighting.  On  the  16th 
Colonel  Beaver  was  wounded,  which  wound  disabled  him  for  over 
two  months.  On  the  18th  Maj.  R.  H.  Forster,  who  had  commarM 
of  the  Regiment  and  who,  being  division  officer  of  the  day,  had  charge 
of  the  skirmish  line,  was  severely  wounded  in  the  breast.  This  left 
our  Regiment  without  a  field  officer,  and  very  much  reduced  in 
number.  The  148th  took  part  in  all  the  engagements  until  our 
line  was  established  in  front  of  Petersburg. 

On  December  15th  our  Regiment  reported  at  corps  headquarters 
to  witness  the  presentation  of  a  medal,  as  a  reward  of  merit  by 
General  Meade  to  private  Geo.  W.  Harris  of  Company  B,  for  cap 
turing  colors  on  the  12th  of  May  at  Spotsylvania.  On  the  16th 
our  Division  was  formed  in  hollow  square  to  witness  the  execution 
(by  hanging)  of  three  soldiers  who  had  deserted,  enlisted  in  the 
Confederate  Army  were  captured  and  identified.  The  execution 
tcok  place  at  noon  on  the  25th,  which  was  Christmas.  I  spent  the 
day  with  the  boys  of  the  148th.  Took  dinner  with  Captain  Ed 
monds,  who  had  been  Lieutenant  in  our  company. 

A  word  in  conclusion.  Nearly  forty  years  have  passed  since 
the  War.  Then  we  were  young  and  in  the  flush  of  vigorous  man 
hood.  Now  we  are  growing  old,  those  hard  tack  would  seem  much 
harder;  those  cold  nights  on  picket  much  colder;  those  furious 
charges  we  made  would  lack  vim  and  vigor.  With  the  youngest  of 
us  the  shadows  are  lengthening.  Many  are  far  down  the  shady 
side  of  the  mountain,  and  will  soon  pass  through  the  valley  of  the 
shadow.  We  have  witnessed  scenes  which  should  make  us  wiser 
and  better,  more  earnest,  sober  and  thoughtful.  As  we  proved  our 
physical  courage  on  many  a  hard  fought  field  so  let  us  prove  our 
moral  courage  in  the  great  struggle  against  evil,  and  at  the  final 
roll  call  may  all  answer  to  our  names  and  receive  our  reward. 


644  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  D. 


PART  III. 

By  Sergeant  Henry  Clay  Campbell. 

I  was  born  one  mile  east  of  Centre  Hill,  June  26,  184-2,  raised 
in  Ferguson  Township  on  the  Campbell  Farm.  The  Pine  Grove 
Academy  was  the  seat  of  learning  in  those  days  for  that  county, 
in  fact,  students  came  from  several  of  the  adjoining  counties.  It 
was  while  attending  school  here  during  the  winter  oi  18G1  and 
spring  of  1862  that  the  war  excitement  reached  the  highest  pitch. 
Men  were  leaving  every  day  for  the  Army.  In  August,  1862,  most 
of  us  concluded  there  was  no  use  in  trying  to  study.  The  boys  sat 
around  in  twos  and  threes  talking  of  going  to  the  War.  At  last 
sonje  one  proposed  to  Professor  Thomas  that  we  all  enlist  and  he 
go  along.  That  night  we  held  a  war  meeting. 

Most  of  the  school  with  a  number  from  the  town  and  country 
enlisted.  A  great  many  of  us  had  brothers  who  had  enlisted  before, 
and  our  parents  thought  they  had  given  their  share  and  very  reluc 
tantly  gave  their  consent.  In  a  day  or  two  we  met  in  Pine  Grove 
where  we  bid  adieu  to  home  and  friends.  I  shall  never  forget  that 
morning.  Fathers  were  wiping  the  tears  from  their  eyes ;  mothers 
and  sisters  were  weeping  aloud.  I  think  Pine  Grove  has  never  wit 
nessed  another  scene  like  that,  and  after  forty  years  I  am  persuaded 
that  those  left  behind  were  the  real  sufferers  during  the  War. 
We  were  soon  on  our  way,  cheering  and  singing,  little  realizing  what 
was  in  the  future  for  us  all.  We  were  taken  to  Centre  Hall,  there 
sworn  in  and  examined  by  Dr.  Geo.  L.  Potter,  then  taken  over  the 
Seven  Mountains  in  wagons  to  Lewistown.  We  soon  found  our  \vay 
to  Camp  Curtin,  there  learned  that  we  were  to  be  known  in  the  Army 
ae-  Company  D,  148th  Regiment.  We  had  elected  for  our  Captain, 
Andrew  Musser  who  was  a  student  among  us.  First  Lieutenant, 
Prof.  Thomas,  the  Second  Lieutenant  was  a  German  reformed 
preacher  named  Edmunds,  who  came,  I  think,  from  Millheim,  who 
proved  his  loyalty  to  the  cause  by  preaching  the  first  Sabbath  evening 


THE  I4&TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          645 

from  the  top  of  a  store  box,  Charley  Speaker  and  John  Rote  holding 
tallow  candles.  Our  mess  of  six  consisted  of  D.  H.  Young,  Wm. 
Weaver,  D.  H.  Weaver,  L.  Bloom,  Mont  Bell,  and  myself,  all  in  A 
tents.  Here  we  learned  that  Sunday  school  teaching  was  not  al 
ways  applied  to  soldier's  life.  One  of  the  boys  proposed  going 
down  town.  When  we  reached  the  gate  of  camp  a  big  lager-beer 
Dutchman  called  out  in  very  broken  language,  "Halt !  You  can't  go 
out  here  mitout  you  gots  the  countersign  McClellan."  WTe  told  him 
we  had  just  received  the  countersign  McClellan.  "Then  you  goes 
right  out." 

On  the  march  from  Washington  to  the  front  the  second  day 
out  most  of  us  were  out  of  rations.  There  was  great  complaint  and 
longing  for  the  flesh  pots  of  Cockeysville.  Colonel  Beaver  received 
his  full  share  of  the  blame.  About  this  time  Lieutenant  Thomas 
accused  Lieutenant  Edmunds  of  taking  his  ham  of  meat.  As  we  went 
along  some  one  would  sing  out,  "Who  stole  the  ham  ?"  I  learned  at  our 
Bellefonte  reunion- who  stole  that  ham.  We  were  never  caught  after 
this  without  a  few  hard  tack  and  a  piece  of  pork  stored  back  for  re 
serve.  When  we  reached  the  river  I  was  detailed  to  load  the  baggage 
on  a  barge.  We  soon  followed  and  joined  the  Regiment  on  the  banks 
of  Acquia  Creek.  The  next  day  marched  about  ten  miles  to  near  Fal- 
mouth,  placed  in  General  Hancock's  Division  of  Second  Corps.  Most 
of  us  had  relatives  in  the  different  regiments  of  this  Army  who  had 
gone  out  before  us. 

Daniel  Musser,  Mont  Bell,  James  Ward  and  myself  started  to 
find  the  45th  Regiment,  where  each  of  us  had  a  brother.  We  lost 
our  bearing  and  traveled  most  of  the  night.  When  we  found  them 
they  were  just  making  a  detail  to  lift  the  pontoons  on  the  river,  this 
being  just  after  Burnside's  defeat  at  Fredericksburg.  Most  of  our 
friends  were  sent  on  this  detail  but  Capt.  J.  O.  Campbell  ordered  his 
cook  to  prepare  us  a  good  meal,  the  first  we  had  for  one  week. 

We  soon  got  up  quarters,  this  time  twelve  men  in  one  tent, 
one  bunk  above  the  other.  A  great  many  were  sick  during  the  winter 
and  a  number  died.  We  did  picket  duty  on  the  Rappahannock. 
Much  might  be  said  of  the  homesickness  and  hardship  of  this  winter. 
I  recall  one  night  when  the  snowr  fell  about  ten  inches,  we  were  on 


646  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

the  support  most  of  the  night;  there  was  not  a  stick  of  wood  or  a 
stump  to  sit  on  within  a  mile  of  us.  We  walked  in  a  circle  most 
of  the  time.  Towards  morning  Lieutenant  Wilson  said,  "Oh,  Lord, 
how  long  will  this  last  ?" 

Our  first  officers  all  left  the  service  before  the  real  tug  of  war 
began.  Their  places  were  filled  by  Rhinehart,  Burchfield,  Gemmill 
and  Kurtz,  who  all  served  faithfully  until  the  end.  Spring  came  and 
we  were  off  for  Chancellorsville.  The  first  man  killed  was  Samuel 
Holloway.  He  was  lying  with  his  head  between  my  feet  when  the 
shell  from  our  own  guns  cut  him  in  two.  This  seemed  a  little  like 
war  I  thought.  In  this  battle  I  was  shot  through  the  right  leg  and 
the  right  side.  I  found  there  was  none  living  within  twenty  feet 
or  more  of  me;  all  were  dead  or  had  been  wounded  and  left  in  the 
rear.  Just  as  I  hobbled  to  the  rear  Colonel  Beaver  fell  and  was  ear 
ned  back.  On  our  way  out  the  bottom  of  the  cook  pan  on  my  back 
was  knocked  out,  the  ball  lodging  in  the  last  ply  of  the  blanket.  A 
little  way  to  the  rear  I  found  the  good  Chaplain  Stevens,  who 
carried  me  about  a  mile  to  the  field  hospital.  I  shall  never  forget  him. 

Lieutenant  Gemmill,  Fleming,  Runkle,  Ward,  myself  and  others 
were  sent  to  Point  Lookout  Hospital.  After  Gettysburg  the  prison 
ers  were  sent  down  there  and  a  camp  formed  on  the  upper  end  of 
the  neck  of  land.  Brother  Gemmill  was  very  much  annoyed  at  these 
fellows  praying  for  the  Confederacy,  lest  they  might  be  heard.  I 
rejoined  the  Regiment  again  after  Bristoe  Station.  While  we  lay  near 
Warrenton  some  one  reported  a  hog  in  the  corn  field.  We  surrounded 
the  field  and  JohnOdenkirk  brought  down  the  hog  and  the  whole  Regi 
ment  had  pork  for  supper.  The  second  winter  on  the  Rappahannock 
was  a  pleasant  one  as  we  had  good  quarters  and  plenty  of  rations.  The 
Regiment  was  recruited  to  nearly  the  full  number.  The  Mine  Run 
expedition  was  a  pretty  rough  one  but  short.  Sam  Shannon,  Cal. 
Bathgate  and  myself  went  out  to  corps  headquarters  to  hear  Grace 
Greenwood  lecture.  On  the  way  home  we  had  trouble  with  several 
of  the  Irish  Brigade,  on  our  way  through  their  camp.  They  called  out 
the  whole  52d  New  York  and  we  were  defeated.  Shannon  died  at 
Carlisle  and  Bathgate  lies  in  the  Branch  Cemetery. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          647 

The  next  spring  on  our  way  to  the  Wilderness  we  passed  over 
the  Chancellorsville  ground  and  put  a  new  marker  on  Holloway's 
grave.  Just  thirty  years  after,  in  1893,  I  visited  this  place,  took 
dinner  in  the  brick  house  which  was  fitted  up  for  summer  boarders. 
While  there  the  men  were  cleaning  out  an  old  well  near  the  house; 
they  had  taken  out  about  a  cart  load  of  cannon  balls,  canteens  etc.  I 
brought  one  of  the  canteens  home  with  me.  I  think  we  lost  no 
men  in  the  Wilderness.  Some  one,  however,  upset  a  kettle  of  hot 
coffee  on  Helps  of  Company  G,  who  was  sent  to  the  rear. 

Our  Regiment  crossed  the  Po  River  jumping  down  in  the  water 
which  was  about  four  feet  deep,  holding  up  our  cartridge  box ;  after 
facing  north,  south,  east  and  west  we  threw  up  some  breastworks  and 
waited  for  the  rebs.  Towards  evening  they  came  and  we  politely  gave 
them  our  breastworks  and  retreated  across  the  road  to  the  edge  of  the 
woods.  We  lost  a  £reat  many  men  in  this  battle.  I  was  with  the 
colors ;  we  stood  on  an  old  road  leading  down  to  the  river.  Sergeant 
Henry  and,  I  think,  all  the  Corporals  but  Lucas  and  myself  were 
killed.  Colonel  Beaver  was  moving  back  and  forth  in  our  rear  and 
if  it  had  been  in  order  I  would  have  suggested  that  we  might  as 
well  go,  for  it  looked  as  if  our  Regiment  was  fighting  the  whole 
Rebel  Army,  which  we  learned  afterward  was  pretty  nearly  the 
situation. 

In  the  very  early  part  of  the  charge  at  the  Salient,  just 
over  the  first  hill  I  was  severely  wounded.  Was  put  in  ambulance 
with  Colonel  Eraser  of  the  140th  and  taken  to  the  field  hospital. 
The  Colonel  told  me  on  our  way  back  he  had  but  a  few  hours  to 
live.  I  gave  him  all  the  room  I  could  in  the  ambulance  to  die  as 
easily  as  possible,  but  I  learned  he  returned  to  his  Regiment  the  same 
evening.  He  was  president  of  our  college  for  a  while,  I  am  told,  after 
the  War.  I  thought  for  several  weeks  I  could  not  live  but  recovered 
all  right  and  joined  the  Regiment  again  at  Fort  Stedman.  Here 
we  lived  in  bomb-proofs,  or  holes  dug  in  the  ground  and  covered 
with  heavy  timber.  There  was  no  time  day  or  night  when  you  could 
not  hear  firing.  While  in  charge  of  the  guard  one  day  William  Hob- 
erling  called  me  to  his  post  at  the  gate  of  the  fort  He  was  blood 
from  head  to  foot.  We  took  him  in  and  found  the  ball  had  barelv 


648  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

cut  the  lower  edge  of  his  ear.  He  did  not  know  it  until  he  saw  the 
blood.  William  was  a  good  soldier.  Just  before  this  the  one  hundred 
had  made  their  famous  charge  under  Captain  Brown,  and  Heberling 
came  out  with  two  rebels  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  and  always 
said  he  killed  a  rebel  Colonel  in  the  fort.  About  this  time  we  upset 
a  sutler,  who  was  a  New  Jersey  rebel  and  did  too  much  talking  in 
favor  of  the  Confederacy.  The  plans  were  pretty  well  carried  out 
but  when  I  returned  I  found  I  had  made  a  poor  haul — had  twenty- 
five  pocketbooks ;  but  the  others  fared  better  and  wo  had  plenty  of 
groceries  for  some  time. 

After  we  left  the  fort  I  was  made  Sergeant  and  de 
tailed  along  with  Allen  Cross  and  George  Baker  to  the  bri 
gade  commissary.  Each  brigade  had  its  own  commissary  and' 
was  in  charge  of  a  Captain.  Here  the  rations  were  drawn 
and  issued  to  the  different  regiments.  In  the  commissaries 
was  kept  all  that  constituted  a  soldier's  rations :  hard  bread,  coffee, 
sugar,  beans,  salt  pork,  pickles,  pepper,  etc.,  so  that  it  was  a  general 
store  and  required  several  of  us  to  run  it.  Rations  wrere  issued  every 
day  to  the  rank  and  file;  the  officers  were  supposed  to  buy  theirs, 
so  there  was  considerable  money  handled.  Captain  Wells  was  the 
Brigade  Commissary.  We  had  relieved  some  men  whose  time  in  the 
service  had  expired.  The  Captain  complained  that  his  accounts 
had  been  short  for  some  time  and  he  believed  these  men  had  not 
dealt  honestly  with  him. 

Now,  along  with  the  rations,  there  was  always  whiskey 
by  the  barrel.  This  was  sold  by  the  canteen  on  order  of 
some  officer.  None  of  us  were  tipplers  and  after  taking  ac 
count  of  stock  we  concluded  a  little  water  in  the  whiskey  would 
do  no  harm.  Now  every  teamster  and  wagon  carried  a  small  auger 
or  gimlet  so  that  these  barrels  were  always  short  when  they  reached 
the  commissary.  We  filled  up  one  barrel  with  water  and  heard  no 
complaints  from  customers.  We  then  secured  a  ten  gallon  keg,  filled 
it  with  water,  set  it  on  top  of  the  barrel,  threw  a  blanket  over  it, 
and  as  we  drew  out  below  the  water  ran  in  on  top  we  had  no  more 
trouble  with  short  accounts.  This  Captain  said  we  would  all  make 
good  business  men.  Shortly  after  the  rebel  lines  were  broken  in 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          649 

the  spring  I  found  something  between  a  mule  and  jack  with  ears 
twelve  inches  long  and  good  lungs.  I  traded  some  watered  stock 
for  a  saddle  and  bridle  and  rode  this  mule  to  the  surrender  of  Lee 
and  back  to  Washington.  He  served  a  good  purpose  for  most  of  the 
time  we  were  either  hunting  for  the  wagon  train  or  the  troops.  One 
night  I  found  George  Boal,  sitting  by  the  road  side;  we  concluded 
we  were  both  lost  and  lay  down  until  morning. 

We  lay  at  Farmville  several  weeks.  While  here  President 
Lincoln  was  assassinated.  I  shall  never  forget  that  night;  not  a 
voice  heard  in  all  the  camp,  no  sound  save  the  whip-poor-will  in  the 
tree  top.  It  seemed  as  if  all  our  suffering  had  been  for  nothing. 

We  were  in  the  rear  of  the  Corps  coming  through  Richmond,  by 
this  time  Cross  and  Baker  had  picked  up  horses  and  we  rode  through 
most  of  the  streets  of  the  city.  When  we  came  to  the  outpost  of  the 
city  there  was  not  the  sign  of  troops  anywhere.  We  think  we  were 
the  last  of  the  Second  Corps  to  leave  Richmond.  There  was  very 
little  discipline  on  this  trip.  We  issued  rations  the  evening  before 
we  came  through  Richmond,  then  at  Fredericksburg.  Here  w°. 
stopped  at  night  very  near  our  first  winter's  camp.  One  day  south 
of  Richmond  there  was  a  halt  in  the  column.  I  rode  forward  to  see 
what  was  wrong.  We  found  an  old  reb  trying  to  get  up  a  horse 
trade  with  General  Miles.  The  boys  gathered  around  and  it  looked 
something  like  a  country  vendue.  Instead  of  forward  march,  Miles 
said,  "Well,  boys,  I  guess  we  had  better  move/'  We  remained 
near  Alexandria  several  weeks  in  which  time  the  great  review  in 
Washington  took  place:  then  we  closed  the  commissary,  joined  our 
Regiment  and  left  for  home.  Cross  and  Baker  moved  to  Kansas 
where  Cross  died  about  two  years  ago. 


650  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


THE  STORY   OF   COMPANY  D. 


PART  IV. 

By  D.  H.  Young. 

1  enlisted  at  Centre  Hall  August  28,  1862.  I  left  home  that 
morning  rather  undecided  as  to  what  my  real  duty  was.  On  the 
one  hand  was  the  urgent  call  of  my  country ;  on  the  other  hand,  my 
father,  infirm,  almost  totally  helpless,  nearly  seventy  years  of  age: 
mother  a  few  years  his  junior,  and  an  invalid  sister,  to  say  nothing 
of  "the  girl  I  left  behind;"  all  of  whom  except  the  last  mentioned 
depended  largely  on  me  for  their  support  and  comfort.  After  several 
hours  of  intense  study  I  "resolved  to  refer  the  whole  matter  to  Provi 
dence.  Taking  two  slips  of  paper  I  wrote  the  word  "Go"  on  one 
and  the  word  "Stay"  on  the  other  and  placing  them  between  my 
thumb  and  index  finger  asked  Mr.  James  Mitchell  and  Mr.  Alex 
ander  Sample  (now  both  dead)  to  please  draw  one.  "What  for," 
they  asked  in  concert.  "Draw  one  out  and  it  will  tell  you,"  was  my 
reply.  Mr.  Mitchell  drew  the  one  marked  "Go."  When  I  explained 
what  it  meant  he  appeared  horror  stricken,  and  said,  "Now,  if  you 
are  killed  I  can't  help  but  think  that  I  am  the  cause  of  your  death." 
I  told  him  he  would  not  be  responsible,  but  he  told  me  after  my 
return  from  the  Army  that  it  was  a  great  relief  to  him  when  he 
saw  me  back  again.  This  may  seem  very  trifling  to  some  but  it 
was  a  very  serious  matter  to  me.  The  word  "Go"  was  drawn  and 
I  went,  confident  that  I  was  doing  my  duty,  and  now  after  the  lapse 
of  fory-one  years  I  firmly  believe  that  the  same  beneficent  agency 
that  guided  and  controlled  me  then  continued  with  me  during  that 
entire  struggle. 

We  were  sworn  in  at  Centre  Hall  the  same  day  (August  28), 
arrived  at  Camp  Curtin  on  the  morning  of  the  30th  and  there  re 
ceived  the  appellation  of  Company  D,  148th  Regiment  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers.  While  encamped  at  Cockeysville  I  took  sick.  Dr.  C 
P.  W.  Fisher  pronounced  it  a  mild  case  of  typhoid  fever  and  ordered 
me  to  the  hospital.  T  remonstrated,  told  him  that  if  I  had  typhoid 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          651 

and  was  taken  to  that  hospital  I  would  be  dead  in  less  than,  two 
weeks.  Through  the  kindness  of  Dr.  Fisher,  Hospital  Steward  Jacob 
Kreider  and  the  First  Sergeant  of  Company  D,  I  was  permitted  to 
remain  in  our  camp  quarters  for  several  weeks  until  I  had  fully 
recovered.  After  this  spell  of  sickness  I  enjoyed  better  health  than 
I  ever  did  before,  was  always  ready  and  able  for  duty  until  I  was 
disabled  by  wounds  received  at  Ohancellorsville,  May  3,  1863. 

January  28,  1863,  is  a  day  that  I  commemorate  as  one  of  the 
worst  days  I  ever  saw.  Mud  from  six  inches  to  two  feet  deep;  rain 
fell  all  night  until  about  day  break  when  it  turned  to  snow.  Just 
then  we  started  for  the  picket  line  along  the  Rappahannock.  My 
feet  were  wet  before  we  left  camp.  It  kept  on  snowing  and  melting 
until  about  three  o'clock  the  next  morning  when  the  snow  was  about 
a  foot  deep.  It  commenced  freezing  and  the  only  way  we  could 
keep  from  freezing  was  to  form  large  circles  from  forty  to  sixty 
yards  in  diameter  and  keep  traveling  like  an  old  horse  in  a  bark  mill. 
How  many  of  our  boys  now  living  can  recall  that  eventful  night  and 
day  ?  Lieut.  Jabez  C.  P.  Jones,  of  Company  B,  is  one  and  H.  C. 
Campbell  of  Company  D  is  another  who,  I  think,  are  still  living.* 

May  2d,  at  Chancellorsville,  Charles  F.  Speaker  of  Company  D 
was  wounded  by  a  stray  shell  this  afternoon  while  we  were  support 
ing  the  skirmish  line.  I  heard  and  saw  the  missile  strike  him  and 
assisted  in  getting  him  out,  and  thought,  at  the  time,  he  was  dead. 
I  have  not  seen  Comrade  C.  F.  Speaker  since. 

A  BATTLE  BY  MOONLIGHT. 

Saturday  night  I  stood  guard  at  General  Caldwell's  tent.  In 
the  evening  there  was  a  short  but  brisk  engagement  with  Jackson's 
inen  on  our  right.  It  was  here  that  Stonewall  Jackson  was  killed. 
It  was  a  calm,  quiet  moonlight  night,  very  little  stir  or  sound  was 
heard  save  the  occasional  braying  of  a  mule.  This  quiet  calm  was 
broken  probably  about  midnight  by  the  discharge  of  a  gun  followed 
by  hundreds  and  thousands  of  others.  These  with  the  roaring  of  the 
cannon  created  the  battle  by  moonlight.  Forgetting  all  about  guard 
ing  the  General's  tent,  so  far  as  I  was  concerned,  marauuers  could 
easily  have  carried  the  tent>  contents  and  all  away.  I  stood  silently 
watching  this  work  of  carnage  and  slaughter  until  I  heard  my  own 
*See  Casualties. 


652  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

voice  utter  and  repeat  the  words,  "Awful,"  "Terrible,"  "Sublime," 
and  finally  "Charming,"  because  I  was  charmed.  Never  before  or 
since  have  I  been  so  deeply  impressed.  I  do  not  pretend  to  describe 
my  feelings  because  I  cannot, 

ON    THE    CHANCELLORSVILLE    BATTLEFIELD    MAY    3,    1863. 

I  will  quote  from  a  letter  to  a  friend,  soon  after  the  battle : 

"You  wish  me  to  give  you  a  full  account  of  myself.  Well,  the 
enemy  we  encountered  were  lying  flat  on  the  ground  partly  concealed 
in  the  brush  and  leaves  at  the  distance  of  about  twenty-five  yard.-? 
from  us,  in  fact  the  head  of  our  Company  (D)  was  only  about  half 
that  distance,  they  fired  into  our  ranks  before  we  knew  they  were 
there.  The  first  time  I  received  a  scratch  on  the  right  hip.  We  re 
ceived  orders  to  lie  down,  and  fire,  at  least  that  is  what  we  did.  The 
balls  then  came  like  a  hail  storm.  I  was  soon  struck  the  second 
time  in  the  right  hip  inflicting  a  very  severe  wound,  paralyzing  both 
right,  limbs.  Our  troops  then  fell  back,  as  many  as  could  made  their 
way  back  to  our  lines.  I  attempted  it  (using  my  gun  as  a  staff  or 
crutch)  but  fainted  from  the  loss  of  blood  but  soon  recovered  and 
found  the  woods  all  on  fire.  I  lit  a  match  as  best  I  could,  burned 
a  space  large  enough  to  lie  upon  and  thus  escaped  the  flames.  This 
was  quite  a  task  for  me  in  my  weak  condition.  Two  soldiers  from 
Company  C  made  their  way  to  the  spot  and  saved  themselves.  There 
we  lay  watching  our  poor  wounded  comrades  burning  to  death. 
Such  a  horrible  sight  I  hope  I  may  never  see  again.  The  two  soldiers 
from  Company  C  were  Wm.  Smythe  and  Henry  Markle,  Late  on 
Monday  evening  we  were  carried  out  of  the  woods  to  an  old  log  house 
where  we  lay  on  the  ground  without  any  shelter,  with  but  little  to  eat 
and  drink.  It  rained  several  times  while  we  were  here.  One 
morning  (May  4th)  I  lay  in  the  water  six  inches  deep  unable  to 
stir.  A  wounded  man  had  rolled  on  me  during  the  night,  I  begged 
him  to  please  roll  away  but  he  did  not  stir.  After  day  break  a 
Johnny  came  along  and  rolled  him  off  and  then  I  discovered  that 
the  man  was  dead.  There  were  quite  a  number  of  dead  horses  ly 
ing  around;  the  stench  was  almost  unendurable." 

AMONG  THE  DEAD. 

The  foregoing  extract  is  not  as  explicit  as  it  should  be.  The 
first  volley  fired  into  our  ranks  killed  Samuel  Leitzel  on  my  right, 
as  he  fell  he  struck  me  across  the  breast  with  his  left  hand.  Win. 
Bible  and  Benjamin  F.  Bloom  in  front  of  me,  were  also  struck  and 
both  died  from  the  wounds.  Soon  after  the  great  fire  had  passed  over, 
a  .-quad  of  Confederate  skirmishers  passed  on  at  quick  step  and  soon 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          653 

returned  on  a  double  quick,  they  never  noticed  us.  An  hour,  or  more 
perhaps,  another  squad  of  Johnnies  in  charge  of  a  Captain  came 
along,  they  were  unarmed  and  pretended  they  were  looking  after 
their  wounded.  They  gathered  around  us,  shook  hands  and  told 
of  Stonewall  Jackson's  death,  expressed  much  sympathy  on  account 
of  our  suffering,  bade  us  farewell  as  they  saw  their  Captain  approach. 
The  Captain  unlike  his  men  was  rude  and  gruff,  he  insultingly  asked 
what  we  were  doing  here.  I  told  him  the  only  thing  we  could  do 
was  to  lie  here  until  somebody  came  to  help  us  out.  As  he  was  about 
leaving,  I  said,  ''Captain,  I  have  shaken  hands  with  every  man 
that  has  been  here  this  morning  and  want  to  shake  with  you.  He 
came  back,  shook  hands  and  left  smiling.  Night  came  on,  it  was  a 
sad,  dreary  night  to  us.  Comrade  Markle  was  shot  in  the  leg. 
from  the  effects  of  which  he  died  about  a  month  later.  Comrade 
Smythe  was  shot  through  the  lungs,  the  ball  passing  through  his 
arm  between  the  elbow  and  the  shoulder  and  then  clean  through  the 
body.  I  met  him  several  years  after  in  Tiffin,  Ohio,  where  he  was 
running  a  grocery  store.  The  bullet  that  hurt  me  most  passed 
diagonally  though  the  right  hip  shattering  the  hip  bone.  I  mention 
this  to  give  a  faint  idea  of  what  a  sad  trio  we  were.  There  was  con 
siderable  shooting  going  on  all  night;  the  report  of  the  guns  and 
whistling  bullets  was  anything  but  pleasant  to  us.  We  spent  the  next 
day  (May  4th)  trying  to  identify  the  dead  men  of  Companies  D 
and  C.  We  were  twenty  or  twenty-five  yards  from  them.  Of  mem 
bers  of  Company  D  we  identified  Wm.  Knarr,  Samuel  Harshbarger, 
Jacob  Kain,  Samuel  Leitzel,  Wm.  Weaver,  John  Murphy,  John 
Eeed  and  P.  S.  Imboden.  Those  of  Company  C:  Lieut.  W.  H. 
Bible,  Lieut.  Frank  Stevenson,  Nathan  Yarnell,  Simon  Segiier 
and  Wm.  Norris.  There  were  others  whom  we  failed  to  identify 
owing  to  distance  from  them  and  the  charred  condition  of  their 
bodies.  This  was  the  evening  we  were  taken  out  of  the  woods  to  the 
log  house.  The  Confederate  soldiers  whom  I  met  were  principally 
men  from  North  Carolina  and  Georgia  and  to  their  credit  be  it  said 
that  I  never  met  a  more  sociable  set  of  men  anywhere.  I  talked 
with  a  good,  many  during  my  stay  among  them  and  with  a  single 
exception  never  had  an  unkind  word  from  them.  Of  course  they 


654  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

were  not  in  position  to  render  us  any  material  aid.  They  were  con-, 
siderably  elated  over  gaining  the  battle  but  thought  it  a  dear  victory 
in  comparison  with  the  loss  of  General  Stonewall  Jackson.  I  tried 
to  find  out  through  them  what  they  thought  would  be  done  with 
IK-  wounded  prisoners.  They  told  us  we  would  be  sent  across  the 
line  under  a  flag  of  truce,  which  proved  true. 

1  was  wounded  May  3d  about  7  :00  A.  M.  ;  lay  on  the  battle 
field  till  Wednesday  morning  May  14th.  Arrived  at  division 
hospital  Thursday  evening,  May  15th,  and  then  had  my  wound 
dressed  for  the  first  time.  Met  with  many  hearty  congratulations 
here  from  my  surviving  comrades  and  others. 

On  Wednesday  afternoon,  May  14,  1863,  after  our  ambulances 
had  brought  us  to  our  side  of  the  Rappahannock,  while  lying  on  my 
hard  couch  in  the  ambulance,  a  familiar  voice  greeted  my  ear,  saying, 
"Will  you  have  a  cup  of  tea  and  a  biscuit."  I  at  once  recognized 
the  voice  as  that  of  Rev.  A.  J.  Hartsock,  a  former  schoolmate  at 
Pine  Grove  Academy.  I  said,  "Yes,  Jack ;  I'll  have  one."  It  took 
some  time  before  he  could  locate  me,  but  I  got  the  cup  of  tea  and 
tiscuit  all  the  same  and  a  hearty  congratulation  beside.  I  met  Com 
rade  Hartsock  in  Huntingdon  several  months  ago.  We  talked  tl^ 
matter  over,  and  he  appeared  to  me  as  zealous  and  energetic  as  he  did 
forty  years  ago.  The  next  evening  we  arrived  at  division  hospital 
as  stated  above. 

DIVISION   HOSPITAL,   POTOMAC    CREEK,    VIRGINIA. 

Among  the  numerous  visitors  here  was  General  Hancock,  an 
other  officer  and  an  Orderly.  The  General  passed  through  and  spoke 
to  every  man  in  the  ward  except  mo ;  of  course,  he  missed  me  acci 
dentally.  As  they  were  about  leaving  the;  Orderly  noticed  the  Gen- 
oral's  blunder.  I  beckoned  the  Orderly,  and  said  to  him,  "Please  tell 
(ieneral  Hancock  that  he  spoke  to  every  soldier  in  this  ward  except 
me,  and  l>e  sure  to  tell  him  that  I  consider  myself  as  good  a  man 
as  he  is."  He  replied,  "I  will  tell  him."  One  of  the  nurses  then 
lectured  me  for  my  incivility,  even  told  moi  I  ought  to  have  more 
sense.  I  thought  then  that  perhaps  tho  nurse  was  right.  In  less 
than  half  an  hour,  however,  General  Hancock  and  the  man  to  whom 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          655 

1  had  spoken  returned.  The  latter  introduced  me  to  General  Han 
cock  as  the  man  he  had  missed.  The  General  then,  while  grasping 
my  hand  introduced  the  man  I  thought  was  his  Orderly  as  "Gen 
eral  Gibbons."  After  apologizing  for  his  seeming  indifference  and 
asking  quite  a  number  of  questions  relative  to  my  long  stay  among 
the  Johnnies,  he  bade  me  farewell. 

I  had  two  brothers  only,  and  both  were  killed  in  battle.  Samuel, 
the  younger,  served  nearly  four  years  in  the  2d  Ohio  Cavalry,  was 
killed,  I  think,  the  last  of  March,  1865,  at  the  battle  of  Five  Forks, 
Virginia.  William,  the  older,  was  in  the  49th  Regiment  Pennsyl 
vania  Volunteers,  and  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  in 
1864. 


THE  STORY  OF  E  COMPANY. 

Compiled  from  Data  Furnished  by  Surviving  Comrades 

In  providing  for  the  organization  of  new  regiments  under  the 
call  of  the  President  for  300,000  volunteers  July  7,  1862,  it  was 
provided  in  General  Orders  No.  75,  War  Department,  Adjutant 
General's  Office,  Washington,  July  8,  1862: 

"(1)  In  organizing  new  regiments  of  volunteers  the  Governors 
of  states  are  hereby  authorized  to  appoint,  in  addition  to  the  several 
officers  heretofore  authorized,  one  Second  Lieutenant  for  each  com 
pany  who  shall  be  mustered  into  the  service  at  the  commencement  of 
the  organization,  who  shall  have  authority  to  muster  in  recruits  a* 
they  are  enlisted.  If  any  recruit  shall  be  enlisted  by  such  officer  who 
shall  afterwards,  on  medical  inspection,  prove  to  have  been  obviouslv 
unfit  for  the  service  at  the  time  of  his  enlistment,  all  expenses  caused 
thereby  shall  be  paid  by  such  officer  to  be  stopped  against  him  from 
any  payment  that  may  be  coming  to  him  from  the  Government 
thereafter. 

"Any  officer  thus  appointed  and  mustered  shall  only  be  entitled 
to  be  paid  on  the  muster  and  payroll  of  his  company  and,  should  he 
fail  to  secure  an  organized  company  within  such  reasonable  time  as 
the  Governor  may  designate,  his  men  may  be  transferred  to  some 
other  company,  his  appointment  be  revoked  and  be  discharged  with 
out  pay,  unless  the  Governor  shall  think  proper  to  give  him  a  posi 
tion  in  the  consolidated  company  to  which  his  men  have  been  trans 
ferred." 

In  pursuance  of  the  provisions  of  this  orders,  Charles  Stewart, 
of  Brookville,  Pennsylvania,  was  commissioned  by  the  Governor  of 
Pennsylvania  as  Second  Lieutenant  August  5,  1862,  with  authority 
to  raise  a  company.  He  was  mustered  into  service  as  such  at  Harris- 
burg  the  same  day  by  Capt.  William  B.  Lane  and  immediately  there 
after  began  to  recruit  a  company  in  Jefferson  County,  holding  meet 
ings  in  various  parts  of  the  county  in  aid  of  the  enterprise. 

Capt.  Silas  J.  Marlin,  of  the  same  place,  who  had  previously 
been  a  Captain  in  the  105th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  was 
also  recruiting  a  company.  There  did  not  seem  to  be  men  enough 
to  fill  both  companies  and,  after  Stewart  had  enlisted  fifty-two  men, 
he  found  he  had  about  reached  the  limit  of  available  men  in  that 
community. 


ys 


THE  14&TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          657 

At  the  same  time  James  H.  Benford,  of  Indiana  County,  was 
recruiting  a  company  at  Plumville  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the 
county,  near  the  Armstrong  County  line,  but  was  also  unable  to  fill 
it  to  the  required  minimum. 

Between  the  5th  and  21st  of  August,  Stewart  had  recruited  his 
fifty-two  men  and  Benford,  including  five  men  from  Armstrong 
County,  namely,  W.  C.  Devinney,  William  Fisher,  John  Kenly, 
John  C.  Moorehead  and  Joseph  H.  Moorehead,  had  forty-seven  men. 
When  or  how  the  arrangement  for  the  union  of  these  two  detach 
ments  came  about  does  not  appear  or  whether  their  meeting  in  In 
diana  was  accidental  is  not  known  to  the  writer.  At  all  events,  on  the 
16th  of  August,  1862,  Benford  with  his  forty-seven  men  left  Plum 
ville  for  the  town  of  Indiana  in  hacks  and  wagons,  arriving  there  by 
noon  of  that  day.  They  remained  there  until  about  4 :00  P.  M.,  Aug 
ust  20th,  Stewart  and  his  men  having  in  the  meantime  arrived  from 
Jefferson  County  in  similar  conveyances.  Whether  these  two  de 
tachments  agreed  to  unite  before  leaving  Indiana  is  a  matter  of  some 
doubt  but  they  certainly  left  for  Harrisburg  on  the  same  train  pn 
the  20th,  reaching  there  the  next  morning  and  spending  the  day 
in  the  preparation  of  their  camp,  which  was  occupied  in  common. 

After  a  few  days  in  Camp  Curtin  and  the  necessary  rolls  were 
prepared,  an  election  for  officers  took  place  which,  much  to  Benford's 
surprise  and  disgust,  resulted  in  the  election  of  Charles  Stewart  as 
Captain,  John  F.  Sutton,  who  had  been  discharged  a  few  days  pre 
viously  from  three  months'  service  in  Company  E  of  the  19th  Regi- 
ment  Ohio  Volunteers,  as  First  Lieutenant,  and  George  Hamilton 
as  Second  Lieutenant,  Benford  being  left  out  entirely  by  this  elec 
tion,  returned  home.  The  organization  was  completed  by  the  ap 
pointment  of  Levi  C.  Smith,  First  Sergeant,  and  Sergeants  William 
T.  Clark,  Robert  A.  Travis,  George  Miller  and  James  M.  Sutton; 
and  as  Corporals,  William  C.  Devinney,  George  W.  Roland,  John 
Kenly,  Jacob  Roland,  George  Baughman,  Peter  D.  Sprankle, 
Charles  M.  Law  and  John  L.  Mahon.  The  muster-in  of  the  company 
seems  to  have  been  made  in  two  detachments,  part  on  September  1st 
by  Captain  Sailer  and  part  September  2d  by  Captain  Plummer. 


658  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Captain  Stewart  had  formerly  lived  in  Bellefonte  and  was  well 
acquainted  with  many  of  the  officers  in  the  companies  from  Centre 
County.  This  probably  had  much  to  to  do  with  the  fact  that  the 
company,  about  a  week  or  more  after  it  reached  the  camp,  became 
part  of  the  148th  Regiment 

But  a  few  days  after  its  muster  into  the  service,  the  company 
was  armed  and  equipped  and  went  by  rail,  with  the  Regiment,  to 
Cockeysville,  and  was  there  stationed  with  Companies  I  and  H  at 
Gunpowder  bridge,  one  of  the  most  important  points  on  the  Northern 
Central  Railroad,  to  guard  which  during  the  Maryland  campaign 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  the  Regiment  was  sent  from  Harrisburg. 

At  the  camp  on  Gunpowder  Creek,  called  Camp  Fairlamb,  the 
life  of  the  company  became  thoroughly  identified  with  that  of  the 
Regiment,  Major  Fairlamb  being  in  command  at  that  point  and  the 
camp  being  frequently  visited  by  the  Colonel. 

The  railroad  bridge  which  crosses  the  Gunpowder  Creek  was. 
considered  the  most  important  point  on  the  road  and  it  was  supposed 
that,  if  any  attack  were  made  by  the  cavalry  of  the  enemy,  it  would 
be  directed  toward  that  point.  Special  vigilance  was,  therefore,  en 
joined  upon  the  companies  stationed  there  and  the  lookout  was  keen 
and  constant.  E  Company  captured  at  one  time  a  man  who  appeared 
to  be  a  strolling  tramp  who  could  give  no  account  of  himself  and 
who,  lest  he  might  possibly  be  a  spy  or  bent  upon  mischief,  was  sent 
to  regimental  headquarters  where,  after  being  examined,  it  was 
thought  of  sufficient  importance  to  send  him  to  the  headquarters  of 
the  department  at  Baltimore. 

On  the  occasion  of  one  of  the  visits  of  the  Colonel  to  our  camp, 
he  remained  until  after  retreat  and  the  countersign  had  been  given 
out  The  Colonel  was  very  careful  in  his  attention  to  the  details  of 
discipline  and  particularly  to  those  of  guard  duty,  and  was  in  the 
habit  of  instructing  sentinels,  by  taking  their  place  and  showing 
them  how  to  discharge  their  duties.  On  this  occasion  Tommy 
McElwoe,  who  was  one  of  the  characters  of  our  company,  had  been 
carefully  instructed  by  Corporal  Devinney,  who  was  Corporal  of  his 
relief,  in  the  details  of  his  duty  and,  when  the  Colonel  started  upon 
his  homeward  journey  to  Cockeysville,  Tommy  promptly  halted  him, 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          659 

compelled  him  to  dismount  and  give  the  countersign.  This  was,  of 
course,  in  exact  accordance  with  the  regulations ;  and,  although 
Tommy  thought  it  was  a  good  joke  on  the  Colonel,  the  latter  was 
delighted  at  the  manner  in  which  the  sentinel  discharged  his  duty, 
regarding  his  authority  at  the  time,  as  is  always  the  case  of  a  sen 
tinel  on  duty,  as  paramount 

The  first  death  in  the  company  was  that  of  William  Fisher 
which  occurred  at  the  regimental  hospital  at  Cockeysville  October 
10,  1862. 

The  first  general  bi-monthly  muster  of  the  company  was  made 
October  31,  1862.  It  was  quite  an  occasion  and  large  preparation 
was  made  for  it.  The  original  roll  is  still  extant.  The  inspection 
and  muster  were  made  by  the  Colonel  and  the  remarks  upon  the  roll 
are  in  his  handwriting.  They  are  interesting  as  showing  the  care 
with  which  the  inspection  was  made  and  the  estimate  placed  upon 
the  condition  of  the  company.  The  Colonel  also  made  the  first 
muster  of  the  company  after  it  reached  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
and  the  remarks  upon  the  roll  after  it  are  in  the  same  spirit.  The 
subsequent  rolls,  where  the  inspection  was  made  by  officers  from  other 
commands,  bear  the  endorsements  made  thereon  "Good"  or  "Very 
good,"  respectively.  It  may  be  well  here  to  transcribe  the  certificate 
of  the  inspector  and  mustering  officer,  as  showing  part  of  the  ma 
chinery  for  keeping  up  the  discipline  and  appearance  of  the  Army, 
as  well  as  the  remarks  upon  the  first  muster-roll.  They  were  as 
follows : 

"I  certify  on  honor  that  I  have  carefully  examined  this  muster- 
roll  and  that  I  have  mustered  and  minutely  inspected  the  company, 
the  condition  of  which  is  found  to  be,  as  expressed  in  my  remarks 
hereunto  annexed." 

The  foot  note  to  this  certificate  is  as  follows : 

"It  is  made  the  special  duty  of  the  inspector  and  mustering  offi 
cer  to  add  the  proper  remarks  touching  'Discipline,'  'Instruction/ 
etc.,  according  to  the  facts,  exhibited  in  the  course  of  his  inspection, 
with  such  other  remarks  as  may  be  necessary  or  useful  for  the  infor 
mation  of  the  War  Department." 


660  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

The  remarks  on  this  occasion  were:  Discipline,  "Tolerably 
well  enforced ;"  Instruction :  "First  principles  and  details  should 
be  dwelt  upon  more  carefully."  Military  appearance:  "Will  be 
much  improved  by  increased  attention  to  first  principles."  Arms: 
"\rineennes  rifle, saber  bayonet,  caliber  .69,  very  inefficient;  tolerablv 
well  kept"  Accoutrements:  "Old  when  received ;  no  cartridge  box 
plates;  brasses  need  burnishing."  Clothing:  "Tolerably  clean  and 
neat:  knapsacks  should  be  more  carefully  packed." 

There  were  present  for  duty  at  this  muster  three  commissioned 
officers  and  eighty  enlisted  men ;  aggregate  eighty-three.  There 
were  sick  two  Sergeants  twelve  privates,  fourteen  in  all ;  thus  show 
ing  the  strength,  present  and  absent,  three  commissioned  officers, 
ninety-four  enlisted  men. 

About  November  20,  1862,  James  Devinney  from  Armstrong 
County  joined  the  company  as  a  recruit  and  was  identified  with  the 
life  of  the  company  thereafter,  until  his  discharge  in  the  following 
June  on  surgeon's  certificate  of  disability. 

Before  receiving  orders  to  join  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  John 
S.  Weamer  had  died  in  the  hospital  at  Cockeysville,  November  30, 
1862 ;  and,  when  orders  were  received  and  the  Regiment  left  De 
cember  9,  1862,  we  left  in  the  hospital  at  Cockeysville  Henry  Cling- 
enberger,  Amos  Cryster,  John  M.  Hartman,  William  Jordon,  John 
Pounds,  Jacob  Roland  and  George  W.  Roland,  who  were  subse 
quently  transferred  to  the  general  hospital  at  York,  Pennsylvania, 
where  most  of  the  sick  left  in  the  regimental  hospital  at  Cockeysville 
were  taken. 

Tn  passing  through  Washington,  December  11,  1862,  First  Ser 
geant  Levi  C.  Smith  was  left  in  the  general  hospital  there.  He 
never  rejoined  the  Regiment  but  was  discharged  from  the 
hospital  on  surgeon's  certificate  January  27,  1863.  In  consequence, 
William  T.  Clark  was  promoted  to  First  Sergeant. 

At  the  muster  December  31,  1862,  the  recapitulation  on  the 
foot  of  the  roll  showed  two  commissioned  officers  and  sixty-seven 
men  present  for  duty,  one  officer  and  twenty  men  present  sick,  two 
enlisted  men  on  detached  service  and  eight  enlisted  men  absent  sick, 
making  an  aggregate,  present  and  absent,  of  one  hundred. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          661 

The  roll  on  the  30th  of  April,  1863,  shows  the  aggregate  at  last 
muster  ninety-three.  "Present  for  duty,  three  officers,  sixty-eight 
enlisted ;  sick,  three  enlisted ;  on  detached  service,  two  enlisted ; 
absent  sick,  fifteen  enlisted,  making  a  total  aggregate  of  ninety-one. 
Discharged  for  disability,  one,  namely,  First  Sergeant  Smith;  de 
serted,  one." 

The  company  had  its  share  of  the  services  and  hardships  of  the 
winter  of  1862-1863  in  camp  at  Falmouth,  Virginia,  and  took  part 
in  the  Chancellorsville  campaign.  Being  on  the  picket  line  on  the 
Fredericksburg  front  of  the  Army  at  Chancellorsville  we  were  very 
fortunate  in  escaping  without  any  serious  or  fatal  casualties,  al 
though  Captain  Stewart  was  slightly  wounded  in  the  foot  and  re 
turned  to  camp  without  having  lost  a  man  after  that  brief  but  un 
fortunate  campaign. 

June  1st  before  the  inarch  for  Pennsylvania  began,  Second 
Lieutenant  George  Hamilton  resigned  and  was  discharged  and  First 
Sergeant  William  T.  Clark  was  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant 
August  26,  1863,  in  his  place. 

The  company  marched  to  Gettysburg  and  participated  in  the 
battle  there  with  the  Regiment,  Xothing  specially  important  pe 
culiar  to  it  occurred  and  the  details  of  the  battle  are  fully  set  forth 
elsewhere.  We  lost  in  the  battle  of  the  2d  of  July  Samuel  Klingen- 
smith,  who  was  killed,  and  John  Kunkle,  who  died  of  wounds  n- 
ceived  there  and  was  buried  in  the  National  Cemetery,  section  A, 
grave  57.  The  wounded  were  Lieut  John  F.  Sutton  and  Henry 
Homer,  Thomas  Luckhart,  Thomas  McElwee,  George  Miller,  Eman- 
uel  Raybuck,  Joseph  C.  Speedy,  Samuel  Shilling  and  James  K. 
Wells.  After  Lieut  Sutton  was  wounded,  Captain  Stewart  being 
sick  and  not  with  the  company,  there  were  no  commissioned  officers 
present  for  duty.  Sergeants  Travis  and  Devinney  were  the  only 
non-commission ed  officers  of  that  grade  present,  Travis  having 
charge  of  the  company. 

After  the  148th  Regiment  had  been  relieved  on  the  front  line 
on  the  2d  of  July,  an  order  for  a  detail  for  picket  duty  from  the  Regi 
ment  was  received,  to  consist  of  a  Lieutenant,  a  Sergeant  and  twenty- 
one  men.  Sergeant  Devinney  and  Corporal  Joseph  H.  Moorehead 


662  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

and  Privates  John  C,  Moorehead  and  William  Oberlin  were  detailed 
from  E  Company.  The  picket  line  was  established  upon  the  ground 
over  which  the  battle  had  raged  that  day,  the  detail  from  our  Regi 
ment  being  to  the  left  of  where  General  Picket!  made  his  charge  on 
the  following  day.  The  line  remained  there  all  night  and  all  the 
next  day,  holding  its  position  until  the  charge  was  over  and  all  was 
quiet.  Being  then  relieved  and  re-joining  the  company,  the  detail 
was  excused  from  all  duty  for  forty-eight  hours  in  recognition  of  the 
manner  in  which  they  had  discharged  their  duties  at  the  front. 

After  the  return  from  the  campaign  in  Pennsylvania  and  the 
Regiment  had  become  fairly  well  settled,  Captain  Stewart  resigned 
September  25,  1863.  Lieut.  John  F.  Sutton  was  promoted  to 
the  captaincy  November  15,  1863.  Robert  A.  Travis,  who  had  been 
promoted  from  Sergeant  to  First  Sergeant  August  20,  1863,  and 
commissioned  as  Second  Lieutenant  September  26,  1863,  but  not 
mustered,  was  discharged  by  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  in  order 
to  enable  him  to  accept  a  commission  as  Captain  in  the  8th  Regi 
ment,  United  States  Colored  Troops. 

The  resignation  of  the  Captain  and  the  discharge  of  Travis  led 
to  numerous  changes  among  the  commissioned  and  non-commissioned 
officers.  Second  Lieutenant  Clark  was  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant 
Govern  her  15,  1863.  Sergt,  James  M.  Sutton,  who  had  been  pro 
moted  from  Sergeant  to  First  Sergeant  November  10,  1863,  wa* 
made  Second  Lieutenant  January  13,  1864,  and  Sergeant  Spranklo, 
who  had  been  promoted  from  Corporal  to  Sergeant  November  11, 
1863,  was  made  First  Sergeant  January  14,  1864.  After  these  pro 
motions,  the  Sergeants  wore  Kenly,Devinney,  Baughman  andMabon, 
and  Corporals  Charles  M.  Law,  Daniol  W.  Smith,  Isaiah  L.  Wells, 
Robert  J.  Crissman,  William  J.  Postlethwaite,  Joseph  II.  Moore- 
head,  Matthew  C.  Allison  and  Daniel  R.  Sutter,  as  apj)ear*  by  the 
muster  roll  of  April  30,  1864. 

At  the  muster  of  that  date,  Lieutenant  Clark  was  upon  de 
tached  service  recruiting,  Sergeant  Sprankle  on  detached  service  at 
Carlisle  Barracks,  Sergeant  Mabon  detached  as  Sergeant  of  brigade 
pioneers,  Johnson  Hamilton,  musician,  detached  in  division  head 
quarter  band,  Isaac  Cochran  detached  with  ambulance  corps  since 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          665 

July  11,  1863,  Alexander  R.  Dunlap  detached  brigade  pioneers, 
John  C.  Hoover  detached  in  ambulance  corps  since  December  29, 
1862,  Daniel  C.  Law  detached  as  musician  in  divsion  headquarter 
band  since  February  21,  1864;  John  C.  Moorehead  detached  at  bri 
gade  headquarters,  Mounted  Orderly  John  B.  Shall  detached  in 
wagon  train  since  November  9,  1863. 

The  following  members  of  the  company  were  carried  on  that 
roll  as  transferred  to  the  ^7reteran  Reserve  Corps  during  the  month 
of  April:  William  Evans,  William  Jordan,  John  Pounds  and 
Hezekiah  Reed. 

The  mustering  officer  at  that  muster  was  Lieut.  Col.  D.  L. 
Strieker,  of  the  2d  Delaware  Regiment,  who  was  killed  the  following 
month  in  the  charge  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House. 

The  muster  roll  of  30th  of  June,  1864,  shows  numerous  changes. 
Isaiah  L.  Wells,  who  had  been  sent  to  hospital  at  Washington  May 
2,  1864,  died  of  consumption  June  5th.  William  J.  Postlethwaite, 
who  had  been  wounded  in  action  at  Po  River  May  10th,  died  in  field 
hospital  the  same  day.  Matthew  C.  Allison,  also  wounded  at  Po 
River,  died  at  Fredericksburg,  Virginia,  May  19,  1864,  and  the  fol 
lowing  men,  wounded  at  Po  River  and  sent  to  the  hospital  at  Wash 
ington,  died  there  on  the  dates  mentioned :  Samuel  R.  Gearhart  and 
Joseph  Long,  June  5,  1864;  David  Luckhart,  May  30,  1864,  and 
George  F.  Timblin,  June  28,  1864.  David  Smith  was  killed  in  ac 
tion  at  Spotsylvania  May  12,  1864,  and  Joseph  C.  Speedy,  who  had 
been  wounded  at  Gettysburg  July  2,  1863,  was  discharged  April  28, 
1864,  on  account  of  wounds  received  in  battle.  Sergt.  William  C. 
Deviimey  was  promoted  to  Quartermaster  Sergeant  of  the  Regiment 
May  30,  1864,  and  Joseph  Moorehead  was  appointed  Sergeant  in 
his  place.  The  losses  in  the  company  at  the  battle  of  Po  River  ^ay 
10,  1864,  were  unusually  heavy,  including  Lieut  James  M.  Sutton. 
whose  wound  caused  the  amputation  of  his  leg  later,  Sergt.  Kenly. 
Corporals  Law,  Smith  and  Crissman  and  Privates  John  Cummings, 
James  C.  Cramer,  Harman  Friday,  Samuel  R,  Gearhart,  Erastus 
King,  Samuel  A.  Pilson,  'Vincent.  Richards,  who  was  also  missing, 
as  was  also  Philip  Sloppy  and  John  Snyder,  John  Wynkoop  and 
TTenrv  Young. 


664  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

In  addition  to  David  Smith  killed  at  Spotsylvania,  there  were 
wounded  in  that  engagement  Sergeant  Baughman,  Thomas  Garrett, 
William  A.  Hallowell,  Jacob  H.  Jamison,  Jacob  Miller  and  James 
Shoppart  Emanuel  Bush  was  missing  in  action. 

There  were  also  wounded  in  action  at  Cold  Harbor  from  June 
3d  to  6th,  Sergeant  Moorehead,  John  Meekans,  Philip  Whitsel  and 
Peter  Vancile. 

At  the  June  muster,  therefore,  there  were  present  for  duty  the 
Captain,  not  a  single  Sergeant,  three  Corporals  one  musician  and 
seventeen  privates,  making  aggregate  present  for  duty  twenty-two, 
out  of  the  strength  present  and  absent  of  eighty-seven,  the  aggregate 
of  the  last  muster  having  been  ninety-seven.  This  tells  its  own 
story  and  is  a  most  striking  commentary  on  the  casualties  which 
decimated  not  only  this  company  but  the  Regiment  as  well  during 
the  campaign  from  the  Wilderness  to  Petersburg.  It  is  rather  re 
markable  that  so  good  an  officer  as  Col.  James  C.  Lynch  of  the  183d 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  who  was  the  inspector  and  mustering 
officer  at  the  end  of  June,  should,  under  such  circumstances,  have 
marked  everything  relating  to  the  company  "Good." 

There  were  missing  in  action  June  22,  1864,  John  Boyer  and 
John  S.  Harman.  Joseph  H.  Law  is  marked  upon  this  muster  roll 
as  on  detached  service  at  brigade  headquarters  as  bugler.  He  con 
tinued  in  that  capacity  until  the  end  of  the  War  and  was  the  last 
man  of  the  Eegiment  killed. 

Lieutenant  Clark  was  discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate,  July 
7,  1864,  and  Lieutenant  Sutton  November  8,  1864,  for  wounds,  with 
loss  of  leg,  received  at  Po  River.  These  changes  led  to  the  promo 
tion  of  Sergeant  Sprankle  to  First  Lieutenant  September  25,  1864, 
and  John  Kenly  to  Second  Lieutenant  November  30,  1864.  These 
two  officers  and  Captain  Sutton  were  all  mustered  out  with  the  com 
pany  and  Sergeant  Baughman,  by  reason  of  these  changes,  became 
First  Sergeant  and  Corporals  Charles  M.  Law  and  Daniel  W.  Smith 
were  made  Sergeants. 

The  muster  roll  of  August  31,  1864,  shows  the  Captain,  two 
Corporals  and  thirteen  privates  present  for  duty,  the  absent  sick 


JOSEPH   H.   MOREHEAD.  Co.  E 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  665 

numbering  fifty-six ;  these,  of  course,  including  the  wounded  ;  the 
aggregate  strength,  present  and  absent,  being  eighty-three. 

The  October  muster  shows  some  improvement,  there  l>eing 
present  for  duty  the  Captain,  two  Sergeants,  three  Corporals  and 
thirteen  privates,  making  an  aggregate  of  nineteen,  fifty-three  being 
absent,  sick,  and  a  total  strength  present  and  absent  of  eighty-one. 

The  December  muster  shows  still  further  improvement,  there 
being  present  for  duty  the  Captain,  the  Second  Lieutenant,  two 
Sergeants,  four  Corporals  and  fifteen  Privates,  making  an  aggre 
gate  of  twenty-three,  the  absent  sick  being  thirty-nine  and  the  aggre 
gate  strength,  present  and  absent  seventy-four. 

The  muster-roll  of  the  28th  of  February,  1865,  shows  present 
for  duty  the  Captain,  Second  Lieutenant,  two  Sergeants,  five  Cor 
porals  and  fifteen  Privates,  making  an  aggregate  of  twenty-four.  The 
absent  sick  were  thirty -one  and  the  aggregate  strength,  present  and 
absent,,  sixty-six,  as  against  seventy-four  at  the  previous  muster,  eight 
having  been  in  the  meantime  lost,  one  discharged  for  disability,  one 
transferred,  two  died  of  wounds,  one  from  disease  and  three  deserted. 
Of  the  latter,  two  were  drafted  men. 

E  Company  had  many  men  of  fine  character  who  made  excel 
lent  soldiers.  Many  of  them  have  been  already  mentioned  by  name. 
Among  the  men  of  this  class  were  three  brothers  who  enlisted  at 
Punxsutawney  in  Jefferson  County  among  the  early  recruits.  They 
were  Charles  M.  Law,  Joseph  Henry  Law,  known  as  Harry,  and 
Daniel  C.  Law.  The  latter  was  one  of  the  verv  young  soldiers 
of  the  Regiment,  as  appears  elsewhere.  Charles  became  a  Sergeant, 
Harry  was  the  last  man  in  the  Regiment  killed  and  Daniel  still  lives, 
in  good  health,  and  is  doing  his  share  of  the  world's  work.  They 
were  devoted  to  each  other,  as  brothers  should  be,  and  an  incident  in 
the  campaign  of  1864  during  the  second  diversion  to  Deep  Bottom 
is  worth  repeating. 

The  heat  was  intense,  and  after  being  engaged  with  his  com 
pany  in  battle  during  the  morning,  Charlie  was  prostrated  by  a 
sunstroke  or  something  similar.  His  brothers  carried  him  to  the 
field  hospital  which  was  simply  the  fly  of  a  hospital  tent,  Harry 


666  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

going  back  to  the  Regiment  and  Dan  staying  with  his  brother  who 
was  unconscious.  He  finally  succeeded  in  getting  a  surgeon,  to  lo 
at  his  brother  who,  after  feeling  his  pulse  and  finding  that  he  could 
do  little  for  him,  said,  "There  are  too  many  wounded  men  here  who 
must  be  looked  after,  without  wasting  time  over  a  man  who  is  as 
near  dead  as  this  one,"  but  added,  "If  you  can  get  some  whiskey 
down  his  throat,  that,  if  anything,  will  revive  him."  Dan  took  his 
tin  cup  down  to  the  commissary  wagon  and  secured  some  whiskey 
which  could  be  poured  into  his  brother's  mouth  only  by  prying  his 
jaws  apart  with  the  handle  of  a  spoon.  This,  with  a  vigorous  and 
laborious  massage,  was  the  only  treatment.  It  was  repeated,  with 
whiskey  and  massage  alternately,  until  about  ten  o'clock  at  night, 
when  about  half  the  contents  of  the  cup  were  exhausted  and  Dan  be 
came  so  worn  out  with  his  rubbing,  and  there  being  no  signs  of  life, 
that  he  lay  down  between  a  man  whose  leg  had  been  amputated  and 
another  who  was  badly  wounded  in  other  ways.  When  he  awakened 
at  the  end  of  a  couple  of  hours  the  contents  of  his  cup  were  gone 
but,  securing  another  supply,  he  continued  the  treatment  of  his 
brother,  without  any  visible  effect,  until  about  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  when  he  began  to  show  slight  signs  of  life.  This,  of  course, 
encouraged  him  to  redouble  his  efforts  and  about  four  o'clock  he 
became  sufficiently  conscious  to  recognize  his  brother.  A  continua 
tion  of  the  treatment  uninterruptedly  for  several  hours  brought  him 
to  the  point  where  he  was  able  to  sit  up. 

By  this  time  orders  had  come  to  carry  the  wounded  to  the  trans 
port  to  be  conveyed  to  City  Point.  Our  forces  had  fared  badly  and 
there  were  many  wounded  to  be  transported.  There  was  great  pres 
sure  upon  the  ambulances  and,  although  Charlie  was  about  fifty 
pounds  heavier  than  Dan,  the  latter  loaded  him  up  to  carry  him 
to  the  boat.  This,  of  course,  was  a  very  arduous  task  and,  between 
carrying  him  and  dragging  him  on  the  ground,  he  succeeded  in  get 
ting  him  most  of  the  way,  when  fortunately  an  ambulance  came 
along  with  a  vacant  seat,  the  driver  of  which  took  him  and  carried 
him  to  the  boat 

Harry,  who  had  joined  the  Regiment,  had  taken  the  time  to 
write  home,  telling  his  parents  that  Charlie  was  dead,  but  Dan,  not 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          667 

knowing  what  be  had  written,  wrote  later,  giving  them  the  real 
facts  as  they  were  known  to  him,  which  he  mailed  after  getting 
Charlie  to  the  hospital  at  City  Point.  Both  letters  were  received 
by  the  parents  in  the  same  mail.  The  two  brothers  are  yet  living, 
one  of  whom  has  furnished  the  main  facts  for  this  incident. 

As  already  stated,  Harry  Law  was  detailed  as  bugler  at  brigade 
headquarters  and  John  C.  Moorehead,  who  is  also  referred  to  as 
having  been  detailed  as  mounted  orderly  at  the  same  headquarters, 
carried  the  brigade  flag.  The  latter,  although  gone  to  the  great 
beyond,  while  living,  many  times  detailed  the  dramatic  facts  attend 
ing  Harry's  last  bugle  blast.  He  said  that  on  the  7th  of  April, 
during  the  closing  scenes  of  the  hurried  effort  to  block  Lee's  passage 
south  and  secure  the  surrender  which  came  two  days  later,  the  First 
Division  of  the  Second  Corps  was  warmly  engaged.  He  and  Harry 
were  sitting  on  their  horses,  side  by  side,  when  the  brigade  com 
mander  ordered  Harry  to  blow  the  call  for  a  charge  upon  a  battery 
ol  the  enemy  which  was  in  position  on  commanding  ground  in  front 
of  the  Fourth  Brigade  and  causing  considerable  annoyance.  The 
charge  was  sounded,  the  brigade  obeyed  with  a  will  and  just  a» 
Harry  took  the  bugle  from  his  mouth  a  shell  or  solid  shot  from  the 
battery  carried  away  the  upper  part  of  his  head,  leaving  him  erect 
but  lifeless  in  his  saddle.  Xotwithstanding  the  forward  movement, 
Moorehead  jumped  from  his  horse,  stuck  his  flag  staff  in  the  ground, 
pulled  Harry  from  the  saddle  and  buried  him  there  by  the  wayside 
on  the  road  to  Amelia  Court  House.  Moorehead's  death  subsequently 
prevented  the  identification  of  his  grave  and  the  removal  of  his  body, 
Riiu  so  this  gallant  but  unfortunate  soldier  lies  in  an  unknown 
grave.  His  bugle  was  given  to  one  of  his  brothers  and  was  brought 
home,  covered  with  blood  of  the  last  man  of  the  148th  Regiment,  so 
far  as  is  known,  killed  in  the  War.  It  was  given  to  his  wife  but 
was  destroyed  by  the  burning  of  her  house  a  few  years  later. 

Harry  Law  was  one  of  those  neat,  tidy  soldiers,  of  cheerful 
disposition  and  abounding  health,  who  was  always  ready  for  duty 
and  always  on  the  alert  for  frolic  or  adventure,  whom  it  was  a 
pleasure  to  see  on  inspection  and  who  cheerfully  met  all  the  exacting 
requirements  of  military  discipline  and  duty.  It  is  said  that  he  was 


668  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

never  absent  from  duty  for  a  single  day  during'  his  entire  service, 
except  upon  the  occasion  of  a  furlough  of  fifteen  days  which  he 
secured  in  18(5-1-  by  reason  of  his  cleanliness  and  tidiness  in  general 
excellence  as  a  soldier,  the  furloughs  during  that  winter  having  been 
granted  to  enlisted  men  for  the  most  part  upon  competitive  exam 
ination. 

The  incidents  in  the  life  of  E  Company,  as  here  recorded  are 
few  and  fragmentary.  The  company,  however,  had  the  usual  diver 
sity  of  characters  in  its  ranks  and  quite  as  great  variety  of  life  and 
incident  as  are  more  fully  described  in  the  history  of  other  com 
panies.  These  characters,  if  portrayed,  and  these  incidents,  if  de 
tailed,  would  have  added  materially  to  the  interest  and  zest  of  this 
story;  but  it  has  been  difficulty  for  some  reason,  to  secure  the  hearty 
co-operation  of  the  surviving  officers  and  men  of  the  company, 
through  modesty  or  a  failure  to  appreciate  the  value  of  their  help 
in  the  effort  to  worthily  transmit  to  posterity  what  the  fathers  and 
grandfathers  of  many  who  shall  read  these  pages  did  as  individuals 
to  make  their  country  harmoniously  united. 

Captain  Button  preserved  the  muster  rolls  of  the  company  with 
great  care  and  they  have  furnished  many  reliable  data  upon  which 
what  has  been  been  written  is  based.  Travis,  who  left  the  company 
in  the  fall  of  186')  to  become  Captain  in  a  colored  regiment;  De- 
vinney,  who  was  promoted  to  Quartermaster  Sergeant  in  May,  1804; 
Baughman,  who  was  mustered  out  as  the  First  Sergeant  of  the  com 
pany;  D.  C.  Law  and  a  few  others  have  furnished  more  or  less  of 
assistance  in  the  preparation  of  the  story ;  but,  as  they  read  these 
lines,  they  will  realize',  as  the  memories  of  the  past  come  crowding 
upon  them  and  the  incidents  in  the  life  of  their  company  and  of  the 
individuals  who  composed  it  are  found  to  be  wanting,  how  little  has 
been  done  in  this  direction.  Charlie  Law,  Clarence  Barr  of  .Xew 
Mexico,  Tommy  MoElwee  and  many  others  who  are  living  could 
have  furnished  many  additional  incidents  but  it  has  been  impossible 
to  secure  their  co-operation. 

At  the  reunion  of  our  Regiment,  at  which  the  preparation  of 
this  History  was  finally  determined,  no  one  who  attended  seemed  to 
K?  in  better  health  and  spirits  than  Lewis  A.  Welch.  He  told  the 


THE  ij8Tll  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          669 

Colonel,  with  great  gusto,  at  the  preliminary  greetings  of  the  sur 
vivors  of  the  Regiment,  how  in  camp  at  Stevensburg,  in  the  winter/ of 
1863-1864,  taking  advantage  of  the  Colonel's  well  known  punctilious 
cure  to  return  the  salute  of  a  sentinel,  although  not  required  by  strict 
military  etiquette  to  do  so,  he  presented  arms  to  him  as  he  came 
around  his  tent  with  an  arm  load  of  wood  for  the  open  fire  which 
was  maintained  in  a  brick  chimney  built  against  the  side  of  the  tent. 
As  he  anticipated,  the  Colonel  threw  down  the  wood,  straightened 
himself  up,  acknowledged  the  salute  and  then  gathered  up  the  wood 
and  disappeared  within  his  tent,  either  laughing  to  himself  at  the 
manner  in  which  the  sentinel  had  ''done  him"  or  muttering  male 
dictions  upon  his  head  for  a  too  literal  compliance  with  instructions. 
Whatever  the  feelings  of  the  Colonel  may  have  been,  Welch  was 
greatly  pleased  at  the  success  of  his  stratagem,  distinctly  remembered 
it  after  nearly  forty  years  and  hilariously  enjoyed  the  telling  of  it. 

Having  a  sister  living  at  Salona,  some  twenty  miles  from 
Belief  on  te  where  the  reunion  occurred,  Welch  went  there  to  visit  ber 
in  the  evening  of  the  same  day  upon  which  he  related  this  incident. 
He  had  scarcely  entered  her  house  and  saluted  the  members  of  the 
family,  when  he  succumbed  to  an  attack  of  some  heart  trouble  to 
which  he  was  subject.  His  tragic  death  cast  a  gloom  over  the  suc 
ceeding  sessions  of  the  reunion  and  his  comrade,  Charlie  Law,  whose 
aid  he  had  invoked  in  case  anything  should  happen  him,  conveyed 
his  body  to  his  home. 

Whatever  this  story  may  lack  in  details  and  however  imperfect 
and  insufficient  it  may  be,  let  it  be  understood  that  the  men  of  the 
company  of  whom  it  is  written  were  no  whit  inferior  to  those  of 
other  companies  whose  historians  have  written  more  fully  of  the 
life,  character  and  services  of  their  comrades,  dead  and  living,  and 
did  no  less  than  others  to  round  out,  in  its  full  proportions,  the  life 
ai,d  character  of  that  solid  military  entity,  the  148th  Regiment,  of 
which  each  company  was  a  necessary  integral  part. 


THE  STOKY  OF  F  COMPANY. 

This  story  is  based,  for  the  most  part,  upon  information  fur 
nished  by  Lieut,  William  Lucas,  Sergeants  Burrell,  William  J. 
Mackey,  Martin  H.  Mackey  and  John  M.  English  and  Corporal 
Henry  Heaton.  They  were  all  original  members  of  the  company 
and  served  for  the  most  part  throughout  the  entire  War  and  what  is 
herein  contained  came  within  the  personal  experience  or  recollection 
of  some  one  or  more  of  them.  The  facts  and  incidents  are,  therefore, 
vouched  for  by  reliable  authority  and  upon  personal  observation. 

F  was  the  only  one  of  the  Centre  County  companies  which,  in 
its  original  organization  and  makeup,  drew  upon  any  other  county 
of  the  state  for  any  considerable  contribution  of  men.  Its  organiza 
tion  was  peculiar  and  was  not  finally  effected  until  its  different  con 
stituent  elements  were  brought  together  in  Camp  Curtin  in  Harris- 
burg. 

One  portion  of  the  company  was  enlisted  under  the  direction  of 
Martin  Dolan,  who  kept  a  tavern  at  Central  City  near  the  Milesburg 
Kailroad  Station.  His  recruits  were  drawn  from  the  Snow  Shoe 
region  and  the  parts  adjacent  to  Milesburg.  Another  squad  was  re1- 
cruited  at  Potters  Mills  by  William  P.  Wilson ;  another  at  Spring 
Mills  by  James  Duncan  and  yet  another  from  Stone  Valley  in  Hunt 
ingdon  County  by  Geo.  W.  Steffey.  All  these  were  combined,  and 
with  a  considerable  squad  from  Cameron  and  Elk  Counties,  enlisted 
by  D.  C.  Freeman,  constituted  Company  F  of  the  148th  Regiment. 

Wilson  was  a  brother-in-law  and  private  secretary  to  Governor 
Curtin  but  was  desirous  of  entering  the  military  service.  He,  there 
fore,  came  to  his  old  home  at  Potters  Mills  and  began  the  enlistment 
of  a  company.  A,  C,  D  and  G  companies  had  all  been  enlisted  for 
the  most  part  from  Penns  Valley  and  recruits  were,  therefore 
scarce.  He  secured,  however,  the  enlistment  of  a  number  of  men 
about  Potters  Mills  and,  with  these,  those  who  had  been  enlisted  by 
Duncan  at  Spring  Mills  were  combined. 

William  O.  Steffey  had  been  a  student  at  Pine  Grove  Academy. 
When  the  enlistment  of  the  students  of  the  Academv  and  others  in 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          671 

the  neighborhood  for  a  company  began,  he  went  home  and  enlisted 
a  number  of  young  men  in  his  neighborhood,  expecting  to  join  Pro 
fessor  Thomas'  company  and  secure  a  commission  therein.  When  he 
returned,  however,  a  consolidation  having  been  formed  by 
Captain  Musser,  of  lower  Penns  Valley,  and  Professor  Thomas,  of 
Pine  Grove  Mills,  he  found  the  company  practically  filled  and  no 
vacancy  for  him  as  a  Lieutenant.  The  result  w&s  that  he  finally 
united  with  the  squads  enlisted  by  Dolan  and  Wilson.  When  these 
different  contingents  were  combined  and  assembled  at  Harrisburg, 
the  company  was  still  short  of  its  maximum. 

Steffey  enlisted  about  fifteen  men.  Several  of  them — notably 
James  B.  Irvin  who  went  into  G  Company,  joined  other  companies, 
but  nine,  including  himself,  marched  to  Milesburg  and  united  with 
Dolan.  These  were  James  E.  Fleming,  captured  during  the  cam 
paign  of  1864;  was  a  prisoner  at  Salisbury,  North  Carolina;  died 
there  December  28,  1864,  and  buried.  Martin  T.  Irvin,  promoted 
to  Corporal  April  26,  1864;  killed  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10, 
1864.  David  Irvin  wounded  at  Po  Eiver,  May  10,  1864;  mustered 
out  with  company  June  1,  1865;  subsequently  died;  buried  at 
Steffeysville,  Huntingdon  County,  Pennsylvania.  David  J.  Little, 
absent ;  sick  at  muster  out  of  company ;  subsequently  discharged  f  roip 
hospital;  died  in  Altoona,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  is  buried.  Wil 
liam  H.  Lightner,  transferred  to  Company  C,  9th  Regiment  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps  September  12,  1863,  discharged  June  26,  1865; 
living  near  Petersburg,  Pennsylvania.  William  Miller,  captured 
August  25,  1864,  at  Reams  Station;  exchanged  November  30,  1864; 
mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865  ;  since  died.  William  O. 
Steffey  captured  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863 ;  died  in 
prison  at  Richmond,  Virginia,  January  16,  1864;  buried  in  National 
Cemetery  at  Richmond.  George  W.  Steffey,  wounded  at  Spotsyl- 
vania  May  12,  1864;  promoted  to  Corporal  May  16,  1865 ;  mustered 
out  with  company;  living  in  Michigan.  George  M.  Steffey,  killed 
at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863 ;  buried  in  National 
Cemetery  there;  and  Samuel  Stair  promoted  to  Corporal  September 
11,  1864,  to  Sergeant  May  16,  1865;  mustered  out  with  company; 
living  at  Newport,  Perry  County,  Pennsylvania, 


672  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

D.  C.  Freeman,  who  had  belonged  to  the  first  rifle  regiment, 
kuown  as  "The  Bucktails,"  had  been  wounded  in  the  knee  and  had 
been  discharged  in  consequence  of  it,  attempted  to  enlist  recruit? 
for  his  old  regiment.  He  was  in  Harrisburg  with  a  squad  of  men 
who  had  been  recruited  by  him  in  the  counties  of  Cameron  and  Elk, 
and  was  on  the  way  to  join  the  regiment  at  the  front.  Being  disap 
pointed  as  is  supposed  as  to  the  recognition  which  his  efforts  at  recruit 
ing  would  receive  in  his  old  regiment,  he  made  an  arrangement  with 
Dolan  and  Wilson  by  which  he  was  to  join  them  in  the  organization 
oi  their  company  and  become  its  Second  Lieutenant. 

From  this  combination  resulted  Company  F,  and  the  officersv 
without  any  election  by  the  men,  became  Martin  Dolan,  Captain; 
William  P.  Wilson,  First  Lieutenant,  and  David  C.  Freeman,  Second 
Lieutenant. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  at  least  four  counties  of  the  common 
wealth  sent  of  their  citizens  to  the  organization  of  F  Company, 
although  it  was  counted  as  a  Centre  County  company  and  is  always 
so  referred  to  in  counting  the  seven  Centre  County  companies  which 
entered  into  the  organization  of  the  Regiment.  The  company  left 
Milesburg,  August  28th. 

Among  the  men  enlisted  by  Freeman  were  some  of  those  best 
ki;own  in  the  Regiment.  The  English  boys,  as  they  were  called, 
Sylvester  A.  and  John  M.,  both  now  living  in  Cameron  County,  be 
came  Sergeants  and  did  much,  in  every  way  to  promote  the  efficiency 
of  the  company  and  did  credit  to  the  Regiment.  Sylvester  was  in 
every  battle  in  which  the  Regiment  was  engaged,  and  although 
actively  participating,  received  his  wounds  in  his  clothing  and  across 
one  of  his  hands,  so  that  he  was  never  disabled  or  unfitted  for  duty 
thereby.  John  M.  English  was  probably  as  well  known  in  the  Regi 
ment  an  any  other  enlisted  man  in  it.  Always  cheerful  and  ready  for 
duty  and,  whilst  full  of  mischief  and  spirit,  nevertheless  took  a 
sc-rious  view  of  duty  and  was  a  splendid  example  of  what  has  some 
times  been  characterized  as  the  "thinking  bayonet."  He  wants  it 
to  be  understood  that  he  is  "enjoying  life  as  never  before,  just  a^ 
young  as  when  the  rebs  charged  his  little  fort  in  front  of  Petersburg," 
elsewhere  spoken  of.  He  was  wounded  at  Spotsylvania,  and  al- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  673 

though  for  a  rime  disabled,  returned  to  the  Regiment  to  receive  his 
promotions  and  render  excellent  service.  He  is  now  serving  faith 
fully  and  zealously  in  that  other  army  whose  roll  is  to  be  "callerl 
up  yonder." 

With  these  were  Albert  Lord,  still  living  at  Cameron,  Penn 
sylvania,  but  almost  blind ;  Inman  A.  Hallet,  who,  after  his  retn 
from  the  War,  went  to  Oil  City  and  died  there;  William  B.  Phelps, 
who  was  promoted  to  Sergeant  and  died  in  consequence  of  wounds 
received  at  Po  River;  James  S.  Riley,  known  as  the  "Wild  Irish 
man,"  became  a  Corporal,  returned  with  his  company  and  went  to 
Bradford,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  married,  and  John  II.  Smith, 
better  known  as  "Little  John,"  who  was  about  sixteen  when  he  en- 
1'sted.  At  Harrisburg,  when  his  name  was  called  for  examination, 
Phelps  answered  to  it  ami  in  that  way  John,  who  was  fearful  of 
his  being  accepted,  slipped  through.  One  of  his  comrades  says  of 
him,  "A  better  soldier  was  not  in  the  company  than  "Little  John'." 
At  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  he  was  very  lame,  one  of  his  feet  being 
so  sore  that  he  could  scarcely  walk.  Captain  Dolan  repeatedly 
asked  him  to  go  to  the  rear  but  he  said,  "Xo,  Captain,  if  there  is  to 
be  a  battle,  I  want  to  be  there."  He  went  through  all  right  until  the 
great  charge  of  May  12th  at  Spotsylvania,  where  he  disappeared, 
and  was  never  heard  of  afterwards. 

There  were  also  James  Dent,  who  returned  with  the  company, 
and  went  to  the  far  West;  John  Stringfellow,  a  noble  fellow  and  a 
brave  soldier  who  became  a  Corporal,  was  wounded  at  Reams  Sta 
tion  and  lay  inside  the  enemy's  lines  all  night,  was  found  the  next 
day  and  brought  off  by  his  companions;  Ira  Johnson  died  in  the 
hospital  after  entering  into  active  service,  as  did  also  Charles  Dun- 
lap.  Alexander  Creighton  was  killed  at  Gettysburg,  while  the  Regi 
ment  was  supporting  batteries  in  its  front  A  piece  of  shell  struck 
him  in  the  head  and  killed  him  instantly.  He  was  buried  on  the  field 
by  his  comrades  and  his  grave  is  now  in  the  National  Cemetery. 
Christ  Havener  was  also  wounded  at  the  same  time.  He  was  after 
wards  captured  at  Reams  Station  August  25,  1864,  was  exchanged 
March  1,  1865,  and  discharged  after  the  muster  out  of  the  Regiment. 
Subsequent  to  the  War,  he  resided  in  Clinton  County.  James  O. 


674  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

•Jordan  contracted  disease  soon  after  his  enlistment  and  was  dis 
charged  March  30,  1863.  He  is  now  living  near  Driftwood,  Penn 
sylvania. 

On  the  farm  of  Perry  John  Lucas,  in  Snow  Shoe  Township,  at 
the  head  of  some  of  the  tributaries  of  the  West  Branch  of  the  Sus- 
quehanna,  in  the  heart  of  the  Allegheny  Mountains,  from  which  the 
white  pine  timber  was  then  rapidly  disappearing  and  has  now  prac 
tically  entirely  disappeared,  there  occurred  in  the  early  part  of  Aug 
ust,  1862,  a  neighborhood  frolic  known  as  a  log  rolling,  to  which 
young  and  old  had  gathered.  They  were  there  to  help  the  neighbor 
who  was  clearing  his  land  to  roll  the  logs  in  heaps  and  fire  them, 
preparatory  to  preparing  the  ground  for  "seeding."  Into  the  midst 
of  the  cheerful,  hard-working  company  came  Martin  Dolan,  of  Miles- 
burg,  announcing  the  call  by  the  President  for  men  to  recruit  the 
Armies  of  the  Union. 

The  disastrous  Peninsular  Campaign  had  ended  and  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac  was  being  transported  to  the  front  of  Washington. 
There  was  no  time  for  delay  and  Dolan,  with  his  genial  manner  and 
impressive  Irish  brogue,  soon  interested  the  party  and  announced  to 
them  his  intention  of  recruiting  men  for  a  company  which  he  was 
endeavoring  to  raise  and  which  was  to  rendezvous  at  his  tavern  at 
Milesburg.  His  voice  was  encouraging,  his  manner  persuasive  and 
the  patriotic  instincts  of  many  there  were  stirred  by  his  appeals. 
The  result  was  that  on  leaving  the  log  rolling  he  was  followed,  in  a 
few  days,  from  there  by  a  number  of  recruits  for  his  company. 

Among  them  was  William  Lucas,  a  young  man  scarcely  more 
than  sixteen  who  had  been  in  the  military  service  in  what  was  known 
as  the  "three  months  service"  at  the  beginning  of  the  War.  He  had 
some  knowledge  of  tactics  and,  when  the  recruits  reached  Dolan's 
tavern,  at  which  they  found  eight  or  ten  others  already  assembled, 
he  was  put  in  charge  of  the  entire  squad  as  acting  First  Sergeant. 
He  called  the  roll  morning  and  evening  and  exercised  whatever  of 
military  constraint  and  control  was  needful.  He  also  aided  in  enlist 
ing  recruits  in  the  immediate  neighborhood. 

Assisting  in  this  service  were  Austen  C.  Iddings  and  William 
Harper,  both  of  whom  were  endeavoring  to  secure  some  position  in 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          675 

the  company  or  in  the  Regiment  with  which  it  was  to  be  connected, 
the  intention  being  to  recruit  a  full  company  in  that  neighborhood. 

Before  this  was  accomplished,  however,  urgent  word  came  to 
Dolan  to  report  with  the  men  already  enlisted  at  Harrisburg,  inas 
much  as  the  Regiment  to  which  the  company  was  to  be  attached  was 
forming  and  his  presence  there  was  urgently  needed.  This  urgency 
disarranged  the  plans  of  those  who  had  united  in  efforts  to  fill  the 
nucleus  of  the  company  to  its  maximum  and  the  recruits,  about 
thirty  in  number,  went  to  Harrisburg  by  way  of  Lock  Haven,  using 
wagons  to  that  point  and  going  thence  by  rail. 

Among  those  who  went  were  Iddings  and  Harper,  who,  on 
reaching  Harrisburg  and  finding  that  the  company  was  not  full  and 
that  it  would  require  a  combination  to  complete  its  organization,  and 
finding  further  that  there  was  no  place  for  them,  as  they  had  hoped 
among  its  officers,  returned  home,  not  without  a  determined  effort, 
however,  to  secure  some  position  which  they  regarded  as  justly  due 
them,  in  view  of  the  services  which  they  had  previously  rendered  in 
securing  the  recruits  which  had  been  accepted  as  Dolan's  quota  in 
the  make-up  of  the  company. 

Dolan  had  no  military  experience  whatever  and  very  little  apti 
tude  for  command  and  was,  therefore,  glad  to  leave  his  squad,  upon 
its  arrival  at  Harrisburg,  in  the  hands  of  Lucas  who  marched  it  to 
Camp  Curtin,  secured  tents  and  other  camp  requisites  and  provisions 
and  established  the  squad  in  comfortable  quarters.  Wilson's  squad 
reached  Harrisburg  by  way  of  wagons  from  Penn's  Valley  to  Lewis- 
town  and  thence  by  rail.  Dolan  was,  of  course,  glad  to  make  a  com 
bination  with  him,  inasmuch  as  it  was  likely,  by  reason  of  his  knowl 
edge  of  affairs  at  Harrisburg  and  close  personal  and  family  connev 
tion  with  the  Governor,  he  would  be  enabled  to  prepare  the  way  for 
harmonious  organization  of  the  company  and  the  commissioning  of 
its  officers  and  secure  recruits  to  fill  it  to  the  maximum. 

When  the  final  arrangements  were  made  and  the  consolidation 
effected,  young  Lucas,  still  acting,  although  not  actually  appointed, 
as  First  Sergeant,  was  somewhat  surprised  one  evening,  before  the. 
Regiment  was  fully  organized,  to  find  a  stranger,  with  the  regulation 


676  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

chevrons  of  a  First  Sergeant,  calling  the  roll  in  the  company  street. 
Xo  explanation  was  made  to  him  and  he  quietly  found  a  place  in  tho 
ranks  and,  although  somewhat  humiliated,  prepared  to  serve  as  a 
private.  The  stranger  was  George  T.  Curvan  who  had  not  enlisted 
in  the  company  but  had  come  either  with  the  Boalsburg  company  or 
had  found  his  way  into  camp  in  some  other  way.  Several  years  after 
the  War  Lieutenant  Colonel  McFarlane,who  was  then  living  in  Belle- 
fonte  called  Lucas  into  his  place  of  business  and  explained  what  untii 
that  time  had  been  a.  mystery  to  him.  Curvan,  it  seems,  was  from  the 
Colonel's  neighborhood  and  he  desired  to  give  him  a  place  which  he 
was  not  able  to  find  for  him  in  the  company  which  he  had  brought 
from  home.  In  the  unorganized  condition  of  what  was  afterwards  F 
Company,  it  was  easy  to  have  Curvan  named  as  First  Sergeant  and, 
at  Colonel  McFarlane's  request,  this  was  done.  He  acknowledged 
that  it  had  been  a  mistake  and  that,  he  very  much  regretted  it,  say 
ing  to  Lucas,  "I  played  you  a  mean  trick  and  am  sorry  for  it."  Lucas 
expressed  like  sorrow  but,  so  far  as  he  was  concerned,  no  protest  had 
ever  been  made  and  he  began  in  the  ranks,  rising  grade  by  grade, 
serving  as  a  Corporal  with  the  color  guard  upon  its  organization 
after  his  first  promotion,  until  he  reached  the  position  which  should 
have  been  his  at  the  outset,  and  was  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant 
May  15,  1865,  was  for  a  considerable  time  in  command  of  his  com 
pany  during  the  time  Captain  Breon  was  a  prisoner  and  was  mus 
tered  out  with  the  company. 

The  final  consolidation  of  the  various  elements  which  composed 
the  company  was  not  made  until  after  Colonel  Beaver  arrived  and 
took  command  of  the  Regiment.  Ift  was  supposed  by  some  of  the  men 
of  Freeman's  squad  that  it  was  through  the  influence  of  the  Colonel 
that  Freeman  was  induced  to  make  the  combination  which  resulted 
in  the  final  organization  of  the  company  but  this  does  not  seem  to  be 
borne  out  by  the  facts.  At  all  events,  the  organization  of  the  com 
pany  was  completed  the  day  before  the  Regtimenit  left  Harrisburg 
and  went,  with  full  ranks  and  a  full  complement  of  officers,  Septem 
ber  9th,  to  Cockeysville  and  was  one  of  the  companies  which  went 
into  camp  at  Cockeysville,  the  headquarters  of  the  Regiment. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          677 

The  life  of  the  company  was  much  the  same  as  that  of  other 
companies  in  camp  at  Cockeysville.  The  boys  of  F  Company  were 
rather  enterprising1  and  soon  became  acquainted  in  the  neighborhood, 
frequenting  a  little  village  two  or  three  miles  below  Cockeysville, 
known  as  Texas,  consisting  of  a  tavern  and  a  group  of  houses  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  celebrated  lime  quarries  of  that  region.  The 
company  soon  learned  that  however  its  Captain  might  be  deficient 
in  military  knowledge  and  ability  to  enforce  military  discipline,  the 
Colonel  was  not  only  never  tired  but  seemed  to  be  ubiquitous  and  the 
impression  generally  prevailed  that  he  knew  every  man  in  the  Regi 
ment,  could  call  him  by  name  and  knew  more  of  his  daily  habits 
than  some  of  them  cared  to  have  known.  It  is  possible  that  in  this 
they  might  have  been  mistaken  but,  from  the  Colonel's  knowledge 
of  what  every  man  in  the  company  did  and  of  those  who  visited 
Texas  and  other  places  in  the  neighborhood,  as  communicated  to  the 
Capltain  in  rather  vigorous  style,  there  was  good  ground  for  believing 
that  little  went  on  in  the  Regiment  which  was  not  in  some  way 
brought  to  the  attention  of  its  commanding  officer. 

One  of  'the  members  of  the  company  was  William  Miller,  fa 
miliarly  known  as  "Billy."  He  had  a  brother  living  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  Cockeysville  who  came  to  our  camp,  after  we  settled  there, 
in  search  of  his  brother.  Billy  recognized  him,  although  they  had 
not  met  for  several  years.  He,  of  course,  invited  his  brother  to  visit 
him  but  Billy  hesitated  about  going,  unless  he  could  be  accompanied 
by  some  of  his  comrades.  An  invitation  was,  therefore,  extended  to 
three  of  his  companions  to  go  with  him  and  take  dinner  with  the 
brother's  family.  The  prospect  of  a  good  square  meal  was  very  en 
ticing  and  all  accepted.  The  Miller  homestead  was  found  after  con 
siderable  difficulty,  the  distance  from  camp  being  somewhat  great, 
but  the  party  arrived  before  dinner  and,  the  brother  being  well  to 
do,  the  members  of  F  Company  who  were  thus  favored  had  an  enjoy 
able  time.  Xot  only  did  they  get  a  good  dinner,  but  Miller's  daugh 
ter,  who  was  a  bright,  intelligent  young  woman,  was  a  good  musician 
and  contributed  much  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  visit. 

The  family  were  Southern  in  their  sentiments  and  their  sym 
pathies,  therefore,  were  with  the  Confederate  cause.  They  treated 


678  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

our  soldiers  royally,  however,  and,  inasmuch  as  Billy  could  not 
write,  they  insisted  that  some  one  of  the  party  should  write  and 
keep  them  informed  of  the  health  and  fortunes  of  their  kinsman. 
The  names  of  those  who  accompanied  Miller  on  this  trip  were  J. 
A.  Sankey,  Stephen  Kennelly  and  William  Lucas.  It  was  voted 
unanimously  that  Kennelly  should  be  the  correspondent  and  he  faith 
fully  discharged  the  duties  imposed  upon  him  until  he  was  killed 
at  Po  River  May  10,  1864. 

It  then  fell  to  the  lot  of  Sergt.  Jeremiah  Asher  Sankey  to  take 
Kennelly's  place,  who  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  a  Corporal  in  the 
company.  The  correspondence  continued  as  before  and  was  kept 
up  by  Sankey  until  March  25,  1865,  when,  having  been  promoted 
as  Lieutenant,  he  fell  mortally  wounded  on  the  front  line  and  was 
carried  back  and  died  three  days  thereafter. 

Sankey's  death  was  communicated  to  the  Miller  family  by 
Lucas  who  took  Sankey's  place  as  correspondent  and  continued  to  act 
in  that  capacity  until  the  close  of  the  War. 

Miller  was  taken  prisoner  at  Reams  Station  August  25,  1864, 
was  released  about  the  last  of  November,  1864,  returned  to  the  com 
pany  and  was  mustered  out  with  it. 

Anticipating  a  move  before  Christmas,  many  friends  of  the 
men  of  the  company  sent  their  Christmas  contributions  of  provisions, 
such  as  could  not  be  had  from  the  commissary  and  of  toilet  and  other 
conveniences  which  could  not  be  secured  from  the  Quartermaster's 
departments  early  in  the  month.  Before  leaving  Cockeysville,  what 
was  known  as  "a  box  from  home,"  containing  provisions  and  other 
things,  came  to  Lucas.  In  the  same  mess  with  him  at  the  time  was 
Elias  Boyer  who  was  one  of  the  "characters"  of  the  company.  Being 
on  picket  or  camp  guard  when  the  box  arrived,  the  other  members  of 
the  mess  dined  upon  a  part  of  its  contents,  among  which  was  a 
fine  roast  turkey.  In  order  to  have  as  much  enjoyment  out  of  it 
as  possible,  but  one  side  of  it  was  carved  in  the  first  attack  upon  it. 
When  Boyer  returned,  he  was  informed  of  the  fact  of  the  arrival  of 
the  box  and  that  he  should  go  into  the  tent  and  help  himself.  He  came 
out  in  due  time,  complacently  rubbing  himself,  remarking  upon  the 
splendid  dinner  he  had  had  and  proceeded  to  enjoy  his  smoke.  When 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          679 

the  other  fellows  entered  the  tent,  not  a  scrap  of  the  turkey  was  left. 
Every  bone  had  been  picked  clean  and  the  anticipations  of  a  meal 
for  the  next  day  were  speedily  dissipated.  Pies,  cakes,  jellies  and 
whatever  else  the  box  contained  had  no  charms  for  Boyer. 

In  the  midst  of  the  enjoyment  of  delicacies  from  home  and 
when  our  winter  quarters  were  well  in  hand  and  almost  ready  for 
occupancy,  marching  orders  came.     When  tents  and  our  company 
property  were  all  ready  for  transportation  by  rail,  a  number  of  the 
fellows  of  F  Company  paid  a  final  visit  to  their  friends  in  Texas, 
in  order  to  bid  them  good-bye.     Everything  was  lovely,  so  far  as  the 
boys  were  concerned,  but  the  landlord,  heretofore  referred  to,  rather 
objected  to  our  familiarity  with  his  eatables  and  drinkables.     He 
cnme  to  camp  the  next  morning,  our  departure  being  delayed  for 
lack  of  tranportation,  and  made  complaint  to  the  Colonel.     Numerous 
complaints  of  the  other  kind  had  previously  been  made  of  the  land 
lord's  disposition  to  accommodate  the  fellows  with  what  the  Colonel 
thought  they  were  better  without  and,  when  he  made  his  complaint, 
it  is  hard  to  tell  who  got  the  worst  scolding,  the  landlord  or  the  boys. 
The  ride  to  Baltimore,  our  cordial  treatment  at  the  Union  Relief 
Station,  the  march  across  the  city  from  Calvert  Street   Station  to 
the  B.  &  O.  Railroad,  the  delay  in  Washington  and  the  march  down 
the  eastern  side  of  the  Potomac  to  Liverpool  Point  and  thence  across 
the  river  to  Acquia  Creek  and  on  to  Falmouth  have  been  spoken 
of  elsewhere  and  these  need  not  be  repeated,  as  the  experiences  were 
practically  the  same  in  F  as  in  the  other  companies  of  the  Regiment. 
It  is  likewise  needless  here  to  repeat  the  experiences  immediately 
following  the   assignment  of  the  Regiment  to  the  First  Brigade, 
First  Division,  Second  Army  Corps,  and  of  the  erection  of  winter 
quarters  which  have  been  told  with  more  or  less  detail  in  a  number 
of  the  other  stories. 

The  company  was  perhaps  impressed  with  the  frequency  and 
constant  repetition  of  battalion  drills  as  being  unnecessarily  burden 
some,  but  we  soon  learned  that  these  were  essential  not  only  to  the 
training  of  the  Regiment  but  to  the  development  of  the  physique  of 
the  men  and  to  familiarize  them  with  battalion  movements  and  inci 
dentally  with  the  more  elementary  details  of  the  school  of  the  soldier. 


680  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Xo  company  perhaps  needed  these  more  than  F  Company,  inasmuch 
as  Lieutenant  Wilson  was  detailed  for  much  of  the  winter  as  Adju 
tant  in  the  absence  of  Adjutant  Lipton  who  was  home  sick.  Lieuten 
ant  Freeman  was  lame  and,  as  already  intimated,  the  Captain  not  be 
ing  well  versed  in  military  affairs,  gave  but  little  attention  to  com 
pany  drill.  This  being  true  of  some  other  companies  may  possibly 
account  for  the  insistence  and  persistence  of  the  Colonel  not  only  in 
the  prolonged  battalion  drills  but  in  the  unusual  attention  to  manual 
of  arms  and  other  simple  movements  which  could  be  secured  at  the 
daily  dress  parade. 

During  this  winter  in  camp,  Lieutenant  Freeman  resigned  and, 
on  the  same  day,  Sergeant  Cm-van  was  promoted  to  Second  Lieuten 
ant  in  his  place,  Sergeant  Breon,  who  afterwards  became  Captain 
of  the  company,  being  made  First  Sergeant  a  few  days  later.  This 
made  a  vacancy  to  which  William  Lucas  was  appointed. 

As  compared  with  the  regiments  of  our  Division  which  had  been 
through  the  Peninsular  campaign  and  had  taken  part  in  the 
battles  of  Antietam  and  Fredericksburg,  ours  looked  like  a  brigade 
but,  after  details  for  all  the  various  purposes  for  which  men  were 
detailed  and  after  the  epidemic  of  sickness  which  prevailed  during 
the  winter,  our  ranks  became  much  reduced  by  the  time  spring 
opened  and  the  Chancellorsville  campaign  began. 

We  moved  with  the  Regiment  to  Chancellorsville  and  had  some 
part  in  the  battle. 

In  the  preliminary  movements,  while  the  Regiment  was  drawn 
up  in  line,  M'ajor  Fairlamb  asked  William  Perry,  an  old  woodsman 
from  Snoe  Shoe  how  he  liked  it.  A  stray  shot  was  at  the  time  com 
ing  occasionally  from  the  front  but  no  enemy  in  sight.  Perry  said, 
"Well,  Major,  to  stand  here  and  be  shot  at  and  darsent  shoot  back. 
I  be  d — d  if  I  like  it."  Perry  was  standing  at  the  time  with  gun 
in  hand  and  eyes  intently  peering  to  the  front.  He  looked  as  if  he 
was  standing  on  the  banks  of  the  Susquehanna  waiting  for  a  deer  to 
come  down. 

We  finally  found  ourselves  on  the  picket  line  in  front  of  the 
line  of  battle,  facing  toward  Fredericksburg.  Perry  and  the  rest 
of  us  had  plenty  of  occupation  after  being  deployed  as  skirmishers. 


TUL  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          681 

The  Johnnies  were  very  alert  but  at  the  same  time  very  careful. 
Lucas  and  John  English  finally  succeeded  in  manoeuvring  one  of 
them  from  behind  a  big  tree  from  which  the  combined  effort  of  both 
failed  to  dislodge  him  for  a  long  time.  It  did  look  during'  this  en 
counter  as  if  one  Confederate  man  was  a  match  for  at  least  two 
Yankees.  If  John  should  ever  see  this  he  will  certainly  recall  the 
incident. 

Col.  Xelson  A.  Miles,  who  was  officer  of  the  day  and  in  charge 
of  the  picket  line,  was  wounded  during  the  day  and,  when  he  left  the 
field,  there  did  not  seem  to  be  anyone  to  take  his  place.  Our  line 
became  separated  and  Captain  Weaver,  of  our  Regiment,  who  was  in 
charge  of  our  part  of  it,  in  some  way  received  an  intimation  by,  an 
Orderly  or  Aide  of  General  Hancock  that  the  line  should  be  with 
drawn.  How  it  was  accomplished  some  of  us  have  never  quite  under 
stood  but  we  finally  withdrew  by  the  left  flank  and  the  next  morning 
were  enabled  to  rejoin  the  Regiment  or  rather  that  part  of  it  which 
remained  after  the  terrible  Sunday's  fight  in  which  the  companies 
which  remained  by  the  colors  were  frightfully  decimated,  the  Colonel 
being  among  the  severely  wounded. 

We  recrossed  the  river,  returned  to  our  old  camp  and  had  no 
unusual  experiences  until  the  march  for  Pennsylvania  began  in 
June.  The  details  of  this  march  have  been  told  in  so  many  ways 
that  the  story  is  quite  familiar  and  our  part  of  it  need  not  be  par 
ticularly  recited. 

On  the  march,  a  mule  having  become  swamped  and  being  un 
able  to  extricate  itself,  the  boys  stepped  upon  it  as  they  went  along. 
John  English,  who  was  always  ready  for  anything,  slipped  a  car 
tridge  into  his  gun,  applied  its  muzzle  to  the  ear  of  the  mule  and 
ir  was  soon  out  of  its  misery.  Colonel  McFarlane,  who  was  ccftn- 
manding  the  Regiment  in  the  absence  of  the  Colonel,  who  had  been 
wounded  at  Chancellorsville,  rode  back  and  inquired,  as  was  usual 
in  such  cases,  who  was  guilty  of  such  a  breach  of  discipline.  No 
reply  was  made,  of  course,  everybody  was  entirely  ignorant  of  what 
had  happened,  the  Colonel  failed  to  find  who  was  the  guilty  party 
and  rode  again  to  the  front. 

During  the  most  of  the  march  from  Falmouth  to  Gettysburg,  the 


682  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

men  were  entirely  ignorant  of  their  destination.  Some  time  before 
reaching  Pennsylvania,  however,  we  learned  that  the  Army  was  likely 
to  be  concentrated  in  our  native  state  and,  when  we  crossed  the  line  be 
tween  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania,  which  was  plainly  discernible 
by  the  difference  in  the  character  of  the  buildings  and  farm  im 
provements,  there  was  a  general  shout  of  joy.  We  made  a  great 
march  the  day  before  reaching  Gettysburg,  coming  within  supporting 
distance  of  that  portion  of  the  Army  already  there  late  in-  the  even 
ing.  Firing  began  early  the  next  morning  and  before  we  had  be 
come  fairly  engaged  we  met  our  first  loss  in  that  battle,  the  first  man 
killed  in  our  company  being  Alexander  Creighton. 

During  the  afternoon  of  the  2d,  as  is  well  known,  we  moved 
to  the  left  from  the  position  occupied  in  the  morning,  without  counter 
marching,  and  were,  therefore,  left  in  front.  When  brought  into 
line,  the  rear  rank  was  in  front,  and  although  the  firing  was  heavy, 
we  counter-marched,  in  order  to  secure  our  ordinary  formation.  This 
was  done  in  fine  style,  although  under  a  heavy  fire.  We  then  charged 
through  the  wheat  field  and  finally  drove  the  enemy  from  the  stone 
fence  beyond  it.  When  our  company  crossed  this  wall  several  of  the 
Confederates  threw  down  their  arms  and  surrendered. 

A  day  or  two  previously  on  the  march  two  of  our  company  had  a 
dispute  over  the  ownership  of  a  tin  cup,  each  one  claiming  it.  The 
Captain  was  called  upon  to  settle  the  dispute  but  didn't  succeed  in 
determining  finally  to  whom  the  cup  belonged.  After  crossing  this 
fence,  however,  the  Captain,  who  was  very  cool  and  unconcerned 
uhder  fire,  spied  some  tin  cups  lying  around  loose  and  called  out  in 
a  loi;d  voice,  "Here,  any  of  you  fellows  that  hasn't  a  tin  cup  come 
and  get  one  and  don't  be  fightin'  about  them  hereafter.1'  Tt  didn't 
sound  so  laughable  under  the  circumstances  which  surrounded  us  at 
the  time  but  we  had  many  a  laugh  over  it  afterwards. 

We  held  the  position  gained  until  after  dark  and  were  relieved 
by  other  troops,  going  back  to  the  point  from  which  we  had  been 
moved  to  assist  in  the  attack  of  the  afternoon. 

Our  company  suffered  heavily  in  killed  and  wounded,  some  also 
being  taken  prisoners,  among  the  killed  being  Corporal  William  H. 
Burrell  and  George  M.  Steffey ;  among  the  wounded,  John  D.  Lucas, 


THE  148TH  rENNSYL^JNIJ  VOLUNTEERS          685 

Jeremiah  McKinley,  William  Perry  and  others  not  now  recalled, 
and  among  those  taken  prisoners,  William  0.  Steffey. 

After  regaining  our  old  position,  a  detail  was  made  for  picket 
duty,  the  line  being  established  about  forty  rods  to  our  front.  There 
had  been  heavy  fighting  there  during  the  daj  and  our  pickets  found 
the  dead  thickly  strewn  over  the  field,  the  Regiment  which  occupied 
that  part  of  the  field,  as  indicated  by  their  caps,  being  the  lllth 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers.  In  the  stillness  of  the  night,  the  cries  of 
the  wounded  which  could  be  distinctly  heard,  asking  for  water  or 
calling  "Mother,"  were  very  pathetic;  but,  when  morning  came  and 
the  sharpshooters  opened  upon  our  line  when  anyone  moved  and 
particularly  later  on  when  the  forces  on  both  sides  became  more 
active,  these  all  ceased  or  were  at  least  drowned  in  the  noises  of  the 
conflict. 

Pickett's  charge  will  be  remembered  by  all  who  witnessed  it 
from  the  position  occupied  by  our  Regiment,  It  was  not  specially 
directed  toward  the  point  which  we  occupied  but  we  were  able  to  get 
in  some  work  on  the  flank  of  the  supporting  columns. 

Little  was  done  on  the  4th  of  July,  except  to  bury  the  dead, 
for  which  we  had  a  detail,  but  we  were  held  in  readiness  for  any 
movements  which  might  occur  and  were,  therefore,  kept  in  line. 

After  recrossing  the  Potomac  at  Harper's  Ferry,  on  the  march 
through  the  Loudon  Valley,  blackberries  were  very  abundant,  and 
the  doctor  having  recommended  them  as  a  desirable  change  in  the 
diet  of  the  Regiment,  we  availed  ourselves  of  the  liberty  which  was 
thus  given  to  skirmish  through  the  blackberry  patches  which  were 
so  numerous  in  our  front  and  on  our  flanks. 

We  followed  Lee  leisurely  for  some  time  and  finally,  in  August, 
reached  the  camp  near  Morrisville,  Virginia,  where  we  "dug  a  well," 
laid  out  a  pleasant  camp  and  had  quite  a  restful  time  after  the 
fatigues  of  the  campaign.  Colonel  Beaver  had  returned  in  the  mean 
time  and  things  were  lively  in  the  effort  to  put  the  Regiment  in 
good  shape  for  any  demands  which  might  be  made  upon  it. 

About  this  time  (September  8th)  Captain  Dolan  resigned  and 
left  the  Army,  Captain  Wilson  being  promoted  to  the  captaincy ;  but 
as  he  was  then  serving  on  the  division  staff,  Lieutenant  Breon,  who 


684  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

had  been  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant,  was  in  command  of  the  com 
pany,  and  after  Wilson's  appointment  in  the  Regular  Army, 
Breon  received  the  promotion  to  Captain  to  which  he  was  richly 
entitled  and  which  he  had  earned  by  faithful  service  and  conspicuous 
gallantry.  These  changes  opened  the  way  for  'the  promotion  of  Wil 
liam  Lucas  to  First  Lieutenant,  whose  recollections  constitute  the 
bulk  of  this  story  of  the  company. 

To  return  to  the  fall  of  1863,  however,  after  taking  part  in  the 
retrograde  movement  from  Culpeper  to  Bull  Run  and  back  and  after 
the  unfortunate  Mine  Run  campaign,  we  built  and  occupied  what 
was  undoubtedly  the  best  camp  we  ever  had  and  was  one  of  the 
finest  anywhere  to  be  found  in  the  Army.  It  was  laid  out  on  a 
generous  scale,  was  thoroughly  ditched,  had  sidewalks  of  puncheons 
in  all  the  company  streets  and  in  front  of  the  quarters  of  the  line 
officers  and  also  of  the  field  and  staff.  The  ground  was  not  naturally 
well  suited  for  a  camp,  being  rather  low ;  but,  by  digging  the  ditches 
deep,  it  became  well  drained  and  in  time  became  a  desirable  and 
comfortable  camp.  The  men's  quarters  were  of  logs,  ^  uniform 
size,  having  a  door  at  one  end  and  a  fire-place  at  the  other,  with 
bunks  at  the  sides. 

A  notable  mess  was  that  composed  of  the  English  boys,  Phelps 
Hinton  and  Lucas.  The  neighborhood  was  thoroughly  ransacked 
for  cooking  conveniences  and  this  mess  secured  a  large  skillet,  bought 
from  a  woman  in  the  neighborhood  with  the  understanding  that  it 
was  to  be  returned  in  the  spring  after  the  camp  was  broken  ,up. 

Many  recruits  came  to  the  Regiment  during  this  winter  and 
the  time  sped  rapidly  in  instructing  them  in  all  the  duties  of  a 
soldier,  the  old  men,  of  course,  holding  themselves  as  instructors 
and  giving  many  lessons,  which  were  probably  not  exactly  according 
to  tactics. 

We,  of  course,  shared  in  all  the  inspections  and  reviews  pre 
paratory  to  the  great  campaign  of  1864. 

The  Army  was  supplied  as  never  before  with  clothing  and  arms 
and  ammunition  and,  during  the  winter,  was  well  fed  with  a  greater 
variety  of  food  and  with  a  larger  amount  of  vegetable  diet  than  usual. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  685 

The  result  was  that,  when  the  time  for  the  spring  movement  came, 
all  were  in  good  trim  and  ready  for  the  fray. 

We  moved  with  our  Brigade,  crossing  the  Rappahannock  and 
manoeuvring  with  the  Regiment  through  the  Wilderness  and  the 
skirmishes  connected  therewith  until  we  came  to  Po  River.  Here 
we  had  a  sad  experience.  In  crossing  the  river,  which  was  not  wide 
but  deep,  Corporal  David  Irvin,  Corporal  Martin  Irvin  and  Sergeant 
Lucas  were  together.  On  reaching  the  opposite  bank,  Martin  was 
shot  and  severely  wounded.  His  brother  and  Lucas  took  him  to  the. 
opposite  bank  but  by  the  time  they  reached  it  he  was  dead.  David 
was  also  wounded  during  this  engagement. 

The  following  day,  after  manoeuvring  for  a  position  for  the 
entire  morning,  a  line  was  finally  formed  in  the  edge  of  a  woods 
opposite  a  line  of  breastworks  which  had  been  thrown  up  earlier  in 
the  day  and  was  then  occupied  by  the  Confederates.  At  the  first 
volley,  five  of  our  company  fell :  First  Sergt.  Robert  A.  Henry,  and 
Corp.  Stephen  Kennelly,  being  killed  and  three  others  wounded, 
among  whom  were  Sergt  William  B.  Phelps  and  Corporal  String- 
fellow.  John  Cooney  being  also  wounded  and  captured,  died  in 
Richmond  19th  of  Jure  following. 

During  this  engagement,  William  H.  Berger,  who  was  a  substi 
tute  was  severely  wounded.  His  brother,  Jacob,  who  was  also  one 
of  the  recruits  received  during  the  winter,  was  helping  him  back 
when  Colonel  Beaver  gave  his  horse  to  carry  William  to  the  rear. 

On  coming  out  of  this  engagement,  Elias  Hover  and  Lucas 
were  together  when  they  came  upon  Major  Fairlamb,  whose  horse 
had  become  mired  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  The  Major  called  to 
Boyer  to  shoot  the  horse  but  Boyer,  who  was  in  somewhat  of  a  hurry, 
said  he  had  had  enough  of  shooting  and  passed  on.  The  Major  left 
the  horse,  crossed  the  river  and  the  next  morning  his  horse  was  in 
camp. 

Our  company  also  suffered  severely  in  the  charge  at  Spotsyl 
vania  two  days  later.     It   is   impossible  to  recall  the  name  of  all 
the  killed  and  wounded,  but  among  the  killed  were  Benjamin  Little 
and  Luke  McAbee,  and  among  the  wounded,  Constantine  Hinton  and 
David  Specht  and  Jacob  Weand  who  were  drafted  men. 


686  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

It  may  be  well  to  say  here  that  the  recruits  who  joined  us 
during  the  winter  of  1863-1864,  whether  drafted  men  or  substitutes, 
after  they  became  inured  to  camp  life  and  familiar  with  the  duties 
o/  a  soldier,  could  with  difficulty  be  distinguished  from  those  who 
had  been  more  than  a  year  longer  in  service  and  who  had  had  the 
vicissitudes  of  Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg,  Mine  Run  and  all  the 
experience  in  picket,  skirmish  and  march  which  made  them  hardy 
veterans. 

Among  the  recruits  thus  received  was  a  squad  from  Blair 
County,  some  of  whose  comrades  became  members  of  E  Company. 
The  following,  however,  all  joined  us  and  soon  became  efficient  and 
reliable  soldiers:  George  Cogan,  transferred  to  Company  G,  53d 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Veterans,  June  1,  1865 ;  Michael 
Fox,  transferred  to  same  company,  discharged  June  24,  1865  ;  Benja 
min  Hockenberry,  who  died  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  August  28th 
from  wounds  received  at  Deep  Bottom,  Virginia,  August  16,  1864, 
buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Arlington ;  David  Kennedy  died  May 
31st  of  wounds  received  at  Spotsylvania,  buried  National  Cemetery, 
Arlington;  Nathaniel  Miller,  transferred  to  G  Company,  53d  Penn 
sylvania  Volunteer  Veterans,  June  1,  1865  ;  Henry  S.  Nolder — 
erroneously  spelled  Nolden  in  Bates'  History — transferred  to  Com 
pany  G,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Veterans,  June  1,  1865.  The 
family  history  of  the  latter  is  somewhat  peculiar  from  the  military 
standpoint.  Hlis  great-grandfather  served  under  Napoleon ;  his 
grandfather  was  in  the  War  of  1812  from  first  to  last;  his  father 
was  in  the  Mexican  War  and  also  in  the  three  months'  service  during 
the  Rebellion ;  a  brother  was  killed  at  Antietam  and  a  son  served  in 
the  Army  during  the  Spanish-American  War.  This  record  is  cer 
tainly  worth  preserving. 

At  Cold  Harbor,  a  portion  of  our  company  was  on  the  picket 
line  and,  when  the  advance  was  made,  we  advanced  as  skirmisher? 
and,  when  the  line  of  battle  had  passed,  we  acted  as  provost  gunnf 

That  was  a  battle  indeed.  We  secured  a  position  close  to  tV 
enemy's  lines  and  remained  there  intrenched  for  some  twelve  days 
and,  after  withdrawing,  marched  to  the  James  River  which  wr 
and  continued  our  mnrch  to  Petersburg,  meeting  with  p 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          687 

warm  reception  from  the  Johnnies,  when  we  made  <mr  tirst  charge 
on  the  evening  of  the  16th  of  June.  Colonel  Beaver  was  among  the 
wounded  in  this  charge.  Later  in  the  evening  we  took  an  advanced 
position  and,  during  the  early  part  of  the  night  our  ammunition 
becoming  exhausted,  we  were  compelled  to  slacken  our  fire.  The 
enemy,  taking  advantage  of  this,  crawled  up  quite  close  and  then 
made  a  rush  for  our  line,  part  of  which  was  captured,  among  the 
prisoners  being  Lieutenant  Breon.  The  writer  and  others  made  their 
escape  by  running  back  in  the  darkness  but  fortunately  in  the  right 
direction. 

In  the  first  expedition  to  Deep  Bottom,  Sergeant  David  Burrell 
was  severely  wounded,  in  consequence  of  which  he  was  discharged 
the  following  February.  It  is  doubtful  if  he  ever  recovered  entirely 
from  this  wound,  although  still  living. 

We  made  a  second  expedition  to  Deep  Bottom  which  has  been 
elswhere  described  which  seemed  to  us  to  be  about  as  fruitless  as  the 
first,  although  both  doubtless  had  their  significance,  at  least  in 
the  minds  of  those  who  planned  the  campaign.  In  the  latter  expedi 
tion  our  company  lost  Benjamin  Hockenberry,  a  drafted  man,  who 
was  wounded  and  died  subsequently  at  Washington  August  28th.  He 
i*  buried  in  the  National  Cemetery  at  Arlington. 

Late'r  in  the  summer  we  made  our  expedition  for  the  destruc 
tion  of  the  Weldon  Railroad  which  culminated  in  the  disastrous 
battle  of  Reams  Station  August  25,  1864 ;  but,  before  that  occurred, 
we  certainly  did  get  our  work  in  on  the  Weldon  Railroad.  After 
tearing  up  the  road,  the  ties  were  piled  in  heaps  and  burned,  and  the 
rails,  being  placed  crosswise  upon  them,  were  heated  and  then  twisted 
and  in  many  instances  wound  about  trees.  This  was  a  new  kind  of 
warfare  and  made  a  decided  impression  upon  our  comrades;  but 
perhaps  nothing  during  that  little  campaign  will  be  more  enjoy  ably 
remembered  than  the  green  corn  which  we  were  able  to  secure  in 
abundance  and  which  made  a  refreshing  variety  in  our  diet. 

The  climax  of  this  campaign  was  the  disastrous  battle  at  Reams 
Station.  Being  interrupted  in  our  work  of  demolishing  the  railroad 
by  the  enemy  who  seemed  to  be  in  strong  force,  our  line  was 
formed  behind  an  embankment  which  served  us  as  breastworks  and 


688  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

preparations  made  for  battle.  Our  Regiment  was  ordered  to  the 
front  by  Colonel  Broady,  61st  New  York  Regiment,  who  was  com 
manding  the  Brigade,  in  order  to  develop  the  position  of  the  enemy. 
We  crossed  the  railroad,  led  by  Captain  Rhinehart,  who  was  in 
command  of  the  Regiment,  but  before  we  had  fairly  started  Sergt. 
William  J.  Mackey  was  hit  and  knocked  down,  probably  by  a  spent 
ball,  for,  after  reviving,  which  was  almost  immediately,  he  continued 
with  the  company. 

We  passed  over  the  works,  deployed  as  skirmishers  and  crossed 
a  field  grown  up  with  pine  bushes,  with  woods  beyond.  Before 
reaching  the  timber,  we  discovered  the  enemy  was  in  force  but 
pushed  on  and  displayed  the  fact  that  there  were  several  lines  of 
buttle.  We  fell  back,  of  course,  the  enemy  quickly  following.  While 
wo  were  on  the  skirmish  line,  Colonel  Beaver  returned  in  an  ambu 
lance  but,  after  relieving  Colonel  Broady  of  the  command  of  the 
Brigade,  was  wounded  and  taken  to  the  rear  before  we  had  the 
opportunity  of  seeing  him. 

The  enemy  made  a  splendid  assault  which,  under  ordinary  cir 
cumstances,  would  have  been  undoubtedly  repulsed  but  a  new  German 
regiment  from  New  York  which  was  on  the  left  of  our  Regiment 
broke  and  gave  way  and  let  the  enemy  in  on  our  flank.  This,  of 
course,  compelled  us  to  fall  back  and  fonn  a  new  line,  which  we  did 
and  held  it  until  night  set  in.  This  engagement  was  one  of  the  most 
disastrous  in  which  the  Second  Corps  ever  took  part,  but  the  details 
of  it  have  been  told  elsewhere  and  it  is  not  necessary  to  repeat  them 
here. 

Among  the  casualties  in  our  company  were  John  Mills  and 
William  A.  Parker  wounded,  and  Albert  Lord  and  William  Miller 
captured. 

In  September,  1864,  we  received  our  new  seven-shooters.  It  i> 
needless  to  say  that  not  only  because  of  the  guns  themselves  but 
reason  of  the  circumstances  under  which  they  were  received,  our 
Regiment  being  designated  as  the  one  in  the  First  Division  to  re 
ceive  them,  they  were  considered,  as  the  boys  expressed  if,  "dandies." 
Each  man  claimed  his  gun  to  be  the  best  and  when,  a  few  days  after 
receiving  them,  we  were  sent  out  to  the  front  near  one  of  the  enemy's 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEER  689 

so-called  forts,  you  would  have  thought  a  severe  battle  was  on,  every 
man  being  on  the  lookout  for  something  at  which  to  shoot. 

Pat  McEntire  was  firing  at  a  decoy  that  one  of  the  Johnnies 
had  pushed  above  the  breastworks  and,  having  exhausted  his  ammu 
nition,  was  refilling  the  magazine,  when  he  discovered  John  D. 
Lucas  firing  in  the  direction  of  his  stuffed  man.  Pat,  not  knowing 
that  it  was  a  decoy,  called  out,  "Dan,  get  a  man  of  your  own  to  shoot 
at;  that  one  belongs  to  me." 

John  English,  thinking  he  had  the  best  gun  in  the  Regiment 
and  desiring  not  to  be  idle,  and  being  one  of  the  best  marksmen  we 
had,  saw  a  little  knoll  in  front  of  our  line.  He  concluded  that  he 
would  crawl  out  to  it,  dig  a  little  pit  and  there  secure  a  better  poin 
for  observation  and  at  the  same  time  screen  himself  from  the  fire 
of  the  enemy  and  have  a  little  fight  on  his  own  account.  He  reached 
the  point,  hollowed  out  a  little  place  for  his  body  and  began  opera 
tions.  The  Johnnies,  however,  didn't  seem  disposed  to  fight  fair 
and,  seeing  the  fresh  dirt  and  feeling  the  galling  effect  of  John's 
fire,  opened  on  his  little  individual  fort  with  cannon.  Their  aim 
was  good ;  the  first  shot  hit  the  mark,  the  shell  exploded  and  John 
came  tumbling  back  without  the  aid  of  stretcher  bearers.  He  had  re 
ceived  a  very  painful,  although  not  a  dangerous  wound,  a  piece  jf 
the  shell  catching  him  on  the  back  near  the  cartridge  belt  and  burning 
him  badly.  After  the  pain  had  ceased  to  some  extent  and  he  found 
he  was  not  dangerously  hurt,  John  went  back  to  his  little  fort  and 
held  it  in  spite  of  the  enemy. 

It  was  doubtless  because  of  our  superior  arms  and  the  facility 
which  we  soon  acquired  in  handling  them  that  a  detail  was  made 
from  our  Regiment  October  27,  1864,  for  an  assault  upon  a  fort  in 
our  front  which  occupied  the  ground  known  as  the  Crater,  where 
what  was  known  as  the  Burnside  Mine  was  exploded  in  July.  This 
assault  and  the  wonderful  success  of  it  has  been  fully  described  in 
the  story  relating  to  it  and  in  several  of  the  other  companies'  stories, 
so  that  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  speak  of  it  in  detail.  We  had 
our  share,  however,  in  the  detail  and  in  the  glory,  and  it  is  much  to 
be  regretted  that  the  names  of  the  men  who  were  detailed  from  our 
company  cannot  be  given  with  absolute  certainty. 


690  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

The  winter  of  1864-1865  was  full  of  activity  and,  although 
compelled  to  be  on  the  alert  at  all  times  and  under  all  circumstances, 
the  inarches  were  of  no  great  length,  the  general  feature  of  the  cam 
paign  being  the  extension  of  our  lines  to  our  left  so  as  to  develop  the 
Confederate  position.  The  details  have  been  given  elsewhere  and 
need  not  be  repeated  here. 

When  the  spring  campaign  opened,  we  moved  and  fought  with 
the  Regiment  whose  fortunes  were  linked  with  those  of  the  First 
Division  of  the  Second  Corps  as  in  other  campaigns. 

At  Gravelly  Run  the  Regiment  under  Captain  Sutton  was  un 
usually  successful,  bringing  in  a  large  number  of  prisoners  and  some 
flags,  and  wa.s  complimented  in  orders  by  General  Miles. 

At  Five  Forks,  Corp.  Isa  P.  Leightley,  who  was  serving  with 
the  color  guard,  brought  the  colors  off  the  field  after  Corporal  Shof- 
stall  of  E  Company,  who  was  carrying  them  that  day,  was  killed. 
The  Regiment  was  deployed  and  few,  if  any,  left  with  the  colors  and 
but  for  Leigh tley  they  would  doubtless  have  been  lost. 

The  details  of  this  campaign,  its  triumphant  close  and  the 
march  back  to  Alexandria  are  told  with  so  much  particularity  else 
where  that  it  is  unnecessary  for  us  to  enlarge  upon  them  here. 

After  reaching  Alexandria,  Lieutenant  Breon  returned  from 
prison  in  time  to  be  mustered  as  Captain  of  the  company  before  the 
final  muster-out^  which  occurred  at  Harrisburg  in  the  early  part  of 
June,  three  years  lacking  three  months  after  our  muster-in  at  the 
same  place. 


LIEUT.-COL.   WM.   P.   WILSON 


THE  148TI1  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          691 


CAPT.  WILLIAM  POTTER  WILSON. 

Captain  Wilson's  connection  with  F  Company  has  been  referred' 
to  in  various  ways  in  the  story  of  that  company  but  the  most  of  his 
military  career  was  apart  from  it  and  is,  therefore,  worthy  of  special 
notice  here. 

He  served  as  Adjutant  during  a  portion  of  the  winter  of  1862- 
1863  during  the  absence  of  Adjutant  Lipton  on  account  of  the  sick 
ness  which  resulted  in  his  death. 

After  the  appointment  of  Sergeant  Major  Muffly  as  Adjutant, 
Lieutenant  Wilson  was  detailed  to  serve  upon  the  division  staff.  He 
was  specially  fitted  for  staff  duty,  by  nature,  education  and  training. 
He  was  descended  from  loyal  Revolutionary  stock,  his  mother  being 
the  granddaughter  of  Gen.  James  Potter  who  greatly  distinguished 
himself  during  the  Revolutionary  struggle  and  was  held  in  high  re 
gard  by  General  Washington  and  who  afterwards  served  as  Vice- 
President  of  the  Supreme  Executive  Council  of  Pennsylvania  under 
the  Constitution  of  1776.  Captain  Wilson  had  also,  as  previously 
stated,  served  as  private  secretary  to  Governor  Curtin  and  had  an 
extensive  acquaintance.  He  was  an  intimate  friend  of  Mitchell  and 
Parker,  bath  well  known  Pennsylvanians,  who  had  come  with  Gen 
eral  Hancock  from  the  Sixth  Corps,  and  his  detail,  therefore,  was 
not  unnatural.  He  served  on  the  division  staff  for  a  year  or  more, 
rendering  conspicuous  service  at  Chancellorsville  and  Gettysburg. 

He  was  transferred  to  the  corps  headquarter  staff  before  the 
campaign  of  1864,  in  which  capacity,  in  the  campaign  of  the  Wilder 
ness  and  in  file  fight  at  Reams  Station,  he  greatly  distinguished 
himself,  and  for  his  services  at  the  battle  last  named  was  specially 
mentioned  in  orders. 

After  General  Hancock  left  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  he  was 
transferred  to  his  staff  by  detail  and  was  subsequently  appointed 
Captain  and  Aide-de-Camp  United  States  Volunteers.  This  latter 
appointment  left  the  vacancy  in  his  company  which  was  filled  imme 
diately  by  the  appointment  of  Lieut.  Jacob  Breon  as  Captain. 


692  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Captain  Wilson  was  brevetted  Major  United  States  Volunteers 
December  2,  1864,  for  gallant  services  during  the  campaign  beforr 
Richmond,  Virginia,  Lieutenant  Colonel  United  States  Volunteers 
March  13,  1865,  for  services  during  the  War,  and  Major  United 
States  Army  March  2,  1807,  for  gallant  and  meritorious  services  in 
the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  Virginia. 

After  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  in  July,  1866,  he  was  ap 
pointed  Captain  in  the  21st  Infantry  United  States  Army  and  served 
therein  for  several  years. 

In  1870  he  was  honorably  discharged  from  the  military  service 
and  for  several  years  engaged  in  business  pursuits. 

For  two  years  prior  to  his  death  he  suffered  from  an  acute  form 
of  heart  disease,  which  required  him  to  retire  from  all  active  partici 
pation  in  business  affairs,  and  died  at  Warm  Springs,  Virginia,  Aug 
ust  6,  1886. 


THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  G. 

Intioduction  by  the  Lditur 

The  Union  Army,  as  is  well  known,  was  noted  for  the  intelli 
gence  of  its  soldiery.  The  148th  was  a  type  of  that  class  of  regiments 
of  which  it  has  been  said  that  in  its  field,  staff,  line  and  ranks  might 
have  been  found  men  who  could  preside  over  a  college,  edit  and 
print  a  newspaper,  build  a  locomotive,  construct  and  operate  a 
telegraph  line  or  run  a  steamboat,  while  nearly  every  man  was  quali 
fied  to  teach  school. 

The  Colonel  was  a  college  graduate  and  a  practicing  attorney. 
The  author  of  the  following  story,  Capt.  James  J.  Patterson,  of  Com 
pany  G,  \vas  a  fine  type  of  the  classically  educated  men  of  the  Regi 
ment.  He  was  the  son  of  John  and  Ellen  Van  Dyke  Patterson,  born 
in  Philadelphia  June  22,  1838.  In  his  childhood  he  was  taken  to 
the  old  family  home  at  Academia,  Juniata  County,  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  spent  his  boyhood.  His  parents  removed  to  Peru  Mills, 
where  he  attained  his  majority.  After  a  preparatory  course  at  Tus- 
carora  Academy,  in  September,  1856,  he  entered  Dickinson  College, 
whence  he  was  graduated  in  June,  1859.  He  became  Principal  of 
Boalsburg  Academy  in  November  following  where  he  conducted  a 
highly  successful  work  until  August  5,  1862,  when  he  felt  it  his  duty 
to  drop  all  else  and  take  up  arms  in  defense  of  his  country.  The 
several  stories  of  his  company  here  following  show  his  brilliant 
record  as  a  soldier  and  his  honorable  discharge  from  the  service  De 
cember  4,  1864,  on  account  of  disability  from  wounds  received  at 
Petersburg  June  16,  1864,  attests  the  completeness  of  his  most 
honorable  service. 

Since  the  War  Captain  Patterson,  after  some  years  in  other 
pursuits,  resumed  the  profession  of  teaching  and  won  high  rank  as 
an  educator.  He  was  successively  Principal  of  Tuscarora  Academy, 
Dry  Run  and  Airy  View  Academies  .and  of  the  public  schools  at 
Mifflintown.  At  the  latter  place,  while  in  the  full  tide  of  profes 
sional  success,  his  health  failed  and  in  June,  1894,  he  gave  up  the 
work  and  retired  from  the  life  of  an  active  teacher  and  spent  some 
time  in  the  state  of  Nebraska.  At  Shaver,  Boone  County,  Arkansas, 
in  the  picturesque  Long  Creek  Valley,  among  the  Ozarks,  with 
health  restored  by  the  pure,  life-giving  air,  he  is  spending  his  de 
clining  years  as  a  farmer  and  stock  grower. 

He  was  married  December  8,  1863,  to  Elizabeth  McFarlane 
Jack,  daughter  of  George  Jack  Esq.,  of  Boalsburg.  Four  sons  and 
five  daughters  have  come  to  their  home,  of  whom  all  survive  but  one 
dear  boy.  Now,  grown  to  maturity  and  scattered  over  the  various 


694  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

fields  of  their  industry  and  usefulness,  they  and  their  children  are 
wont,  one  by  one,  or  in  groups,  to  visit  the  mountain  home  and  make 
glad  the  hearts  of  parents  dear,  who  receive  'them  ever  with  parental 
pride. 


THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  G. 

By  Capt.  James  J.  Patterson. 

In  the  quiet  little  village  of  Boalsburg,  situate  at  the  foot  of 
Tussy's  Mountain,  in  her  sister  towns  and  villages  and  throughout 
those  beautiful  valleys  with  their  rolling  fields,  deep  shade,  and 
crystal  streams,  beautiful  as  life's  young  dream,  dwelt  a  people  not 
inferior  to  any  on  earth  in  the  true  elements  of  sterling  worth. 

In  love  of  country  and  love  toward  God,  with  all  that  these 
imply,  they  were  stalwart  and  true.  A  brave,  happy  and  good  people 
were  they :  the  climbing  step  of  freedom  had  scanned  the  summits  of 
those  grand  old  mountains  and  the  persistent  hand  of  industry  had 
made  their  valleys  teem  with  the  good  things  of  life;  their  crops 
were  bountiful,  their  orchards  laden,  their  homes  comfortable,  their 
hearts  were  true. 

The  matrons  excelled  in  true  womanhood,  the  home  was  their 
shrine;  the  discharge  of  duty  both  physical  arid  moral  was  their 
worship.  The  maidens,  comely  arid  truehearted,  were  worthy  of 
their  mothers.  Bright  little  ones  around  the  family  board  completed 
the  happy  home.  The  church  bells  were  ever  wont  to  give  forth  their 
peal  and  the  hearts  of  the  people  to  respond  both  by  word  and  act 
"Love  to  God  and  love  to  man."  Let  posterity  read  and  note,  let 
them  look  into  the  cradle  in  which  was  nursed  our  liberties,  and 
see  from  what  source  has  arisen  its  greatness — the  Christian  home. 

Amid  such  surroundings,  the  soldiers  of  Company  G  were 
reared.  Born  of  such  parents,  nursed  amid  such  Christian  influences, 
they  spent  their  early  years  and  grew  to  manhood.  Integrity  and 
honesty  of  purpose  were  in  their  every  act.  Patriotism  was  with 
them  a  directing  force.  In  the  oanip  they  were  diligent,  on  the 
march  enduring,  in  the  fight  invincible. 

The  spring  and  early  summer  of  1862  demonstrated  the  neces 
sity  of  a  greater  force  in  the  field,  a  force  necessary  to  hold  up  the 


THE  ijSTH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          695 

hands  of  those  already  at  the  front,  a  force  competent  to  maintain 
the  integrity  t.f  this  Republic  and  -all  its  beneficent  institutions. 

With  the  call  of  the  President  for  300.000  men  came  the  con 
viction  of  the  dwellers  in  those  beautiful  valleys,  in  common  with 
the  country  at  large,  that  the  time  to  act  was  now.  The  call  came 
as  a  personal  appeal  to  each  and  every  one.  In  the  schools,  at  the 
work  shop,  on  the  farm — everywhere  it  was  seriously  considered  and 
promptly  acted  upon.  The  first  steps  toward  the  formation  of  Com 
pany  G  of  which  the  writer  has  any  knowledge  was  on  Saturday, 
August  2,  1862.  The  first  public  meeting  in  Centre  County  in 
which  Company  G  was  directly  concerned  was  held  at  Boalsburg  in 
the  Old  Stone  Church,  August  5th,  although  several  had  passed  their 
word  to  each  other  and  several  had  previously  handed  in  their  names 
to  Captain  McFarlane. 

The  meeting  was  addressed  by  several  persons,  notably  by  that 
sterling  old  patriot  and  friend  of  every  good  work,  the  Hon.  H.  X. 
McAllister  of  blessed  memory.  The  addresses  were  earnest  and  well 
directed  and  may  have  aided  some  to  decide  upon  the  path  of  duty ; 
the  larger  number  had  previously  determined  upon  their  course  and 
took  that  as  the  occasion  to  enroll  their  names.  Thirty-three  names 
were  enrolled  in  rapid  order  in  the  presence  of  grave  and  venerable 
men  whose  earnest  looks  and  heaving  breasts  gave  sanction  to  what 
was  done.  Those  good  old  men  were  giving  their  sons  upon  the  altar 
of  their  country,  and  were  solemnly  consecrating  them  to  the  uphold 
ing  of  its  liberties  and  cherished  institutions.  Let  them  not  be  for 
gotten  when  the  story  of  the  War  is  told. 

Robert  McFarlane,  late  a  Cap'tain  in  the  7th  Pennsylvania  In 
fantry  three  months  service,  deemed  it  his  duty  to  accept  the  leader 
ship  in  the  enterprise  of  making  up  a  company  with  headquarters  at 
Boalsburg.  The  first  conference  of  which  the  writer  has  any  knowl 
edge  was  on  the  evening  of  August  1,  1862,  when  several  expressed 
their  willingness  to  join  in  the  movement.  Alas  !  Of  that  group  of  five 
persons  who  began  the  conference  three  lost  their  lives  on  the  field, 
viz.,  Lieut.  Samuel  Everhart,  Corp.  George  J.  Duffy  and  Capt.  Jacob 
B.  Edmonds. 


696  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

On  Saturday,  August  2d,  the  Captain  began  his  enrollment 
with  the  names  of  William  Devore  and  William  Baily  and  on  Mon 
day  following  eleven  additional  names  were  added,  and  it  was 
deemed  best  that  a  number  hold  back  for  the  meeting,  at  which  the 
number  was  increased  to  forty-seven  names.  The  eleven  were  Lot 
E.  Ketner,  George  J.  Duffy,  Samuel  Everhart,  Nathan  E.  Beans, 
Jackson  Hartley,  David  W.  Miller,  George  Glenn,  Adams  T. 
Murphy,  Daniel  G.  Musser,  Hiram  Sweetwood  and  Samuel  Webb, 
making  with  the  Captain  himself  a  nucleus  of  fourteen  persons. 

On  the  5th  of  August  the  principal  of  Boalsburg  Academy* 
closed  school  with  the  announcement  that  duty  called  him  to  the 
front,  whereupon  one  pupil  after  another  arose  with  the  statement 
that  he  too  had  reached  the  same  conviction.  Then  followed  a  scene 
over  which  memory  loves  to  linger,  but  pen  cannot  describe,  nor 
tongue  express.  When  the  heart  is  full  men  say  what  they  feel  and 
what  they  say  is  sacred.  Similar  scenes  were  enacted  at  Pine  Grove 
and  elsewhere  wherever  men  were  knit  together  by  any  common  tie. 
After  dismissal  there  was  a  general  informal  gathering  in  the  shop 
of  Jacob  B.  Edmonds,  as  true  a  patriot  as  ever  loved  his  country  or 
died  in  her  service.  The  shop  was  thronged  with  young  men  and  as 
they  passed  in  and  out,  there  was  continually  heard,  "Yes,  I  am 
going."  So  upon  the  street  and  elsewhere.  The  first  man  the  writer 
met  as  he  entered  the  shop  was  that  noble  young  man,  Samuel  Ever 
hart,  who  with  the  grasp  of  the  hand  gave  the  greeting,  "I  am  with 
you."  The  comrades  of  Companies  G  and  C  of  the  Regiment  know 
how  well  that  most  excellent  soldier  and  warm  hearted  friend  kept 
his  word.  No  matter  how  hard'  the  service,  nor  how  perilous  the 
duty  it  was  always,  "I  am  with  you."  And  ever  since  his  young  life 
went  out  on  the  field  of  his  glory  and  he  has  been  sleeping  "the  years 
of  his  manhood  -away,"  his  comrades  cherish  his  memory. 

Among  those  who  gathered  in  that  jeweler's  shop  and  who  exerted 
themselves  strongly  in  behalf  of  the  company,  in  addition  to  the  watch 
maker  himself  ('Capt.)  Jacob  B.  Edmonds,  were  John  W.  Stuart, 
George  J.  Duffy,  Amos  Myers,  John  Martz,  James  Shooo.  Jackson 
Hartley,  James  A.  Thompson  (M.  D.),  David  Storer,  Abraham 
*The  Editor  deems  it  proper  to  say  that  the  principal  referred  to  was  Capt. 
James  J.  Patterson,  who  writes  the  story  and  who  modestly  withholds  his  identity. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  697 

Rover,  George  W.  I  shier  and  others,  and  prominent  among  them  the 
Academy  boys,  Daniel  S.  Keller,  Wm.  C.  Holahan,  Samuel  Everhart, 
Geo.  K.  Baker,  Robert  H.  Patterson,  Wm.  S.  Van  Dyke,  Isaac  Lytle, 
Jacob  B.  Andrews,  George  W.  Ishler,  James  M.  Royer,  James  P. 
Odenkirk,  Jacob  Kreider  and  James  M.  Boal  (who  was  rejected  by 
the  examining  surgeon).  Tn  addition  to  those  on  the  2d  and  4th, 
there  was  added  August  5th,  James  J.  Patterson,  Jacob  B.  Edmonds, 
Isaac  Lytle,  John  W.  Stuart,  Robert  H.  Patterson,  James  Shoop, 
James  M.  Royer,  Abraham  Royer,  Henry  C.  Allen,  Jacob  B.  An 
drews,  George  K.  Baker,  Benj.  F.  Beans,  William  L.  Bottorff,  John 
Bowers,  John  Davison,  Henry  Eckinroth,  John  Gilbert,  William  C. 
Holahan,  James  B.  Irvin,  William  A.  Ishler,  William  A.  Jacobs, 
Daniel  S.  Keller,  Anthony  Knopp,  George  Koon,  Samuel  F.  Lytle, 
James  F.  Martin,  John  Martz,  David  M.  MeCool,  David  D.  Mc- 
Ilhattan,  John  Meyer,  Amos  Myers,  John  Riley,  William  H.  Swine- 
hart,  James  A.  Thompson,  William  S.  Van  Dyke,  raising  the  total 
to  forty-seven.  On  August  6th  there  was  enlisted  George  W.  Gil 
bert,  Thomas  J.  Lee,  Samuel  T.  Reel,  Daniel  Royer  and  Samuel 
H.  Snyder.  On  the  7th  John  H.  Harpster,  William  McGuire, 
George  W.  Went,  Brice  D.  Brisbin,  Francis  M.  Hess,  Samuel  Kelly, 
Isaiah  W.  Marks  and  David  Storer.  August  8th  William  L.  Taylor, 
Daniel  Schreffler,  John  IT.  Allen,  Benj.  D.  Condo,  Charles  M. 
Condo,  Daniel  Condo,  Jared  Condo,  Jos.  L.  Harpster,  Ithiel  B.  Sny 
der,  James  A.  Williams  and  John  E.  Youts.  On  the  9th,  Thos.  John- 
stonbaugh,  Wm.  Koonsman,  George  W.  Mcllhattan,  Reuben  Reed, 
(Jeorge  W.  Shafer  and  William  A.  Thompson.  August  llth,  Joseph 
Fox,  Mathias  Rider,  Henry  Fleisher,  George  W.  Ishler,  William 
A.  Ishler,  David  Koonfier,  Reuben  Page,  Alexander  B.  Ross,  David 
\V.  Shires,  Thomas  Singleton,  George  W.  Ward,  William  W.  Wil 
liams  and  George  W.  Yarlott.  August  12th,  Valentine  Benskotre, 
David  H.  Heany  (or  Henney),  James  P.  Odenkirk  and  William 
Wingart.  August  13th,  William  I.  Berry,  Benjamin  F.  Dunkle  and 
John  H.  Mover.  August  15th,  Jonathan  HoiTner. 

This  list  of  names  does  not  include  the  names  enrolled  who 
failed  to  pass  the  surgeon's  examination,  or  those  in  excess  of  the 
maximum  limit  for  a  company — one  hundred  and  one  men.  Those 


698  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

in  excess  were  passed  over  to  other  companies,  some  of  whom  served 
in  different  regiments.  The  total  enrollment  was  one  hundred  and 
thirty-five.  The  writer  regrets  that  he  has  no  data  from  which  to 
give  the  names  of  these  supernumerary  men,  the  larger  part  of  whom 
entered  Company  D,  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers. 

August  13th  the  company  rendezvoused  at  Boalsburg,  formed 
line  in  the  street  to  the  number  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven,  the 
youth  and  vigor  of  the  surrounding  country.  After  an  affecting 
leave-taking  they  were  borne  away  in  the  carriages  and  wagons  of 
their  friends  and  kindred.  There  w,as  a  stop  made  at  Potters  Mills, 
where  after  being  joined  by  the  balance  of  the  enrollment,  the  elec 
tion  of  officers  was  held.  Upon  the  counting  of  the  ballots,  it  was 
disclosed  that  Robert  A.  McFarlane,  under  whom  the  initial  move 
ment  to  recruit  a  comipany  was  made,  was  unanimously  chosen  Cap 
tain,  and  by  a  vote  almost  unanimous  James  J.  Patterson  was  made 
First  Lieutenant  and  Jacob  B.  Edmonds  Second  Lieutenant,  After 
the  election  a  bountiful  dinner  was  served  by  the  good  people  of  rh«~ 
community.  After  the  dinner  and  good-bye  the  company  proceeded 
over  the  mountains  to  Lewistown  and  at  10  :30  p.  M.  took  cars  for 
H.arrisburg.  At  1 :30  A.  M.,  August  14th  arrived  at  that  place  and 
were  marched  to  the  State  Capitol  building  and  slept  in  the  Senate 
chamber.  In  the  morning  marched  out  to  Camp  Curtin,  that  great 
rendezvous  camp  for  the  Pennsylvania  soldiers.  On  the  15th  the 
rolls  of  the  men  for  official  record  were  made.  On  the  16th  the  men 
passed  the  surgical  examination ;  but  few  were  rejected.  On  the 
17th  the  muster  rolls  were  made  out  and  the  excess  men  were 
assigned  to  companies  then  forming  in  Centre  County  for  the  148th 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers.  On  the  18th  the  company  was 
sworn  into  the  United  States  service.  After  muster  it  remained  in 
camp  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  other  companies  which  should  con 
stitute  the  Regiment.  August  29th  these  companies  began  to  arrive. 
September  5th  the  enlisted  men  were  paid  their  county  bounty  and 
enlistment  premium.  September  8th  the  Regiment  w.as  organized 
and  in  this  organization  the  Boalsburg  company  became  Company 
G  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Infantry. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          699 

Captain  McFarlane  of  Company  G  was  made  Lieutenant  Coi 
onel,  First  Lieutenant  James  J.  Patterson  was  made  Captain,  Sec 
ond  Lieutenant  Jacob  B.  Edmonds  was  made  First  Lieutenant  and 
First  Sergeant  Isaac  Lytle  was  made  Second  Lieutenant.     And  for 
subsequent  promotions  see  the  " Company  Roster." 

On  the  evening  of  September  9th  took  the  cars  and  next  morn 
ing  went  into  camp  at  Cockeysville,  Maryland.  The  Regiment  was 
stationed  along  the  Northern  Central  Railroad  to  guard  its  track  and 
bridges  for  a  distance  of  about  fifteen  miles.  Company  G  had  its 
camp  with  Companies  E  and  H  at  the  Gunpowder  bridge.  This  was 
a  formative  period  for  the  Regiment.  The  companies  were  here 
trained  in  guard  duty,  and  all  the  other  duties  that  go  to  make  up 
the  effective  Regiment.  The  company  and  Regiment  left  this  first 
field  of  duty  a  well  organized  regiment,  prepared  to  grapple  with 
the  foe  with  that  confidence  in  themselves  which  is  a  long  step  toward 
victory. 

While  the  company  lay  at  Gunpowder  Bridge  on  the  21st  of 
September,  it  met  its  first  sad  experience  in  the  loss  of  life.  Charles 
M.  Condo,  who  enlisted  from  Milheim,  Centre  County,  while  bath 
ing  in  Gunpowder  Creek,  was  drowned.  He  was  a  young  soldier  of 
excellent  promise. 

The  Regiment  left  Cockeysville  for  the  front  December  9th,  by 
the  way  of  Baltimore  and  arrived  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  at  4:00 
A.  M.  on  the  llth  and  at  2  :00  p.  M.  began  its  first  long  march.  The 
route  was  first  parallel  and  not  far  from  the  Potomac  River  on  the 
Maryland  side,  and  on  the  15th  led  across  the  river  to  the  "sacred 
soil."  On  the  18th  the  Regiment  reported  to  General  Couch  com 
manding  the  Second  Corps,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  henceforth 
the  history  of  Company  G  and  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers 
is  merged  in  that  of  that  noted  corps  of  the  historic  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  The  Regiment  was  assigned  to  the  First  Division,  Gen. 
W.  S.  Hancock  commanding,  henceforth  to  be  known  by  the  proud 
title,  "Hancock's  men,"  with  all  that  this  implies  in  the  light  of  sub 
sequent  events. 

This  was  a  winter  of  training  for  the  fighting  of  battles  upon 
the  result  of  which  hung  the  destinies  of  this  Republic  and  which 


700  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

stand  today  among  the  great  battles  of  history.  "All  quiet  along  the 
Potomac"  so  ignorantly  and  ofttimes  sneeringly  quotes  the  pseudo- 
hero  who  fights  his  battles  safely  distant  by  the  fireside  at  home. 
Aye,  the  quiet  that  precedes  the  storm,  but  the  camp  life  near  Fal- 
mouth  would  better  be  compared  to  the  industry  of  the  hive  before 
the  swarm. 

While  lying  and  working  in  Camp  Hancock  the  company  suf 
fered  a  severe  epidemic  of  typhoid  fever,  and  Daniel  G.  Musser, 
oi  Pine  Grove  Mills,  and  David  W.  Shires,  of  Potters  Mills,  fell 
victims  to  it,  thus  nipped  off  in  youth's  early  bloom,  before  the  oppor 
tunity  to  try  their  weapons.  The  others  to  the  number  of  forty-nine 
recovered. 

April  29,  1863,  the  Corps  took  up  its  line  of  march.  Company 
G,  on  picket  along  the  Rappahannock,  followed  and  soon  overtook 
the  Regiment  and  brigade,  the  First  Brigade,  First  Division,  Second 
Army  Corps.  On  the  30th  marched  through  cold,  drizzling  rain, 
crossed  the  Rappahannock  at  the  United  States  Ford,  and  May 
1st  came  upon  what  became  the  battlefield  of  Chancellorsville. 

Every  student  of  history  is  acquainted  with  the  general  plan 
and  result  of  this  great  battle,  but  Company  G,  as  well  as  everv 
other  company  in  that  vast  body,  had  its  own  experience,  not  known 
to  the  world  at  large.  A  history  within  a  history  but  a  history  of  the 
actions  of  men  that  largely  determines  the  result  of  the  general  en 
gagement — acts  of  bravery,  skill  and  endurance,  of  pure  heroism 
and  patriotism  that  individually  pass,  "unhonored  and  unsung/' 
swallowed  up  in  the  collected  mass.  Remember,  reader  of  history, 
that  while  you  accord  every  word  of  possible  praise  to  those  who 
successfully  led,  that  upon  the  faithfulness,  skill  and  valor  of  the 
rank  and  h'le  depends  the  final  issue  of  every  battle,  no  matter  how 
wisely  planned. 

While  under  fire  all  day,  May  2d,  Company  G  was  not  heavily 
engaged,  though  the  battle  raged  on  every  hand.  Six  companies  of 
the  Regiment  kept  up  a  sharp  fight  all  day  on  the  skirmish  line,  and 
met  considerable  loss.  G  was  one  of  the  four  companies  that  lay  in 
the  works. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          701 

On  the  morning:  of  the  3d  the  enemy  having  effected  a  success 
ful  flank  movement,  the  right  and  rear  of  the  Army  became  exposed 
and  the  enemy  pressed  his  advantage.  The  troops  first  brought  to 
meet  this  proved  inadequate;  part  of  the  First  Division,  Second 
Army  Corps  was  hurriedly  called  to  form  a  new  line  and  hasten  to 
the  breach.  The  four  companies  of  the  148th  not  on  skirmish,  D,  C, 
H  and  G  formed  the  right  of  the  new  line  and  on  their  left  the  61st 
New  York,  5th  New  Hampshire  and  other  regiments  rushed  in,  thus 
extending  the  line.  The  little  battalion  of  four  companies  soon 
struck  the  enemy  in  force.  The  direction  of  the  advancing  line  was 
such  that  the  enemy  had  the  opportunity  to  pour  in  an  enfilading 
fire  upon  the  advancing  right  by  which  Companies  D  and  C  weiv 
almost  destroyed  and  were  forced  back,  but  still  bravely  faced  the 
foe.  Having  noticed  that  no  skirmish  line  was  in  front  and  fearing 
trouble  on  this  account,  I  sent  Corp.  George  J.  Duffy  and  Private 
David  H.  Henney  to  run  to  the  front  and  try  and  get  sight  of  the 
enemy  and  the  direction  of  his  line.  I  also  kept  well  advanced 
before  the  company  and  in  a  very  short  time  met  Duffy  and  Henney, 
who  through  a  small  break  in  the  thick  woods  pointed  out  the  enemy's 
line  lying  on  the  ground.  I  at  once  half  wheeled  the  company,  thu^ 
throwing  the  left  forward  which  made  it  parallel  to  the  line  of  the 
enemy.  The  movement,  though  executed  with  great  alacrity,  was 
scarcely  complete  when  the  volley  came.  G  did  not  suffer  so  heavily 
as  the  others,  as  the  fire  did  not  enfilade  them.  At  the  instant  G 
completed  her  wheel,  the  61st  New  York  formed  on  the  left  and  took 
the  new  direction,  and  the  companies  on  the  right,  forced  back  by 
their  terrible  loss  quickly  conforming  to  the  new  direction,  imme 
diately  began  to  advance  with  the  general  line.  As  soon  as  the  enemy 
fired  G  replied  and  kept  up  a  hot  and  continuous  fire,  which  was 
equally  well  maintained  by  the  61st  New  York  on  the  left  and  the 
companies  on  the  right  as  fast  as  they  got  into  position,  and  they 
lost  little  time  in  doing  so.  The  enemy  were  forced  back  some  dis 
tance  and  the  position  maintained  until  General  Hooker  had  estab 
lished  his  white  house  line  and  by  orders  withdrew  the  little  force 
from  their  desperate  and  unequal  struggle.  No  men  under  their 
first  fire  ever  maintained  a  more  soldierly  bearing  than  did  Com- 


702  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

pany  G.  In  this  battle  Corp.  George  W.  Ward  was  killed  and  Wil 
liam  McGuire  and  George  W.  Ishler  were  mortally  wounded.  There 
were  also  wounded  Corporals  William  L.  Taylor  and  Joseph  Fox 
and  Privates  Henry  Eckinroth,  Joseph  L.  Harpster,  Daniel  8. 
Keller,  David  Miller,  Reuben  Reed,  Alexander  B.  Ross,  William  H. 
Swinehart  and  John  E.  Youts. 

From  the  battlefield  the  company  withdrew  a  short  distance 
and  in  company  with  the  battalion  joined  the  residue  of  the  Regi 
ment  on  the  new  line,  these  six  companies  who  also  had  had  their 
experience  of  hard  battle  and  duty  well  performed.  During  the 
4th  lay  in  the  entrenchments,  no  severe  fighting  on  that  part  of  the 
line,  and  so  on  the  5th.  Upon  the  6th,  amid  continuous  rain  the 
Army  fell  back  across  the  Raippahannock  and  by  3  :00  p.  M.,  after  a 
rapid  march  through  liquid  mud  up  to  its  old  quarters  at  Camp 
Hancock.  The  company  lay  near  Falmouth  and  on  Potomac  Creek 
until  the  evening  of  June  14,  1863,  when  under  marching  orders  it 
took  its  position  in  the  line.  This  march  led  through  Stafford  Court 
House  by  Dumfries  across  the  Occoquan  by  Fairfax  Station,  Cen- 
terville,  over  the  old  battlefield  of  Gainesville  and  Bull  Run  and 
through  Haymarket;  reached  Thoroughfare  Gap  10:00  p.  M.  June 
20th ;  did  picket  duty  here  against  the  enemy's  troops  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Bull  Run  mountains  and  feasted  on  the  luscious  black- 
heart  cherries  that  grew  in  profusion  on  large  trees  on  the  foothills 
and  mountain  slopes  of  the  Bull  Run  mountains. 

On  the  25th  the  line  of  March,  after  a  skirmish  with  Gen.  D. 
II.  Hill's  Corps  near  Haymarket,  led  twenty-three  miles  to  Gum 
Spring  through  drenching  showers.  On  the  26th,  to  quote  from  a 
diary : 

"After  a  sleep,  it  having  rained  all  night,  we  crept  out  of  our 
wet  nests  and  resumed  our  march  by  6 :30  A.  M.,  fifteen  miles  to 
Edwards'  Ferry  over  the  Potomac,  where  we  arrived  about  1 :00  p. 
M.  ;  lay  in  a  field  as  a  guard  on  the  south  bank  of  the  river  waiting 
for  the  troops  and  trains  to  pass  over  the  pontoons.  Last  of  all  we 
crossed  and  the  pontoons  were  taken  up  and  we  went  into  camp  on 
the  north  side  of  the  river  at  2  :00  A.  M.  of  June  27th  ;  lay  until  4 :00 
p.  M.  waiting  for  the  other  troops  and  trains  to  move  off.  About 
4  :00  P.  M.  started  and  brought  up  the  rear,  marched  about  fourteen 


THE  ijSTH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          703 

miles  through  the  towns  of  Poolesville,  five  miles  from  the  river  and 
Barnesville,  seven  or  eight  miles  farther  on,  through  an  undulating, 
well  improved  country.  On  the  28th  marched  through  a  beautiful 
country'  about  fifteen  miles  and  camped  in  a  field  by  the  Monocacy 
River.  On  the  29th  resumed  march  at  6  :00  A.  M.  through  a  country 
''beautiful  as  the  Garden  of  the  Lord,"  five  miles  to  Fredericksburg, 
thence  east  across  the  National  bridge,  thence  north  through  Liberty, 
eighteen  miles,  Johnsville,  Union  Bridge,  Uniontown  to  Union 
Church;  distance  today  thirty-six  miles.  We  were  greeted  all  day 
with  smiles,  kind  words,  and  refreshed  with  water  and  cakes  and 
other  things  grateful  to  the  taste  of  a  soldier.  May  this  page  live 
a  thousand  years  to  record  the  goodness  of  the  loyal  hearts  of  Mary 
land.  June  30th,  lay  all  day  in  camp  and  were  mustered  for  pay  July 
1st.  From  Union  Church  through  Taneytown  and  Haraeysville  we 
came  within  three  miles  of  Gettysburg,  considerable  of  the  distance 
amid  the  roar  of  battle.  We  marched  fast  knowing  that  the  over 
powered  troops  were  needing  re-enforcement.  Tomorrow  will  prob 
ably  be  the  battle  of  the  War." 

By  break  of  day  July  2d  moved  to  a  point  between  Little  Round 
Top  and  the  Cemetery,  were  shelled  in  the  early  morning  and  Sergt 
Robert  H.  Patterson  was  wounded  by  a  shell  in  the  arm.  About 
4 :00  P.  M.  the  fierce  fighting  began  on  the  left  where  the  Third  Corps 
opened  the  battle.  The  First  Division,  Second  Corps  was  sent  as 
re-enforcement  The  148th  was  sent  as  part  of  this  re-enforcement 
and  soon  became  hotly  engaged  at  the  wheat  field  and  all  through 
that  afternoon's  fierce  fight  did  most  effective  work.  Late  in  the  day 
Company  G  on  the  extreme  left  of  the  Regiment  to  prevent  a  flank 
move  and  save  itself  from  a  flank  fire,  was  compelled  to  either  fall 
back  or  detach  itself.  It  chose  the  latter  and  by  a  sharp  left  oblique 
fire  followed  by  a  charge  of  the  company,  dislodged  those  of  the 
enemy  who  were  forming  in  the  rocks  on  the  left.  The  enemy  fell 
back  before  the  charge,  the  company  retired  again  and  took  up  posi 
tion  a  little  farther  to  the  left  and  oblique  to  its  former  line,  thus 
extending  the  gap  between  itself  and  the  rest  of  the  Regiment  The 
company  held  this  line  keeping  the  enemy  in  check  until  all  the  troops 
on  the  right  of  it  had  retired,  including  the  Regulars  of  the  Fifth 
Corps,  who  had  joined  as  re-enforcement  Thus  abandoned  on  the 
right  and  the  enemy  closing  in  on  that  side,  the  position  was  fast 
becoming  untenable.  Company  G  began  to  retire  in  good  order,  was 


704  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

met  by  an  officer  of  General  Crawford's  staff  and  by  him  conducted 
to  a  position  held  by  General  Crawford  and  formed  in  line  with  his 
men  on  the  right,  along  an  old  stone  fence,  with  the  Irish  Brigade 
to  the  left  and  rear.  This  was  a.  strong  position  which  the  enemy 
did  not  assail.  Soon  Crawford's  men  advanced  and  drove  back  the 
enemy  in  a  sweeping  charge  and  Company  G  rejoined  its  own  Regi 
ment  at  its  assigned  position  on  the  left  center. 

The  conduct  of  Company  G  after  its  separation  from  the  Regi 
ment  was  most  praiseworthy  and  General  Cross,  who  visited  it  just 
before  he  was  killed,  praised  the  courage  and  coolness  and  effective 
work  of  the  men,  and  especially  enjoined  Captain  Patterson  not  to 
permit  the  enemy  to  gain  lodgement  among  those  rocks,  even  though 
it  became  necessary  to  lose  connection  with  the  Regiment  and  be 
entirely  separated  from  it.  It  was  upon  this  warrant  that  the  com 
pany  took  a  seeming  independence  of  action,  which  might  appear 
culpable  on  their  part,  if  not  supported  by  a  properly  constituted 
authority.  The  fighting  of  Company  G  on  this  part  of  the  line  was 
of  the  most  determined  character,  and  the  charge  down  the  slope  was. 
most  brilliantly  executed ;  in  this  Private  James  A.  Williams  was 
killed. 

On  July  3d  Company  G  with  the  rest  of  the  Regiment  and  di 
vision  after  a  most  vigorous  shelling,  assisted  in  the  reception  of 
Pickett's  charge,  although  the  heaviest  part  of  the  action  was  more 
to  the  right  of  the  position  held  by  Company  G.  The  loss  of  Com 
pany  G  throughout  the  battle  was  Amos  Myers  and  James  A.  W 
Hams  killed ;  and  wounded,  First  Sergt.  John  H.  Harpster,  Sergt. 
Robert  H.  Patterson,  Privates  B.  F.  Beans,  D.  B.  Brisbin,  Reuben 
Reed,  George  W  Gilbert,  David  W.  Miller,  James  A.  Thompson. 
The  company  never  passed  through  so  much  fighting  with  so  little 
loss. 

It  would  be  a  very  long  story  to  follow  the  company  in  all  the 
details  of  its  inarches  and  experiences.  After  Gettysburg  came  the 
pursuit  of  the  enemy,  fatiguing  marches  and  frequent  skirmishes  over 
the  country  between  the  Potomac  and  Rapidan ;  intermingled  with 
these  were  many  pleasant  marches  and  agreeable  encampment*. 


WILLIAM   S.   VAN  DYKE 

Killed  at  Spotsylvar.ia  Court  House.  W.  Va. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          705 

Much  transpired  that  pertained  to  the  more  comfortable  side  of  a 
soldier's  life,  notably  the  long  rest  at  Morrisville,  Virginia,  the 
reconnaissance  to  the  United  States  Ford  and  the  movement  to  Cul- 
peper  September  14,  1863,  and  to  the  Rapidan  September  17th. 

In  Septoml>er,  1863,  while  pleasantly  encamped  on  the  banks 
of  the  Rapidan  the  148th  Regiment  was  transferred  to  the  Third 
Brigade  of  the  same  Division.  It  was  with  regret  that  the  Regi 
ment  was  separated  from  the  First  Brigade  whose  record  they  had 
helped  to  magnify,  although  no  reflection  is  implied  against  the  gal 
lant  Third. 

Upon  October  10th  began  a  series  of  marches  and  strategic  move*- 
ments  unsurpassed  in  skill  and  rapidity  of  execution  by  any  move 
ments  of  the  War.  These  were  over  the  same  ground  where  General 
Lee  had  so  often  been  eminently  successful  in  engaging  the  Union 
forces  greatly  at  a  disadvantage  to  them.  This  time,  after  the  feints 
near  Culpeper,  Brandy  Station  and  Sulphur  Springs  and  more  or  less 
skirmishing  on  the  flanks,  the  lines  began  to  approximate  more 
closely  and  converge  at  Auburn  Mills.  Here  on  the  morning  of  the 
14th  the  enemy  opened  a  sharp  skirmish  in  which  the  details  of  the 
148th  bore  an  active  part,  and  while  the  Regiment  was  hastily  en 
gaged  in  preparing1  breakfast,  the  enemy  commenced  to  shell  it. 
One  shell  exploded  in  the  headquarter  fire  of  Company  G  and  the 
company  officers  and  Adjutant  Muifly,  who  was  sharing  their  hospi 
tality,  lost  their  breakfast  and  with  it  alas !  that  soldier's  solace,  the 
pots  well  filled  with  steaming  coffee.  Henceforth  that  spot  was 
Coffee  Hill.  The  enemy  dislodged,  the  Division  marched  with 
flankers  out  and  everything  ready  for  the  most  sudden  attack  or 
stand  of  the  enemy,  thus  to  Catlett  Station.  Still  the  impending 
battle  is  avoided,  and  the  same  expectant  march  continued,  but  with 
lines  more  compacted,  and  a  larger  concentration  of  forces.  At 
Bristoe  Station  the  Second  Corps  became  engaged  with  the  enemy, 
the  fight  being  opened  by  the  Second  Division  in  a  most  brilliant 
charge,  the  rest  of  the  Corps  quickly  rushing  to  support.  Here  was 
fought  one  of  the  most  brilliant  of  the  minor  battles  of  the  War,  un 
surpassed  by  any  in  alacrity  of  movement  or  force  in  the  attack. 
The  enemy  were  quickly  dislodged  from  their  strong  position  and 


706  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

thrown  from  their  place  across  our  line  of  march,  and  put  upon  the 
defensive  upon  the  right  flank  of  the  marching  column,  now  at  a 
halt.  After  the  battle,  wrapt  in  the  mantle  of  a  night  of  impene 
trable  darkness  the  Corps  marched  off  silently  to  join  the  forces  at 
Bull  Run,  where  General  Meade  was  concentrating  his  forces  to 
receive  General  Lee  in  a  decisive  battle.  Upon  a  call  having  been 
made  for  volunteers  to  remain  on  the  ground  and  form  a  picket  line 
until  two  hours  should  have  elapsed  after  the  last  troops  were  gone 
or  until  forced  by  the  advance  of  the  enemy,  I  offered  to  stay  and 
Company  G  to  a  man  joined  in  the  offer,  although  fully  conscious  of 
the  small  chance  they  had  of  avoiding  a  rebel  prison,  for  the  enemy's 
line  was  not  fifty  yards  away  across  the  railroad  at  this  point  where 
our  movement  was  likely  to  be  discovered.  I  chose  eleven  men,  enough 
to  place  one  man  on  a  post,  and  sent  the  rest  with  the  Regiment  The 
enemy  only  once  shortly  after  the  movement  of  the  troops,  possibly 
led  by  the  unusual  stillness,  felt  our  line,  and  luckily  from  a  couple 
of  posts  in  front  of  Company  G,  but  upon  being  promptly  answered 
all  became  still  again,  and  with  beating  hearts  the  watches  marked 
the  passage  of  the  tardy  minutes.  Andersonville  or  Libby  had  no 
charm  for  them — those  stigmas  on  southern  civilization.  At  the  ex 
piration  of  the  time  limit,  the  little  band  quietly  withdrew,  each 
man  following  me  as  the  line  reached  him,  and  then  through  the 
darkness  without  a  guide,  marched  as  best  we  could,  bore  to  the  right 
of  the  railroad  and  the  first  assurance. of  being  right  was  when  we 
struck  Broad  Run.  We  safely  reached  camp  at  Bull  Run  at  break 
of  day  after  a  march  of  twelve  miles  through  the  darkness.  The 
enemy  coming  up  found  General  Meade  held  the  vantage  ground, 
that  there  would  be  no  repetition  of  the  Pope  campaign,  and  that  if 
he  wanted  a  Bull  Run  No.  3  he  must  begin  the  attack,  with  the  ad 
vantageous  position  in  General  Meade' s  hands  and  he  fully  prepared 
to  receive  him.  Not  wishing  to  repeat  the  experience  of  Gettysburg, 
General  Lee  on  the  night  of  October  18th  fell  back,  never  again  to 
lead  a  marching  force  across  that  historic  ground,  but  to  begin  a 
march  which  though  accompanied  with  fighting  unparalleled  in  mod 
ern  warfare,  steadily  led  backward  until  it  ended  at  Appomattox. 
November  7th  found  Company  G  at  Kelly's  Ford  of  the  Rap- 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          707 

pahannock  pursuing  the  retreating  enemy  who  with  consummate 
skill  sought  the  south  bank  of  the  Rapidan. 

November  27th  crossed  the  Rapidan  at  Germania  Ford.  Com 
pany  G  did  much  skirmish  duty  but  no  heavy  fighting.  Close  to 
Mine  Run  in  the  dark  of  night  Company  G  was  met  with  a  volle\ 
full  in  their  faces.  In  the  flash  of  the  rifles  I  recognized  the  Union 
uniform  and  quickly  gave  the  cry,  "Our  own  men  ;  do  not  fire."  The 
volley  did  not  strike  a  man  though  the  balls  struck  on  every  side. 
This  is  an  experience  that  always  brings  a  shudder.  The  party  had 
veered  from  their  course  and  traveled  in  a  circle  and  met  another 
part  of  the  line  coming  up. 

On  the  2d  of  December  recrossed  the  Rapidan  without  any 
loss  of  men  on  the  movement.  The  weather  during  this  move  was 
very  cold  which  caused  much  suffering  among  the  men.  After  this 
Mine  River  campaign  the  Army  went  into  winter  quarters  near 
Stevensburg  and  remained  until  after  the  reorganization  under  Gen 
eral  Grant,  Tn  the  reorganization  the  148th  was  assigned  to  the 
Fourth  Brigade  of  the  same  Division,  Gen.  John  R.  Brooke  com 
manding. 

Tn  the  grand  movement  began  May  4,  1864,  the  company  crossed 
the  Rapidan  with  the  Regiment  in  the  line,  but  did  not  become 
heavily  engaged  until  May  10th  at  Po  River,  although  much  undei 
fire  and  constantly  on  the  move.  On  the  Po  the  company  and  Regi 
ment  were  most  fiercely  engaged  and  sustained  the  fight  most 
steadily.  Company"  loss  that  day  was,  killed,  William  H. 
Swinehart ;  wounded,  Sergt.  John  W.  Stuart,  Privates  David  H. 
Henney,  Anthony  Knopff,  Geo.  Korn,  Isaiah  W.  Marks,  Adams  T. 
Murphy,  William  Pittman,  Thos.  Singleton  and  William  A.  Jacobs. 

May  12th  Company  G  bore  her  part  in  the  grand  charge  at 
Spotsylvania  Court  House  and  was  among  the  first  to  enter  the 
works  and  all  through  this  series  of  engagements  showed  the  same  in 
trepid  spirit.  Among  the  first  in  the  advance,  among  the  last  in  the 
retreat,  because  their  whole  heart  was  in  the  success  of  the  movement. 
Among  the  fallen  on  that  historic  field  there  were  of  Company  G, 
Corporals  Geo.  J.  Duffy  and  William  S.  ^7an  Dyke  and  Privates 
David  Koonfier,  William  M.  Gross,  killed ;  George  W.  Mcllhattan, 


708  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

mortally  wounded.  There  were  also  wounded  Lieut,  Isaac  Lytle, 
Sergt.  Samuel  Lytle,  Privates  William  H.  Fulton,  William  C.  Hola- 
han,  James  B.  Irvin,  Reuben  Reed;  missing,  Geo.  W.  Gilbert  (cer 
tainly  killed),  Dias  Shumaker,  wounded  and  died  in  Andersonville. 

Among  those  who  fell  in  this  battle  it  were  well  to  pause  and  re 
count,  their  virtues.  Corporal  Duffy  was  an  ideal  soldier,  brave,  cool 
and  trustworthy ;  as  a  scout,  reliable ;  on  a  post,  vigilant,  quick  to  dis 
cover  and  interpret  any  movement  of  the  enemy ;  an  unerring  shot, 
cheerful  under  the  performance  of  every  duty,  honorable  in  all  his 
ways  and  a  gentleman  in  his  instincts.  Corporal  Van  Dyke,  a  lad  of 
eighteen,  just  ready  to  enter  college,  he  enlisted  in  the  company. 
Bright,  vivacious,  loved  by  all  with  whom  he  became  acquainted, 
he  soon  found  a  place  in  the  hearts  of  his  comrades.  He  was  a  val 
iant  and  enthusiastic  soldier,  and  there  is  always  a  sigh  for  his  mem 
ory.  George  Mcllhattan  was  not  only  a  good  soldier  but  his  repartee 
and  ready  wit  will  not  soon  be  forgotten. 

May  13th  Philip  Glessner  was  wounded  on  the  picket  line. 
Then  followed  the  movements  by  the  left  flank  toward  Richmond ; 
with  its  many  skirmishes  and  many  of  these  almost  of  the  magnitude 
of  battles,  Abraham  M.  Royer  was  wounded  May  30th  near  Totopot- 
omoy  and  on  June  1st  William  A.  Thompson  was  killed  on  the  line 
near  Hanovertown  and  David  Koonfier  was  killed  June  '2d  near  Cold 
Harbor.  So  day  followed  day  in  almost  continuous  action. 

On  June  3,  1864,  Company  G  was  in  the  great  and  disastrous 
charge  on  that  strong  position  at  Cold  Harbor.  In  the  charge  the 
company  reached  the  enemy's  work,  'but  could  not  hold  the  ground, 
but  after  falling  back  a  few  yards  and  lying  down  on  the  ground, 
forced  the  enemy  to  keep  on  their  own  side  of  the  work.  The  meii 
with  picket  shovels  and  frying  pans  in  that  loose,  sandy  soil  soon 
threw  up  an  intrenchment  which  they  held  for  ten  days.  First  Sev 
geant  Robert  H.  Patterson  was  wounded  in  this  engagement,  while 
pressing  to  grasp  a  rebel  flag  on  their  works — a  wound  which  in 
capacitated  him  from  further  service,  and  robbed  the  company  of  an 
especially  active  and  efficient  officer.  Benjamin  Condo,  twin  brother 
of  him  who  was  drowned  in  the  Gunpowder,  was  also  wounded  here 
and  died  on  the  17th.  Another  good  soldier  gone  from  the  ranks. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          709 

From  this  work  constant  sharp  shooting  was  kept  up  and  no  one 
on  either  side  dared  expose  any  part  of  his  body.  The  least  exposure 
brought  the  inevitable  rifle  crack  Here  Jonathan  Iloffner  was 
wounded  on  the  5th  and  William  A.  Gabrick  on  the  llth,  the  duty 
here  was  continuous  and  critical.  On  the  night  of  June  13th  the 
position  was  abandoned  in  front  of  Cold  Harbor,  and  the  Army 
quietly  stole  away  under  cover  of  night  and  by  morning  had  reached 
Harrison's  Landing  on  the  James  River  and  thus  completed  one  of 
the  most  successful  movements  of  the  War  gaining  without  bloodshed 
what  had  cost  so  much  fighting  in  1862. 

On  the  15th  crossed  the  James  and  marched  to  a  point  near 
Petersburg.  On  the  16th  joined  in  the  attack  on  the  works,  defend 
ing  the  city  in  this  advance.  Colonel  Beaver  was  wounded  and  thus 
again  we  lost  the  presence  and  direction  of  our  gallant  commander. 
I  was  struck  on  the  leg  by  a  piece  of  timber  thrown  bv  a  bursting 
shell,  receiving  a  contusion,  not  very  serious  at  the  time,  but  which 
in  the  end  made  it  necessary  for  me  to  leave  my  command  and  go 
through  life  with  an  uneven  step.  These  attacks  were  continued  on 
the  17th  and  18th;  but  little  progress  was  made  and  heavy  losses 
were  sustained,  though  the  losses  of  Company  G  were  not  so  heavy. 

In  a  movement  on  June  22d  the  Brigade  was  flanked  by  the 
enemy  and  the  position  of  the  148th  Regiment  became  very  critical, 
but  having  extricated  itself  with  some  loss  of  life  and  prisoners 
joined  in  the  repulse  of  the  enemy.  In  that  action  Capt.  Jacob  B. 
Edmonds,  Company  C,  formerly  First  Lieutenant  Company  G,  was 
killed.  Xathan  E.  Beans,  William  V.  Starliper  and  Brice  D.  Bris- 
bin  were  captured,  the  first  named  on  the  16th  and  the  last  two  on 
the  22d.  The  contest  settled  into  a  siege.  In  this  the  company  did 
much  hard  duty,  engaged  in  one  picket  fight  after  another,  almost 
daily  under  fire  of  rifle  and  shell,  sometimes  these  skirmishes 
assuming  the  proportions  of  a  battle.  There  was  much  shifting  on 
the  line  entailing  long  and  rapid  marching.  Among  these  were  the 
march  to  Deep  Bottom  on  the  night  of  July  30th  and  again  on  Aug 
ust  15th  with  its  attendant  hard  fight  of  the  16th,  in  which  fell  one 
of  Company  G's  best  soldiers,  William  Devore.  With  such  men  to 


710  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

defend,  the  country  could  not  suffer  defeat  from  lack  of  stability 
in  the  rank  and  file.  Lot  E.  Ketner  and  George  W.  Went  were 
wounded  in  this  battle. 

On  the  25th  of  August  at  Reams  Station  was  fought  one  of  the 
heavy  battles  of  the  Petersburg  series  and  a  full  share  of  it  fell  to 
Company  G.  From  the  depleted  ranks  Benjamin  F.  Bean,  a  good, 
reliable  soldier  fell  among  the  slain.  Benjamin  F.  Dunkle  and 
Samuel  T.  Reel  were  wounded.  In  this  engagement  the  Regiment 
having  come  in  from  the  skirmish  line  occupied  a  slight  breastwork 
with  not  sufficient  men  to  form  a  perfectly  close  line  one  man 
deep;  they  were  charged  upon  by  the  enemy  in  line  of  battle  with 
set  bayonet,  but  so  firmly  did  the  men  withstand  the  charge  that  they 
beat  back  the  line  of  battle,  though  so  close  that  some  of  the  men 
v/ere  struck  and  prodded  with  the  bayonet,  notably  Sergeant  Fox,  of 
Company  G,  received  three  bayonet  cuts  in  the  face  yet  stood  his 
ground  and  by  the  valor  of  himself  and  the  other  comrades  of  the 
line  beat  back  the  attacking  line. 

During  September  and  October  the  service  was  much  the  same. 
On  the  night  of  October  27th  the  detail  of  Company  G  made  part 
of  the  regimental  detail  of  one  hundred  men  under  Caotain  Brown 
of  Company  TC,  who  so  brilliantly  captured  Fort  Crater,  on 
the  enemy's  line  of  defensive  works.  For  particulars  see  the  general 
regimental  story.  In  this  dash  Private  Samuel  J.  Rager  was  cap 
tured.  He  died  in  prison. 

All  through  the  fall  and  winter  the  same  line  of  arduous  duty 
was  continued  and  many  changes  transpired  in  the  company.  Man^ 
were  worn  and  enfeebled  by  service,  disease  and  wounds.  Many 
were  placed  on  special  detail  which  involved  absence  from  the  com 
pany.  Many  were  lost  from  the  company  by  disease,  by  death,  trans 
fer  and  discharge,  because  of  inability  to  perform  active  service  in 
the  field.  But  those  who  remained  were  ever  ready  for  duty.  At 
the  time  of  the  last  general  advance  on  Richmond  the  men  bore  their 
part  bravely  and  were  remarkably  immune  from  loss,  though  at 
Adams  Run,  Anthony  Knopff  and  Francis  May  were  wounded  and 
at  Sailors  Creek,  Samuel  Everhart,  First  Lieutenant  Company  C, 
former  Sergeant  Company  G,  was  killed.  He  was  one  of  those  who 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          711 

prominently  helped  win  for  Company  G  the  prestige  it  enjoyed.  He 
was  made  Lieutenant  Company  C  on  account  of  especial  merit. 
Centre  County  has  reason  to  be  proud  of  this  worthy  son  and  his 
name  and  fame  should  be  preserved  to  latest  posterity.  It  is  only 
necessary  to  add  that  after  Appomattox  Company  G,  with  a  sense  of 
duty  well  performed,  proudly  bore  its  part  in  the  Grand  Review  at 
Washington,  that  historic  display,  when  the  Nation  welcomed  the 
return  of  her  victorious  preservers  and  brought  all  her  resources  to 
do  them  honor.  From  this  review  the  Regiment  proceeded  to  Har- 
risburg,  Pennsylvania.  Company  G,  under  command  of  Captain 
Harpster  was  mustered  out  in  June,  1865. 

At  Harrisburg  the  soldiers  became  civilians  and  as  citizens  en 
tered  the  various  pursuits  of  civil  life,  thereby  showing  that  not  only 
as  good  soldiers  but  as  good  citizens  they  were  ready  to  tread  the 
path  of  duty.  As  veterans  and  Grand  Army  men  they  have  evei 
morally,  intellectually,  industrially  and  socially  helped  exalt  the 
Nation  for  the  preservation  of  which  many  of  their  comrades  died 
and  for  which  they  had  themselves  given  of  their  sweat  and  blood, 
of  their  youthful  vigor,  aye  and  often  in  the  hour  of  defeat,  had 
travailed  in  anguish  of  spirit  for  the  country  they  loved  so  well. 

The  veterans  of  the  Civil  War  have  handed  down  to  posterity  a 
legacy  of  valor,  patriotism  and  good  citizenship  that  will  be  treas 
ured  through  the  ages,  and  the  story  will,  to  coming  generations,  be 
told  of  how  after  they  had  bared  their  bosom  to  the  storm  of  battle 
until  the  victory  was  won,  as  civilians,  they  joined  the  best  element  at 
home  and  with  their  characteristic  ardor  helped  advance  everything 
tli at  tended  to  exalt  the  Nation.  In  this  the  men  of  Company  G  have 
done  their  part  and  continue  to  do.  One  by  one  they  have  passed 
the  "portal."  Some  yet  remain. 


712  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

TIIK  STORY  OF  G  COMPANY. 


PART  II. 

Sketch  of  Lieut.  John  W.  Stuart. 

John  Washington  Stuart,  son  of  David  A.  and  Martha  John 
ston  Stuart,  was  born  August  :23,  1844,  in  Harris  Township,  Centre 
County,  Pennsylvania. 

He  enlisted  in  G  Company,  148th  Regiment  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers,  August  13,  1863,  at  Boalsburg,  Pennsylvania,  as  a 
private.  The  circumstances  under  which  he  enlisted  are  graphically 
told  in  "The  Sister's  Story,"  who  describes  the  enlistment  of  the 
boys  who  were  then  attending-  the  Boalsburg  Academy.  He  went 
with  his  company  to  Harris'burg  and  was  mustered  later  in  the  month 
of  August.  He  was  promoted  to  Corporal  September,  1863,  Ser 
geant  in  1864  and  to  Second  Lieutenant  February'  8,  1865. 

The  young  fellows  of  this  company,  particularly  the  Academy 
boys,  were  of  an  enterprising  disposition,  always  on  the  alert  for 
something  to  do  and,  in  the  main,  content  with  whatever  came  their 
way.  Stuart  was  not  an  exception  to  this  rule.  He  has  been  known 
to  say  that  he  was  homesick  but  once  during  the  entire  term  of 
service,  which  was  after  a  breakfast  of  black  coffee,  hard  tack  and 
fat  meat  in  Camp  Curtin.  He  felt  then,  as  one  of  his  older  com 
rades  of  G  Company,  Reuben  Page  did,  who,  after  the  same  break 
fast,  remarked,  "If  I  had  known  there  were  no  better  accommodations 
than  this,  I  would  not  have  subscribed." 

Stuart  held  his  own  in  the  Regiment,  sharing  all  its  experiences 
without  special  incident,  until  June  10,  1864,  when  at  Po  River  he 
was  wounded  by  a  minie  ball  through  his  cartridge  box.  When 
lio  recovered  his  breath,  he  felt  behind  him  to  find  where  the  ball 
had  come  out  and  then  discovered  that  it  had  not  entered  the 
abdomen.  He  owed  his  life  doubtless  to  the  suggestion  of  his  com 
rade,  Corp.  George  Duffy,  who  was  immediately  beside  him 
and  who  lost  his  life  two  days  afterwards  at  Spotsylvania,  that 
he  pull  his  cartridge  box  in  front  of  him,  as  it  might  stop  a  bullet. 


John  W.  Stuart    1904 
Late  Lieutenant   Co.  G. 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          715 

The  suggestion  was  a  prophecy.  It  did  stop  the  bullet  and  his  life 
was  thereby  saved.  The  wound,  however,  was  painful,  if  not  danger 
ous,  and  he  was  sent  to  one  of  the  general  hospitals  at  Washington, 
where  he  remained  three  months.  For  the  greater  part  of  that  time 
he  was  in  ward  as  a  patient. 

During  his  convalescence  he  had  charge  of  the  contrabands  about 
the  hospital,  drawing  and  distributing  their  rations  to  them,  and,  in 
that  way,  became  familiar  with  the  details  of  the  commissary  de 
partment.  It  would  have  been  easy  for  him  to  continue  in 
this  place,  as  he  was  importuned  to  do,  but,  as  he  told  Dr.  Pancoastr 
the  surgeon  in  charge  when  he  asked  to  be  sent  to  his  Regiment 
and  the  doctor  said  he  thought  he  was  foolish  to  give  up  a  good  job 
and  go  to  the  front  to  be  shot  at,  that  was  what  he  enlisted  for. 

After  rejoining  and  serving  with  his  Regiment  for  some  time 
in  front  of  Petersburg,  he  was  commissioned  Second  Lieutenant, 
being  the  youngest  man  in  the  Regiment  to  hold  a  commission.  Dur 
ing  the  absence  of  the  Adjutant  on  a  ten-day  leave,  he  was  appointed 
Acting  Adjutant  and,  upon  his  return,  Lieutenant  Musser,  the  regi 
mental  Quartermaster,  having  been  detailed  as  Acting  Brigade  Quar 
termaster,  Stuart  was  detailed  to  act  as  Regimental  Quartermaster 
and  served  in  that  capacity  until  the  close  of  the  War. 

When  the  Confederates  commenced  their  retreat  from  Peters 
burg  and  our  Army  cut  loose  and  started  in  hot  pursuit,  Stuart 
found  himself  in  company  with  Colonel  Shallenberger,  the  Corps 
Quartermaster,  and  rode  with  him  day  and  night  hunting  roads  and 
keeping  the  supply  and  baggage  trains  up  with  the  troops. 

On  the  day  after  the  surrender,  he  was  sent  with  his  train  to 
Appomattox  Court  House,  which  was  then  within  the  rebel  linesr 
hostilities,  of  course,  having  entirely  ceased,  to  load  his  wagons  with 
the  arms  which  had  been  laid  down  by  the  Confederates  and  take 
them  back  to  Farmville,  the  then  base  of  our  Army's  supply.  When 
reaching  there,  however,  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  exchange  would 
not  allow  the  guns  to  be  removed  until  their  men  were  paroled  and 
Stuart  was,  therefore,  obliged  to  stay  two  days  among  the  Confed 
erates  and,  in  doing  so,  was  not  far  from  the  famous  apple  tree 
under  which  Lee  and  Grant  met  to  arrange  terms  of  surrender.  One 


714  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

of  the  valued  relics  of  the  War  is  a  piece  of  the  apple  tree  with 
"Appomattox  C.  H."  in  raised  letters  cut  thereon  by  Sergt.  David 
H.  Henney  of  G  Company. 

Stuart  continued  as  Acting  Quartermaster  of  the  Regiment  on 
the  return  to  Washington,  took  part  in  the  Grand  Review  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  secured  transportation  for  the  return  of  the 
Regiment  to  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  where  it  was  mustered  out, 
turned  over  regimental  and  company  books  and  the  equipment  which 
belonged  to  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  to  the  Adjutant  General,  was 
paid  off  by  Major  Mendenthal  and  thus  wound  up  his  military 
career. 

He  was,  at  the  time  of  his  discharge,  less  than  twenty-one  years 
of  age,  and  as  Acting  Adjutant  and  Acting  Regimental  Quartet- 
master,  had  an  experience  which  in  interest  and  usefulness  fell  to 
the  lot  of  few,  if  any,  so  young  as  he  was. 

The  illustrations  which  accompany  this  sketch  show  him  at  en 
listment,  as  a  Sergeant  before  his  promotion,  and  as  he  is  today. 
They  afford  a  striking  illustration  of  what  the  Army  did  in  the  devel 
opment  of  our  boys  and  how  kindly  time  has  dealt  with  those  of 
good  physique  who  have  dealt  kindly  with  themselves  during  the 
well-nigh  forty  years  since  " Johnny  came  marching  home." 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          715 


T1IK  STORY  OF  COMPANY  G. 


PART  111. 

By  D.  W.  Miller. 

1  was  ti  boy  scarcely  fifteen  years  old  at  the  fall  of  Fort 
Sumter,  and  when  the  calls  came  for  volunteers,  many  of  us  wished 
we  were  only  big  enough  to  go  with  the  companies  that  were  leaving 
for  the  War. 

In  August,  1862,  Captain  McFarlane  was  raising  a  company. 
We  thought  this  our  time,  as  many  of  us  were  very  young,  and 
our  parents  were  more  willing  to  trust  us  with  him  than  with  any  one 
else.  The  enlisting  began  at  a  meeting,  and  I  was  among  the  first  to 
put  down  my  name,  I  think  on  August  4,  1862.  With  others,  we 
crossed  the  Seven  Mountains  to  Lewistown,  and  were  at  Potters 
Bank  for  dinner.  I  was  a  big  bashful  boy,  had  never  been  out  of  iny 
native  county  or  seen  a  railroad.  At  dinner  the  men  all  rushed  for 
places  at  the  table,  and  I  was  left  out.  The  Captain,  seeing  me 
standing  back,  called  to  me  to  come  and  sit  on  his  knee  and  share 
his  plate — an  invitation  I  gladly  accepted.  He  told  me  I  must  look 
out  for  number  one,  as  I  could  not  always  mess  with  him,  a  bit  of 
advice  by  which  I  profited. 

We  went  by  rail  from  Lewistown  to  Harrisburg  on  cattle  cars. 
Arriving  at  dark,  we  slept  on  the  floor  in  the  capitol  building.  An 
old  man  said  if  he  had  known  there  would  be  no  beds  he  would  not 
have  "subscribed." 

After  the  Regiment  was  organized.  Captain  McFarlane  was 
made  Lieutenant  Colonel,  and  Lieutenant  Patterson  was  promoted  to 
Captain  of  our  company.  We  went  with  the  Regiment  to  Cockeys- 
ville,  and  were  posted  with  two  other  companies  at  Gunpowder 
Bridge.  On  Sunday,  September  21st,  while  three  of  the  Condo  boys 
were  bathing,  Charlie  was  dnywned  in  sight  of  his  brother  Ben.  A 
number  of  us  were  taken  down  with  typhoid  fever,  and  Samuel 
Everhart  and  myself  were  taken  to  the  old  stone  hospital  at  Cockeys- 
ville,  but  seeing  I  would  die  if  left  there.  Colonel  McFarlane  kincllv 


THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

ordered  me  moved  to  a  private  room  in  a  hotel  at  his  own  expense. 
Thus  thanks  to  him  and  to  Surgeon  Fisher,  and  to  the  good  ladies  who 
visited  me,  I  was  soon  convalescent,  but  not  being  fit  for  duty,  was 
sent  to  the  York,  Pennsylvania,  Hospital.  T  rejoined  the  Regiment 
some  time  in  January,  and  shared  the  experience  of  all  the  comrades 
during  the  winter. 

At  Chancellorsville  I  witnessed  the  death  of  Geo.  W.  Ward, 
the  first  man  killed  in  Company  G,  and  also  the  wounding  of  Me 
Guire  and  Ishler,  the  former  mortally,  and  received  a  rather  serious 
wound  myself. 

On  the  Gettysburg  march  in  crossing  a  small  stream,  Col.  E. 
E.  Cross  of  the  5th New  I  Hampshire,  commanding  theBrigade,  posted 
himself  with  a  staff  officer  one  on  each  side  of  the  column,  and 
compelled  the  men  to  march  through  the  middle  of  the  stream  with 
out  removing  their  shoes.  Some  of  the  men  made  some  criticising 
remarks,  and  Colonel  Cross  overhearing  them,  mistook  his  man  and 
struck  Corporal  Duffy  on  the  back  of  the  neck  with  his  sword.  One 
of  the  boys  said,  "I'll  bet  if  Colonel  Beaver  were  here  he  would  not 
dare  do  that." 

When  we  met  the  ambulance  containing  the  body  of  General 
Reynolds,  Geo.  Mcllhattan  said,  "Boys,  if  the  rebels  are  killing  the 
Generals  they  will  not  have  much  respect  for  us  little  fellows."  An 
inspection  of  arms  the  first  thing  on  the  2d  of  July  indicated  very 
clearly  what  was  ahead  of  us.  On  the  march  to  the  wheat  field  I 
saw  JamesWilliams  of  our  company  pierced  with  a  rebel  bullet.  On 
the  3d  Comrade  Amos  Meyers  was  killed  on  picket,  and  during  the 
shelling  a  number  wounded,  myself  being  one  of  them.  This  sent 
me  to  Chestnut  City  Hospital,  Philadelphia,  and  I  did  not  return  to 
the  Regiment  until  September.  Was  in  the  retrograde  movement 
to  Centerville,  and  in  the  melee  at  Coffee  Hill  and  Bristoe  Station. 
At  the  latter  place  I  saw  Sergeant  Barr  of  Company  B  lose  an  arm 
by  a  shot  from  one  of  our  own  guns.  That  evening,  when  there 
was  to  be  a  detail  made  to  hold  the  ground  while  the  troops  moved 
off,  Captain  Patterson  volunteered  Company  G.  We  held  the  ground 
tho  required  time,  and  then  slipped  away  in  the  darkness,  without  a 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          717 

guide,    and  caine  up   with   the  Regiment   at   Centerville   the  next 
morning. 

October  9th,  Wm.  A.  Ishler  was  discharged,  and  our  report 
shows  fifty-three  men  for  duty.  The  Mine  Run  campaign  was  very 
severe  in  its  exposure  to  winter  weather.  Company  G  was  engaged 
with  the  rebel  pickets  and  Corp.  George  Duffy,  who  was  the  best 
marksman  in  the  company,  silenced  a  rebel  picket.  After  the  return 
to  camp,  in  the  early  part  of  this  winter,  there  were  some  changes 
made  in  Company  G  which  were  not  in  all  cases  for  the  interests 
of  the  company.  One  who  served  to  the  close  of  the  War  saw 
men  who  had  been  set  aside  pushed  ahead,  and  in  spite  of  opposition 
come  home  commissioned  officers,  among  them  the  Quartermaster  of 
the  Regiment,  another  Captain  of  the  company.  Corporal  Everhart 
lost  two  stripes  one  day,  received  them  again  the  next,  and  was  killed 
in  the  last  battle  of  the  War,  holding  a  Captain's  commission.  On  the 
5th  of  January  John  Martz  was  asked  to  resign  his  warrant  as  Cor 
poral,  but  was  soon  after  reappointed,  then  promoted  Sergeant  and 
carried  the  color.  He  never  attended  a  sick  call,  never  missed  a 
day's  duty  from  his  enlistment  to  his  discharge  at  the  close  of  the 
War — a  record  that  is  hard  to  beat.  Colonel  McFarlane  told  me  that 
Martz  was  one  of  three  men  in  our  Division  who  was  given  a  furlough 
as  a  prize  offered  for  passing  the  best  inspection  of  person  and 
accoutrements,  but  about  the  time  the  furlough  was  to  be  granted,  the 
Army  got  orders  to  move  home. 

Before  leaving  our  winter  camp  at  Stevensburg  we  were  trans 
ferred  to  Brooke's  Brigade,  new  commander  and  new  associates.  My 
three  mess  men,  who  moved  out  of  camp  that  spring,  are  all  dead. 

Reference  has  been  made  to  the  scalding  of  the  foot  of  Frank 
Hess  by  the  spilling  of  a  can  of  boiling  coffee.  When  the  shoe  and 
stocking  were  taken  off,  the  skin  came  with  them.  He  was  sent 
away,  and  never  returned  to  the  Regiment. 

At  Po  River  Stuart  and  Jacobs  were  wounded.  While  the  com 
pany  was  forming,  Henry  Swinehart  was  shot  by  a  sharpshooter. 
In  the  charge  at  the  Salient,  at  the  command  "Forward !"  the  first 
man  to  fall  was  Everhart,  shot  through  both  legs,  then  Duffy  next. 
Duffy !  Shot  through  both  legs  and  bleeding,  by  his  side  lay 


718  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Mays,  a  mere  boy,  shot  and  crying  with  pain.  The  stretcher  carriers 
came  to  take  Duffy  back.  He  told  them  to  take  that  boy  back  first, 
and  then  come  for  him.  Meantime  the  line  was  changed,  and  when 
the  men  returned  Duffy  was  outside  our  lines  and  could  not  be 
reached.  The  next  morning  when  we  advanced  we  found  him,,  cold 
in  death.  Wm.  Van  Dyke  had  his  head  shot  off.  George  Mcilh  at  tan 
shot  through  the  body  and  died  in  June.  Joseph  L.  Harpster  was 
wounded  through  the  head  and  left  on  the  field  for  dead.  The  rebs 
turned  him  over,  said  he  would  never  give  them  any  more  trouble, 
but  it  began  to  rain  and  poor  Joe  revived,  was  taken  prisoner,  is 
living  yet.  About  the  time  Johnson's  Division  surrendered  and  the 
prisoners  were  coming  in,  Sam  Kelley  of  Company  G  was  not 
pleased  at  the  way  the  prisoners  were  coming  in.  He  said,  "Why 
in  h —  don't  yez  come  in  in  regular  order?  Yez  ought  to  have  our 
Colonel  to  drill  yez  awhile."  At  Cold  Harbor  we  skirmished,  cross 
ing  the  field  without  the  loss  of  any  men,  and  then  charged  the  rebel 
line.  Lieutenant  Burchfield  of  Company  D  was  in  command  of  our 
company  at  this  place,  and  to  his  credit  be  it  said,  he  laid  the  first  rail 
to  build  the  breastworks  in  our  front.  Here DavidKoonfier was  killed 
and  Ben  Condo  was  mortally  wounded,  dying  in  a  few  days.  We  were 
left  on  picket  with  the  Regiment  when  the  Army  moved  from 
Cold  Habor.  In  the  charge  in  front  of  Petersburg,  June  16,  Cap 
tain  Patterson  was  wounded,  as  was  also  Colonel  Beaver.  Lieutenant 
Harpster  of  Company  G  was  serving  as  an  ambulance  officer,  and  on 
a  visit  to  me  in  1901  he  gave  me  a  history  of  his  experience  on  the 
22d  of  June.  He  said  that  after  some  heavy  firing  he  was  sent 
to  the  front,  and  in  riding  down  a  road  lie  ran  into  a  rebel  force 
with  some  of  our  men  as  prisoners.  Among  them  ho  recognized 
David  Brisbin  of  his  own  comapny,  and  was  afraid  Brisbin  might 
give  him  away,  but  he  did  not,  and  as  he  wore  corduroy  trousers  and 
had  no  blouse  on,  the  rebel  officer  thought  he  was  one  of  their  own 
men,  and  asked  him  which  way  to  take  the  prisoners.  He  was 
pretty  badly  scared  and  anxious  to  get  away,  and  directed  them  into 
a  byway,  and  turned  to  go  back  the  way  he  had  come,  when  suddenly 
he  rode  into  another  body  of  rebel  troops.  He  told  the  officer  in 
charge  to  clear  the  road,  as  there  was  a  battery  coming  behind  him. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          719 

He  then  put  spurs  to  his  own  sorrel  and  escaped,  but  Brisbin  had  a 
visit  in  Richmond. 

At  Deep  Bottom  on  the  16th  of  August,  Wm.  Devore  was  killed. 
At  Reams  Station,  on  the  25th  of  August,  after  our  line  was  formed 
along  the  railroad,  Company  G  with  another  company,  I  think  K, 
was  ordered  to  skirmish  across  an  open  field  with  Sergt.  Joe  Fox  in 
command.  We  were  driven  back,  and  when  the  rebels  charged  on  us 
they  planted  their  colors  in  front  of  Company  G.  Ben  Dunkle 
reached  for  the  flag,  and  was  shot  through  the  arm.  Joe  Fox  went 
to  the  rescue,  and  was  stabbed  in  the  face  and  neck  with  a  bayonet 
Ben  Beans,  who  was  standing  beside  me,  was  shot,  and  his  blood  and 
brains  spattered  over  my  face  and  clothes.  To  my  right  I  saw 
Ralston  and  Keys  of  Company  C  give  up  their  lives.  Here  also 
Colonel  Beaver  lost  his  leg. 

Some  time  in  October,  while  on  picket  in  front  of  Petersburg 
with  Samuel  Hammer,  there  was  some  firing  along  the  line.  Ham 
mer,  thinking  to  have  a  little  fun,  put  several  charges  of  powder  iiito 
an  old  musket  he  found  in  the  ditch,  intending  to  put  it  off  by 
pulling  a  string,  and  while  in  the  act  of  aiming  his  gun,  a  rebel 
sharpshooter  shot  him  in  the  temple,  and  he  fell  at  my  side. 

While  at  Fort  Stedman  Sergt.  Samuel  Everhart  returned  to 
the  Regiment.  During  the  evening  there  was  considerable  cannon- 
ading  from  the  rebel  lines.  We  all  went  to  the  bomb  proof,  but  Ever- 
h?rt,  being  weary,  lay  down  in  a  tent  outside  the  proof  where  Ser 
geant  Fox  and  I  generally  slept.  We  prevailed  on  him  not  to  stay 
in  the  tent,  as  shells  sometimes  fell  in  the  fort.  A  moment  after 
he  left  the  tent  it  was  torn  to  pieces. 

The  detail  of  Company  G  as  part  of  the  one  hundred  men  for 
the  assault  of  Fort  Crater  on  October  27th  was  as  follows:  James 
Irvin,  George  Koon,  Adams  Murphy,  John  Myers,  Anthony  Knopf, 
Henry  Fleisher,  D.  W.  Miller,  and  W.  A.  Jacobs.  Allen  Cross  of 
Company  D  was  detailed  as  pioneer  to  cut  the  wire  of  the  abatis. 
After  the  capture  of  the  fort  and  the  failure  of  support,  the  boys 
of  Company  G  all  got  back  safely. 

Early  in  December,  1864,  I  was  detailed  for  duty  at  Fourth 
Brigade  headquarters,  and  remained  there  until  we  were  disbanded. 


720  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Gen.  John  Ramsey  commanded  the  Brigade.  The  staff  officers  were : 
Lieut.  Joseph  W.  Muffly,  Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General;  Cap 
tain  Brady,  Inspector;  Lieutenant  Hatch,  Acting  Division  Com- 
miss>ary;  the  Orderlies  were  Jack  Moorehead  of  Company  E,  148th, 
Shorty  of  the  64th  New  York,  and  Harry  Law  as  bugler.  One  day 
one  of  the  Orderlies  at  brigade  headquarters  got  drunk,  and  Captain 
Brady  asked  me  if  I  could  ride  a  horse.  I  told  him  I  had  always 
been  accustomed  to  working  with  horses.  He  gave  me  the  fellow's 
place  and  sent  him  to  his  regiment.  After  that  Captain  Brady  was 
always  my  friend,  and  I  went  with  him  several  times  where  it  was 
not  very  pleasant  to  be. 

About  a  year  before  this  James  A.  Thompson  was  detailed  to 
Second  Corps  headquarters.*  Company  G  boys  seemed  to  be  in  de 
mand.  In  October,  1864,  Geo.  W.  Went  of  Company  G  was  detailed 
to  Hazzard's  Rhode  Island  Battery. 

The  operations  of  the  winter  and  spring  in  front  of  Petersburg 
and  on  to  Appomattox  have  been  very  fully  described  in  other  stories. 

On  the  31st  of  March  the  company  lost  one  of  its  bravest  and 
noblest  officers  in  the  death  of  Capt.  Samuel  Everhart,  who  was  shot 
dead  in  the  line  of  duty.  We  have  the  original  order  signed  by 
Humphreys,  Miles  and  Muffly,  promoting  him  to  Adjutant  so  near 
the  close  of  the  War.  He  had  been  like  a  brother  to  me,  and  without 
disparagement,  I  think  he  was  the  best  man  the  Regiment  lost. 

About  this  time  Adjutant  Muffly  left  headquarters,  and  Lieuten 
ant  Grain  of  Company  I  took  his  place.  Within  a  few  days  of 
the  surrender  poor  Harry  Law  had  his  head  knocked  off  by  a  rebel 
solid  shot,  and  Thomas  J.  Lee  of  Company  G  was  detailed  to  succeed 
him  as  brigade  bugler,  and  served  to  the  end. 

And  so  we  came  to  the  surrender,  and  saw  the  rebels  stack  their 
arms  for  the  last  time,  and  then  we  turned  our  faces  homeward, 
camping  a  few  days  at  Burkesville  Station,  then  to  Manchester, 
Richmond,  and  on  to  Alexandria  and  Washington,  where  we  took 
part  in  the  Grand  Review.  On  the  29th  of  May,  at  dress  parade, 
the  order  was  read  that  made  the  survivors  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania 


*See  copy  of  the  order  following  this  story. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          721 

Volunteers  the  same  as  other  citizens,  save  the  service  they  had 
rendered  for  their  country;  thence  to  Harrisburg,  where  we  were 
disbanded,  each  going  his  own  way.  I  got  transportation  with  the 
horses  to  Lewistown  in  company  with  John  H.  Fortney  of  Company 
D,  and  from  there  rode  horseback  across  the  Seven  Mountains  to  old 
Centre  County.  Two  of  the  horses  belonged  to  Quartermaster  Musser 
and  one  to  Lieut.  John  W.  Stuart. 

We  parted  as  a  band  of  brothers,  and  still  cling  to  the  memory 
of  those  tattered  banners  under  which  we  fought  together,  and  which 
we  restored  to  those  who  gave  them  to  us.  We  are  now  grown  gray 
and  our  ranks  are  very  thin,  but  until  we  pass  away  we  will  sustain 
the  reputation  of  this  noble  Regiment. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  like  of  the  great  Review  in  Washington 
will  never  be  seen  again,  but  it  will.  That  one  had  one  drawback. 
The  brave  and  noble  dead  who  deserved  the  honors  most  were  not 
there,  but  when  the  last  trumpet  shall  sound,  they  will  be  gathered 
from  every  battlefield  and  pass  in  grand  review  with  us  before  the 
great  white  throne,  under  the  banner  of  the  cross,  to  hear  the  Cap 
tain  of  our  salvation's  welcome  plaudit,  "Well  done,  good  and  faith 
ful  servants/7 

Comrade  Thompson  has  preserved  the  original  extract  from 
the  order  detailing  him  and  it  is  here  inserted  as  a  souvenir  of  per 
sonal  interest. 

HEADQUARTERS  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS. 

Cole's  Hill,  Culpeper  County,  Virginia,  April  14.  1864. 
SPECIAL  ORDERS  No.  105. 

EXTRACT. 

The  following  named  enlisted  men  are  hereby  detailed  as 
couriers  at  these  headquarters  under  the  provisions  of  Special  Order 
No.  92  A.  of  P.  April  9,  1864,  and  will  report  without  delay  to 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Walker,  Assistant  Adjutant  General : 

Private  James  A.  Thompson,  G  Company,  148th  Pennsylvania 

Volunteers. 
*.*#*#*##  •£-*••* 

By  command  of  MAJOR  GENERAL  HANCOCK. 

(Signed)      FRANCIS  A.  WALKKK. 
Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General. 


722  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

I IEADQU ARTERS  FIRST   DIVISION,  SECOND  CORPS. 

April  14,  1864. 
Official:  (Signed)      JOHN  HANCOCK, 

Major  and  Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General. 

HEADQUARTERS  FOURTH  BRIGADE,  FIRST  DIVISION,  SECOND  COUPS. 

April  15,  1864. 
Official:  (Signed)      CHAS.  P.  HATCH, 

Lieutenant  and  Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General. 

HEADQUARTERS  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  \rOLUNTEERS. 

April  15,  1864. 
Official:  J.  WENDEL  MUFFLY, 

Lieutenant  and  Adjutant. 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 


T1IK  STORY  OF  COMPANY  II. 
Ry  T.   H:  My  ton  and  D.  W.  Woodring. 

Company  II  of  148th  Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  was 
composed  of  men  enlisted  at  Belief  on  te  and  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Port  Matilda,  Snow  Shoe  and  Milesburg  in  Centre  County,  with 
some  from  Phillipsbnrg  and  a  few  from  other  counties. 

At  Bellefonte,  Dr.  Geo.  A.  Fairlamb,  a  physician  in  active  prac 
tice,  determined  to  abandon  his  profession  and  sacrifice  his  practice 
to  become  a  soldier  for  the  Union,  and  having  received  authority 
from  Governor  Curtin  to  raise  a  company,  began  in  the  early  part 
of  August  to  enlist  men  for  the  three  years'  service  under  the  call 
of  President  Lincoln  for  three  hundred  thousand  volunteers. 

About  the  same  time  the  Rev.  William  II.  Stevens,  who  had 
been  by  the  East  Baltimore  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  appointed  preacher  in  charge  of  the  Port  Matilda  Circuit  of 
Centre  County,  determined  that  for  him  the  time  had  come  when 
at  his  country's  call,  he  should  lay  aside  his  clerical  robes  and  in 
her  defense  assume  the  uniform  and  the  duties  of  a  soldier. 

In  pursuance  of  this  determination,  he  made  preparation  to 
leave  his  charge  and  to  enlist  men  for  service  in  the  field. 

He  called  public  meetings  at  different  points  in  his  charge  at 
which  he  and  others  made  patriotic  speeches  urging  young  men  co 
enter  the  country's  service.  At  one  of  these  meetings  held  in  the 
Baptist  Church  at  Martha  Furnace,  one  of  the  speakers  said  jn 
concluding  his  speech,  that  he  had  so  much  property  he  could  not 
leave  it  or  secure  the  services  of  any  one  to  whom  he  could  safely 
entrust  the  care  of  it.  As  he  sat  down  a  young  man  in  the  rear 
of  the  church,  Daniel  H.  Baumgardner,  arose  and  said,  ''Gentlemen, 
I  pity  this  poor  man,  who  would  offer  his  life  for  his  country,  if  it 
were  not  for  his  possessions.  Think  'of  what  he  would  lose  if  he 
should  happen  to  be  killed,  how  his  wife  and  children  would  suffer 
Xo,  gentlemen,  it  is  not  for  such  men,  but  for  us  who  have  nothing 
to  leave  but  our  families,  no  difference  whether  we  are  able  to  leave 
them  anything  to  live  on  or  not:  our  lives  are  not  worth  much  at 


724  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

any  rate  or  we  would  be  rich."  Quick  as  a  flash,  the  first  speaker 
sprang  to  his  feet  and  said,  "Young  man,  I  have  a  proposition  to 
make  to  you,  if  you  are  ready  to  go,  come  on,"  and  he  wrote  down 
his  name  and  the  young  man  came  forward  and  as  promptly  wrote 
his  beneath  it  and  others  quickly  followed.  This  man  did  not  become 
a  member  of  Company  H,  but  afterwards  enlisted  in  Company  C 
of  the  same  Regiment.  The  young  men  thus  enlisted  attended  fhe 
other  meetings  and  took  part  in  securing  recruits  and  in  response 
to  their  efforts,  the  young  men  came  from  their  mountain  homes, 
from  the  lumber  camps,  farms,  furnaces  and  forges  of  Centre  County 
a  part  of  the  superb  material  which  was  to  make  the  name  of  the 
Regiment  to  which  they  should  belong,  famous  in  the  history  of  their 
country. 

But,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  young  men  responded 
promptly,  enlistments  were  not  rapid  enough  to  satisfy  the  zeal  of 
the  doctor  and  the  preacher  and  it  was  agreed  between  them  that 
their  forces  should  be  united  to  form  one  company  rather  than 
wait  to  complete  two,  and  a  day  was  fixed  for  the  meeting  of  men 
they  had  enlisted,  in  Bellefonte,  and  in  the  evening  of  the  8th  day  of 
August,  1862,  in  the  public  square  in  front  of  the  court  house,  these 
men  were  first  formed  in  line. 

They  were  inspected  and  hurriedly  examined  by  Dr.  Fairlamb 
who  pronounced  them  fit  for  service,  they  were  then  dismissed  for 
the  night  with  orders  to  meet  the  next  day  to  be  transported  to  Lewis- 
town,  then  the  nearest  railroad  station  on  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad. 
On  the  9th  day  of  August,  1862,  Company  H  encouraged  by  the 
patriotic  speeches  and  cheers  of  their  fellow  citizens  and  saddened 
by  the  farewells  and  tears  of  their  loved  ones,  left  Bellefonte  in 
wagons  which  had  been  provided  for  that  purpose  and  after  a  weari 
some  all  day's  ride  over  rough  mountain  roads,  arrived  at  night  at 
Lewistown.  After  waiting  here  for  some  time  they  were  furnished 
with  transportation  to  Harrisburg  in  box  cars  (then  the  usual  mode 
of  transporting  volunteer  soldiers). 

On  the  road  between  Lewistown  and  Harrisburg,  the  car  in 
which  this  company  was  riding  caught  fire  in  the  front  end,  causing 
a  great  deal  of  excitement  among  the  men.  The  smoke  was  dense, 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          725 

almost  suffocating  and  for  a  time  the  prospect  of  being  roasted  alive 
or  killed  by  jumping  from  the  car,  seemed  to  be  the  only  alternative 
before  them. 

The  engineer  was  ignorant  of  their  peril  and  there  was  no 
means  of  communicating  with  him.  One  man,  named  Auman,  did 
jump  out  of  the  car  and  was  found  dead  beside  the  tracks  and  buried. 
Finally  Herman  H.  Clapp  and  Alexander  Gibb,  volunteered  to  make 
the  effort  to  go  forward  and  notify  the  engineer.  They  were  lifted 
to  the  roof  of  the  car  by  their  comrades  and  at  great  personal  risk, 
reached  the  engineer,  who  stopped  the  train  until  the  fire  was 
extinguished. 

Harrisburg  was  reached  without  further  incident  where  the 
company  enjoyed  its  first  soldier's  breakfast,  but  the  boys  who  had 
been  used  to  being  w7ell  fed  in  their  homes,  did  not  relish  army  fare 
and  talked  seriously  of  discharging  the  cook  and  reorganizing  the 
commissary  department  of  the  United  States  Army  on  a  more  liberal 
basis,  especially  in  the  matter  of  such  essentials  as  butter  and  milk. 

After  breakfast  they  were  marched  to  Camp  Curtin  and  as 
signed  quarters,  the  camp  was  rapidly  filling  with  new  companies 
which  were  arriving  daily,  and  new  regiments  w7ere  being  rapidly 
organized  and  sent  to  the  front. 

The  company  was  organized  with  Geo.  A.  Fairlamb  as  Captain, 
Geo.  A.  Bayard  as  First  Lieutenant  and  William  H.  Stevens 
a^  Second  Lieutenant,  and  began  at  once  to  learn  the  duties  and 
discipline  of  soldiers.  They  were  examined  on  the  16th  day  of 
August,  1862,  and  the  same  day  sworn  into  the  United  States  service 
for  three  years  or  during  the  War.  On  the  12th  day  of  August, 
1862,  while  at  Camp  Curtin,  Robert  Blackburn  and  Samuel  H. 
Orris  of  Perry  County,  Pennsylvania,  and  on  the  30th  day  of 
August,  Jacob  Snyder  and  William  Snyder,  Reuben  Hagan  and 
Thos.  W.  Myton  of  Huntingdon  County,  joined  the  company. 

The  company  now  had  on  its  rolls,  one  hundred  and  one  names, 
the  maximum  number  for  an  infantry  company. 

On  the  8th  day  of  September,  1862,  the  Regiment  was  organ 
ized  as  the  148th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  with  James  A. 
Beaver  as  Colonel,  Captain  Geo.  A.  Fairlamb  was  promoted  to 


726          THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS 

Major,  and  Lieut.  Win.  H.  Stevens  to  Chaplain,  First  Lieut.  Geo.  A. 
Bayard  was  promoted  to  Captain,  First  Sergt.  John  L.  Johnston  to 
First  Lieutenant,  and  Second  Sergt.  John  A.  Bayard  to  Second 
Lieutenant  and  the  company  was  designated  as  Company  H. 

Uniforms,  equipments  and  arms  were  issued  to  the  Regiment 
and  on  the  9th  day  of  September,  1862,  it  bade  farewell  to  Camp 
Curtin  and  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night  left  Harrisburg,  arriving  at 
Cockeysville,  Maryland,  the  next  morning  at  eight  o'clock,  where  the 
Regiment  went  into  camp  in  a  beautiful  little  grove,  a  few  rods 
south  of  the  village  called  Camp  Beaver  in  honor  of  the  Colonel.  On 
the  14th  of  September,  Companies  E,  G  and  H  went  into  camp  on 
Jessup's  farm  near  a  bridge  over  a  beautiful  little  stream  called 
Gunpowder  River,  under  the  command  of  Major  Geo.  A.  Fairlamo. 

The  camp  was  called  "Camp  Fairlamb"  in  honor  of  the  Major 
and  was  an  ideal  camp  of  instruction  for  volunteer  soldiers,  situate 
on  elevated  ground  with  a  beautiful  meadow  on  each  side,  a  bountiful 
supply  of  pure  spring  water,  plenty  of  wood  for  fuel,  in  a  beau 
tiful  and  fruitful  country,  abounding  in  poultry  and  sweet  potatoes 
and  apples,  with  a  village  and  a  paper  mill  near  by,  in  which  a  large 
number  of  pretty  girls  were  employed. 

It  was  indeed  a  pleasant  fate  for  a  soldier  to  be  consigned  to 
such  a  camp,  and  it  would  have  been  fully  appreciated  by  the  boy^ 
of  these  companies  if  two  years  later  they  had  been  ordered  to 
return  to  this  place. 

Here  for  nearly  three  months  we  were  carefully  drilled  in  all 
the  duties  and  discipline  of  the  soldier.  Few  of  our  duties  were 
laborious  and  none  of  them  dangerous  but  the  boys  had  not  learned 
much  of  the  privations  of  army  life  and  while  in  camp  at  Gun 
powder  River  in  the  state  of  Maryland,  the  men  were  divided  into 
messes  of  six  each,  and  much  preferred  to  do  their  own  cooking,  dis 
dained  company  cooks,  whether  from  habits  formed  prior  to  enter 
ing  the  service  or  because  the  cooks  selected  by  the  officers  did  not 
suit.  On  one  occasion,  two  men  from  the  company  went  out  to  the 
country  and  came  back  at  night,  each  carrying  a  turkey.  Thev 
made  hot  water  and  scalded  them  and  were  busily  engaged  in  pluck 
ing  the  feathers  from  the  fowls,  when  the  officer  of  the  day  (then 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS 

night)  came  slipping  up  behind.  One  of  the  boys  saw  him  when 
close  by  and  suited  the  action  to  the  word  by  saying,  "Captain, 
will  you  have  a  turkey  for  dinner  tomorrow  as  the  Colonel  will  tx 
down."  The  officer  nodded  consent  and  was  given  the  largest.  It 
was  cooked,  the  Colonel  was  there  and  needless  to  say  no  questions 
were  asked  at  to  where  the  fine  fowls  came  from  or  how  they  got 
into  camp.  The  two  men  who  brought  them  in  have  since  passed 
away,  the  one  in  Missouri,  the  other  in  Pennsylvania.  Both  were 
fine  soldiers  and  so  far  as  can  be  learned  no  member  of  this  com 
pany  was  ever  known  to  take  anything  he  could  not  carry.  While 
performing  duty  at  this  camp,  frequent  complaints  were  made  to 
company  headquarters  by  farmers  and  citizens  residing  in  the  vicin 
ity,  that  foraging  parties  from  Company  H  had  been  committing 
depredations.  One  instance,  where  some  honey  had  been  confiscated, 
the  owner  found  a  cap  with  the  letter  H  upon  it,  brought  the  cap 
to  camp  and  after  considerable  conjurings  it  was  found  two  or  three 
of  G  men  had  exchanged  caps  with  H  men  the  evening  before  and 
the  case  was  reported  to  the  Colonel  at  Cockeysville  by  the  party 
who  lost  the  honey.  Nevertheless,  the  honey  was  eaten  in  Company 
G,  instead  of  H,  as  appeared  from  the  prima  facie  case  made  out  by 
the  farmer  against  Company  H. 

While  in  camp  here  some  of  the  messes  had  their  tents  labeled, 
to-wit,  "Boar's  Nest,"  "Dirty  Mess,"  "Sheep  Mess"  and  "Turkey 
Mess."  Company  H  men  were  not  all  angels  as  we  well  know,  but 
there  were  a  few  as  near  as  could  be  in  this  world  and  whose  conduct 
at  home  and  in  the  Army  was  a  shining  light  and  examples  for  any 
one  to  follow.  For  instance  C.  O.  Whippo,  long  since  dead,  and 
John  D.  Wagoner  whose  examples  will  live  in  the  minds  of  those 
who  knew  them  long  after  they  are  gone  from  this  earth  to  the 
celestial  abode  above.  Others  we  might  mention  who  were  always 
willing  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  anyone  in  distress.  Very  little 
selfishness  existed  among  the  men  in  this  company,  all  shoulder  to 
shoulder  in  the  common  cause,  ready  to  perform  any  act  or  face  any 
danger  that  was  presented  in  common  with  their  brothers  in  arms, 
always  jolly,  ready  for  fun  and  sport  when  such  occasion  presented, 
ready  and  uncomplaining  on  the  long  tedious  march.  Would  to 


728  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

God  that  all  could  be  seen  together  as  they  once  stood  in  line  on  dress 
parade.  But  as  this  can  never  be,  let  us  hope  for  that  last  meeting 
on  that  "ever  green  shore." 

Nearly  every  day,  long  trains  of  railroad  cars  loaded  with 
soldiers  passed  our  camp  going  south  and  we  longed  for  the  day 
when  the  order  would  come  to  send  us  to  join  one  of  the  great 
armies  in  active  service.  Orders  came  to  prepare  barracks  for  the 
winter  and  the  men  with  an  ill  grace  began  the  work  of  erecting 
them,  but  before  they  were  finished,  the  long  wished  for  marching 
orders  came. 

These  orders  were  hailed  with  delight  by  every  soldier;  even 
the  citizens  seemed  pleased.  There  had  been  some  foraging  done  on 
personal  account  and  the  persons  whose  property  had  mysteriously 
disappeared,  were  willing  to  part  with  us  without  showing  any 
regret. 

The  only  persons  who  did  seem  to  feel  a  real  regret  that  we 
were  leaving  and  did  not  try  to  conceal  their  sorrow  were  the  girls 
at  the  paper  mill  and  of  the  village.  As  we  filed  out  of  Jessup's 
meadow  into  -the  road  leading  to  Cockeysville  for  the  last  time, 
they  stood  by  the  roadside  and  bade  us  a  tearful  and  final  good-bye. 
At  Cockeysville  the  companies  of  the  Regiment  that  had  been 
long  separated,  were  united,  the  Regiment  was  loaded  in  box  cars 
and  started  for  Baltimore  on  their  way  to  the  front. 

The  history  of  the  company  from  this  time  forward  is  merged 
in  the  history  of  the  Regiment  of  which  it  formed  an  integral  part. 
It  participated  in  all  the  camps,  camp  duties,  services,  marches  and 
battles  in  which  the  Regiment  was  engaged  and  contributed  its  full 
share  in  the  sacrifice  it  was  called  on  to  make.  Its  surviving  volun 
teers  claim  with  pride  their  share  in  the  glory  it  has  won  and  the 
eiiviable  place  its  record  occupies  in  the  history  of  our  country. 

This  general  history  appears  elsewhere  in  this  volume  and  need 
not  be  repeated  here,  we  care  only  to  record  hereafter  the  history 
that  is  incidental  and  personal  to  the  company  or  the  members 
thereof,  which  if  not  noted  now,  will  be  forever  lost,  Beyond  this, 
we  feel  it  our  sacred  duty  to  record  here  brief  biographical  sketches 
of  our  comrades  killed  on  the  field  of  battle  or  dead  from  wounds 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          729 

received  in  the  battle  line  in  the  discharge  of  their  duty  and  a  roll 
of  our  company  showing  the  service,  date  of  death  and  place  of  burial 
of  our  dead  and  the  service,  place  of  residence  and  address  of  our 
comrades  living. 

Baltimore  was  reached  the  evening  of  the  day  we  left  Cockeys- 
ville  and  we  marched  through  the  city  to  the  Union  Belief  Associa 
tion,  where  a  good  supper  of  boiled  beef,  potatoes,  cold  ham,  bread 
and  coffee  had  been  prepared  for  us. 

While  the  Regiment  was  forming  at  the  Baltimore  depot,  the 
Major  came  down  the  line  with  "Freddie,"  a  beautiful  Newfound 
land  pup  of  which  he  thought  a  great  deal,  and  speaking  to  Hiram 
Knippenburg,  said,  "Hiram,  won't  you  take  Freddie  and  see  that 
he  gets  safely  to  the  Washington  Depot."  Hiram  took  Freddie  and 
t •;  be  sure  that  he  would  not  lose  him,  took  him  up  in  his  arms, 
Captain  Bayard  came  back  from  the  head  of  the  company  and 
looking  down  the  line  to  see  if  it  was  dressed,  saw  Hiram  with 
Freddie  and  said  wickedly,  "Knippenburg,  what  are  you  doing  with 
that  dog,  put  it  down  and  dress  up  there."  Hiram  obeyed  orders. 
Directly  the  Major  saw  Freddie  running  about  at  will  and  brought 
him  back.  Hiram  took  him  again  in  his  arms,  and  leaving  the  ranks 
stood  on  the  pavement,  again  the  Captain  saw  him  and  said  angrily, 
"Knippenburg,  put  down  that  d — d  dog  and  take  your  place  in  the 
ranks."  Hiram  reluctantly  obeyed.  Just  then  came  the  order  to 
march,  the  Captain  took  his  place  at  the  head  of  his  company,  Hiram 
slipped  out  of  the  ranks  and  "Freddie"  was  safely  conveyed  to  the 
Washington  Depot. 

Leaving  Baltimore  the  next  evening,  the  entire  night  was  spent 
in  making  the  trip  to  Washington  where  a  substantial  breakfast  was 
furnished  by  the  Relief  Association  but  it  was  neither  so  good  nor 
so  plentiful  as  the  meals  furnished  at  Baltimore. 

After  waiting  in  barracks  at  Washington  for  some  time,  the 
orders  for  our  march  came,  the  Regiment  was  formed  and  marched 
through  the  city,  the  drum  corps  playing  "Dixie."  The  roads  were 
very  muddy  and  the  marching  laborious,  we  were  burdened  with 
heavy  loads  having  brought  from  our  camp  everything  in  the  way  of 
personal  belongings  that  we  thought  would  contribute  to  our  com- 


730  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

fort,  but  soon  we  found  it  would  be  impossible  to  carry  the  loads 
that  we  had  imposed  upon  ourselves  and  march  as  we  should. 

An  incident  of  this  march  demonstrates  how  easy  it  is  to  be 
mistaken  in  the  physical  qualities  and  endurance  of  men.  Among 
the  men  of  Company  H,  was  a  slim,  pale  faced  boy,  named  Geo.  W. 
Farnsler.  Nearly  every  man  in  the  company  had  at  some  time  pitied 
him  on  account  of  his  appearance  and  the  general  belief  that  he 
could  not  endure  the  hardships  of  the  service  and  he  was  constantly 
being  advised  to  accept  a  discharge  (which  the  men  thought  he  ought 
to  get  on  making  application  for  it)  and  go  home,  but  on  this  even 
ing  after  a  most  fatiguing  and  exhausting  march,  when  the  company 
went  into  camp  for  the  night,  Farnsler  was  near  the  head  of  the 
company  and  many  of  the  large  and  apparently  strong  men,  who 
had  been  giving  him  advice  were  straggling  far  in  the  rear  and 
Earnsler  was  not  again  worried  with  their  disinterested  advice. 

It  was  indeed  an  arduous  and  trying  duty,  the  change  from  our 
short  marches,  our  good  roads,  to  the  long,  all  day  marches  over 
rough,  muddy  roads  and  from  our  comfortable  camp  to  the  rough, 
cold  bed  in  the  woods  or  fields  wherever  and  whenever  night  over- 
took  us,  was  distressing  and  we  began  to  lament  our  folly  in  praying 
for  active  service  in  the  field  and  longed  for  a  return  to  our  pleasant 
quarters  on  the  Gunpowder.  But  after  days  of  such  experience,  the 
beys  accepted  this  as  they  had  everything  they  had  been  called  on 
to  perform  as  a  matter  of  course  and  before  we  reached  the  Potomac 
opposite  Acquia  Creek  Landing,  we  were  able  to  do  a  full  day's 
marching  without  great  exhaustion  and  to  sleep  on  the  cold  ground 
in  comparative  comfort. 

The  Potomac  River  was  crossed  in  steam  boats  on  the  16th  of 
December,  1862,  and  on  the  17th  we  left  the  landing  for  the  front. 
The  march  was  long  and  wearisome  and  at  night  we  bivouacked  in 
a  thick  pine  wood  immediately  in  the  rear  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  The  wagon  train  did  not  get  up  at  night  and  we  were 
without  supper.  In  a  group  of  six  men  of  the  company,  it  was 
decided  that  if  they  could  not  have  much  to  eat,  they  at  least  would 
have  a  roaring  fire  and  all  set  to  work  gathering  wood.  While  en 
gaged  in  this  work,  some  one  flushed  a  covey  of  quail  and  they 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          731 

scattered  in  every  direction.  One  lit  at  Bob  Cassidy's  (Big  Bob) 
feet  and  ran  under  a  log.  Bob  thought  of  the  provision  that  had 
been  made  for  the  Israelites  in  their  wilderness  journey  and  caught 
and  killed  it  After  the  wood  had  been  gathered,  an  account  of 
the  stock  of  rations  on  hand  was  taken  and  it  was  found  that  the 
entire  stock  for  six  hungry,  tired  soldiers,  was  one  quail,  one  small 
piece  of  very  fat  pork,  three  handfuls  of  cracker  crumbs  and  a  few 
spoonsful  of  dried  raspberries,  the  last  item  from  a  box  from  home. 
The  quail  was  cooked  in  one  tin  cup,  the  fat  pork  added  to  make 
gravy,  the  berries  were  stewed  in  another  tin  cup  and  when  the 
cooking  was  done  the  supper  was  divided  with  scrupulous  exactness 
into  six  parts  and  eaten.  Under  the  influence  of  the  warmth  from 
the  blazing  log  fires,  the  weary  men  were  soon  comfortable  and  sleep 
ing  soundly,  to  be  wakened  in  the  early  morning  by  the  sweet  notes 
of  the  bugle  call  in  the  cavalry  and  artillery  camps  and  the  rattle  of 
a  thousand  drums  in  the  infantry  camps. 

Early  in  the  morning,  without  breakfast,  the  Regiment  marched 
in  rear  of  the  camp  to  General  Couch's  headquarters.  As  we  passed 
through  a  sunken  road,  our  comrades  from  nearby  camps  gathered 
on  the  banks  to  see  us  and  we  were  saluted  with  questions  such  as, 
"What  brigade  is  this  '?"  "Where  are  you  from  ?"  "Are  you 
artillery  or  infantry  '?"  "What  is  the  caliber  of  your  guns  ?"  "You 
will  not  look  so  trim  and  clean  after  you  are  here  awhile."  To  all 
this  guying  not  a  man  uttered  a  word  but  marched  in  silence  like 
regulars. 

At  General  Couch's  headquarters,  we  were  assigned  to  the  First 
Division  of  the  Second  Army  Corps  and  were  by  General  Hancock, 
Division  Commander,  assigned  to  the  First  Brigade  and  in  the  even 
ing  we  bivouacked  in  the  woods  where  our  camp  was  to  be.  The 
wagon  train  came  up  at  night  and  we  had  a  good  supper  and  slept 
the  sleep  of  the  just  on  the  cold  ground,  on  a  cold  night  in  December. 

We  now  went  to  work  to  prepare  a  camp  for  the  winter  and 
in  a  few  days  had  a  well  laid  out  camp  built.  The  woods  were  cut 
away,  streets  and  parade  ground  made  smooth  and  clear  of  brush 
and  stumps  and  the  brush  burned.  The  men  from  the  coaling  and 
lumber  camps  were  just  the  right  kind  of  men  to  construct  a  city  of 


752  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

leg  houses,  warm  and  comfortable  to  live  in  during  the  cold,  disagree 
able  weather  of  a  Virginia  winter,  and  we  soon  had  one  of  the 
cleanest,  prettiest,  most  orderly  camps  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
within  which  a  rigid  discipline  was  enforced,  everything  being  done 
in  strict  accordance  with  army  regulations.  The  school  of  the  soldier 
begun  on  the  Northern  Central  Railroad,  was  continued  here  with 
the  arduous  service  of  picket  duty  in  front  of  the  enemy  added. 

The  winter  was  cold  and  dreary  and  this  part  of  the  service 
was  very  trying  and  exhausting,  but  the  men  were  .kept  busy  every 
day  that  was  at  all  fit  for  men  to  be  out,  they  were  regularly  drilled 
and  were  putting  in  a>bout  as  many  hours  of  this  kind  of  work  a,s 
if  employed  in  any  other  business.  The  health  of  the  men  was  good  ; 
up  to  the  5th  of  March,  not  a  death  had  occurred  in  the  company. 
On  that  day  Thomas  Gephart  died  of  typhoid  fever.  He  was  an 
excellent  soldier,  quietly  and  uncomplainingly  doing  his  duty  and 
always  present  for  duty  until  stricken  with  this  disease  of  which  he 
died.  His  body  was  sent  to  his  home. 

On  the  first  day  of  April,  Amos  Sweetwood,  one  of  the  largest 
and  strongest  men  in  the  company,  died  of  the  same  disease  in  the 
regimental  hospital.  His  body  was  embalmed  and  sent  home.  One 
or  two  others  were  sick  with  the  same  disease  but  recovered  and  re 
turned  to  the  company. 

With  the  pleasant  days  of  spring,  picket  duty  became  a 
pleasure,  the  health  of  the  men  improved.  Most  of  those  who  had 
been  sick  and  in  the  hospitals  returned  and  when  on  the  27th  day  of 
April,  the  Second  Army  Corps  started  on  the  Chancellorsville  cam 
paign,  the  ranks  of  Company  H  were  filled  with  strong,  healthy  men. 

The  Regiment  had  its  first  experience  in  actual  war  at  the 
battle  of  Chancellorsville.  On  the  1st  and  2<1  of  May,  it  was  almost 
continually  under  artillery  fire  and  in  the  evening  of  Saturday,  the 
2d,  Companies  A,  B,  E,  F  and  K  had  a  sharp  fight  with  ^he  Con 
federate  infantry  on  our  advanced  line  driving  them  back. 

On  Sunday  morning,  May  3d,  Companies  D,  C,  G  and  H, 
carrying  the  colors,  were  taken  from  behind  the  breastworks  they 
had  built  for  their  protection  and  thrown  hastily  into  the  woods 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  753 

behind  the  Chancellor  House  and  in  front  of  the  Bullock  House  to 
help  hold  the  Confederate  line  which  had  turned  our  right,  until  the 
Army  could  change  its  line  from  in  front  of  the  Chancellor  House 
to  a  line  running  near  the  Bullock  House.  The  companies  moved 
directly  into  the  thick  woods  without  skirmishers,  striking  the  Con 
federate  line  obliquely,  giving  them  an  enfilading  fire.  On  our  right 
at  about  twenty  yards  distant,  the  men  were  taken  by  surprise. 
They  were  nearly  on  the  Confederate  line  before  they  saw  it.  To 
most  of  them  the  first  knowledge  of  the  presence  of  the  enemy  wa* 
their  first  volley,  but  with  that  stubborn  courage  and  pertinacity  that 
peculiarly  characterizes  our  American  soldiers,  they  held  their 
ground  until  the  object  they  had  been  sent  to  accomplish  had  been 
secured  and  the  Confederate  line  driven  back,  but  their  losses  were 
appalling;  more  than  half  of  the  men  who  entered  the  woods  were 
killed  or  wounded.  As  was  said  by  one  of  the  survivors,  it  seemed 
as  they  fell  back  that  there  were  more  men  left  on  the  line  of  battle 
than  were  retiring.  The  losses  were  greatest  on  the  companies  from 
the  right.  Company  H  lost  seven  men:  Michael  Flinn,  Corp.  Mat 
thew  B.  Lucas,  William  Ludwig,  Wyerman  S.  Miller,  James  M. 
Test,  Ulyssus  Wants,  Harrison  Yeager,  killed ;  and  two,  Frederick 
Ruder  and  Adoniram  J.  Yothers  mortally  wounded;  and  twenty- 
two,  Capt.  Geo.  A.  Bayard,  Lieuts.  John  L.  Johnston  and  John  A. 
Bayard,  Richard  Miles,  Geo.  H.  Xeiman,  Peter  Frantz,  John  W. 
Gahagan,  Geo.  T.  Jones,  David  Steiner,  Oscar  Runk,  Benjamin 
Zimmerman,  C.  O.  Whippo,  John  ].).  Wagner,  S.  H.  Orris,  Daniel 
G.  Farley,  Francis  J.  Hunter,  S.  B.  Wyland,  Geo.  X.  Long,  William 
B.  Lucas,  Michael  I>ebkechner,  Thomas  W.  My  ton  and  Daniel  W. 
Woodring,  wounded.  Xearly  all  of  these  were  young  men  from 
nineteen  to  twenty-one  years  of  age,  as  men  of  this  age  formed  a  very 
large  majority  of  the  company  and  the  Regiment. 

Captain  Geo.  A.  Bayard  was  severely  but  not  dangerously 
wounded  in  the  face.  He  had  beautiful  black  whiskers  which  he 
cherished  and  cared  for  with  some  pride.  The  ball  struck  him  on 
the  chin,  and  mowed  a  wide  swath  through  his  beautiful  whiskers, 
leaving  an  ugly,  ragged,  painful  wound.  But  the  Captain  did  not 
core  so  much  for  himself,  he  prized  the  welfare  and  comfort  of  his 


734  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

men  above  his  personal  safety  and  ease,  and  as  soon  as  his  wounds 
had  been  dressed,  busied  himself  in  looking  after  the  interests  of  his 
boys  who  were  seriously  wounded.  On  this  mission,  he  came  to 
Corp.  Richard  Miles,  lying  in  the  Held  hospital  in  the  woods,  who 
had  been  shot  through  the  right  arm  near  the  shoulder  necessitatine: 
amputation  at  the  shoulder  joint.  The  Captain  approached  him  and 
said,  "Dick,  are  you  very  badly  hurt?"  "Yes,"  said  Dick,  "I  am 
very  seriously  wounded."  '"Corporal,"  said  the  Captain,  looking 
very  soberly  at  him,  "Have  you  any  thing -to  send  to  your  wife,  any 
words  you  would  like  to  have  delivered  to  your  relations  and 
friends  ?"  The  Corporal  quickly  raised  himself  on  his  left  elbow 
and  said,  "Captain,  don't  talk  that  way  to  me.  Don't  talk  that  way 
to  me,  I'll  be  at  home  before  you  are."  And  he  was.  Matthew  B. 
Lucas  was  shot  through  the  arm  and  Geo.  T.  Jones,  who  was  shot 
through  the  leg  and  captured,  says,  "Brady  Lucas  was  shot  through 
the  arm,  a  flesh  wound,  I  was  the  only  man  left.  The  Johnnies 
killed  him  on  the  battlefield  when  he  went  for  a  canteen  of  water 
for  himself  and  me." 

Colonel  Beaver  was  severely  wounded  at  Chancellorsville  and 
was  not  with  the  Regiment  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg.  For  some 
reason  the  men  of  Company  H  did  not  like  the  Colonel  appointed 
to  command  them.  A  comrade  says,  "Colonel  Beaver  was  not  with 
us  at  Gettysburg,  if  he  had  been  we  would  never  have  gone  into 
battle  wrong  end  to,  with  half  of  the  Regiment  about  faced,  the 
guide  in  the  center  and  the  color  company  for  left  guide.  His  head 
never  got  muddled  that  way."  But  notwithstanding  the  confusion 
caused  by  this  mistake,  they  did  their  whole  duty  and  maintained 
the  reputation  they  had  won  at  Chancellorsville.  There  they  showed 
they  knew  how  to  die,  here  they  proved  they  knew  how  to  fight, 

The  loss  of  Company  H  in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  was  two 
men,  Sergt  Samuel  McGinley,  and  James  Stewart  killed,  and  one 
officer,  Second  Lieutenant  John  A.  Bayard,  and  two  men,  James  E. 
Beals  and  John  Green  mortally  wounded,  and  Edward  P.  Jones, 
John  Freeze,  Samuel  Gunsalis,  wounded. 

The  loss  of  Jack  Bayard  was  a  personal  loss  to  every  man  in 
the  company.  Who  that  ever  was  a  member  of  the  company  can 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          735 

forget  the  many  little  acts  of  kindness  and  consideration  shown  by 
him  to  them  under  circumstances  and  conditions  which  made  kind, 
considerate  acts  more  precious  than  gold.  A  comrade  who  helped 
carry  him  from  the  field  says,  "I  went  to  the  hospital  and  stayed 
all  night  with  him,  gave  him  water  and  did  all  I  could  to  make  him 
comfortable.  While  I  was  with  him  he  never  murmured  or 
complained  or  showed  any  signs  of  suffering,  although  he  knew 
his  wound  was  mortal.  I  left  him  in  the  morning  and  never  saw 
him  again.  No  braver  man  than  he  lost  his  life  in  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion,  no  kinder  heart  was  ever  put  in  a  human  being.  I  never 
heard  him  speak  harshly  to  one  of  his  men,  but  was  always  trying  to 
make  them  comfortable." 

After  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  following  the  retreating  Con 
federates  to  Williamsport,  thence  to  Harper's  Ferry  and  back  again 
to  near  Culpeper  Court  House,  then^.came  the  affair  at  Auburn  Mills 
ov  Coffee  Hill,  the  battle  of  Bristoe  Station  and  back  again,  cover 
ing  the  retreat  of  the  Army  to  near  Centerville,  and  then  the  Mine 
Run  campaign  closed  the  active  work  for  the  year  1863.  From 
Mine  Run  the  Regiment  returned  December  1,  1863,  to  near  Stevens- 
burg  and  went  into  winter  quarters. 

The  company  was  now  commanded  by  officers  thoroughly  edu 
cated  in  their  duties,  seasoned  veterans  who  had  faced  death  in  some 
of  the  fiercest  battles  of  the  War.  During  the  fall  of  1863  and  the 
winter  of  1864,  forty-six  drafted  men  and  recruits  were  added  to 
the  company  filling  its  ranks  again  and  its  rolls  showed  ninety-two 
effective  officers  and  men. 

This  new  material  mixed  with  the  men  who  remained  of  the 
original  company,  under  the  circumstances,  was  soon  transformed 
into  disciplined  soldiers  and  when  on  May  4,  1864,  they  crossed  the" 
Rapidan  to  begin  the  campaign  of  1864,  it  was  probably  a  more 
effective  company  for  active  campaigning  than  it  had  ever  been,  its 
ranks  full  of  strong  and  vigorous  young  men,  thoroughly  drilled  and 
accustomed  to  the  hardship  of  army  life  in  active  service  in  the 
field. 

The  Regiment  passed  through  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  with 
out  loss,  the  heavy  fighting  was  on  and  near  the  center  and  on  the 


736  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

right  and  the  Regiment  was  on  the  extreme  left  of  our  line.  The 
following  incident,  although  not  strictly  a  part  of  the  history  of 
Company  H  is  so  characteristic  of  our  first  Captain,  that  it  has  a 
place  here. 

In  the  evening  of  our  first  day's  fight  at  the  Wilderness,  the 
Regiment  was  marching  toward  the  right  in  rear  of  the  battle  line, 
seeking  an  opening  where  it  could  go  into  action.  Just  as  the 
sun  was  going  down  the  Colonel  ordered  Major  Fairlamb  to  ride 
down  the  line  to  find  an  opening  in  the  line  where  the  Regiment 
could  go  in.  The  Major  rode  down  the  line  but  could  find  no  place 
for  the  Regiment  and  it  was  forced  to  lie  in  the  rear  of  the  line 
in  reserve,  but  as  the  Major  was  returning  he  heard  the  voice  of  his 
friend  Colonel  Hammill  of  the  64th  New  York,  in  the  front,  where 
a  fierce  fight  was  in  progress,  giving  command.  He  concluded  to  join 
them  and  rode  forward  and  took  part  in  the  fight  which  resulted 
in  the  capture  of  the  12th  North  Carolina  Regiment.  As  the  Con 
federates  were  hurried  through  our  line  an  enthusiastic  soldier  of 
Colonel  Hammill's  regiment  said  to  the  Confederate  Colonel,  " John 
ny,  that  was  a  bully  fight,  why  didn't  you  hold  out  a  little  longer  ?'' 
''Because  I  was  not  a  d — d  fool/'  said  the  Colonel. 

When  the  fight  was  over,  Colonel  Beaver  rode  down  the  line 
inquiring  for  the  Major.  No  one  knew  where  he  was,  but  just  then 
the  Major  rode  out  of  the  brush  and  said,  "Colonel,  I  could  not 
find  a  place  for  the  Regiment  to  go  in  and  knowing  it  would  not 
be  called  upon  to  do  any  fighting  this  evening,  and  hearing  Colonel 
Hammill's  voice  in  the  front,  where  the  fighting  was  going  on,  I 
went  in  with  them  and  we  had  a  nice  little  fight  out  there." 

On  the  10th  of  May,  1864,  a  little  more  than  a  year  after  their 
frightful  sacrifices  at  Chancellorsville,  the  company  was  again  called 
on  to  make  sacrifices  that  seemed  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  advan- 
t?.ge  that  could  reasonably  be  expected  to  be  derived  from  the  move 
ment.  Early  in  the  day  the  Division  had  been  thrown  across  the 
Po  River  and  for  most  of  the  day  had  been  engaged  in  a  fierce 
fight.  Late  in  the  day  the.  other  regiments  of  the  Division  were  with 
drawn,  leaving  the  148th  to  cover  the  retreat  without  noticing  that 
its  flanks  had  been  exposed  by  the  withdrawal  of  the  other  regiments 


THE  J48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          737 

of  the  Brigade.  They  found  themselves  late  in  the  day  alone,  with 
the  Confederates  on  two  sides  of  them  and  on  the  third  side  a  line 
oi!  fire  in  the  burning  woods. 

Nothing  but  the  consummate  skill  and  coolness  of  officers  and 
men  saved  the  Regiment  from  destruction  or  capture.  The  losses 
were  very  heavy.  In  Company  H  one  man,  Isaac  Sweetwood,  was 
killed;  two,  Lieut.  James  B.  Cook  and  William  McDonald,  mortally 
wounded ;  eleven,  William  H.  Kellerman,  Samuel  M.  Moyer,  Jacob 
Bracken,  Darius  L.  Sanders,  John  D.  Wagoner,  Frederick  Shaffer, 
David  Stiner,  Valentine  Stonebraker,  Irvin  Lowry,  Joseph  Lape  and 
Henry  Johnston,  wounded,  and  one,  Ephraim  Klinger,  captured. 

Lieutenant  James  B.  Cook,  "Cookie"  we  always  called  him, 
every  man  in  the  company  loved,  for  his  chivalrous  courage  and 
manly  kindness.  He  was  the  friend  of  the  men  he  commanded  and 
the  hearts  of  all  who  knew  him  sorrowed  for  him  when  they  heard 
he  was  dead,  as  well  those  who  stood  by  him  in  the  line  of  battle 
when  he  fell,  as  of  those  comrades  who  by  the  fortunes  of  war  had 
been  compelled  to  leave  the  service  and  return  to  their  homes  and 
were  first  apprised  of  his  untimtely  death  when  his  name  appeared 
ii)  the  long  list  of  the  slain  in  this  battle. 

A  comrade  writing  of  his  death  says,  "We  were  busily  engaged 
in  the  fight  at  Po  River  when  Lieutenant  Cook  came  up  to  me  and 
said,  ;Dan,  let  me  give  them  a  shot,'  I  loaded  up,  gave  him  my  gun 
and  stepped  back,  he  stepped  into  my  place  and  just  as  he  fired,  a 
minie  ball  from  the  rebels  struck  him  in  the  right  leg  above  the 
knee.  He  fell  back  and  I  caught  him  in  my  arms  and  laid  him 
down." 

Two  days  later  the  company  formed  a  part  of  the  troops  who 
charged  on  that  angle  of  the  Confederate  line  at  Spotsylvania  Court 
House,  appropriately  called  the  "Bloody  Angle,"  and  helped  to  fight 
the  fiercest  infantry  fight  of  modern  times.  They  were  in  the  front 
line  and  were  among  the  first  to  enter  the  Confederate  intrenchments. 
The  company  was  again  called  upon  to  suffer  heavy  losses,  having 
two,  Samuel  Gunsalis  and  John  W.  Carlton  killed,  and  twelve, 
I;riah  K.  Brown,  Robert  Cassidy,  John  D.  Deihl,  Robert  J.  Kelly, 
Geo.  A.  Wilson,  Christian  Stuck,  William  McKinnev,  William  J. 


738  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Lucas,  Geo.  W.  Freed,  Robert  Custard,  William  H.  Klose,  Robert 
Blackburn  and  John  Moore,  wounded. 

March  and  counter-march  followed  this  battle,  seeking  some 
weak  spot  in  the  Confederate  line  where  it  could  be  assaulted  with 
some  hope  of  success.  In  discomfort  and  much  weariness,  they 
marched,  but  always  uncomplainingly. 

Not  less  glorious  than  the  courage  exhibited  at  Po  River  and  the 
"Bloody  Angle"  of  Spotsylvania,  was  the  high  soldierly  spirit  that 
enabled  them  thus  to  perform  this  most  wearisome  duty  of  the  soldier 
and  do  it  well. 

After  one  of  these  marches,  the  Regiment  was  lying  down  wait 
ing  for  the  order  to  advance  when  a  rebel  shell  came  shrieking 
through  the  air  and  fell  in  the  mud  at  Corporal  Farnsler's  feet,  the 
shell  turned  over  in  the  mud,  the  fuse  still  smoking.  Captain  Bay 
ard  who  was  lying  a  few  feet  in  the  rear  of  Farnsler  and  near  the 
shell,  partly  raised  himself,  looked  for  an  instant  very  soberly  at  the 
smoking  fuse,  spat  viciously  at  the  shell,  swore  a  prayer  or  two  and 
lay  quietly  down  to  'await  the  result.  Fortunately  the  fuse  died  out 
and  no  explosion  occurred. 

Then  came  the  race  for  Cold  Harbor  in  which  the  Union  Army 
seemed  to  come  out  behind. 

The  Regiment  had  now  lost  fully  one-half  of  the  men  who  had 
crossed  the  Rapidan  River,  when  we  came  out  of  winter  quarters, 
strong,  confident  and  self-reliant,  by  death,  wounding  and  captures, 
but  undaunted  by  these  fearful  losses,  it  took  its  place  again  in 
the  charging  lines  for  the  bloodiest  and  most  fruitless  charge  of  the 
campaign.  , 

In  the  early  morning  they  went  forward,  part  of  the  company 
was  with  Major  Forster  in  front  of  the  assaulting  column.  To  this 
detail  Captain  Bayard  said  before  daylight  in  the  morning,  uWhen 
you  see  the  line  of  battle  coming  deploy,  move  forward  and  drive 
in  the  rebel  pickets,  then  lie  down  till  the  line  passes  over  you,  then 
fall  back  to  the  line  you  now  occupy  and  hold  it  for  a  line,  if  the 
battle  line  is  driven  back. 

A  comrade  thus  describes  this  charge:  "Pretty  soon  the  line 
rf  battle  came  in  sight  and  the  picket  deployed  drove  the  rebel 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          739 

picket  line  behind  their  works  and  lay  down.  The  battle  line  moved 
over  us,  jumped  over  the  breastworks  and  sent  the  Johnnies  helter 
skelter,  but  in  a  few  minutes  we  were  ordered  to  throw  up  breast 
works.  It  was  a  hot  place,  the  Johnnies  had  an  enfilading  artillery 
fire  on  us  and  they  made  it  hot  for  us  for  a  while,  but  our  batteries 
soon  got  around  and  shut  them  up  on  that  line  and  they  did  not 
dare  to  look  over  their  works,  if  they  did  they  got  plugged.  So  we 
soon  got  a  good  line  of  works  within  a  few  yards  of  theirs  and  held 
them  till  our  Army  sloped  around  to  the  left  and  flanked  them 
again." 

The  loss  of  Company  H  in  this  fight  was  one,  Herman  H.  Clapp, 
killed;  and  one,  Hiram  G.  Moore,  wounded. 

After  the  charge  had  been  made  and  the  new  line  of  breast 
works  thrown  up,  there  was  a  lull  in  the  battle  and  private  Robert 
Fulton,  who  had  been  down  the  line  to  the  left,  came  back  and  re 
ported  to  Captain  Bayard  that  Herman  H.  Clapp  was  down  there 
wounded  lying  between  the  lines.  Captain  Bayard  called  up  Sergt. 
Herman  K.  Miller,  and  said,  "Sergeant,  go  down  the  line  to  where 
you  will  find  Herman  Clapp  and  if  possible  get  him  and  take  him 
back.7'  The  Sergeant  went  down  the  line,  found  the  body  of  Clapp 
lying  between  the  lines,  here  only  a  few  rods  apart  and  in  point 
blank  range  of  the  rebel  rifles,  disregarding  the  warning  of  his  com 
rades,  he  threw  off  his  accoutrements,  leaped  over  our  breastworks, 
ran  rapidly  to  where  his  wounded  comrade  lay,  picked  him  up 
and  brought  him  safely  within  our  lines,  without  receiving  any 
injury  although  rifle  balls  were  flying  thick  and  fast  all  the  time. 
But  poor  Clapp  was  shot  through  the  head  and  died  next  morning. 

The  flank  movement  now  made  by  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
transferred  its  field  of  operations  to  the  James  River  and  to  an 
assault  on  the  front  of  Petersburg. 

The  Regiment  had  worn  away  by  deaths,  wounding,  captures 
and  hard  marching  to  a  mere  skeleton  of  the  splendid  organization 
that  had  entered  on  the  campaign  and  the  company  had  now  become 
a  small  squad,  but  being  called  upon  for  renewed  services  in  this 
assault  on  the  enemy's  works  on  June  16,  1864,  they  went  gallantly 
forward  as  they  had  gone  on  every  occasion  thus  far  and  again  they 


740  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

were  doomed  to  be  repulsed  with  great  loss.  Sergeant  Ward,  of 
Company  H,  carry  ing  the  colors  found  when  the  Brigade  began  falling 
back  that  he  was  so  far  in  advance  that  he  could  not  escape  being 
captured,  buried  his  flag  in  the  sand  where  it  was  found  and  recov 
ered  next  day  by  those  who  saw  his  heroic  act,  but  he  was  captured 
and  died  in  Millen  Prison,  Georgia,  as  described  by  Sergt.  Herman 
K.  Miller  in  his  story  of  the  capture. 

The  loss  of  the  company  was  again  (considering  the  number 
present  for  duty)  frightfully  large  having  one,  John  F.  Boring, 
killed;  two,  William  H.  Makin  and  William  Pearson,  mortally 
wounded,  and  three,  Peter  Frantz,  Henry  Phillips  and  William 
Snyder,  wounded ;  Sergts.  William  Ward,  Herman  K.  Miller  and 
Thomas  Jordon  and  John  T.  Funk,  captured,  three  of  whom  died  in 
Andersonville  and  other  prison  pens  of  the  South. 

The  attempt  to  carry  Petersburg  by  assault  was  now  abandoned 
and  the  Army  sat  down  to  a  regular  seige.  Strong  intrenchments 
were  thrown  up  in  front  and  a  vigorous  campaign  on  the  enemy'? 
right  and  left  flank  was  begun,  in  which  the  Second  and  Sixth  Corps 
were  principally  used.  On  the  21st  day  of  June  the  Second  and 
Sixth  Corps  established  a  line  on  the  Jerusalem  Plank  Road  and 
on  the  morning  of  the  22d  a  forward  movement  was  attempted.  In 
making  this  movement,  the  flank  of  the  Second  Corps  waa  exposed 
and  a  rebel  column  was  thrown  between  the  Second  and  Sixth, 
striking  Barlow's  Division  of  the  Second  Corps  on  the  flank,  rolling 
it  up  and  forcing  them  to  fall  back.  This  battle  was  known  as  the 
"Battle  of  Strawberry  Plains"  but  the  men  facetiously  called  it 
"Barlow's  skedaddle." 

It  was  especially  disastrous  to  Company  H  in  the  number  of 
men  captured.  The  losses  were  Captain  Geo.  A.  Bayard,  Sergt. 
William  Snyder,  Sylvester  Sanders  and  John  H.  Williams,  captured. 

On  the  25th  of  August,  the  Regiment  took  part  in  the  disastrous 
battle  of  Reams  Station,  one  of  the  fiercest,  and  for  the  numbers 
engaged,  one  of  the  deadliest  battles  of  the  War. 

During  the  fighting  in  this  battle,  the  men  of  the  148th  engaged 
in  a  hand-to-hand  fight  and  the  bayonet  was  freely  used.  Their 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          741 

losses  were  three,  Jacob  Frantz,  Israel  Deisher,  wounded ;  and 
William  F.  Montgomery  wounded  and  captured. 

On  the  6th  of  October,  the  Regiment  received  a  merited  and 
hard-earned  distinction  in  being  designated  as  the  one  Regiment  in 
that  splendid  Division  (the  First  Division  of  the  Second  Army 
Corps)  to  receive  Spencer  repeating  rifles. 

On  the  27th  of  October,  occurred  the  famous  charge  of  Captain 
Jeremiah  Z.  Brown  and  his  one  hundred  men  of  the  148th 
Pennsylvania  on  the  Confederate  fort  near  the  Jerusalem  Plank 
Road,  resulting  in  the  capture  of  the  fort.  The  rashest,  bravest, 
most  hopeless  charge  made  by  any  body  of  troops  on  either  side  on 
any  position,  during  the  War. 

That  they  were  not  able  to  reap  the  fruits  of  their  victory  was 
not  their  fault  They  proved  conclusively  that  they  were  not  afraid 
alone  to  charge  a  strong  Confederate  fort,  but  they  were  unable  alone 
without  any  support  to  resist  a  charge  made  by  a  division. 

The  contribution  of  Company  II  to  this  charging  column  was 
eleven  men :  Lieut.  Alexander  Gibb,  William  H.  Kellerman,  Syl 
vester  Hill,  James  Ludwig,  William  H.  Murtz,  Irwin  Lowry,  John 
Williams,  only  four  of  whom  came  back  when  the  assaulting  column 
was  driven  out  of  the  fort,  and  one,  William  II.  Kellerman,  coming 
back  after  eight  days  of  exposure  and  privation  between  the  lines. 
He  first  came  back  bringing  two  Confederate  prisoners  with  him 
whom  he  turned  over  to  Captain  Montgomery,  who  directed  him  to 
return  to  his  comrades,  which  lie  did.  When  they  were  driven  out, 
he  dropped  into  a  picket  hole  and  to  avoid  the  hot  fire  from  the  rebel 
forts  thought  he  would  remain  in  the  hole  until  the  firing  ceased, 
but  before  he  could  get  out  the  Confederate  videttes  were  posted 
between  him  and  our  line.  He  determined  that  he  would  not  be 
captured  and  although  it  was  intensely  cold  and  he  had  no  provision 
or  blanket  with  him,  he  subsisted  on  roots  and  bark  within  his  reach 
and  water  that  he  could  get  when  it  rained,  waiting  for  a  dark  night 
when  he  could  steal  through  the  rebel  picket  line.  It  came  at  last 
after  eight  days  and  he  crawled  into  our  lines  and  tumbled  into  our 
breastworks  among  the  astonished  pickets,  more  dead  than  alive. 
His  feet  were  badly  frozen  and  his  limbs  almost  paralyzed.  His 


742  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

injuries  rendered  him  unfit  for  further  service  in  the  field.  He  was 
complimented  in  General  Orders  and  given  a  thirty  days'  furlough. 

This  ended  the  active  field  operations  of  the  campaign  of  1864 
and  the  Regiment  settled  down  to  seige  duty  in  winter  quarters. 

During  the  campaign  of  1864,  one  officer,  Captain  Geo.  A. 
Bayard,  and  fourteen  men  of  Company  II,  were  captured  in  the 
different  battles  of  that  year.  Captain  Bayard  in  his  story,  vividly 
describes  the  prison  life  of  an  officer  in  the  prison  pens  of  the  South. 

Of  the  fourteen  men  who  went  into  this  hopeless  imprisonment 
but  one,  Sergt.  Herman  K.  Miller  .lived  to  return  to  the  ranks  of 
the  company  and  he  tells  his  story  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Of  all  the  men  who  laid  down  their  lives  that  the  country 
might  live,  these  men  and  those  who  died  under  like  circumstances, 
from  other  organizations,  deserve  the  highest  honors  the  gratitude 
of  their  fellow  countrymen  can  devise,  for  their  deaths  were  the 
result  of  the  deliberate  choice  to  maintain  their  honor  and  preserve 
their  fealty  to  their  government  through  many  months  in  starvation 
and  rags  and  death,  surrounded  by  the  loathsome  and  brutal  condi 
tions  of  rebel  prisons,  commanded  by  tyrants  and  guarded  by 
cowards,  when  they  were  offered  food  and  clothing  and  comfortable 
surroundings  if  they  would  dishonor  and  forswear  their  allegiance 
to  the  Government. 

Their  deaths  were  not  only  brave  and  patriotic,  they  were  also 
vicarious.  They  died  that  others,  their  comrades  in  arms,  might  not 
die,  for  the  Government  iii  a  cold-Wooded  business  proposition  by 
ile  chosen  officers,  decided  that  it  was  better  that  these  brave  men, 
wasted  and  starved  in  these  prisons  until  they  were  unfit  for  im 
mediate  service,  should  die  as  prisoners  rather  than  exchange  them 
for  a  like  number  of  healthy,  well  fed,  rebel  prisoners,  who  could  at 
once  be  sent  to  their  armies  and  become  an  effective  force  in  pro- 
t\  acting  the  War. 

As  a  business  proposition  this  may  have  been  correct  but  wa^ 
hardly  just  to  the  man  who  suffered,  or  worthy  of  the  Government 
they  had  so  faithfully  served. 

To  think  of  Sergt.  William  Ward,  brave,  strong,  manly  soldier 
that  he  was,  saving  his  country's  flag  in  the  face  of  the  enemy,  when 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          743 

he  could  not  save  himself,  and  then  look  at  the  picture  drawn  by 
Sergeant  Miller  of  Sergeant  Ward,  starved,  naked  and  dead,  alone 
on  the  ground  of  the  prison  pen  at  Millen,  Georgia,  and  to  know 
that  this  death  might  have  been  avoided  is  enough  to  make  every 
comrade  desire  to  curse  the  man  by  whose  order  it  was  permitted, 
however  distinguished  he  may  have  been,  regardless  of  what  might 
have  happened  to  himself  or  comrades  in  the  field  and  able  to  fight 
if  this  exchange  had  been  made. 

With  the  opening  of  the  spring  campaign,  the  Regiment  marched 
with  the  Brigade  to  which  it  belonged.  It  had  been  decimated  by 
the  fearful  losses  of  the  past  year  but  it  had  lost  nothing  of  the 
soldierly  bearing  and  courage  that  had  ever  distinguished  it.  Every 
one  now  felt  that  the  end  was  near  and  that  they  were  now  to  gather 
the  fruit  of  all  their  suffering  and  sacrifices. 

The  fierce  fighting  of  the  year  before  had  worn  away  the  Army 
of  North  Virginia.  It  was  no  longer  able  to  contend  with  its  old 
antagonist,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  The  places  left  vacant  in  its 
ranks  by  the  dead,  could  not  be  filled  nor  could  the  material  resources 
for  another  campaign  be  supplied. 

Its  one  hope  was  in  flight,  but  the  results  of  the  hard  fighting  on 
our  left  in  1864,  enabled  Grant  to  place  almost  insurmountable  ob 
stacles  in  its  way  and  make  a  successful  retreat  impossible. 

On  the  27th  of  March,  we  participated  in  the  battle  of  Hatch 
er's  Run  and  on  the  31st  in  that  at  Adams  Farm.  On  the  2d  of 
April  it  moved  five  miles  through  the  enemy's  lines  to  Sutherland's 
Station  on  the  South  Side  Railroad. 

Here  the  Regiment  achieved  its  crowning  victory,  capturing 
seven  hundred  prisoners,  two  guns  and  two  flags.  Company  H, 
under  command  of  Capt.  H.  H.  Montgomery,  was  in  its  place  in 
the  line  and  contributed  its  share  to  these  victories.  On  the  Tth  of 
April  they  participated  in  the  battle  of  Farmville,  then  came  Appo- 
mattox  and  the  end. 

And  now  they  stood  where  for  three  long,  weary  years  of  war 
they  had  prayed  and  hoped  to  stand,  in  the  glory  and  gladness  of  a 
complete  unlimited  victory.  All  that  they  had  contested  for  had 
been  affirmatively  decided.  The  Union  restored  and  preserved,  tht 


744  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

glory  of  the  flag  maintained,  the  dignity  and  authority  of  the  Con 
stitution  established  over  every  part  of  the  United  States,  secession 
and  state  rights,  as  affirmed  by  the  Confederacy,  had  with  it  found 
the  last  ditch  and  was  dead  or  dying  in  it. 

But  with  the  joy  of  the  great  victory,  which  they,  in  ;\  very 
material  way,  helped  to  win,  came  the  sad  memories  of  the  forms 
and  faces  of  the  comrades  they  had  loved  and  lost  in  striving  for 
the  great  and  priceless  triumph.  Of  the  nearly  one  hundred  strong 
young  men,  who  on  that  bright  beautiful  summer  morning,  nearly 
three  years  before,  had  so  proudly  marched  away  from  Bellefonte, 
and  the  nearly  half  a  hundred  more  who  had  joined  them  since,  how 
few  remained. 

There  were  hearts  in  that  short  line  of  bronzed  veterans  of 
Company  H,  whose  lament  for  comrades  lost  could  only  have  been 
expressed  in  eloquent  words  like  the  lament  of  David  for  Jonathan 
after  the  battle  of  Gilboa. 

There  was  compensation  and  comfort  in  the  thought  that  their 
comrades  had  shed  their  blood  and  earned  their  graves  where  the 
fighting  was  fiercest  and  the  destruction  of  life  was  greatest  on_the 
great  battlefields  of  the  War,  and  that  they  had  not  suffered  and  died 
in  vain. 

From  Appomattox  they  returned  by  slow  and  easy  marches  to 
Richmond  where  the  flag  of  the  Union  was  now  floating  over  the 
Confederate  capitol,  by  the  way  of  the  Wilderness  and  the  graves  of 
their  comrades ;  to  Washington,  now  the  undisputed  capital  of  the 
firm  and  enduring  Union  maintained  by  their  courage;  to  the  Grand 
Review  where,  for  the  last  time  what  remained  of  their  splendid 
organization,  was  reviewed  by  the  great  commander,  to  Harrisburg 
the  capital  of  the  great  state  whose  honor  and  flag  had  been  safe  in 
their  hands ;  to  the  final  dissolution  of  the  splendid  organization  that 
had  bound  them  together  for  three  awful  years  of  bloody  struggle  and 
to  "Home,  sweet' home." 

With  the  capture  of  Capt.  George  A.  Bayard  and  his  imprison 
ment,  the  last  of  the  commissioned  officers  of  the  company  who  had 
entered  the  service  with  it,  was  lost  to  the  company.  After  his  re 
lease  and  before  he  returned  to  the  company,  Captain  George  A. 


SERGT.   D.   H.   BAUMGARDNER 


THE  I4&TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          745 

Bayard  was  successively  promoted  to  Major  and  Lieutenant  Colonel 
of  the  Regiment,  First  Lieutenant  John  L.  Johnston  had  been  pro 
moted  to  the  captaincy  of  Company  A  of  the  148th  and  left  the  com 
pany.  Second  Lieutenant  John  A.  Bayard  had  been  mortally 
wounded  in  the  wheat  field  at  Gettysburg  and  First  Sergeant  Jame* 
B.  Cook  had  been  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant  and  had  died  from 
wound  received  at  the  battle  of  Po  River. 

The  command  of  the  company  now  devolved  on  First  Lieut. 
H.  H.  Montgomery,  who  had  been  regularly  promoted  by  successive 
steps  from  Fourth  Sergeant,  and  remained  under  his  care  and  com 
mand  through  all  the  campaigns  and  battles  until  the  end  and  was  fin 
ally  discharged  with  the  rank  of  Captain,  having  received  that  mer 
ited  recognition  of  his  services  on  May  6,  1865. 

At  the  battle  of  Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864,  his 
life  was  probably  saved  by  the  though  tfulness  of  Jacob  Frantz,  who 
called  his  attention  to  a  rebel  sharpshooter  in  close  range  who  was 
about  to  shoot  him,  but  Frantz's  thoughtfulness  for  his  commanding 
officer  resulted  unfortunately  for  himself,  for  the  Confederate 
turned  his  gun  on  him  and  before  Frantz  could  fire  the  rebel 
shot,  his  ball  striking  the  stock  of  Frantz's  gun,  carrying  away  the 
two  last  fingers  on  his  left  hand  and,  glancing,  struck  the  trigger 
guard  destroying  the  same  fingers  on  his  right  hand. 


746  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


THE  DRAFTED  MEN  AND  SUBSTITUTE'S  STORY. 

SUPPLEMENTARY    STORY    OF    II    COMPANY. 
Compilfd  by  My  ton  and  Woodring, 

In  preparing  some  material  for  the  story  of  Company  H,  it  wa* 
found  that  of  the  drafted  men  and  substitutes  who  became  members 
of  this  company  in  the  latter  part  of  October,  1863,  not  one  of  them 
had  deserted,  and  the  original  rolls  show  that,  for  the  time  served, 
their  record  was  as  honorable  and  their  losses  as  heavy  as  were  thi- 
records  and  losses  of  the  original  veteran  volunteer.  This,  in  the 
light  of  what  is  generally  believed  to  have  been  common  with  this 
class  of  soldiers,  is  so  praiseworthy  and  exceptional  as  to  require 
special  recognition.  What  was  true  of  H  was  found  to  be  equally 
true  of  all  the  other  companies  of  the  Regiment. 

These  facts  excited  the  curiosity  of  some  of  the  comrades  and,  at 
their  solicitation,  the  'men  referred  to  offered  their  story,  which  is  be 
lieved  to  be  worth  a  place  in  the  record  of  any  organization,  great  01 
small,  that  in  that  great  war  served  the  country.  The  story  is  derived 
from  the  recollection  of  several  comrades  and  is  as  nearly  in  their 
own  language  as  it  is  possible  to  put  it  in  combining  their  stories. 

The  squad  consisted  of  eleven  men  who  were  all  from  Cambria 
County.  The  first  mustered  into  the  United  States  service  was  Geo. 
W.  Constable,  a  substitute  for  his  brother.  He  says: 

"I  was  mustered  in  on  the  23d  day  of  October,  1863,  at  Hunt 
ingdon,  Pennsylvania,  and,  after  I  had  been  supplied  with  a  new 
suit  of  clothes,  was  taken  upstairs  in  the  Court  House,  put  in  a  room 
by  myself,  the  door  locked  and  a  guard  placed  in  front  of  the  door. 
Before  that  was  done  I  thought  I  was  a  patriot  but  now  I  thought 
I  was  regarded  as  a  criminal.  At  the  close  of  the  day,  when  the 
officers  had  left  and  the  squad  of  the  invalid  corps  was  in  charge  of 
a  Corporal,  he  came  and  talked  with  me  for  a  long  time,  asked  me 
why  I  came  to  the  Army,  thought  it  strange  that  T  should  leave  a 
good  home  to  serve  in  the  Army.  He  kept  looking  at  his  watch  every 
few  minutes  and  finally  got  up  and  went  downstairs,  leaving  me 
without  a  guard  and  the  door  unlocked.  Presently  lie  came  back 
with  two  or  three  others.  They  told  me  to  take  off  my  new  clothes 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  PVLUNTEERS          747 

and  put  on  a  suit  of  their  clothes ;  they  said  mine  looked  too  new. 
Then  we  all  went  downstairs  and  I  was  given  my  first  drill.  I  was 
instructed  how  to  hold  a  gun  and  how  to  salute  officers  and  they  left 
me  to  stand  guard  for  them,  when  the  officers  were  not  there.  When 
the  roll  was  called,  I  fell  in  with  them  but,  as  my  name  was  not  on 
the  roll,  it  was  not  called  and  I  did  not  have  to  answer,  but  after 
ward  as  I  performed  my  guard  duty  the  experience  for  the  day  was 
confusing  and  I  could  not  understand  it.  In  the  morning  I  had 
started  in  as  I  thought  from  a  high  and  proper  motive,  though  under 
a  name  that  did  not  sound  just  as  well  as  volunteer.  T  had  beeii 
accepted  into  the  service  of  my  country,  looked  upon  as  a  criminal 
and  before  midnight  was  on  guard  as  a  member  of  the  Invalid 
Corps.  I  could  not  understand  it  at  all  but  I  knew  I  was  getting 
my  Army  experience  wrong  end  first." 

On  the  24th  of  October  a  large  squad  was  mustered  in  and  in 
the  evening  all  were  shipped  for  Harrisburg,  arriving  there  during 
the  night,  and  were  quartered  in  a  large  building  without  any  light, 
except  the  light  of  a  small  lamp  by  which  some  men  were  playing 
cards.  In  the  morning  they  discovered  that  their  Army  experience 
had  indeed  begun  and  they  could  comb  graybacks  from  their  hair 
with  a  coarse  comb.  They  were  destined  for  Carlisle  and  in  the 
morning  were  placed  in  charge  of  a  squad  of  the  First  Battalion  of 
the  Invalid  Corps.  Arriving  at  the  station,  it  was  found  that  a  train 
would  not  leave  for  some  time.  They  broke  up  into  squads  of  two 
or  three,  each  squad  in  charge  of  a  guard.  When  they  came  together 
again,  some  of  the  boys  had  procured  some  whiskey  and  on  the  road 
from  Harrisburg  to  Carlisle  the  guard  was  supplied  with  it  plenti 
fully,  with  the  result  that  we  entered  camp  exhibiting  the  peculiar 
spectacle  of  the  guarded  leading  the  guard  and  carrying  his  gun. 
They  remained  at  Carlisle  two  or  three  days  and  left  for  the  front 
in  charge  of  some  officers  of  the  148th. 

There  were  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  men  in  the  squad  but, 
when  they  reached  the  Regiment,  ten  men  were  missing.  Fron. 
Washington  they  were  shipped  on  flat  cars  to  Bull  Run.  Here  they 
found  the  rebels  had  torn  up  the  railroad  and  destroyed  some  prop 
erty.  This  was  their  first  sight  of  actual  war.  From  this  point  to 
the  camp  of  the  148th  they  had  to  march.  One  of  them  thus  graph - 
icallv  describes  their  march: 


748  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

"We  started  on  the  march  and  inarched  till  long  after  dark  and 
got  lost  in  the  woods  and  were  ordered  to  lie  down  and  keep  very 
quiet,  for  the  rebels  might  hear  us.  We  laid  down  and  did  keep  very 
quiet.  We  were  all  green  and  they  could  make  us  believe  anything. 
The  night  was  very  quiet  and  we  slept  soundly  but  just  at  daybreak 
we  were  startled  from  our  beds  by  the  most  unearthly  noise  we  ever 
heard.  We  jumped  from  our  beds  and  stood  in  terror,  expecting  every 
moment  to  be  our  last.  We  had  heard  of  the  rebel  yell  and  I  had 
read  in  school  of  the  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife  and  war.  whoop. 
My  hair  stood  on  end.  I  thought  my  time  had  come ;  so  we  waited 
for  death  till  daylight  revealed  the  fact  that  we  were  near  the  camp 
of  a  large  army  train  and  the  noise  we  heard  was  the  government 
mule  ordering  his  breakfast. 

"On  the  march  the  next  day  we  passed  an  old  field  in  which 
were  a  large  number  of  persimmon  trees  loaded  with  fruit.  We  had 
never  seen  persimmons  before  but  the  fruit  looked  luscious  and  de 
sirable  to  eat  and  the  officers  kindly  permitted  us  to  take  and  we  did 
eat  of  the  unripe  fruit  and  discovered  that  the  officers  did  it  mali 
ciously  in  the  hope  that  we  could  then  keep  our  mouths  shut 

"Our  march  was  a  long  and  weary  one.  On  the  road  we  passed 
over  a  bridge,  composed  entirely  of  dead  horses ;  it  was  a  good,  strong 
(as  to  odor)  bridge.  At  last  we  reached  headquarters  of  the  Second 
Army  Corps  and  were  sent  to  the  148th  Regiment.  When  we  ar 
rived  on  the  parade  the  old  soldiers  did  some  tall  laughing  at  us  but 
it  did  not  take  us  long  to  get  naturalized." 

When  the  squad  arrived  in  camp,  it  was  divided  into  details  for 
each  company  and  afterward  the  men  were  permitted  to  exchange 
places  so  that  friends  could  serve  together.  In  this  way  it  came  that 
all  the  men  of  Cambria  County,  Pennsylvania,  became  members  of 
Company  II.  They  were  Uriah  K.  Brown,  John  F.  Boring,  Jacob 
Bracken,  George  W.  Constable,  David  B.  Jones,  Henry  Johnston, 
William  II.  Makin,  Adam  M.  Makin,  William  Pearson,  John  Sheeler 
and  George  A.  Wilson. 

The  laughing  and  twitting  we  suffered  at  the  hands  of  our  vet 
eran  comrades  was  all  good  natured  and  we  found  them  exceedingly 
kind  and  obliging  and  we  soon  found  ourselves  greatly  indebted  to 
them  for  many  favors  and  much  wise  counsel.  At  this  time  there 
were  only  sixteen  men  of  the  old  company  present  and  fit  for  duty. 
We  were  again  examined  by  the  regimental  surgeon,  who  remarked 
that  he  did  not  see  what  they  sent  such  things  down  there  for. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          749 

Eight  days  after  joining  the  Regiment  we  were  given  guns  and 
two  hours  later  started  for  Kelley's  Ford,  where  we  were  to  smell 
powder  and  hear  the  bullets  sing  for  the  first  time.  That  night  we 
were  put  on  picket  with  strict  orders  to  shoot  every  man  that  did  not 
stop  when  ordered.  However  we  did  not  shoot  anyone,  and  it  was 
seen  in  the  morning  that  the  rebel  picket  line  we  were  watching  so 
closely  was  only  a  row  of  little  cedar  trees.  From  there  we  marched 
to  Mine  Run  where  the  rebel  picket  line  was  the  real  genuine  article 
and  did  not  wait  to  be  shot  at  but  very  promptly  offered  to  perform 
that  service  for  us,  without  invitation  or  ceremony. 

The  weather  was  intensely  cold,  our  blankets  froze  to  the 
ground,  we  ran  out  of  provisions  and,  between  hunger  and  cold,  were 
fast  losing  our  love  for  the  service.  Orders  came  for  us  to  fall  back, 
which  we  did  with  alacrity,  and  the  charging  rebels  followed  to  see 
that  we  got  safely  over  the  Rapidan.  After  ten  days  of  this  service 
we  returned  to  our  old  quarters  and,  on  December  7,  1863,  started  to 
build  winter  quarters  a  mile  and  a  half  from  Stevensburg  and  spent 
the  winter  in  drilling  and  picket  duty  at  Kelley's  Ford. 

On  the  3d  of  May,  1864,  we  broke  camp,  crossed  the  Rapidan 
at  Ely's  Ford  and,  in  the  evening,  reached  the  battlefield  of  Chan- 
cellorsville.  From  there  to  the  Wilderness  as  we  marched  we  heard 
the  sound  of  fighting  that  had  already  begun.  There  we  were  halted 
and  ordered  to  throw  up  breastworks.  Some  men  found  a  plow  and 
tying  a  rope  to  it  plowed  up  the  ground,  while  the  others  threw  up 
the  dirt  with  our  tin  plates. 

We  were  not  under  fire  in  the  Wilderness  but  we  ran  against  a 
snag  at  Po  River  on  the  10th  of  May.  Here  the  fighting  was  fast 
and  furious  and  we  new  men  were  under  fire  for  the  first  time  and 
were  able  to  prove  to  our  comrades  that,  although  a  man  might  wait 
to  be  drafted  or  be  willing  to  serve  as  a  substitute,  there  was  nothing 
in  those  facts  to  prove  that  he  was  not  willing  to  meet  and  endure 
his  full  share  of  service  and  sacrifice.  Five  of  the  new  men  were 
killed  and  seventeen  wounded  in  the  entire  Regiment  in  this  battle. 
We  were  forced  back  and,  to  cover  our  retreat,  our  batteries  on  the 
hill  opened  fire  over  our  heads  and  threw  their  shell  so  low  that  they 
injured  some  of  our  new  men. 


750  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

The  Po  River  was  a  narrow  stream  and  the  pioneers  had  felled 
trees  across  it  and  on  those  we  got  over.  As  George  W.  Constable 
approached  one  of  those  logs  to  cross  over  a  little  fellow  very  badly 
wounded  appealed  to  him  to  help  him  over.  He  took  the  small  man 
under  his  arm  and  stepped  upon  the  log  to  cross  over.  Just  then  a 
man  stepped  in  front  of  him  and  he  promptly  pushed  him  from  the 
log  and,  when  he  turned  round  he  saw  the  man  he  had  pushed  off 
was  the  Colonel.  Constable  was  frightened  but  Beaver  said,  "All 
right;  go  ahead!77 

At  Spotsjdvania  we  charged  the  rebel  line  at  daylight  and  took 
them  by  surprise.  Many  threw  down  their  arms  and  surrendered. 
We  thought  we  had  captured  the  whole  Rebel  Army  but  we  were  not 
long  in  finding  out  our  mistake.  They  rallied  their  forces  and  drove 
us  back.  One  of  the  new  men  said,  "I  came  down  that  hill  ten  feet 
at  a  jump,  a.  piece  of  shell  or  a  limb  struck  me  and  sent  me  almost 
out  of  sight  in  the  soft  ground.  I  wanted  to  be  entirely  out  of  sight 
for  a  while.77 

We  fought  and  marched  day  and  night ;  had  hardly  time  to  eat. 
Constable  said  it  took  ten  miles  of  fire  for  him  to  cook  a  beef7s  tongue 
he  had  secured  and  said  Captain  Montgomery  measured  the  distance. 

At  the  North  Anna  River  we  formed  in  a  corn  field  and  were 
ordered  to  lie  down,  a  hard  rain  came  up  and  converted  the 
surface  of  the  corn  field  into  a  mud  puddle.  Among  the  new 
men  was  a  queer  genius  whom  we  named  Knickenbracken.  He 
would  not  drill  and  would  not  be  mustered  for  pay  but,  when 
it  came  to  fighting,  was  there  every  time.  Captain  Bayard 
was  a  little  excited  and,  seeing  Knickenbracken  lying  in  the 
mud,  said,  "Get  up,  Knickenbracken!77  He  rose  up  on  his 
hands  and  knees.  Just  then  a  rebel  shell  fell  close  in  front  of  us 
"ker  flop,77  throwing  the  mud  all  over  us,  and  out  of  the  shower  of 
mud  was  the  voice  of  the  Captain  saying,  "Lie  down,  Knicken 
bracken.77  When  the  mud  had  all  fallen,  Knickenbracken  peeped 
out  under  his  blanket  and  said,  "What  sort  of  orders  are  you  giving 
us,  Captain  ?77 

After  more  marching  and  fighting,  we  at  last  brought  up  in 
front  of  Petersburg.  Here  we  had  a  lively  time  dodging  shell  and 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          751 

"juking"  bullets.  It  was  a  very  hot  place  but  an  interesting  one.  Here 
in  the  fall  we  were  given  Spencer  rifles  and  bore  our  full  share  of 
the  hard  fighting. 

On  the  27th  of  October,  a  detail  of  one  hundred  men  from  our 
Regiment  charged  and  captured  the  rebel  fort  in  front  of  us.  01 
Company  H's  detail  of  ten  men  in  that  charge,  only  three  came  back 
alive.  William  Pearson,  one  of  the  new  men,  came  back  from  the 
charge  wounded.  We  carried  his  knapsack  to  the  ambulance  on 
which  he  left  for  the  hospital.  He  laughed  when  we  bid  him  good 
bye  and  said,  "Well,  I  guess  I  am  good  for  a  furlough,"  and  he  was, 
for  in  two  hours  he  was  dead.  We  hung  around  the  front  of  Peters 
burg  sometimes  in  one  fort,  then  in  another. 

Our  dinner  on  Thanksgiving  Day  was  something  to  be  thank 
ful  for:  Goose  (mouldy),  apples  (rotten),  baked  beans  (sour). 
There  were  lots  of  pies  at  the  commissar}7  for  the  officers,  but  we 
shared  with  them  without  an  invitation.  , 

At  last  we  landed  at  Fort  Cummins  on  the  left  of  the  line,  with 
good  winter  quarters,  doing  garrison  and  fatigue  duty.  The  fatigue- 
duty  consisted  in  building  a  dam  to  drown  the  rebels  out  but  we 
never  got  any  water  in  the  dam.  We  were  allowed  whiskey  when 
working  on  the  dam  but  it  never  came.  One  day  Captain  Sutton 
was  in  charge  of  the  work.  We  were  sure  we  would  have  some.  He 
wrote  an  order  and  sent  a  man  to  the  commissary  with  some  canteens* 
for  it.  He  did  not  return  and  the  Captain  sent  a  Corporal  and  a 
guard  after  him.  They  found  him  along  the  road,  took  the  canteens 
and  started  for  the  dam  but  did  not  get  there — the  temptation  was 
too  strong  for  them — and  finally  the  Captain  started  to  hunt  them, 
found  them  on  the  road  and  to  save  further  trouble  took  the  canteens 
to  camp  himself  and  that  was  the  last  of  the  whiskey. 

While  we  were  there,  a  man  was  to  be  hung  for  some  crime  he 
committed  and,  while  the  troops  were  trying  to  form  a  square  about 
the  scaffold,  they  scared  up  a  rabbit  and,  in  the  excitement  of  the 
chase,  almost  forgot  they  had  a  man  to  hang. 

On  the  25th  of  March,  1865,  we  started  for  the  rebels  and  were 
not  long  in  finding  them.  We  had  some  hard  fighting  at  Southsidc 


752  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Railroad,  it  was  our  last  fight  and  we  "done  them  up  brown/'  tak 
ing  a  great  many  prisoners. 

After  this  our  Regiment  was  detailed  for  forage  duty  for  the 
Division.  We  got  down  to  business  and  soon  captured  some  cattle 
and  an  old  mule.  We  drove  the  cattle  ahead  of  us  and  loaded  the 
mule  with  all  the  knapsacks  we  could  pile  on  him  and  he  toted  them 
along  all  right,  till  in  crossing  a  field  below  Farmville  we  came  to  <t 
wide  open  ditch  over  which  we  wanted  him  to  jump.  He  refused  ;  wo 
coaxed  him ;  he  could  not  do  it ;  we  persuaded  him  ;  he  tried,  landing 
on  his  back  in  the  bottom  of  the  ditch,  with  our  knapsacks  under 
him.  We  fished  them  out  as  best  we  could  and  thereafter  bore  our 
own  burdens. 

We  soon  gathered  up  a  good  herd  of  cows,  hogs,  sheep  and  some 
geese  and  lived  well. 

In  crossing  the  country  we  came  to  a  fine  mansion.  Some  of 
the  boys  being  of  an  inquiring  turn  of  mind  went  in  and  found 
peach  brandy  in  the  cellar.  We  had  been  having  plenty  of  apple 
j&ck  but  it  was  hot  and  the  drink  of  common  jieoplo,  but  here  was  the 
drink  of  the  first  families  of  Virginia,  the  very  "'nectar  that  Jupitei. 
sips."  It  was  soft  and  smooth  and  drank  well.  We  drew  a  tin  cup 
full  and  drank  of  it.  The  effect  was  magical ;  we  were  no  longer  a 
predatory  band  of  soldiers  tramping  over  the  country,  committing 
various  acts  of  petty  larceny,  but  the  very  war  gods,  the  conquerers 
of  the  realm  ;  all  things  were  ours  by  sacred  right  of  conquest ;  why 
should  we  not  take  what  we  chose?  We  drank  deeply  of  the  delight 
ful  beverage  and  our  importance  and  the  glory  we  had  achieved  were 
greatly  increased;  the  night  came  on  as  sweetly  as  an  evening  in 
Araby  the  blest  and  we  folded  ourselves  by  the  wayside  as  pleasantly 
as  though  we  had  been  tucked  in  a  bed  of  eiderdown  and  covered 
with  silken  wraps  by  the  gentle  hands  of  our  mothers.  The  detail 
moved  on  and  left  us  alone  in  our  glory.  When  we  awakened,  the 
sun  was  shining  full  in  our  face,  but  whether  it  was  rising  or  setting 
we  could  not  tell,  nor  which  was  east  or  west,  north  or  south,  or  which 
was  the  rear  or  which  the  front  of  the  Army  were  problems  entirely 
beyond  our  ability  to  solve.  We  were  a  vagabond  in  a  land  where 
every  man's  hand  was  sure  to  be  against  us,  as  our  hand  was  against 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          753 

every  man.  Fortunately  the  lowing  of  the  herd  our  comrade* 
was  driving  attracted  our  attention,  giving  us  direction  and,  by  a 
forced  march,  we  overtook  them. 

We  arrived  just  in  time.  Orders  had  been  received  to  abandon 
the  herd  and  join  the  Brigade.  As  we  came  to  the  front,  the  cry 
was  everywhere  that  Lee  surrendered  and  the  War  was  over.  Below 
us  was  the  old  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  which  we  had  been  fight 
ing  for  four  years,  broken  and  ragged  and  starved  but  as  sullen  and 
belligerent  as  ever,  but  they  had  reached  the  last  ditch ;  the  news 
was  true;  Lee  had  surrendered ;  our  work  was  done  and  joy  wa> 
supreme  with  the  men  in  blue.  Strong  men  wept  for  very  joy.  We 
were  to  see  again  the  green  hills  of  our  grand  old  state  and  enjoy 
again  the  comforts  and  pleasures  of  our  homes.  We  shook  hands 
with  the  rebels  and  congratulated  them,  then  we  shook  hands  and 
congratulated  ourselves ;  then,  with  light  hearts  and  springing  steps, 
we  began  our  return  march.  At  Burkesville  we  received  our  first 
mail  and  the  congratulations  and  praises  of  our  friends,  and  learned 
of  the  excitement  reigning  at  the  North. 

At  Alexandria,  with  deepest  regret,  we  were  separated  from  our 
old  comrades  with  whom  we  had  Bought  for  more  than  a  year,  and 
were  transferred  to  the  53d  Pennsylvania  Veteran  Volunteer  Regi 
ment.  We  saw  them  break  camp  and  march  away  for  home.  A 
month  later  we  followed  them  and  were  soon  at  our  old  homes  amon« 
the  green  hills  of  Cambria  County,  again  citizens  of  our  great  com 
monwealth,  doing  the  best  we  could  to  discharge  the  duties  of  civil 
life. 

As  illustrating  the  intelligence,  proficiency  and  zeal  with  which 
some  of  the  drafted  men  and  substitutes  discharged  their  duties  a> 
soldiers,  it  may  be  well  to  add  here  some  facts  which  appear  in  the 
records  of  the  several  companies  of  the  Regiment  and,  in  order  to 
understand  the  significance  of  them,  it  is  well  to  remember  that  this 
class  of  recruits  joined  the  Regiment  in  the  autumn  and  winter  of 
1803  and  the  early  spring  of  1864  and  that  the  Regiment  as  a  whole, 
having  enlisted  in  September,  1862,  had  the  advantage  of  a  full  year 
of  service,  and  it  is  not  to  be  presumed  that  the  claims  of  the  older 


754  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

men  for  promotion  would  have  been  ignored  for  the  benefit  of  those 
who  came  later. 

The  following,  who  were  all  drafted  men,  except  where  it  othei- 
wise  appears,  were  promoted  in  their  several  companies  as  indicated. 

William  Latta  of  B  Company  was  promoted  to  Corporal  August 
17,  1864. 

Jerome  B.  Stuart,  of  C  Company,  was  promoted  to  Sergeant 
June  1,  1864,  and  was  subsequently  made  Second  Lieutenant  of  the 
109th  United  States  Colored  Troops  August  2,  1865.  Lewis  A. 
Wood,  of  the  same  company,  was  promoted  to  Corporal  and  killed  at 
Po  River  May  10,  1864. 

William  J.  Bickford,  of  D  Company,  was  promoted  to  Corporal 
December  10,  1864.  Jacob  Cory,  of  the  same  company,  promoted 
to  Corporal  January  1,  1865.  Charles  H.  Hohnbon,  a  substitute 
promoted  to  Corporal  March  14,  1865. 

John  A.  Flack,  of  H  Company,  promoted  to  Corporal  January 
1,  1865. 

Russling  S.  Adams  and  Russell  Weeks,  of  I  Company,  pro 
moted  to  Corporal;  date  not  given. 

'At  the  time  the  Regiment  was  mustered  out  in  June,  1865,  the 
men  who  enlisted  early  had  but  two  months  to  serve.  All  of  the 
original  officers  and  men  were,  therefore,  discharged  and  the  regi 
mental  organization  as  such  became  extinct.  The  recruits,  drafted 
men  and  substitutes,  who  came  to  the  Regiment  in  1863  and  1864, 
had  from  one  to  two  years  to  serve.  The  able-bodied  men  of  these 
were,  therefore,  all  transferred  to  the  53d  Regiment  of  the  same 
brigade  which,  having  enlisted  as  a  veteran  regiment,  continued  its 
regimental  organization,  there  being  an  expectation  or  at  least  a 
possibility  that  their  services  might  be  required  later  either  in  the 
South  or  in  Mexico,  in  case  the  attempt  to  establish  a  monarchical 
form  of  government  in  that  country  should  be  persisted  in  by  France. 


THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  I. 


PART  I. 

By  Adjutant  Joseph  E.  Hall. 

One  afternoon  of  a  pleasant  August  day  in  1862,  a  number  of 
wagons  were  made  ready  to  take  a  company  of  volunteers  from  the 
town  of  Brookville,  Jefferson  County,  Pennsylvania,  to  the  nearest 
railroad  station  forty  miles  distant.  An  unusual  number  of  people 
were  in  town  that  day  to  exchange  farewells  when  necessary  but  to 
remain  with  them  who  were  going  as  long  as  possible.  Soon  after 
noon  these  farewells  were  spoken,  tears  at  parting  were  seen  on 
many  faces,  while  comforting  words  were  exchanged,  and  promises 
made  with  as  much  of  cheer  as  could  be  brought  to  the  surface,  the 
wagons  were  loaded  and  the  men  went  off  with  cheers  and  shouts, 
leaving  behind  them  a  sense  of  loss  and  loneliness.  The  jolting  of 
the  wagons  and  the  sights  along  the  roads  were  made  the  occasion 
for  many  a  good  natured  sally,  and  as  the  farm  people  would  look 
out  at  the  passing  wagons  and  be  greeted  with  a  hearty  "Good-bye," 
the  remark  came  naturally,  "They  seem  like  a  happy  lot  of  fellows," 
to  be  followed  in  most  cases  by  the  additional  remark,  "Poor  fel 
lows,  they  do  not  know  what  is  before  them."  A  ride  of  twenty 
miles  that  afternoon  brought  the  company  to  the  town  of  Punxsu- 
tawney  where  supper  and  lodging  were  provided.  An  early  start  was 
made  next  morning  with  a  promise  of  breakfast  about  eight  miles 
further  on.  As  this  town  of  Marchand  was  neared,  farmers  came 
out  to  invite  a  wagon  load  to  stop  for  breakfast  and  where  the  invi 
tation  was  accepted  an  ample  and  appetizing  meal  was  furnished 
with  the  compliment  of  the  host  and  hostess.  Where  the  writer  took 
breakfast  three  grown  up  daughters  with  sisterly  interest  accom 
panied  us  in  our  wagon  to  town  about  a  mile  and  a  half  distant,  and 
when  the  company  got  together  and  started  off  bidding  them  good 
bye,  a  very  limited  number  of  us,  more  daring  than  the  rest,  left  an 
impression  on  each  fair  cheek,  which  they  did  not  resent  as  we  were 
Uncle  Sam's  boys,  and  they  were  for  the  Union. 


756  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

The  town  of  Indiana,  our  destination,  was  reached  soon  after 
the  middle  of  the  day.  Here  our  teams  and  teamsters  left  us  and 
we  parted  with  home  associations  to  try  the  experience  of  a  soldier's 
life,  which  began  here,  by  loading  the  company  into  box  freight  cars 
for  transportation  to  Harrisburg,  which  place  we  reached  during 
the  night.  Next  morning  our  breakfast  of  a  piece  of  dry  bread  and 
some  coffee  in  a  tin  cup  was  disposed  of  with  many  a  joke  ov«r  me 
orders  that  were  given  for  ham  and  eggs,  veal  cutlets,  etc.,  that  did 
not  materialize.  Camp  Curtin  was  now  our  rendezvous  for  a  week. 
Before  leaving  home  the  company  by  ballot  had  selected  Silas  J. 
Marlin,  Captain,  John  A.  McGuire,  First  Lieutenant,  Orlando  H. 
Brown,  Second  Lieutenant,  and  these  men  now  assumed  the  duties 
of  their  office.  After  two  or  three  days  in  camp,  Captain  Marlin 
informed  us  we  were  assigned  to  a  Regiment  to  be  commanded  by 
Col.  James  A.  Beaver  who  had  been  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  45th 
Pennsylvania.  This  news  gave  satisfaction  in  the  thought  that  our 
regimental  leader  had  seen  service  and  we  were  not  to  be  subject 
to  the  caprice  of  a  novice.  We  learned  too  that  Captain  Stewart's 
company  formed  in  Jefferson  and  Indiana  Counties,  and  Captain 
Core's  company  from  Clarion  County  were  to  join  with  us,  and  later 
that  we  were  Company  I  and  the  others  E  and  K  as  given,  and  that 
our  Regiment  was  to  be  known  as  the  148th  Pennsylvania.  A  re 
ligious  service  in  camp  one  evening  brought  us  in  contact  with  many 
men  of  the  Regiment  and  with  Lieutenant  Stevens,  afterwards  Chap 
lain  of  the  Regiment  whose  sympathetic  nature,  and  anxiety  to 
promote  both  the  physical  and  moral  welfare  of  the  men  were  shown 
during  the  history  of  the  Regiment  by  numberless  acts  of  heroism 
and  self  sacrifice. 

After  a  week  in  Camp  Curtin  the  Regiment  was  sent  to  do 
duty  along  the  railroad  between  Baltimore  and  Harrisburg  and 
Company  I  with  three  other  companies  were  stationed  at  Cockeys- 
ville,  Maryland,  where  the  routine  duties  of  a  soldier's  life  began. 
Here  we  formed  the  acquaintance  of  the  Colonel  and  other  field 
and  staff  officers,  and  soon  recognized  in  our  leader  a  disciplinarian, 
ambitious  to  bring  his  Regiment  to  such  a  state  of  proficiency  in 
military  tactics  as  to  make  its  reliability  in  action  a  certainty.  While 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          757 

here  Captain  Marlin  left  us  to  enlist  some  more  men  to  fill  up  the 
company  and  returned  one  day  with  eighteen  men,  three  of  whom 
became  somewhat  notable  characters.  One  of  them  was  William 
Rodgers,  conspicuous  on  account  of  his  advanced  age.  As  he 
marched  into  camp,  his  gray  hair,  tall  and  slender  figure,  attracted 
attention  and  criticism  that  such  an  old  man  should  be  enlisted, 
as  he  could  be  of  very  little  use  as  a  soldier.  He  proved  himself 
on  the  contrary  one  of  the  best  soldiers  in  the  company.  His  duties 
were  quietly  and  conscientiously  performed,  and  on  the  long 
marches,  the  fatiguing  duties  incident  to  an  active  campaign,  or  in 
line  of  battle,  William  Rodgers  was  to  be  depended  on.  He  passed 
safely  through  the  War,  and  for  years  after  his  soldierly  bearing 
and  dignified  carriage  made  him  a  conspicuous  character  on  the 
streets  of  Brookville.  He  was  past  eighty  years  of  age  before  his 
final  summons  came  and  his  comrades  laid  him  to  rest.  Another 
of  these  recruits  was  James  Cochran,  a  stalwart  lumberman  with 
a  splendid  physique  and  a  generous  appetite.  Jim  was  an  all 
around  good  fellow  in  many  ways,  but  not  over  anxious  to  do  duty, 
or  over  scrupulous  as  to  his  mean?  of  avoiding  it,  or  his  methods 
of  satisfying  his  appetite  occasionally  at  the  expense  of  that  of  his 
comrades,  but  shrewd  enough  to  meet  any  suspicion  of  his  irregu 
larity  with  a  visage  so  unruffled  and  a  protestaton  of  innocence  so 
apparently  sincere  as  to  carry  him  along  safely.  This  quality 
possibly  proved  his  salvation  in  prison,  for  Jim  was  captured  at 
Reams  Station,  and  we  expected  him  to  die  of  starvation,  but  he 
did  not.  If  the  writer  is  correct,  Jim  never  returned  to  the  Regi 
ment,  but  after  the  War  when  questioned  by  his  comrades,  used  to 
divulge  some  of  the  means  he  resorted  to  in  order  to  duplicate  him 
self  and  his  rations  while  in  prison.  He  frequently  outwitted  the 
guardian  of  the  Confederate  supplies  and  when  detected  in  some 
scheme,  had  plenty  of  leisure  to  devise  a  new  one.  Jim's  memory 
was  remarkable,  and  when  his  comrades  after  the  War  wanted  a 
witness  to  assist  them  in  a  pension  claim,  he  was  most  accommodat 
ing  and  generous  with  his  evidence.  He  became  engaged  in  covering 
roofs  with  some  kind  of  asphalt  preparation  and  died  from  the 
effects  of  a  fall  from  a  roof  which  he  was  covering.  The  third 


758  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

recruit  was  William  Acker  a  stranger  to  all  in  the  company,  who 
enlisted  at  Harrisburg,  and  whose  good  nature  and  quaint  expres 
sions  did  so  much  when  men  were  tired  and  irritable  on  a  long 
march,  to  keep  them  in  courage  and  amuse  them.  Acker  lost  an 
arm  as  the  result  of  an  unfortunate  mistake  by  one  of  the  later 
recruits,  while  on  the  picket  lines  during  the  latter  part  of  the 
campaign,  and  left  the  service  very  much  to  the  regret  of  his  com 
rades. 

Colonel  Beaver  issued  an  order  soon  after  our  arrival  at  Cook- 
eysville  giving  the  following  daily  program  to  keep  us  well  em 
ployed.  Keveille,  5  :30  A.  M.  ;  breakfast,  six ;  company  drill,  seven 
to  eight;  cleaning  guns,  accoutrements,  etc.,  eight  to  nine;  guard 
mounting,  nine ;  squad  drill,  ten  to  eleven-thirty ;  twelve,  dinner ; 
1 :00  P.  M.,  non-commissioned  officers  drill ;  two  to  four  battalion 
drill;  five,  supper;  five-thirty,  dress  parade;  eight-thirty,  tattoo; 
nine,  taps,  when  all  lights  were  to  be  extinguished.  On  Tuesday 
and  Friday  as  much  of  the  Regiment  as  could  well  be  brought  to 
gether  would  be  exercised  for  a  couple  of  hours  in  regimental  drill  it 
seme  convenient  locality.  After  the  arrival  of  the  eighteen  recruits 
referred  to  Captain  Marlin  announced  his  appointment  of  Sergeants 
and  Corporals,  which  were  later  confirmed  by  the  Colonel,  though 
most  of  the  men  had  been  serving  in  the  positions  designated.  As 
non-commissioned  officers  and  privates  we  had  at  the  time  no  knowlr 
edge  of  the  reason  for  the  order  that  came  on  the  7th  of  December, 
ordering  us  to  pack  up  and  start  next  day  for  Washington  to  report  to 
General  Casey,  but  it  came,  nevertheless,  though  followed  by  a  later 
dispatch  giving  us  a  day  longer.  The  packing  was  done,  however,  and 
about  noon  of  the  9th  we  bade  farewell  to  Cockeysville.  One  man  of 
Company  I  had  died  during  our  stay  here,  William  Orr  of  Knox 
Township,  Jefferson  County,  a  very  excellent  man,  engaged  to  be 
married  to  the  sister  of  another  man  of  the  company,  contracted 
typhoid  fever  and  seeming  to  lose  his  grip  partly  through  home 
sickness,  could  not  be  brought  through  the  disease  and  died  at  the 
temporary  hospital  to  the  regret  of  the  entire  company  who  respected 
him  and  mourned  his  death,  while  their  sympathies  went  out  for 
the  bereaved  ones  at  home.  Twelve  others  were  left  in  the  hospital 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          759 

here,  all  of  whom  recovered  later  as  we  now  remember.  Company  I 
was  taken  by  rail  to  Baltimore  along  with  the  other  companies 
gathered  up  by'  the  way  and  marched  through  the  city  about  two 
miles  to  the  Union  Relief  Association.  About  4:00  P.  M.  we  were 
ordered  out  to  take  the  cars  for  Washington,  arriving  at  five  o'clock. 
The  order  to  march  came  about  1 :00  P.  M.  and  we  set  out  for  the 
front.  This  afternoon  on  this  march  I  was  taken  with  cramps  and 
giving  out  was  prescribed  for  by  Major  Fairlamb  and  placed  in  one 
of  the  covered  wagons  hauling  horse  feed  where  I  obtained  relief 
and  secured  some  rest  before  the  Regiment  stopped  for  the  night. 
Our  march  ended  with  our  arrival  at  the  camp  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  and  assignment  to  the  First  Brigade,  First  Division,  Second 
Corps.  The  division  had  been  desperately  engaged  at  Fredericks- 
burg,  losing  in  killed  and  wounded  and  missing  two-thirds  of  their 
number,  and  it  was  not  surprising  in  view  of  the  recent  loss,  coupled 
with  the  disastrous  defeat  of  our  Army,  that  we  found  the  survivors 
in  depressed  spirits,  lacking  confidence  in  General  Burnside's  ability 
to  lead  an  Army  successfully  against  General  Lee.  This  feeling 
was  dissipated  as  time  passed,  and  a  change  of  commanders  no: 
long  after  followed  by  liberal  rations  and  cheering  orders  from  head 
quarters,  brought  about  a  feeling  of  cheerfulness  and  confidence. 

During  this  winter  occasional  boxes  and  packages  came  through 
the  lines  from  our  friends  after  being  carefully  inspected  by  the 
provost  marshal  department.  Lieutenant  McGuire  received  word 
from  Philadelphia  friends  that  a  box  was  on  the  way  filled  with  a 
tvrkey,  cake  and  other  equipments  for  a  fine  Christmas  dinner, 
including  a  bottle  of  vinegar.  The  box  arrived.  The  turkey  had 
been  roasted  somewhat  and  looked  very  tempting,  the  cakes  were 
first  class  but  the  vinegar  could  not  be  found  and  the  Lieutenant  was 
cross  at  official  interference  which  deprived  him  of  "seasoning"  to 
his  dinner,  and  expressed  his  displeasure  in  language  more  forcible 
than  elegant.  A  later  examination  of  the  turkey  showed  it  to  be 
stuffed  with  the  very  bottle  that  was  missing,  and  the  Lieutenant's 
joy  at  this  discovery  was  quite  amusing  following  so  closely  his 
uncalled  for  invective.  Robert  Omslear  of  the  company  succeeded 
by  hanging  the  fowl  in  front  of  a  good  fire  and  turning  it  frequently, 


760  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

ii\  getting  it  pretty  well  cooked,  and  the  officer  with  some  friends 
from  other  companies  partook  of  a  choice  and  rare  meal  to  which  the 
"vinegar  seemed  to  lend  a  good  deal  in  the  way  of  hilarity. 

About  the  middle  of  April  the  paymaster  paid  us  his  first  visit 
with  very  gratifying  results  and  a  few  days  later  our  overcoats  and 
dress  coats  were  packed  and  sent  to  Washington  for  storage.  Our 
A  tents  were  exchanged  for  the  light  shelter  tent,  and  our  heavy 
rifles  for  the  lighter  .58  caliber  Springfield  rifles.  Company  I  made 
these  exchanges  very  willingly.  Adjutant  Robert  Lipton  having 
gone  home  on  sick  leave  died  there.  On  April  27th  Sergeant  Major 
Muffly  was  appointed  Adjutant  and  I  was  promoted  to  Sergeant 
Major. 

Next  morning  the  start  was  made  for  United  States  Ford  to  be 
gin  the  campaign  preliminary  to  the  tragic  battle  of  Chancellorsville 
where  the  company  was  first  under  fire.  Company  I  with  four  other 
companies  of  the  Regiment  was  engaged  on  the  left  of  our  line  to 
ward  Fredericksburg  and  held  that  part  of  the  line  during  the  en 
gagement.  Andrew  Craft  was  killed  in  this  battle,  James  Mc- 
Manigle  and  R.  B.  Lyle  wounded.  The  four  companies  of  the  Regi 
ment  supporting  this  line  lost  very  heavily  on  the  morning  of  the 
3d  when  taken  to  the  right  to  assist  in  checking  the  advance  of  the 
enemy  on  that  side,  and  they  were  among  the  last  to  retreat  to  the 
now  position  where  our  Army  had  made  another  stand.  Captain 
Marlin  was  given  deserved  credit  for  successfully  withdrawing  the 
six  companies  of  the  Regiment  from  the  picket  line  in  the  face  of 
the  enemy.  After  the  return  to  camp,  R.  M.  Wadding  was  detailed 
as  one  of  a  party  of  thirty-two  men  sent  back  under  a  flag  of  truce 
to  bury  our  dead,  and  had  some  interesting  experiences  in  connection 
with  the  performance  of  that  melancholy  duty. 

On  the  march  through  Maryland  and  into  Pennsylvania  the 
company  suffered  no  casualties  though  sometimes  on  the  picket  line 
opposing  the  enemy's  forces.  The  night  of  July  1st  was  one  of  sober 
reflection  in  view  of  an  almost  certain  renewal  of  the  engagement 
began  that  day  near  Gettysburg.  Frederick  Gillhousen,  in  particii- 
lar,  felt  so  strongly  impressed  that  this  battle  would  end  his  days 
that  a  wound  not  thought  very  serious  at  the  time  so  preyed  upon 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS  761 

him  as  to  destroy  his  courage  and  in  a  few  days  justify  his  fore 
bodings  and  cause  the  loss  of  a  good  soldier.  In  the  engagement  in 
the  wheat  field  on  the  afternoon  of  the  2d,  I  saw  some  of  the  com 
pany  receive  very  serious  wounds.  R.  M.  Wadding  fell  with  what 
appeared  to  be  a  fatal  wound  in  the  abdomen.  Xot  proving  fatal, 
however,  he  tells  since  of  lying  there  three  days,  sometimes  on  the 
Union  side,  sometimes  among  the  Confederates,  and  at  one  time  in 
trying  to  give  a  wounded  Confederate  soldier  near  him  a  drink  of 
water  in  answer  to  his  pathetic  appeal,  rolled  his  canteen  which,  un 
fortunately,  took  a  wrong  direction  and  stopped  out  of  the  reach  of 
either  of  them,  each  too  badly  wounded  to  drag  himself  to  it.  Sergt. 
Edward  Murphy  had  an  arm  shattered  necessitating  subsequent 
amputation.  Edward  Plyler  also  lost  an  arm.  John  Howard  was 
shot  through  the  lung.  Andrew  Hagerty  was  wounded  and  not 
afterwards  found.  Thomas  McCullough  and  Harrison  Long  each 
afterward  died  of  their  wounds.  John  Sinister  and  Hugh  Barr  were 
more  or  less  wounded.  Samuel  Shaw  was  instantly  killed.  Com 
rade  R.  B.  Lyle  says  Company  I  lost  seven  killed  and  four  wounded 
at  Gettysburg.  Company  I  secured  four  or  five  prisoners  during  this 
engagement  in  the  wheat  field  which  the  Sergeant  Major  then  with 
the  company  sent  back  under  guard  of  two  men.  Colonel  Cross  com 
manding  the  Brigade  came  along  about  this  time  shouting,  "Close 
up,"  and  being  informed  all  were  doing  well,  responded,  "That's 
right,'7  and  passed  to  our  right  to  receive  his  death  wound  shortly 
after.  Lieutenant  McGuire  was  wounded  in  this  battle. 

Harry  Long,  as  he  was  called,  was  the  shortest  man  in  the  com 
pany  and  generally  on  marches  seemed  to  carry  the  largest  load. 
He  was  among  the  favorites  in  the  company. 

During  the  summer  following  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  after 
the  return  to  Virginia,  Company  I  received  an  addition  to  its  num 
bers  of  twenty-six  men  sent  from  the  recruiting  stations  in  the 
Xorth.  About  this  time  Captain  Marlin  was  detailed  as  Acting  As 
sistant  Inspector  General  on  the  staff  of  General  Caldwell,  com 
manding  our  Division.  Lieut.  O.  H.  Brown  was  absent  on  duty 
at  Carlisle,  Pennsylvania,  and  for  a  time  Company  I  was  under 
command  of  Lieutenant  McCartney  of  Company  B.  Lieutenant  Me- 


762  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Quire  returned  in  September  and  took  charge.  The  writer  recalls  an 
entry  in  his  diary  about  this  time  of  a  fine  of  one  dollar  against  B. 
F.  McGiffin  for  snapping  a  cap  on  his  rifle  contrary  to  orders  and 
believes  the  amount  was  never  collected. 

During  the  winter  following  I  was  sent  with  Alex.  McQuiston 
as  part  of  a  regimental  detail  for  recruiting  service.  During  this 
winter  a  number  of  sick  and  wounded  returned  for  duty  and  several 
additions  by  recruits  filled  the  company  over  its  minimum  for  the 
spring  campaign.  Second  Lieut.  O.  II.  Brown  had  been  discharged 
by  general  orders  while  away  from  the  Regiment,  and  Orderly  Sergt. 
J.  Frank  Grain,  secured  the  promotion.  In  this  campaign  of  1864 
Company  I  lost  at  Po  River  three  men  killed  and  five  wounded  (so 
says  Lyle;  names  not  given)  and  in  the  memorable  battle  of  Spot- 
sylvania,  two  days  later,  First  Lieut.  John  A.  McGuire  received  a 
mortal  wound  which  caused  his  death  in  two  or  three  days.  His 
loss  was  very  much  regretted  as  he  had  made  himself  a  popular 
officer,  and  was  fearless  in  the  discharge  of  duty.  There  were  two 
men  killed,  three  wounded  and  four  missing  at  this  time  (as  per 
Lyle)  and  at  Cold  Harbor  the  company  lost  one  killed,  six  wounded 
and  four  captured  (Lyle).  It  was  here  that  William  Ackor  lost  an  arm 
as  already  mentioned.  The  recruiting  detail  returned  here  just  after 
the  Army  left  and  were  ordered  to  guard  the  wagon  train  on  its  way 
across  the  James  River  to  Petersburg.  In  the  first  charge  of  June 
16th  the  company  lost  one  killed,  three  wounded  and  one  missing 
(Lyle). 

On  the  2d  of  August  in  front  of  Petersburg,  Second  Lieutenant 
Grain  was  promoted  to  be  First  Lieutenant  and  I  was  made  Second 
Lieutenant  of  the  company.  Captain  Patterson  of  Company  G 
kindly  presented  Lieutenant  Hall  with  a  sword  which  the  newly 
commissioned  officer  very  gratefully  accepted.  The  company 
took  its  part  in  the  engagements  about  Petersburg,  losing 
heavily  in  missing  at  the  battle  of  Reams  Station  on  the  25th 
of  August.  At  least  two  of  these  missing  men  are  believed  to  have 
died  in  prison.  One  of  these,  Lewis  Dibler,  was  reported  to  have 
been  shot  and  killed  by  a  guard  at  Salisbury,  Xorth  Carolina,  and 
Hugh  Barr  also  died  there.  On  the  6th  of  September  I  received 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          763 

a  commission  as  Adjutant  183d  Pennslyvania  and  the  next  day  was 
mustered  and  left  the  Regiment  to  assume  duty  in  my  new  position. 
My  place  in  the  company  was  filled  by  promotion  of  First  Sergt. 
Frank  W.  Clark,  who  served  as  Second  Lieutenant  until  the  close  of 
the  War.  The  men  of  the  company  were  pleased  to  be  a  portion  of 
the  one  Regiment  in  the  Division  to  secure  the  new  Spencer  repeat 
ing  rifles,  which  they  soon  learned  to  use  effectively.  Lieutenants 
Grain  and  Clark  were  with  the  company  during  the  remainder  of  it* 
organization  and  with  it  engaged  in  quite  active  and  aggressive 
service,  the  superiority  of  the  rifle  used  by  the  Regiment  bringing 
it  quite  often  to  the  front. 

Captain  Marlin  after  his  assignment  to  staff  duty  during  the 
summer  of  1863,  continued  to  act  as  division  inspector  serving  as 
such  upon  the  staff  of  Generals  Caldwell,  Barlow  and  Miles.  For 
gallant  service  at  Reams  Station  he  was  made  brevet  Major,  and 
during  the  winter  following  was  brevetted  Lieutenant  Colonel  in  rec 
ognition  of  his  valuable  work.  He  was  commissioned  Major  of  the. 
Regiment  on  June  1,  1865,  but  was  not  mustered  as  such,  being  at 
the  time  on  duty  at  Fortress  Monroe  under  General  Miles,  who  had 
charge  of  the  captured  chief  of  the  fallen  Confederacy.  At  his  home 
in  Brookville  after  the  War,  the  title  of  Colonel  Marlin  was  given 
him,  and  he  held  an  honored  place  in  the  community  for  over  twenty 
years,  until  in  1888  he  was  called  to  answer  the  final  summons, 
leaving  a  widow  and  one  son.  Besides  the  transfer  of  myself  to  the 
183d  Pennsylvania,  James  W.  Rea  was  transferred  to  the  Signal 
Corps,  and  Sanderson  P.  Stacy  won  a  lieutenancy  in  the  43d  Regi 
ment  United  States  Colored  Troops.  Alexander  McQuiston  after 
hi«  return  from  recruiting  service  was  killed  by  the  enemy 's  bayonet 
thrust  before  Petersburg  (Reams  Station  [?]).  McGiftin  only 
escaped  a  similar  fate  by  being  a  good  runner.  One  of  the 
coolest  men  in  action  as  the  writer  remembers  him  was  T. 
Swinefoid.  This  was  particularly  noticeable  at  Gettysburg 
where  he  took  such  deliberate  aim  and,  unlike  many  who 
seemed  desirous  of  exhausting  thier  ammunition,  fired  only 
when  he  felt  he  could  fire  effectively.  Strengthened  by  a  conviction 
that  he  was  not  to  be  shot,  he  was  readv  to  take  the  advance  of  a 


764  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

charge,  and  inspired  others  by  his  heroic  and  gallant  conduct.  He 
survived  the  conflict  and  is  yet  a  respected  citizen  in  the  community 
from  which  he  enlisted.  J.  M.  Davis  was  the  youngest  member  of 
the  company,  being  about  fourteen  when  enlisted  as  a  musician. 
He  never  served  in  that  capacity,  but  with  his  gun  and  equipments 
performed  faithfully  the  work  of  a  private  soldier. 

J.  M.  Love  and  J.  W.  Smith,  after  two  years  of  active  service 
were  transferred  to  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps.  Sergt,  Robert  Kis 
singer  has  a  record  of  valuable  service  performed  as  a  spy,  and 
Corp.  William  Harley  rendered  at  one  time  somewhat  similar  ser 
vice,  capturing  one  of  the  scouts  of  the  enemy  in  front  of  Peters 
burg. 

R.  M.  Snyder  also  served  in  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  doing 
some  effective  work  in  Clearfield  County,  Pennsylvania,  in  quelling 
disturbances  in  connection  with  draft  riots.  For  this  work  he  was 
promoted  to  Sergeant  of  his  company. 

Alexander  Douglass  was  the  only  member  of  the  color  guard 
who  escaped  from  the  woods  of  Chancellorsville,  but  he  brought  the 
colors  with  him.  He  was  among  the  missing  at  Spotsylvania  Court 
House,  May  12,  1864. 

R.  M.  Wadding  after  an  absence  of  something  over  a  year 
from  the  effects  of  his  wound  at  Gettysburg,  returned  to  the  Regi 
ment  and  was  soon  after  detailed  for  clerical  duty  at  the  head 
quarters  of  the  Division  where  he  remained  until  the  close  of  the 
War.  Many  other  instances  of  personal  bravery  and  special  duty 
on  the  part  of  members  of  the  company  did  not  come  under  notice 
of  the  writer  or  have  passed  from  memory  during  the  years  that 
have  lapsed.  Their  omission  from  this  narrative  will  in  no  way 
detract  from  the  record  of  honorable  service  to  which  each  one  who 
did  his  duty  is  entitled  or  lessen  the  appreciation  and  gratitude  of 
their  countrymen. 

There  are  twenty-three  survivors  so  far  as  known  at  this  writ 
ing,  viz:  Lewis  Cobb,  Isaiah  S.  Davis,  John  M.  Davis,  Jacob  Haugh, 
R.  K  Lyle,  John  W.  Demott,  Lyman  E.  Mapes,  X.  P.  O'Connor, 
J.  W.  Smith,  T.  Swineford,  Lewis  A.  Stahlnian,  Johial  Vasbinder. 
R.  M.  Wadding,  living  at  or  near  Brookville.  Pennsylvania;  J.  E. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          765 

Hall,  Clatskanie,  Oregon;  Wallace  Coon,  Tionesta,  Pennsylvania; 
Calvin  Dixon,  DuBois,  Pennsylvania ;  Harrison  Katz,  Clarington, 
Pennsylvania;  David  M.  Hillis,  Reynoldsville,  Pennsylvania;  I.  J. 
Grenoble,  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania;  B.  F.  McGiffin  Topeka,  Kan 
sas;  J.  M.  Ix>ve,  Collensburg,  Pennsylvania;  Joseph  Artliurs,  present 
address  unknown;  Samuel  Ransom,  present  address  unknown. 


766  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

TIIK  STORY  OF  COMPANY  I. 


PART  II. 

By  Corp.  Jacob  B.  Rumbaugh. 

I  enlisted  in  Company  I,  148th  Regiment,  in  Jefferson  County,, 
Pennsylvania,  near  a  place  called  Hagerty  Town  at  a  brick  hotel  with 
a  frame  addition.  The  upper  floor  was  used  for  a  ball  room  and  the 
lower  floor  for  a  ware  room.  I  went  down  stairs  when  the  speaking 
was  about  over  and  on  my  return  I  met  my  brother-in-law,  James. 
Truby,  who  told  me  to  hurry  as  they  were  calling  for  volunteers. 
We  started  to  go  in  and  just  as  Truby  stepped  in  the  floor  gave  away. 
Some  two  hundred  people  went  down  with  it.  It  looked  to  me  as  if 
the  earth  had  opened  and  swallowed  them.  There  was  no  person 
badly  hurt.  I  remember  that  a  woman  went  down  with  a  baby  in 
her  arms  and  lit  on  a.  whiskey  barrel.  Some  one  asked  her  if  she 
was  hurt,  and  she  said,  "No,  but  I  am  mad  because  I  couldn't  get  a 
drink  out  of  the  barrel."  In  a  few  days  we  went  to  Harrisburg,  were 
sworn  into  United  States  service,  and  went  to  Cockeysville  with  the 
Regiment.  We  stayed  there  until  December;  then  we  went  into 
Virginia  when  the  first  Fredericksburg  fight  was  over ;  did  picket  duty 
until  Chancellorsville,  our  first  battle.  We  were  marched  from  one 
place  to  another  for  some  time,  then  sent  to  support  a  battery.  We 
were  placed  in  front  of  it  and  they  fired  over  us.  I  had  my  head 
up  to  see  what  was  going  on  in  our  front  when  Lieutenant  McGuire 
told  me  to  keep  down  or  I  would  get  hurt  and  just  then  something 
giazed  me  on  the  side  of  the  face.  I  got  down.  On  Friday  evening 
Colonel  Beaver  sent  our  company  out  on  the  skirmish  line.  Our 
Regiment  was  called  the  Sunday  soldiers  and  just  as  we  were  ready 
to  start  the  Colonel  said,  uBoys,  show  them  what  Sunday  soldiers 
can  do.77  And  we  did.  We  were  out  on  the  skirmish  line  from 
Friday  evening  until  Sunday  afternoon  and  we  drove  the  rebels 
back  every  time  they  came  "up  to  us  and  on  Sunday  morning  they 
sent  a  line  of  battle  against  us  and  we  drove  that  back,  then  we 
had  rest  until  in  the  afternoon  when  a  battery  opened  in  our  rear. 
We  thought  it  was  our  own  battery.  Captain  Marlin  sent  Sergeant 
Murphy  back  to  tell  them  to  elevate  their  guns  or  they  would  hurt 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          767 

some  of  us.  The  Sergeant  came  back  on  the  run  and  said  they  were 
rebels  that  were  shelling  us  and  were  forming  a  line  to  advance  on 
us.  We  got  out  of  that  as  soon  as  we  could  and  glad  we  were  to  get 
where  we  could  make  a  cup  of  coffee.  We  then  went  back  to  our 
old  camp.  In  June  we  started  on  the  march  to  Gettysburg.  We 
marched  two  hundred  and  thirty-five  miles  and  arrived  there  on 
the  evening  of  July  1,  18(33.  On  the  2d  we  fought  in  the  wheat 
field. 

We  had  fifty  seven  men  in  Company  I  when  we  went  in  and 
twenty  answered  to  their  names  after  we  came  out.     It  looked  as 
though    we    would     all    be    killed    or    wounded    before    we   were 
relieved.     I  saved  a  rebel's  life  there.     He  was  lying  behind  a  rock 
and  firing  on  us  until  we  got   right   up  to  him  and  then  he  sur 
rendered.     After  he  surrendered!  Cal  Dixon  was  aboiit  to  shoot  him, 
I  struck  his  gun  up  and  said  not  to  shoot.     I  thought  it  would  not 
be  right  to  kill  him  after  he  had  surrendered.     After  the  battle  I 
asked  Dixon  why  he  was  going  to  kill  the  reb  and  he  said  it  made 
him  so  mad  to  think  he  would  lay  behind  the  rock  and  fire  at  us 
and  then  surrender.     When  going  off  the  battlefield  I  helped  carry 
a  wounded  Colonel  off  the  field,  but  do  not  remember  what  regiment 
he  belonged  to.     Then  on  the  3d  we  were  under  that  heavy  cannon 
ading  when  it  made  the  earth  tremble.     On  the  4th  I  was  sent  back 
to  the  hospital  sick  and  then  was  sent  to  Chestnut  Hill  Hospital, 
Philadelphia,   Pennsylvania.      I  was   there  about   three  months.      I 
got  back  to  the  Regiment  in  Xovember  in  time  for  the  Mine  Run 
movement.     We  were  there  two  or  three  days.     We  were  out  sup 
porting  a  skirmish  line  and  nearly  froze  as  the  weather  was  very 
cold.     May,   1864,  we  started  on  that  terrible  campaign  of   1864 
when  it  was  march  all  night  and  fight  all  day.     Our  Regiment  got  to 
the  Wilderness  on  May  6th.     Our  Brigade  was  put  on  the  reserve 
at  Po  River.    We  advanced  through  the  brush  and  waded  the  stream. 
On  the  10th  we  had  a  hard  fight  with  the  rebs.     Our  Regiment  held 
a  whole  division  of  the  enemy  until  they  got  the  rest  of  the  brigade 
across  the  Po  River.     We  stayed  until  we  were  almost  surrounded. 
The  woods  got  afire   and   the  wounded   that   could  not   walk  were 


768  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

burned.  We  lost  about  three  hundred  men  killed  and  wounded 
on  the  Spotsylvania  field. 

On  the  night  of  May  llth  the  Orderly  Sergeant  came 
and  woke  us  up  and  told  us  to  put  our  tin  cups  in  our 
haversacks  and  not  to  speak  above  a  whisper  and  fall  in  ranks. 
We  knew  then  that  we  had  some  hard  fighting  to  do ;  by  this  time 
we  did  not  expect  anything  else,  for  if  there  was  any  fighting  to  be 
done  we  always  got  our  share  of  it.  We  started  on  the  march  in  a 
drizzling  rain.  We  followed  a  man  with  a  lantern  and  we  would 
go  a  little  way,  halt,  advance  and  halt.  We  kept  that  up  until  about 
midnight  when  we  halted  and  the  Colonel  formed  the  Regiment  in 
five  columns,  two  companies  in  a  column.  We  fixed  our  bayonets 
and  lay  down  on  the  wet  ground.  Just  at  the  break  of  day  we  got 
the  command  to  forward.  We  started  and  never  stoppel  unitl  we 
were  in  the  rebel's  works  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House.  Then  the 
slaughter  began.  Men  were  killed  with  bayonets  and  butts  of  guns 
until  they  lay  eight  and  ten  deep ;  there  were  ten  thousand  men  hurt 
in  twenty  minutes.  Trees  shot  down  with  minie  balls.  Brush 
cut  down  as  though  mowed  down  with  a  sickle.  The  last  I  saw  of 
Major  Fairlamb  he  was  on  the  breastworks  waving  his  sword  and 
saying,  "Come  on  boys,  the  last  day  of  the  Rebellion  is  here,"  in  that 
fine  voice  of  his.  He  was  soon  captured.  We  were  there  several 
days. 

Then  we  went  to  the  North  Anna  and  thence  to  Cold  Harbor, 
where  we  made  another  charge  that  did  not  succeed.  The  dead  and 
wounded  lay  thick  on  the  field.  We  charged  over,  fell  back  a  short 
distance  and  threw  up  breastworks  with  our  bayonets  and  tin  pans. 
Some  stood  up  and  fired  at  the  enemy  while  the  rest  worked.  We 
were  there  about  ten  days.  Before  this,  at  North  Anna  River  where 
our  Regiment  was  ordered  to  advance  and  find  the  enemy's  position, 
we  were  ordered  not  to  fire  a  shot.  We  advanced  over  a  field  that 
was  planted  in  corn  until  we  came  upon  the  enemy.  They  opened 
on  us  with  muskets  and  artillery.  We  turned  about  and  marched 
back  without  the  loss  of  a  man.  We  went  back  a  short  distance  and 
were  ordered  to  lie  down.  A  heavy  rain  came  up  and  we  had  to 
wait  until  it  was  over.  When  we  left  Cold  Harbor  we  started  for 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          769 

the  James  River.  We  crossed  the  river  and  went  to  Petersburg 
where  it  was  fight  nearly  all  the  time.  I  could  tell  of  seventeen 
battles  I  was  in  but  it  was  the  same  thing  over  and  over.  It  wa^ 
fight,  men  getting  killed  and  wounded  by  the  thousands. 

August  25,  1864,  I  was  captured.  We  were  sent  to  tear  up  the 
Weldon  Railroad ;  there  were  two  divisions  of  the  Second  Army 
Corps  there.  We  had  a  fight  at  Reams  Station  with  A.  P.  Hill'-* 
Corps  of  four  divisions  and  two  divisions  of  Longstreet's  Corps.  The 
rebs  had  six  divisions  against  our  two  small  ones,  but  we  put  up  a 
hard  fight  before  they  broke  our  line  and  captured  fourteen  hundred 
of  us.  We  went  back  through  a  piece  of  woods  and  there  was  not 
a  stump  or  tree  or  sapling  that  was  big  enough  to  shield  a  person 
that  did  not  have  a  dead  or  wounded  rebel  behind  it.  They  said  it 
was  the  dearest  victory  they  had  ever  won.  Here  is  where  Colonel 
Beaver  and  I  left  the  Army.  The  Colonel  lost  his  leg,  and  we  never 
got  back  to  the  Regiment.  The  prisoners  were  sent  to  Richmond  to 
Libby  and  Belle  Island.  I  was  there  about  a  month,  then  was  sent 
to  Salisbury,  Xorth  Carolina.  There  is  no  pen  or  tongue  that  can 
tell  the  suffering  that  was  in  those  prisons.  We  were  starved  for  two 
and  three  days  at  a  time  and  when  we  did  get  anything  to  eat  we 
could  eat  it  all  at  once.  It  really  was  not  fit  to  eat  when  we  did 
get  it  and  it  had  to  do  twenty-four  hours.  We  had  no  shelter  or 
blankets  to  cover  us  for  over  one  month.  Then  our  Government 
sent  us  some  tents.  If  there  is  a  hell  on  earth  we  surely  were  in 
it.  The  rebs  would  send  every  morning  a  four-mule  team  into 
the  prison  pen  to  take  out  the  dead.  I  have  seen  as  many  as  fifty 
taken  out  in  a  morning.  One  man  would  take  a  man  by  the  head 
and  one  by  the  feet  and  throw  him  into  the  wagon  and  take  them 
out  and  bury  them  in  a  trench.  Thero  was  between  twelve  and 
thirteen  thousand  in  the  prison  from  October  to  February,  and  there 
were  only  four  thousand  five  hundred  and  some  odd  came  out  when 
we  were  let  out  on  parole  February  22,  1865.  I  came  home  in 
March,  took  the  typhoid  fever  and  the  War  was  over  before  I  could 
go  back  to  my  Regiment. 


770  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  I. 


PART  III. 
By  I.  /.  Grenoble. 

(Comrade    Grenoble   was  the  only  Centre  County  man  in   Company   I. — 
EDITOR.) 

The  desire  to  be  a  soldier  was  brought  upon  me  by  the  excite 
ment  and  a  number  of  friends  that  had  enlisted  at  the  time.  Being 
only  sixteen  years  old  I  feared  they  would  not  accept  me.  I  had 
been  living  with  Maj.  J.  B.  Fisher  a  number  of  years.  His  military 
career  being  well  known  to  the  Governor  and  others,  he  was  pre 
vailed  upon  to  take  the  colonelcy  of  the  regiment.  As  he  helped 
largely  with  his  influence  to  swell  the  ranks  of  the  companies  formed 
in  the  county,  and  during  the  excitement  he  had  the  war  fever,  and 
had  fully  decided  to  go.  So  he  called  me  back  into  his  office  in 
his  store  at  Centerville,  now  Penn  Hall,  and  requested  me  to  stay 
with  his  family  if  he  went,  saying  that  his  wife  gave  her  consent, 
and  he  would  go  that  afternoon  and  see  his  parents  and  if  they  would 
let  him  go  he  would  leave.  But  their  protest  against  his  going  was 
so  strong  that  he  yielded  to  their  wish.  Then,  as  I  told  the  boys  that 
had  gone,  that  if  the  Major  did  not  go,  I  would  come,  not  to  take 
the  colonelcy,  but  to  be  with  them  in  the  ranks.  So  after  the  Major 
had  decided,  I  determined  to  go  but  unknown  to  any  one  except 
three  chums,  who  always  said  if  I  would  go  they  would  surely  go 
along.  We  agreed  to  meet  at  Musser's  Hotel,  at  Centerville,  on 
Sunday  evening,  September  7,  1862,  after  church  at  Green  Grove. 
We  all  went  to  church  and  met  at  the  hotel.  John  Brown,  who 
worked  for  Mr.  Geo.  Musser,  was  to  haul  us  as  far  as  the  top  of 
Seven  Mountains  that  night.  The  three  had  all  kinds  of  excuses 
for  not  going  just  then  and  declined,  and  Brown  refused  to  take  me 
to  the  mountain  top.  So  I  had  to  go  alone  and  traveled  across  the 
Seven  Mountains  to  Lewistown,  the  nearest  railroad  station.  I 
arrived  there  before  noon  and  boarded  the  first  passenger  train  for 
Harrisburg,  arrived  late  in  the  evening,  and  s>taid  at  a  hotel  over 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          11 \ 

night.  Tuesday  morning  1  made  for  Camp  Curtin,  where  the 
boys  were  in  camp.  They  were  surprised  to  see  me  and  still  more 
sc  when  I  informed  them  that  I  came  to  stay.  They  did  not  expect 
that  I  would  be  accepted,  being  too  young  and  small.  But  I  passed 
after  some  hesitation  and  urging  by  the  doctors. 

The  company  I  had  intended  to  join  was  full,  so  Capt.  Rob.t. 
H.  Forster,  of  Company  A,  advised  me  to  join  Capt.  Silas  J.  Mar- 
lin's  company.  So  by  evening  of  September  9th  I  was  a  member  of 
the  148th.  The  difficulty  came  when  they  were  to  give  me  the  uni 
form — none  small  enough,  so  I  went  in  my  citizen's  clothes  for 
several  weeks  while  in  camp  at  Cockeysville,  Maryland.  While  here 
the  peaches  were  in  season.  An  old  farmer  had  a  large  orchard 
about  a  mile  back  from  camp.  He  did  not  have  much  sympathy 
for  the  boys  in  blue,  but  was  trying  to  make  all  the  money  from 
us  by  sending  two  loads  of  peaches  a  day  to  the  camp  for  sale,  but 
if  any  of  us  went  to  his  house  he  was  too  stingy  to  offer  any,  and 
when  we  tried  to  buy  some  he  wanted  more  than  what  his  boys  were 
selling  them  for  at  camp.  One  day  several  of  us  had  gone  out  to 
his  place  and  a  few  called  at  the  house  and  entertained  him  and 
his  wife  while  the  rest  secured  a  supply  of  the  fruit  and  retreated 
to  a  piece  of  woods  where  they  were  joined  by  the  entertaining  com 
mittee  and  all  enjoyed  a  good  mess  of  the  fruit. 

While  doing  picket  duty  just  below  Fredericksburg,  Virginia, 
the  boys  got  quite  intimate  with  the  Confederates  and  established 
a  kind  of  exchange.  Our  boys  gave  coffee,  salt,  etc.,  for  tobacco. 
Through  this  they  got  quite  sociable  and  whenever  an  opportunity 
came  we  talked  together.  Several  times  the  Johnnies  invited  our 
boys  to  come  across  the  river  to  a  social  dance  in  a  private  house  in 
the  city.  This  was  accepted  by  a  number  of  the  boys,  among  thetn 
were  Lieut.  John  McGuire.  All  returned  much  pleased  with  the  treat 
ment  and  courtesy  shown  towards  them  by  the  men,  officers  and 
ladies  in  Fredericksburg.  One  night  while  on  picket,  the  officer  of 
the  day  came  to  us  and  gave  orders  not  to  cause  any  alarm  to  be 
made  if  we  noticed  any  person  crossing  the  river,  but  to  call  quietly 
the  nearest  officer.  While  all  was  quiet  only  a  strong  wind  near  mid 
night,  an  object  was  noticed  moving  and  coming  across  the  river. 


7T2  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

We  followed  instructions,  and  a  person  dressed  in  rebel  uniform 
came,  was  taken  to  the  rear  by  officer  of  the  picket  line  to  General 
Hancock's  headquarters.  It  was  the  General's  spy. 

I  remember  well  the  day,  May  1,  1863,  when  we  reached  Chan- 
cellorsville,  when  the  muster-in  roll  was  called,  many  answered  for 
the  last  time  to  their  name  on  this  soil.  We  moved  out  on  high 
ground  in  line  of  battle  and  could  see  the  rebs  place  their  troops  and 
cannons  on  a  hill  in  front  of  us.  We  were  ordered  to  lie  down  on  the 
ground.  While  the  Colonel  was  sitting  on  his  horse,  he  said,  "Lay 
low,  boys,  I'll  tell  you  when  to  get  up  and  fire,  and  we'll  show  theni 
that  Sunday  soldiers  are  good  soldiers  in  front."  I  suppose  he  was 
thinking  of  what  the  Irish  Brigade  boys  said :  that  they  wanted  to 
be  our  reserve  in  time  of  battle  and  they  would  make  us  keep  our 
place  ;  as  they  claimed  that  the  first  volley  fired  into  us  would  cause  us 
all  to  run.  But  as  we  all  well  know  after  the  battle  the  Irish  boys  had 
nothing  to  say  about  us  as  Sunday  soldiers.  After  we  had  got  put 
from  our  line  of  battle  in  rear  of  the  line  formed  after  the  Eleventh 
Corps  broke,  I  examined  my  clothing  and  knapsack  and  found  that 
seven  bullets  had  passed  through  my  gum  blanket  and  shelter  tent, 
and  on  opening  the  knapsack  a  bullet  dropped  out  on  the  ground. 
Some  one  picked  it  up  and  asked  if  I  did  not  want  it.  I  said,  "No,'" 
and  he  remarked,  "I  will  keep  it  then."  I  met  with  no  wound  till 
on  the  10th  of  May,  1864,  at  Po  River  near  Spotsylvania  Court 
House,  Virginia,  being  shot  in  the  left  leg  above  the  knee.  I  was 
kept  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  rebs  by  a  comrade  of  Com 
pany  A  taking  my  hand  and  dragging  me  to  the  rear;  then  he  got 
another  man  to  take  the  other  hand  and  they  pulled  me  along  till  we 
got  to  Maj.  Geo.  A.  Fairlamb  and  Capt.  A.  A.  Rhinehart.  They  took 
my  accoutrements  off  and  put  me  on  a  blanket  and  got  four  men 
to  carry  me  back  to  the  rear  across  the  river.  The  Captain  carried 
the  four  guns  for  the  boys  that  carried  me.  Just  a  few  minutes 
before  I  was  shot,  I  passed  John  Coony  and  Steve  Kennelly,  neigh 
bors  at  home,  both  mortally  wounded.  When  the  boys  had  laid  me 
down  in  a  ditch  an  ambulance  wagon  came  along  and  took  me  back 
to  the  place  where  the  wounded  were  gathered.  This  was  awhile 
before  dark.  During  the  night  I  slept  good,  had  a  piece  of  wood  or 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          775 

stone  for  a  pillow.  Woke  up  weak — not  strong  enough  to  raise 
hands  up  to  my  head.  During  the  forenoon,  wrell  towards  noon,  a 
surgeon  came  along  and  examined  my  wound.  When  he  opened  the 
pants'  leg  and  drawers  he  shook  his  head  and  said  I  should  lie  quiet. 
I  told  him  I  could  not  move.  He  said  he  would  send  men  to  bring 
me  to  the  tent.  This  was  a  surgeon  from  a  New  York  regiment, 
ours  had  been  taken  prisoners  at  the  Wilderness,  and  that  accounted 
for  my  lying  there  so  long  without  being  attended  to.*  When  at 
the  operating  tent  four  or  five  doctors  examined  my  wound  and 
found  that  mortification  had  set  in,  and  they  decided  that  it  was  not 
worth  while  to  do  anything  for  me.  I  heard  all  their  conversation, 
but  one  came  and  shook  me  a  little  and  told  me  what  they  thought 
of  my  case,  that  they  could  not  do  anything  for  me  except  take  the 
leg  off  but  that  would  not  help  me,  and  if  I  had  any  money,  watch 
or  any  tiling  to  send  home  I  should  give  it  to  one  of  my  acquaintances 
or  to  him  and  he  would  send  it  to  anyone  I  would  direct.  I  said 
no  I  will  keep  what  I  have  with  me.  I  told  them  to  do  the  best  they 
could  for  me.  One  of  the  surgeons  remarked  that  there  was  more 
life  than  they  thought.  So  one  said,  "Let  us  take  it  off.''  Then 
placing  me  on  the  operating  table  I  told  the  one  giving  the  ether 
not  to  cut  till  I  was  sound  asleep.  The  doctor  assured  me  they 
would  not. 

After  all  was  over  and  I  got  awake  I  was  dressed  in  new 
clean  red  flannel  undersuit  of  clothing.  The  feeling  of  the  leg  was 
just  the  same  as  if  it  had  not  been  taken  off.  Towards  evening  a 
Lieutenant  of  Company  E,  who  had  the  same  misfortune  to  lose  a 
leg,  and  myself  were  placed  in  an  ambulance  and  started  to  Acquia 
Creek  Landing.  On  the  way  we  thought  the  driver  was  trying  to 
drive  OVCT  all  the  stumps  and  stones  that  could  be  found.  We  both 
suffered  great  pain.  At  the  landing  we  were  placed  on  a  boat  and 
taken  to  Washington.  Then  we  were  put  into  an  ambulance  again 
iu\d  taken  out  several  miles  from  the  city  to  Finley  Hospital.  That 
was  a  great  deal  worse  than  the  first  experience  in  the  ambulance. 
We  both  thought  we  could  not  stand  it  any  longer.  The  Lieutenant 
died.  At  the  hospital  the  nurses  and  surgeons  being  scarce,  I  lay 
several  days  before  any  surgeon  came  around ;  before  they  came 
*See  the  Surgeon's  Story,  pages  185-6. 


774  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

through  the  room  or  ward  a  nurse  had  come  along  and  uncovered  all 
the  wounds,  and  when  mine  was  uncovered  he  said,  "Oh,  my,"  and 
went  on  about  his  work.  Then  the  head  surgeon  and  a  few  others 
passed  along.  When  passing  he  remarked,  "There  is  one  that  needs 
a  second  operation."  I  said,  "No."  He  said,  "I  am  here  to  know 
what  is  to  be  done."  The  nurse  followed  them  to  tie  up  the  wounds. 
He  understood  the  business  and  told  me  that  the  bone  was  sticking 
out  beyond  the  flesh  more  than  three  inches.  Several  days  passed 
when  the  nurse  came  along  and  again  uncovered  all  the  wounds  as 
before,  and  when  the  doctors  passed  the  same  remarks  were  made 
as  to  my  case.  When  through  the  ward,  one  came  back  to  me  and 
said,  "I  see  you  are  from  Pennsylvania.  So  am  I,"  and  he  would 
t<;ke  me  in  his  care.  He  said  he  would  try  and  save  me  the  second 
operation  as  he  did  not  think  that  I  could  stand  it,  and  to  his  sur 
prise  when  he  got  ready  to  clean  my  leg  he  found  it  full  of  maggr/t-. 
He  took  the  very  best  of  care  of  me  and  succeeded  in  saving  me  the 
second  operation,  but  the  bone  sloughed  off  at  the  sound  flesh,  and 
when  it  did  come  off  measured  over  three  inches  long.  The  doctor's 
name  was  Evans,  from  Bucks  or  Berks  County,  Pennsylvania.  II. 
kept  the  bone  for  a  relic.  It  was  through  his  good  care  of  me  that 
I  am  still  among  the  living.  After  being  at  the  Finley  Hospital 
about  a  week,  the  ward  master  came  to  me  with  a  letter  and  inquired 
if  I  knew  a  man  by  the  name  of  J.  B.  Fisher,  he  had  a  letter  that 
had  been  sent  to  the  Regiment,  and  was  forwarded  and  followed  to 
the  hospital.  The  doctors  must  have  placed  my  name  among  the 
dead.  I  was  reported  in  the  newspapers  as  dead,  and  my  friend, 
Major  Fisher,  was  making  inquiry  as  to  how  to  get  my  body  and 
have  it  sent  home.  The  ward  master  said  that  he  would  answer 
the  letter  and  tell  him  that  1  was  still  better  than  dead.  When  I 
was  able  to  walk  on  crutches,  I  was  sent,  among  others,  to  South 
Street  Hospital,  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania.  Here  I  had  a  trying 
time  with  gangrene.  When  the  leg  was  about  healed  the  disease 
set  in.  This  happened  three  times,  and  it  <li<l  in.t  IK  al  till  I  got  myself 
a  basin  and  all  the  necessary  bandages,  sponge,  soap,  etc.,  and  dressed 
the  leg  myself.  The  cause  of  these  repeated  attacks  of  gangrene 
was  the  carelessness  of  the  nurses  using  the  same  basin,  etc.,  for 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          775 

all,  only  changing  water.  From  this  hospital  all  that  had  lost  limbs 
were  moved  to  Christian  Street  Hospital,  and  here  a  preacher  by  the 
name  of  Long  had  opened  school.  Had  teachers  for  all  branches  that 
one  wished  to  study,  and  telegraphing.  I  think  the  teachers  did  theiy 
work  free  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  wished  to  take  the  advantage. 
Before  we  got  our  discharge  we  were  moved  to  West  Chester 
Hospital. 


776  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  I- 


PART  IV. 

By  R.  M.  Wadding. 

Company  I  of  the  148th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers 
was  recruited  in  Jefferson  County,  Pennsylvania  and  accredited,  no 
doubt,  to  said  county.  The  recruiting  officers  were  Silas  J.  Marlin, 
Hugh  Brady,  John  McGuire  and  O.  H.  Brown,  the  latter  two  becom 
ing  First  and  Second  Lieutenants.  Hugh  Brady,  who,  it  was  ex 
pected,  would  be  Captain,  was  replaced  by  Silas  J.  Marlin. 

The  company  being  about  fully  recruited  assembled  in  Brook- 
ville,  the  county  seat  of  Jefferson  County,  Pennsylvania,  August  27, 
1862,  whence  the  whole  company  was  hauled  in  wagons,  hacks,  etc., 
that  day  to  Punxsutawney,  same  county,  a  distance  of  twenty  miles. 
On  the  way  at  Cool  Spring,  the  men  were  treated  to  a  sumptuous 
dinner.  The  following  morning,  about  three  o'clock,  the  company 
started  in  the  same  vehicles  for  Indiana  Town,  Pennsylvania,  a  dis- 
tace  of  about  thirty  miles.  Having  stopped  again  for  dinner  at 
Marionville,  we  arrived  at  Indiana  about  4 :00  p.  M.,  when  we  were 
crowded  into  box  cars  (after  the  manner  of  loading  cattle,  except  the 
board  seats  without  backs)  and  thus  the  company  was  conveyed  to 
Harrisburg,  the  state  capital,  where  we  arrived  some  time  during 
the  morning,  August  29th,  and  here  being  located  two  or  three  weeks 
in  Camp  Curtin,  we  were  joined  with  one  company  from  Indiana 
County,  one  from  Clarion  and  seven  from  Centre  County,  which  to 
gether  formed  what  was  then  designated  as  the  148th  Regiment  of 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers. 

Here  having  been  organized  into  a  regiment,  being  fully 
equipped  we  were  shipped  to  Cockeysville,  Maryland.  We  joined  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  at  Fredericksburg. 

At  Chancellorsville  on  the  morning  of  the  2d  of  May,  1863, 
we  were  placed  in  line  with  the  Union  Army  a  hundred  rods  or  so 
north  of  the  Chancellor  House,  where  we  lay  a  short  time  flat-  on  the 


J.  B.  RUMBAUGH 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          777 

ground,  when  Company  J  and  Company  A  were  called  on  to  deploy 
and  go  forward  as  skirmishers  and  being  out  but  a  short  time,  we 
were  ordered  back  to  the  main  line,  and  the  Brigade  was  then 
massed  in  front  of  a  battery  of  cannon  close  in  front  of  the  Chan 
cellor  House,  v  jmpany  I  here  was  in  the  rear  file  almost  under  the 
guns,  the  shells  passing  over  us.  We  were  then  again  moved,  as  we 
thought,  to  the  extreme  left  of  the  line  and  in  a  woods  where  Com 
pany  I  and  A  were  again  sent  out  as  skirmishers.  It  was  now  about 
night  and  darkness  coming  on  we  were  located  on  the  side  of  a  hill 
where  a  good  view  could  be  had,  and  in  a  short  time  the  enemy  ap 
peared  with  a  battery  of  two  or  three  guns  and  we  opened  fire  on 
them,  and  received  their  fire  in  return,  their  shells  coming  quite 
rapidly  for  a  short  time  upon  us ;  when  they  by  retreating  were  con 
cealed  behind  the  hill,  we  ceased  firing  and  also  retreated  a  few  rods, 
so  that  the  enemy  might  lose  the  range  of  us.  R.  B.  Lyle,  of  Com 
pany  I,  next  man  to  me,  was  badly  wounded  in  the  above  skirmish 
by  the  concussion  of  a  shell  which  seemed  to  have  merely  touched  the 
top  of  his  head.  We  then  resumed  our  former  position  and  remained 
there  during  the  night.  The  morning  light  revealed  to  the  enemy 
that  we  were  still  there  and  we  were  informed  that  our  company  wa.- 
in  advance  of  the  line.  We  were  compelled  to  get  back  to  our  proper 
place,  and  our  retreat  was  made  under  a  rather  hot  fire  from  the 
enemy.  After  getting  back  an  order  of  congratulation  was  sent  u* 
by  our  commanding  officer  for  our  pluck  and  bravery  in  standing 
our  ground  so  well,  while  a  part  of  the  line  on  our  right  had  run. 
Here  being  re-enforced  by  four  other  companies  of  our  Regiment  we 
were  ordered  to  hold  our  position  at  all  hazards. 

During  the  forenoon  the  fire  by  the  enemy  did  not  indicate  a 
very  strong  force,  but  during  all  of  the  afternoon  there  was  heavy 
and  constant  musket  firing  in  our  front  and  we  of  course  did  our 
best,  though  both  the  enemy  and  we  were  still  in  the  woods.  Except 
a  little  to  our  right  a  short  portion  of  the  enemy's  line  could  be  seen 
in  a  cleared  field  to  which  I  at  least  directed  a  good  part  of  my  atten 
tion.  Night  coming  on  and  the  firing  on  both  sides  having  ceased, 
a  company  of  pioneers  made  their  appearance  in  our  front,  where 
they  made  a  general  slashing;  also  piling  up  poles  along  our  line  as 


778  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

a  shelter  for  us.  We  at  the  same  time  were  engaged  in  digging  holes 
in  the  ground  with  our  bayonets,  that  we  might  have  all  the  shelter 
possible,  and  so,  having  accomplished  what  we  could  in  this  way,  we 
arranged  to  try  to  get  some  sleep,  it  being  ten  o'clock  or  so.  Every 
third  man  was  placed  on  watch.  The  balance  were  to  sleep  two  hours 
when  they  would  be  relieved  and  so  it  was  to  be  during  the  night ; 
but  before  the  first  relief's  time  had  expired  there  was  a  terrible 
charge  made  by  the  enemy  on  a  certain  battery,  with  yelling,  firing 
of  musketry,  firing  of  cannon,  etc.,  that  made  it  rather  hideous  for 
any  further  rest  or  sleep. 

At  daybreak  (Sabbath  morning)  the  conflict  was  renewed  all 
along  the  line  seemingly  with  double  energy.  We  on  our  part 
of  the  line,  having  used  up  our  eighty  rounds  of  cartridges  some  time 
in  the  forenoon,  got  a  new  supply  and  had  shot  away  most  of  th.-it 
when  suddenly  to  our  surprise  the  grape  and  canister  began  to  rain 
down  among  us,  coming  in  from  our  rear.  By  sending  out  a  man 
we  discovered  that  the  whole  Army  had  retreated  except  the  six  com 
panies  of  the  148th  and  one  company  of  the  81st  Pennsylvania.  The 
only  casualty  of  our  company  here  was  one  killed  (Andrew  Craft), 
shot  through  the  head,  the  ball  entering  below  the  eye,  and  J.  M. 
Davis  wounded  slightly  in  the  hand. 

We  being  surrounded  on  three  sides — on  the  right,  rear  and 
front — were  really  led  out  by  Capt.  S.  J.  Marlin.  Having  crossed  a 
field,  on  our  retreat  and  coming  to  a  road,  the  commander  of  the 
81st  troops  and  Captain  Marlin  had  a  dispute  as  to  the  right  direc 
tion  to  go,  so  each  officer  took  his  own  course.  Our  six  companies 
following  Captain  Marlin  came  out  all  right,  but  what  became  of 
the  other  troops  I  don't  know  except  from  rumor  that  they  wen 
captured  by  the  enemy.  When  we  rejoined  the  Regiment  we  were 
placed  in  rear  of  extensive  breastworks  and  were  almost  constantly 
under  the  fire  of  the  enemy  till  three  o'clock  Wednesday  morning. 
Our  part  of  the  line  began  its  retreat  and  landed  north  of  the  Rajr 
pahannock  some  time  in  the  afternoon,  hungry,  tired  and  sleepy,  as 
our  eight  days'  ration  had  played  out  the  previous  day,  and  for  one 
T  had  about  two  half  night's  sleep  out  of  eight. 


THE  I4&TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          779 

Some  days  after  the  above  battle  1  was  one  of  a  detail  to  visit 
the  battlefield  to  endeavor  to  get  the  bodies  of  several  officers  who 
fell  in  the  battle.  The  detail  of  the  whole  Army  was  but  thirty-two 
men.  1  don't  know  how  many  were  of  our  Regiment.  We  left  camp 
May  10th  and  reported  at  what  was  called  United  States  Ford  on  the 
Rappahannock  at  7  :00  A.  M.,  the  17th,  having  with  us  twelve  coffins. 
That  evening  we  had  a  response  to  our  flag  of  truce,  but  as  the  pon 
toons  had  not  arrived,  we  did  not  cross  till  the  next  morning,  the 
18th.  When  across  we  were  placed  in  charge  of  southern  officers, 
were  marched  to  a  General's  headquarters  and  there  sworn  not  to 
reveal  anything  to  the  Northern  Army  which  we  might  learn  that 
would  likely  be  to  their  advantage  in  any  way.  Being  divided 
into  four  squads  of  eight  in  each,  our  squad  visited  the  part  arcund 
and  near  the  Chancellor  House.  The  numerous  dead  of  that  place 
were  piled  into  deep  ruts,  or  washouts,  etc.,  and  covered  up  with  but 
a  few  inches  of  clay,  also  a  hole  twelve  or  fourteen  feet  square  dug 
for,  as  I  was  told,  an  ice  house,  two  or  three  feet  deep  was  filled. 
We  dug  in  one  corner  for  a  body  of  an  officer,  but  his  condition  was 
such  that  he  was  not  recognizable.  Night  coming  on  we  returned  to 
the  same  General's  headquarters  where  we  spent  the  night,  arguing 
and  talking  over  our  various  battles,  victories,  etc.  The  next  day 
we  returned  to  the  battleground  and  getting  in  all  five  bodies  we 
recrossed  the  river  and  returned  to  camp. 

June  14th  it  was  discovered  that  the  Rebel  Army  was  hard  on 
its  way  into  Pennsylvania,  We  were  immediately  started  in  pur 
suit.  June  20th,  hearing  of  the  enemy  being  at  Thoroughfare  Gap 
and  having  repulsed  our  cavalry  there,  our  Brigade  was  started  for 
there  on  a  forced  march,  a  distance  of  twenty  miles  or  so.  We  ar 
rived  in  the  night,  in  intense  darkness,  cloudy  and  raining.  In  the 
morning,  June  21st,  pickets  were 'sent  out  and  a  few  shots  or  shells 
being  fired  we  found  the  enemy's  cavalry  with  a  few  pieces  of  light 
artillery  was  still  near.  Here  we  remained  to  guard  the  place,  or 
await  developments  till  June  26th.  Leaving  here,  7  :00  A.  M.,  with 
Companies  A,  B  and  1  in  front  as  skirmishers,  a  few  of  the  enemy's 
cavalry  were  found  in  our  front  but  they  soon  retired  and  we  marched 
back  to  Dumfries,  about  seventeen  miles. 


780  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Wednesday,  July  1st,  we  inarched  about  seventeen  miles  to 
within  three  miles  or  so  of  Gettysburg.  During  the  day  we  could 
hear  cannonading.  On  the  morning  of  July  2d  we  were  moved  sev 
eral  times  from  one  place  to  another,  but  were  not  particularly 
brought  under  fire  till  some  time  shortly  after  noon,  when  cominu 
in  range  of  a  rebel  battery,  the  shells  came  over  us  quite  lively  for 
a  while.  One  man  of  our  Regiment  was  killed  here.  Colonel  Cross, 
the  commander  of  our  Brigade  here,  then  ordered  us  to  our  feet  (as 
we  were  lying  on  the  ground)  and  marched  us  a  short  distance  to  OUT 
left  and  back  again  on  double  quick  which  seemed  to  cause  the  enemy 
to  lose  range  of  us,  and  again  about  3  :00  or  4 :00  P.  M.  our  Brigade 
was  marched  to  the  left  land  took  part  in  the  battle  in  'the  wheat 
field.  Our  company  here  being  in  the  open  wheat  field,  with  an 
other  or  so  of  our  Regiment  on  our  right  suffered  terribly.  I  here 
received  a  bad  gunshot  wound  in  my  groin,  obliging  me  to  remain 
there  till  the  battle  was  over  and  through  the  effects  of  which  I  was 
confined  to  the  hospital  about  fourteen  months  and  have  been  greatly 
disabled  all  my  life.  I  recall  now  but  one  man  of  Company  I  that 
was  shot  dead  there  and  that  was  Samuel  Shaw.  Thos.  McCullough, 
Harrison  Long,  Frederick  Gillhousen  and  Andrew  Hagerty  died  at 
Gettysburg  after  the  battle.  The  latter,  A.  Hagerty,  I  saw  start  to 
walk  off  the  battlefield,  while  the  enemy  were  between  us  and 
our  lines,  and  that  seems  to  be  the  last  known  of  him.  The  other 
wounded  that  survived  were  Edward  Plyler,  who  lost  an  arm,  John 
Howard  who  was  shot  through  the  lungs,  John  Shuster  shot  in  the 
knee,  Hugh  Barr  was  slightly  wounded  but  afterwards  returned  to 
his  Regiment  Captain  Forster,  of  Company  C,  was  shot  dead  and 
lay  two  or  three  rods  from  me,  and  while  there  in  the  night,  it  being 
moonlight,  I  saw  a  rebel  approach  him  and  take  a  pocketbook  out  of 
his  side  pocket,  and  put  the  same  iri  his  own  pocket.  The  same  man 
also  visited  other  dead  bodies,  having  a  companion  with  him,  en 
gaged  in  the  same  business.  One  of  them  searched  my  knapsack, 
which  was  lying  about  two  or  three  rods  from  me. 

After  lying  on  the  earth  as  a  bed  for  fifteen  days  I,  with  hun 
dreds  of  others  was  removed  to  Baltimore  in  freight  cars,  we  lay 
on  straw  or  hav  on  the  floor  of  the  car.  T  was  then  taken  into  Me- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          781 

Kim's  Hospital.  John  Howard,  of  Company  I,  was  also  there  hut 
in  another  ward.  In  October,  just  previous  to  the  election,  we  were 
each  moved  to  our  own  states  where  we  had  the  privilege  of  a  fur 
lough  to  go  home  to  vote ;  but  the  condition  of  my  wound  at  this  time 
was  such  that  I  could  not  go.  The  discharge  had  changed  to  a  green 
ish  color.  The  doctor  said  I  had  fever  and  would  have  to  take  some 
quinine.  I  saw  that  he  was  quite  uneasy  about  me,  but  in  a  few 
days  I  was  all  right  as  far  as  the  fever  was  concerned,  but  a  piece  of 
cloth  and  several  bits  of  bone  remaining  in  the  wound  kept  it  fester 
ing  a  long  time  before  it  could  commence  to  heal.  The  nurse  said  to 
me  that  with  my  courage,  patience,  etc.,  I  would  live  where  twenty 
would  die.  I  generally  occupied  my  time  in  reading,  writing,  etc. 
A  lady  of  Philadelphia  came  and  organized  a  Bible  class  which  met 
once  a  week  in  the  chapel.  When  I  was  able  to  get  around  I  took  an 
active  part  in  helping  along  with  it.  A  Miss  Otto  was  first  instructor, 
and  afterwards  a  Miss  Wheeler.  They  were  both  middle  aged  ladies 
and  were  doubtless  regular  workers  in  the  good  cause  of  humanity 
and  religion.  Miss  Otto  was  an  Episcopalian  and  the  other  a  Pres 
byterian.  Of  the  latter  church  I  was  and  am  still  a  member  and 
have  ever  tried  to  be  sincere  and  consistent.  Even  in  the  Army  at 
Cockeysville  our  crew  of  six,  and  especially  our  crew  of  eleven  in  our 
winter  quarters  at  Falmouth  had  their  weekly  prayer  meetings,  con 
sisting  of  J.  E.  Hall,  Win.  Davidson,  David  Rhodes,  Alex.  McQuis- 
ton,  T.  Swineford,  J.  W.  Smith,  John  Love,  Thos.  McCullough,  B. 
F.  McGiffin,  Hugh  A.  Barr  and  Edward  Plyler.  The  latter  was 
the  only  profane  tongued  man  in  the  crew,  but  he  finally  almost  quit 
it  or  else  he  would  accompany  his  oath  with  a  short  prayer  such  as 
this  "The  Lord  forgive  me  for  cussinV  He  could  not  write  and  yet 
while  we  were  at  Falmouth  there  was  a  letter  written  to  his  uncle, 
which  was  published  in  a  Kittaning  paper,  signed  Edward  Plyler, 
and  being  rather  of  a  disloyal  nature,  it  was  sent  by  some  one  T-» 
Captain  Marlin,  by  whom  Ed  was  called  to  an  account  and  severely 
reprimanded.  He  of  course  did  a  little  bit  of  cussing  then.  I  had 
then  to  write  a  reproof  both  to  hi?  uncle  and  the  editor  for  him. 

Ere  long  at  the  hospital  we  organized  a  literary  society  and  had 
even  a  spelling  class,  of  which  T  was  the  instructor.     T  also  \vhen  able 


782  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

attended  two  Sabbath  schools,  one  a  Baptist  at  Nice  Town  and  a 
Presbyterian  at  Rising  Sun  near  Philadelphia.  About  three  months 
before  I  was  returned  to  the  front  I  was  made  clerk  in  the  hospital. 
My  first  business  there  was  to  write  reports  of  the  condition  of  the 
inmates  of  the  hospital  to  their  various  regiments,  and  I  was  also 
a  while  in  the  furlough  department.  About  the  middle  of  Septem 
ber,  1864,  a  certain  examining  board  coming  from  Washington  gave 
me  what  I  considered  but  a  formal  examination  and  so  by  them  I 
was  assigned  to  the  front,  where  my  heart  was  with  my  comrades, 
yet  I  could  and  did  realize  my  inability  to  endure  the  hardships  of 
real  active  army  lifa 

September  21st,  after  our  boat  excursion  down  the  Chesapeake 
Bay  and  up  James  River  to  City  Point  I  met  the  dear  old  148th 
Regiment  and  the  few  surviving  comrades  of  Company  I  on  their 
way  to  Fort  Stedman.  The  Regiment  had  just  been  awarded  the 
Spencer  repeating  rifle  as  the  honored  Regiment  of  the  Division,  the 
latter  being  commanded  then  by  Gen.  Nelson  A.  Miles,  then  a  young 
man  of  twenty-three,  if  I  am  rightly  informed.  The  first  man  to 
greet  me  here  was  B.  F.  McGiffen,  the  only  survivor  of  the  eleven 
messmates  and  chums  mentioned  above  that  were  now  with  the  com 
pany,  T.  McCullough  being  mortally  wounded  and  dying  at  Gettys 
burg;  E.  Plyler  also  losing  an  arm  there,  J.  K  Hall  being  trans 
ferred  and  commissioned;  D.  Rhodes,  A.  McQuiston  being  killed  in 
battle  as  related  to  me  by  McGiffen,  where  a  part  of  the  Regiment 
was  surrounded  and  had  surrendered,  the  enemy  coming  onto  them 
with  bayonets  fixed ;  two  or  three  of  them  made  for  McQuiston  and 
piercing  him  through  he  fell  dead  at  their  feet.  All  eyes  then  being 
turned  to  the  terrible  tragedy,  McGiffen,  seeing  his  chance,  started 
to  run  and  had  got  quite  a  start  before  being  discovered.  Some 
shots  were  fired  after  him  and  he  had  some  close  calls  but  he  said  he 
felt  as  though  it  was  death  anyhow  and  that  he  preferred  dying  in 
trying  at  least  to  make  his  escape  than  to  risk  being  in  their  hands. 

McGiffen  also  related  to  me  his  experience  in  the  charge  made 
by  the  one  hundred  men  of  the  Regiment  on  Fort  Crater.  After 
the  capture  of  the  fort  and  the  failure  of  support,  compelling  a  re 
treat,  his  plan  was  that  of  Captain  Brown — to  risk  a  retreat  and 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          783 

every  man  now  for  himself  and  so  in  the  midst  of  the  terrible  rebel 
fire  he  with  others  made  his  escape,  but  notwithstanding  the  risk  and 
danger,  he  coming  onto  a  reb  who  had  dropped  into  a  rut  to  conceal 
himself,  expecting  to  get  back  when  the  firing  would  cease,  Frank 
pointing  his  gun  at  him  ousted  him  out  of  that  and  brought  him  in 
a  prisoner.  I  see  Me  was  promoted  Sergeant  January  5,  1805,  and 
he  well  deserved  the  honor  and  he  deserves  honorable  recognition  as 
a  true  and  brave  soldier. 

J.  M.  Love  and  J.  W.  Smith  were  in  180 1  transferred  to  the 
Veteran  Reserve  Corps.  Hugh  Barr,  being  taken  prisoner,  died  at 
Salisbury,  North  Carolina,  Xovember  23,  1864. 

Shelumial  Swineford  was  indeed  one  of  the  bravest  of  the  brave, 
was  ever  deliberate  and  composed  in  battle  or  in  any  danger.  He  often 
said  that  he  never  felt  as  though  he  would  be  shot.  He  was  a  grand 
leader  in  a  charge,  ever  seemingly  wanting  to  be  in  advance  of  the 
charging  line  if  possible,  as  at  Reams  Station,  the  company  being 
on  the  picket  line.  As  the  charging  line  came  up,  he  sprang 
over  the  breastworks  with  his  Spencer  repeating  rifle,  when  J.  M. 
Davis,  the  next,  came  over,  had  eight  men  around  him  who  had  sur 
rendered,  and  by  J.  M.  Davis  were  taken  back  to  be  given  into  the 
hands  of  our  officers,  while  Swineford  again  joined  in  the  general 
charge,  at  the  same  time  tramping  over  two  of  the  enemy's  flags? 
which  if  he  had  stopped  to  secure  might  have  gotten  for  him  a  medal. 

With  my  other  greetings  by  my  friend  McGiifen  I  was  told  that 
1  was  not  brought  there  to  soldier  or  do  duty  in  the  ranks,  that  T 
was  to  be  clerk  for  the  Regiment.  Yet  1  was  furnished  with  a  gun 
and  all  other  equipments  necessary  for  regular  soldiering  and  for 
two  weeks  I  took  my  regular  turns  on  picket  and  other  duties,  the 
fort  at  the  same  time,  night  and  day,  being  a  place  of  constant  danger 
from  mortar  shells,  and  the  continued  firing  of  sharpshooters,  the 
latter  from  the  tops  of  their  breastworks,  other  mounds  and  the  tops 
of  trees.  Our  men  did  the  same  each  at  night  especially  watching  the 
fire  or  flash  of  the  others  guns  would  instantly  fire  at  the  same. 

Every  evening  for  about  an  hour,  commencing  at  dusk  and  con 
tinuing  an  hour  or  so  there  was  a  general  duel  fought  with  mortar 
shells.  One  evening  the  enemy  having  opened  fire  on  us  with  their 


784  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

muskets,  we  were  called  to  the  outer  works  of  the  fort  where  at  one 
time  a  shell  seeming  to  be  coming  directly  down  on  us  exploded  a 
few  feet  above  our  heads,  and  about  the  same  time  another  unnoticed 
by  us  struck  the  ground  near-by  and  exploding,  threw  the  clay  over 
us  and  slightly  wounded  Sergeant  T.  Douglass.  He  was  one  of  the 
best  and  bravest  of  the  company. 

I  was  told  that  Sergt  R.  Kissinger  on  certain  occasions  dis 
tinguished  himself  as  a  spy  in  the  way  of  discovering  the  condition 
of  the  enemy  in  front  of  the  Regiment.  I  was  also  informed  that 
Corp.  Win.  Harley  as  a  spy  at  a  certain  time  in  front  of  Petersburg 
captured  one  of  the  enemy's  spies,  compelling  him  to  surrender. 
Andrew  Craft,  who  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville  was 
almost  a  constant  reader  of  his  Bible  when  in  his  quarters.  Harry 
Long,  who  died  from  wounds  received  at  Gettysburg,  was  dis 
tinguished  as  the  smallest  man  in  the  company,  and  who  always  car 
ried  the  biggest  or  fullest  knapsack.  He  was  always  persevering  and 
ibrave, 

Richard  Snyder  being  transferred  to  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps 
was  one  of  a  squad  of  soldiers  sent  from  Harrisburg  to  Clearfield 
County  to  aid  in  enforcing  the  draft.  One  of  the  rebs  there  in  firing 
on  the  squad  of  soldiers  was  skillfully  shot  by  him,  after  which  the 
company  of  Ku  Klux's  surrendered.  For  the  above  Snyder  was  pro 
moted  from  private  to  Sergeant. 

Alexander  Douglass  was  one  of  the  eight  color  guards  in  the 
battle  of  Chancellorsville  and  the  only  one  of  the  eight  that  escaped 
the  missiles  of  the  enemy.  After  the  others  all  had  fallen  bravely, 
he  kept  the  colors  of  the  Regiment  afloat  and  brought  them  safely 
out  of  the  conflict.  He  was  missing  in  action  at  Spotsylvania  Cour* 
House  May  12,  1864. 

October  Y,  1864,  after  being  two  weeks  with  the  company,  1 
received  an  order  to  report  at  division  headquarters,  where  1  was 
detailed  as  clerk  in  the  commissary  of  muster  departments,  where  I 
remained  till  June  1,  1865,  when  I  was  mustered  out  with  the  Regi 
ment  and  I  learned  that  it  was  through  Captain  Marlin's  influence- 
and  kindness  that  I  was  thus  brought  again  to  the  front. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          785 

After  Lee's  surrender,  I  inarched  with  the  company  to  Alex 
andria,  where  we  worked  night  and  day  about  three  weeks  in  exam 
ining  and  correcting  the  numerous  muster-out  rolls  of  the  Division. 

I.  S.  Davis  was  with  the  company  till  some  time  after  the  battle 
of  Gettysburg.  Taken  sick,  he  was  sent  to  the  hospital  and  there 
transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  21st  Regiment ;  was  engaged 
in  the  battles  of  Chancellorsville  and  Gettysburg;  was  a  faithful 
soldier  as  far  as  able.  After  returning  home  he  became  a  local  min 
ister  of  the  gospel. 

Lyman  Mapes  had  charge  of  the  regimental  headquarter  team 
and  wagon  almost  during  the  whole  campaign  of  the  Regiment,  ex 
cept  a  month  or  so  he  drove  the  medicine  wagon  and  a  week  or  two 
at  Cockeysville  he  did  guard  and  picket  duty.  Being  a  trusty  fellow 
the  Colonel's  baggage  was  committed  to  his  care.  Was  never  in  a 
hospital  and  was  always  at  his  post  of  duty. 

David  D.  Rhodes.  Last  seen  by  Sergt.  S.  Swineford  in  the 
charge  at  Spotsylvania  engaged  in  a  terrible  struggle  with  a  reb,both 
having  hold  of  the  same  gun,  trying  to  wrench  it  out  of  the  other's 
hands.  Swineford,  being  three  or  four  rods  off  from  them,  pointed 
his  gun  at  the  reb  but  on  snapping  it  found  it  was  empty.  Then 
taking  his  eyes  off  Rhodes  to  reload  his  gun,  he  somehow  disap 
peared  from  his  view.  Was  likely  shot  or  killed  in  some  way. 

Lewis  R.  Stahlman  was  mustered  for  service  with  the  company 
and  continued  with  it  regularly  till  two  or  three  days  after  the  battle 
of  Gettysburg,  when  he  was  taken  down  with  intermittent  fever.  He 
took  part  in  the  battles  of  Chancellorsville  and  Gettysburg.  In  the 
former  battle  he  was  one  of  a  reconnoitering  party  sent  out  to  dis 
cover  the  position  of  the  enemy  and  they  pressed  forward  till  shot 
ac  by  a  sharpshooter,  whose  ball  struck  a  tree  close  by  them,  they 
coolly  taking  time  to  get  the  ball,  and  in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg 
his  tin  cup  was  pierced  through  with  a  minie  ball  while  engaged 
in  the  terrible  conflict  in  the  wheat  field.  He  taking  sick  about 
July  6th  as  above  stated,  being  then  with  the  company  near  Hagers- 
town,  Maryland,  was  taken  to  Chester  Hospital  near  Philadelphia, 
where  he  lay  about  two  months  when  he  was  transferred  to  McClellan 
Hospital,  near  Germantown,  Pennsylvania,  where  lie  stayed  till 


786  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

March,  1804,  when  he  rejoined  the  Regiment  at  Brandy  Station. 
He  was  with  the  company  in  all  the  engagements  of  the  Wilderness, 
was  in  the  charges  at  Spotslyvania,  Po  River,  North  Anna,  etc.  Was 
captured  near  Petersburg  June  22,  1864,  with  Philip  Boyer,  Alonzo 
Fowler,  of  our  company,  and  taken  together,  first  to  Libby  Prison 
in  Richmond,  where  they  were  kept  about  one  week,  and  then  to 
Belle  Island  a  week  or  so,  and  thence  to  Andersonville,  toward  which 
they  marched  on  foot  about  seventy  miles  to  Danville,  from  whence 
they  were  taken  in  the  cars  to  that  horrible  place,  Andersonville. 
Was  there  three  months  when  rumors  came  that  Sherman  was  about 
to  move  in  that  direction  and  they  were  shipped  to  a  place  called 
Milton,  ninety  miles  or  so  from  the  former  place.  In  November  an 
order  was  issued  at  headquarters  to  parole  the  sick  and  he  being  ono 
of  them  got  his  parole  November  25th,  and  was  sent  by  Fortress 
Monroe  to  Parole  Camp,  Maryland.  Was  then  real  sick  and  was  dis 
charged  from  there  by  General  Orders,  May  24,  1865. 

John  Demott  who  enlisted  with  the  company  at  Brookville  and 
whose  address  is  still  the  same,  had  his  left  ankle  badly  sprained  at 
Cockeysville ;  marched  with  the  company  to  Falmouth  causing  vari 
cose  veins  that  are  not  yet  healed.  But  he  was  with  the  company  in 
the  Chancellorsville  and  Gettysburg  battles.  In  the  latter  being 
wounded  in  the  head  by  the  concussion  of  a  shell  in  the  wheat 
field  July  2d,  and  was  taken  to  Turners  Lane  General  Hospital. 
Philadelphia,  and  becoming  convalescent  about  the  latter  part  of 
October  he  was  sent  to  Camp  Convalescent,  at  Alexandria,  Virginia, 
thence  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  doing  guard  duty  in 
Washington,  D.  C.,  till  the  spring  of  1865  ;  was  transferred  from 
Second  to  Third  Battalion  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  and  was  sent  t<> 
East  Capitol  Hill,  thence  to  New  York  City,  where  he  did  guard 
duty  two  months  and  thence  to  Augusta,  Maine,  where  he  did  guard 
duty  in  camp  of  returned  soldiers  till  August  12,  1865,  when  ho 
was  discharged. 

Lewis  Cobb  was  mustered  with  the  company ;  was  in  the  battles 
of  Chancellorsville  and  Gettysburg,  and  was  wounded  at  Spotsyi- 
vania,  May  12,  1863,  in  the  neck  by  a  minie  ball,  was  first  taken  to 
Union  Hospital,  transferred  to  McClellan  Hospital,  from  there  to 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          787 

Mosser  Hospital,  and  thence  to  Alexandria,  whence  he  was  taken  to 
City  Point  near  where  he  met  the  Regiment  August  12,  1864,  and 
was  with  it  in  all  its  subsequent  engagements;  was  also  in  the 
famous  charge  made  by  the  one  hundred  men  of  the  Regiment.  He 
and  Samuel  Ransom  were  at  Deep  Bottom  accidentally  left  alone  on 
picket,  and  were  twenty-four  hours  or  more  in  overtaking  the  Regi 
ment,  They  both  helped  to  destroy  the  Weldon  Railroad.  Samuel 
Ransom  was  also  in  the  charge  made  by  the  one  hundred  men. 


788  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  I. 


PART  V. 

By  R.  B.  Lyle,  Brookvillc,  Pennsylvania. 

Company  I  of  the  148th  was  recruited  by  Capt.  Silas  J.  Marlin 
in  Jefferson  County,  Pennsylvania  in  July  and  August,  1862.  When 
we  left  Brookville  we  did  not  know  to  what  Regiment  we  would  be 
assigned.  However,  it  was  our  good  luck  to  join  a  regiment  that 
did  its  duty  well  and  the  comrades  of  Company  T  have  always 
claimed  that  the  companies  of  Centre  County  did  not  lose  any  credit 
by  having  Company  I  join  them,  as  we  did  our  full  share  of  the  work. 

At  Cockeysville,  Maryland,  we  were  mustered  in  the  148th  Regi 
ment  with  the  following  company  officers:  Captain,  Silas  J.  Mai- 
lin ;  First  Lieutenant,  John  A.  Maguire ;  Second  Lieutenant,  Or- 
landa  H.  Brown ;  Orderly  Sergeant,  Jnnius  F.  Crain.  Colonel 
Beaver  said  at  this  time,  "The  men  of  this  Regiment  are  willing  and 
of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence.  I  am  satisfied  that  it  can  ho 
made  all  that  a  regiment  ought  to  be,  if  the  officers  are  faithful.'* 
This  prediction  the  subsequent  history  of  the  Regiment  proved. 

One  of  the  best  drilled  companies  in  the  Regiment  was  Com 
pany  I  and  to  Captain  Marlin  of  that  company  was  the  148th  in  a 
great  measure  indebted  for  its  efficiency  in  drill  ami  discipline,  for 
in  him  Colon  el  "Beaver  found  an  officer  thoroughly  posted  in  every 
detail  of  soldierly  qualifications.  He  lent  himself  ardently  to  aid 
the  Colonel  of  the  Regiment  in  his  efforts  to  make  the  148th  a  Regi 
ment  that  would  have  done  credit  to  the  old  guard. 

The  six  in  our  mess  were  the  following:  Jackson  Moore, 
I.  K.  Mapes,  F.  M.  Whiteman,  Joseph  Earnest,  Harrison  Moore  and 
R.  B.  Lyle.  We  were  a  jolly  six.  L.  E.  Mapes  and  R.  B.  Lyle  still 
are  living;  four  are  dead. 

On  the  Tth  of  December,  on  the  eve  of  the  battle  of  Fredericks- 
burg,  the  Regiment  was  ordered  to  the  front.  The  night  before  we 
left  Cockeysville  the  jolly  six  came  to  the  conclusion  they  would 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          789 

have  some  honey.  Old  Man  Coekey  had  a  large  number  of  bees  and 
on  the  night  of  the  7th  of  December  we  made  the  purchase.  The 
reason  why  we  made  our  purchase  after  night  was  because  we  could 
make  a  better  bargain,  and  on  that  night  we  got  a  bargain.  The 
weather  was  somewhat  cool  and  the  bees  were  quiet.  We  wrapped  the 
hive  in  a  blanket  and  the  jolly  six  started  with  one  hundred  pounds 
of  honey,  less  the  bees.  We  took  the  honey  and  the  bees  into  Com 
pany  Ps  quarters  and  the  bees  got  warm  and  came  to  life  and  I  am 
here  to  tell  you  that  the  jolly  six  had  a  time  that  night.  We  camtj 
to  the  conclusion  that  if  there  was  a  peck  of  bees  there  were  six 
bushels.  It  took  us  all  night  to  subdue  the  bees.  Oh,  the  honey, how 
tempting!  We  thought  the  time  long  until  we  could  help  ourselves 
at  will,  and  when  that  time  came  I  helped  myself  to  a  comb  ten  by 
twelve  inches  square  and  when  I  took  the  first  bite  my  tongue  came 
in  contact  with  the  business  end  of  a  bee  and  in  less  than  five  minute* 
time  I  had  a  knob  on  the  point  of  my  tongue  which  resembled  the 
clapper  in  the  Liberty  Bell. 

The  Regiment  starting  for  the  front,  moving  via  Washington 
and  Liverpool  Point,  arrived  in  the  neighborhood  of  Falmouth  on 
the  18th,  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg  having  in  the  meantime  been 
fought  and  lost. 

On  my  first  picket  post  at  the  stone  dam,  I  went  on  at  midnight 
ar.d  in  the  morning  the  Johnny  reb  that  was  on  duty  on  the  oppo 
site  side  of  the  river  knew  that  we  were  new  soldiers  and  he  said : 

ullello,  Yank,  you  look  as  though  you  just  came  out  of  a  band 
box  ;  what  regiment  are  you  ?" 

kiThe  148th  Pennsylvania/'  I  told  him. 

''Are  there  any  more  men  left  at  home  or  are  they  all  in  the 
Army?" 

I  said,  "The  men  are  all  at  home.  Just  the  boys  have  come  into 
the  Army." 

Johnny  reb  said  he  thought  we  were  d d  old  looking  boys. 

I  said  we  had  come  to  help  take  Richmond.  He  said  we  would  have 

a  h 1  of  a  time  in  doing  that.  Alluding  to  their  Generals  he  said 

we  would  have  a  Hill  to  climb,  a  Longstreet  to  travel  and  a  Stone 
wall  to  batter  down  before  we  would  get  into  Richmond.  We  climbed 


790  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

that  Hill,  marched  over  the  Longstreet  and  leaped  over  the  Stone 
wall  and  marched  into  Richmond.  Returning  to  camp  after  I  had 
performed  my  first  picket  duty  I  thought  T  was  the  only  one  tha: 
ever  stood  on  picket.  Company  I  boys  were  anxious  to  know  if  T 
saw  any  rebels.  After  relating  the  conversation  I  had  with  a  Con 
federate  the  boys  all  said  that  I  had  run  a  great  risk  of  my  life. 

During  the  winter  we  had  a  good  time  and  nothing  of  impor 
tance  took  place  until  the  mud  campaign.  General  Hooker  fed  the 
Army  well.  We  had  plenty  to  eat  and  Company  I  boys  got  fat. 

On  New  Year's  Day  of  1863,  the  jolly  six  came  to  the  conclu 
sion  they  would  have  a  feast,  and  it  fell  on  the  writer  to  do  the 
cooking  on  this  day.  It  was  my  first  and  last  meal  that  I  ever  cooked. 
The  boys  left  it  all  to  me  what  we  would  have  for  our  feast  and  this 
is  what  I  planned  to  have :  One  cake  of  vegetable  or  educated  soup, 
as  we  called  it,  three  quarts  of  rice  and  a  soup  bone.  The  cake  of 
vegetable  was  well  seasoned  with  red  peppers  and  the  peppers  made 
the  soup  so  hot  that  one  would  think  he  was  handy  to  the  lower 
regions  while  eating  it.  The  cake  of  vegetable,  rice  and  soup  bone 
all  in  a  four-gallon  camp  kettle,  and  when  it  got  to  boiling,  the  vege^ 
table  and  the  rice  began  to  expand,  the  old  soup  bone  came  to  the 
top  of  the  kettle  and  soon  fell  overboard  into  the  fire  and  ashes. 
I  got  it  and  washed  it  off,  got  another  kettle  and  dumped  in  the 
old  bone  and  part  of  the  soup  out  of  the  four-gallon  kettle  and 
got  up  steam  once  more,  supposing  I  had  everything  all  right. 
But  it  was  not  all  right.  The  old  bone  came  to  the  top 
again  and  out  it  went  again  into  the  fire  and  ashes.  My  tem 
per  got  the  better  of  me  this  time.  I  saw  at  once  that  it  would  take 
another  kettle,  as  I  did  not  want  to  lose  the  essence  of  that  soup  bone. 
This  time  I  got  a  two-gallon  kettle  and  I  divided  the  soup  that  wa» 
in  the  other  two  kettles  into  the  third  kettle  and  then  dumped  the 
soup  bone  in  without  washing  it  and  when  T  got  through  cooking  that 
cske  of  vegetable  my  three  kettles  were  heaped  up  in  the  center,  so 
they  looked  like  three  hay  duddles  and  that  soup  bone  was  jumping 
around  so  it  reminded  me  of  a  woodchuck  hunting  a  hiding  place. 
After  I  got  through  cooking  that  meal  I  was  surprised — nine  gallons 
of  soup  for  six — and  T  am  still  more  surprised  to  hear  that  the  old 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          791 

soup  bone  is  still  in  existence.  I  was  relating  some  of  my  camp  life 
to  a  veteran  of  the  late  war  with  Spain.  He  said  that  bone  was  em 
balmed  and  sent  to  Cuba. 

The  part  that  Company  I  took  in  the  battle  of  Chancellors- 
ville  was  upon  the  celebrated  skirmish  line  of  General  Miles.  Again 
and  again  did  the  enemy  advance  into  the  slashing  and  attempt  to 
make  his  way  over  Miles'  resolute  force,  but  in  vain.  Occupying  a 
position  of  advantage  the  57th,  the  64th  and  the  66th  New  York,  2d 
Delaware  and  six  companies  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania  every  time 
beat  off  these  attacks  and  drove  the  assailants  back  to  cover.  The 
importance  of  this  stiff  holding  of  our  line  on  the  left  could  "not  at 
this  crisis  be  overestimated.  Had  McLaws  been  able  to  produce 
any  impression  however  slight  along  the  turnpike  he  would  have  fear 
fully  complicated  the  problem  for  the  Union  Army.  Company  1 
was  fortunate  in  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  as  our  loss  was  but 
three  men :  Andrew  Craft  was  killed ;  James  McManigle  and  R.  B. 
Lyle  wounded.  I  was  taken  back  to  the  Second  Corps  hospital,  which 
was  located  in  the  woods  to  the  rear  of  the  Chancellor  House.  The 
wounded  were  lying  on  the  ground  in  rows.  The  rebels  commenced 
shelling  the  woods.  The  trees  were  tall  and  a  shell  cut  off  the  top  of 
the  tree  that  overshadowed  eight  or  nine  of  the  wounded,  including 
the  writer,  and  it  came  down  top  foremost  on  us.  It  took  some  time 
to  chop  it  off  and  then  we  were  taken  from  the  field  hospital  to 
Brook's  Station.  The  wounded  of  the  Second  Corps  were  all  taken 
back  and  placed  in  the  hospital  at  Brook's  Station. 

On  the  15th  of  June,  1863,  the  Second  Corps  started  on  its  long 
march  to  Gettysburg.  The  loss  of  Company  I  in  the  battle  of  Gettys 
burg  was  seven  killed  and  four  wounded.  The  chain  of  battles  and 
campaigns  commenced  with  the  148th  Pennsylvania  at  Chancellors 
ville  and  Gettysburg.  Pickett's  charge  and  his  defeat  ended  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg.  The  pursuit  of  Lee  was  next  in  order. 

While  halting  on  the  banks  of  the  Rappahannock  Company  1 
received  its  first  recruits  to  the  number  of  twenty-six  drafted  men. 
Here  the  time  was  spent  until  the  12th  of  September. 

Company  I  was  fortunate  in  the  battle  of  Bristoe  Station  as  its 
loss  was  two  men  wounded.  !N"ext  comes  the  Mine  Run  campaign. 


792  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

and  Company  I  had  no  casualties  in  this  campaign.  In  our  winter 
camps  of  1863-1864  at  Stevensburg,  Company  T  received  nine  more 
recruits. 

At  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  the  148th  acting  as  skirmishers 
and  flankers  reached  the  battle  ground  towards  the  close  of  the  day.  In 
the  engagement  of  the  two  succeeding  days  it  acted  in  the  main  as 
supporters  to  other  troops.  Company  I  had  no  casualties  up  to  this 
time  in  the  Wilderness  campaign.  At  the  battle  of  Po  Kiver  Com 
pany  I  had  five  men  wounded  and  three  killed. 

On  the  12th  of  May  the  Regiment  found  itself  in  the  front  of 
the  Salient  at  Spotsylvania  where  it  fought  bravely.  Company  1 
here  lost  Lieut.  John  A.  Maguire,  who  was  mortally  wounded  and 
died  on  the  15th.  He  was  a  brave  young  officer  and  his  death  was 
deeply  regretted  by  his  comrades  of  Company  I  and  by  his  many 
friends  in  Brookville,  from  which  place  he  enlisted.  The  casualties 
of  Company  I  at  Spotsylvania  was  two  killed,  three  wounded  and 
four  missing.. 

On  the  3d  of  June,  after  taking  part  at  North  Anna  and  Toto- 
potomoy  the  Eegiment  found  itself  at  Cold  Harbor  and  with  the 
Division  captured  the  enemy's  front  line,  but  the  Division  not  being 
properly  supported  was  obliged  to  fall  back  a  short  distance,  where 
it  held  its  ground  against  every  assault  of  the  enemy.  The  casual 
ties  of  Company  I  at  Cold  Harbor  was  one  man  killed,  six  men 
wounded  and  four  captured.  William  Acker,  of  Company  I,  was 
mistaken  for  one  of  the  enemy  and  was  so  badly  wounded  by  one  of 
the  Regiment  while  at  work  on  one  of  the  outpost  rifle  pits  at  Cold 
Harbor  that  he  lost  an  arm.  On  the  evening  of  the  16th  the  casual 
ties  of  Company  I  at  Petersburg  were  three  wounded,  one  killed  and 
one  missing.  On  the  21st  of  August  the  Regiment  returned  from 
Deep  Bottom  and  was  immediately  hurried  to  the  left  of  Warren  on 
I  he  Weldon  Railroad,  tearing  up  and  destroying  the  road  southward 
of  Reams  Station.  The  casualties  of  Company  I  at  Reams  Station, 
one  man  killed,  six  captured  and  two  missing. 

When  the  spring  campaign  opened  we  participated  in  the  action 
at  Hatcher's  Run,  March  25,  1865,  and  on  the  31st  at  Adams  Farm. 
On  the  2d  of  April  we  took  part  in  the  fight  at  Sutherland  Station. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          793 

On  the  7th  of  April  the  Regiment  participated  in  the  battle  of 
Farmville  and  the  closing  scenes  of  the  War.  Company  I  had  no 
casualties  in  these  last  battles. 

Company  I  was  in  all  of  the  battles  that  the  Regiment  was  in, 
from  Chancellorsville  to  the  Appomattox.  Company  I  was  fortu 
nate  in  having  such  an  excellent  and  efficient  officer  as  Captain  Silas 
J.  Marlin  to  command  it  and  he  was  equally  fortunate  in  securing 
such  good  material  for  his  company.  He  remained  with  his  com 
pany  until  July  28,  1863,  when  he  was  detailed  acting  inspector 
general  of  the  First  Division  of  the  Second  Corps,  which  position  he 
held  until  the  close  of  the  War,  being  on  several  occasions  detailed 
as  inspector  of  the  Second  Corps.  During  the  time  that  he  was  thus 
detailed  he  served  on  the  staffs  of  Generals  Caldwell,  Barlow  and" 
Miles  and  was  actively  engaged  in  every  engagement  in  which  his 
division  participated,  either  in  command  of  his  company  or  on  staff 
duty.  May  26,  1865,  he  was  by  general  order  from  the  War  Depart 
ment  ordered  to  report  for  duty  at  Fortress  Monroe  and  was  ap 
pointed  by  General  Miles  inspector  during  the  first  part  of  Jefferson 
Davis'  imprisonment  at  the  Fortress.  He  was  commissioned  Major 
of  his  Regiment  June  1,  1865,  but  being  absent  on  detailed  service 
was  not  mustered  as  such.  On  the  27th  of  December  Captain  Marlin 
was  brevetted  a  Major  of  volunteers  by  President  Lincoln  for  gallant 
services  at  the  battle  of  Reams  Station  and  in  the  present  campaign 
before  Richmond,  to  rank  from  December  2,  1864.  And  January 
15,  1865,  he  was  again  brevetted  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  volunteers 
for  gallantry  and  valuable  services.  Colonel  Beaver  says  of  Colonel 
Marlin :  "He  was  a  most  capable,  gallant  and  useful  officer  upon 
the  staff  and  was  well  entitled  to  all  the  honors  which  he  received  for 
the  service."  He  died  at  his  home  in  Brookville,  Jefferson  County, 
Pennsylvania,  in  1888.  During  Colonel  Marlin's  absence  from  his 
company  it  was  well  and  skillfully  handled  by  Lieutenants  Crane 
and  Clark.  The  former  was  commissioned  Captain  June  1,  1865. 

Company  I  mustered  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  officers  and 
men.  Killed  in  battle,  fifteen  men  and  one  officer ;  wounded,  twen 
ty-five  men ;  died  of  wounds  received  in  action,  six  men ;  captured, 
twelve  men ;  died  in  prison,  six  men.  Corporal  Lewis  Deibler  was 


794  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

shot  and  killed  by  one  of  the  guards  at  Salisbury,  North  Carolina, 
November  26,  1864;  died  of  disease,  ten  men;  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate,  twelve  men ;  deserted,  six  men ;  transferred  to  the 
53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865,  twelve  men  , 
transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  twenty  men ;  James  W.  Rea, 
or  Company  I,  was  transferred  to  Signal  Corps  April  1,  1864.  San 
derson  P.  Stacy  was  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant  43d  Regiment 
United  States  Colored  Troops  April  25,  1864;  mustered  out  with 
the  company,  June  1,  1865,  twenty-three  men. 

John  M.  Davis,  of  Company  I,  was  but  fourteen  years  old.  lie 
enlisted  as  a  musician  but  was  not  mustered  as  such.  He  carried  a 
musket  until  he  was  mustered  out  as  Corporal  with  the  company 
June  1,  1865.  He  was  wounded  on  the  10th  of  May,  1864,  at  the 
battle  of  Po  River. 

Company  I  of  the  148th  has  twenty-three  men  still  living  at  this 
late  date.  Two  of  the  jolly  six  are  still  in  the  land  of  the  living. 
One  was  among  the  missing  at  Reams  Station,  one  died  at  Chester 
Hospital,  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  and  two  died  after  returning 
home. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          795 
THE  YOUNGEST  MAX  IX  TIIK  REGIMENT. 

SUPPLEMENT  TO  I  COMPANY'S  STORY. 

Companies  A,  D  and  G  had  an  unusual  number  of  very  young 
men.  The  two  latter  were  made  up  largely  of  young  fellows  attending 
academies  at  Pine  Grove  and  Boalsburg,  as  elsewhere  appears,  which 
accounts  for  the  unusual  number  of  young  men  in  them.  Companies 
E  and  K  also  had  some  very  young  boys  but,  so  far  as  can  be 
ascertained  by  a  careful  examination,  the  youngest  man  in  the  Regi 
ment  was  John  M.  Davis  who  was  one  of  the  original  recruits, 
served  throughout  his  entire  term  of  service,  was  promoted  to  Cor 
poral  January  7,  1865,  and  mustered  out  with  his  company  June 
1,  1865. 

He  was  born  on  the  7th  day  of  September,  1847,  was  sworn  in 
as  a  recruit  on  the  15th  day  of  August,  1862,  and  was,  therefore, 
less  than  fifteen  years  of  age. 

He  was  entrusted  with  a  gun  at  his  entrance  into  the  service, 
was  in  every  engagement  in  which  the  Regiment  shared  until  Po 
River,  May  10,  1864,  where  he  was  severely  wounded.  His  wound, 
which  was  a  musket  wound  in  the  thigh,  disabled  him  to  such  an 
extent  that  he  was  helped  from  the  field  by  two  of  his  comrades,  the 
woods  being  on  fire  all  around  him.  He  was  taken  to  Fredericksburg 
in  an  ordinary  army  wagon,  where  he  lay  for  three  days  and  was 
then  sent  to  Findley  Hospital,  Washington.  The  ball  was 
not  removed  from  his  thigh  until  the  12th  of  June — more  than 
a  month  after  his  wound.  It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  the 
wound  became  gangrenous  and,  as  a  consequence,  he  was  removed 
to  the  gangrene  ward.  He  was  in  the  hospital  at  Washington  for 
seven  weeks  and  was  then  removed  to  the  general  hospital  at  York. 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  remained  until  January,  1865,  when  he 
rejoined  his  company  and  took  part  with  it  in  the  campaign  of  the 
spring  of  1865,  until  the  surrender  of  Lee. 

He  was  several  times  detailed  to  escort  prisoners  from  the 
line,  taking  six  from  the  stone  fence  at  Gettysburg,  standing  guard 
over  them  all  that  night,  being  relieved  the  next  morning,  so  as  to 


796  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

enable  him  to  join  his  company  and  take  part  in  the  engagement 
of  the  3d. 

He  was  also  very  successful  in  gathering  prisoners  at  Suther 
land  Station.  Our  Regiment  was  very  successful  that  day,  captur 
ing  a  large  number  of  prisoners,  Davis  escorting  twenty-one  at 
different  times  and  turning  them  over  to  the  provost  guard. 

His  wound  has  made  him  a  cripple  for  life  and  he  is  now, 
«t  the  age  of  fifty-six,  among  the  youngest  of  the  survivors  of  the 
War. 


Gapt.  Jerry  Z  Browrj 


TIIK  STORY  OF  COMPANY  K. 


PART  I. 

By  Capt.  Brevet  Maj.J.  Z.  Brown. 

In  the  month  of  June,  1862,  on  my  arrival  at  home  from 
school,  I  found  the  war  fever  at  high  tide.  I  had  a  conversation 
with  Capt.  Thompson  Core,  who  was  engaged  in  the  effort  to 
ei;list  a  company,  in  which  I  said  I  was  ready  to  go  at  any  time, 
and  I  took  hold  with  him  at  once  in  the  work  of  recruiting.  We 
were  assisted  in  the  work  by  the  influence  of  a  number  of  old 
citizens.  Among  them  were  J.  B.  Guinn,  Andrew  Lee,  John 
Hoover,  L.  C.  Putner,  M.  Arnold,  Jas.  Laughlin,  Jacob  Brown. 
K.  X.  Corbett,  John  Kaster  and  others,  all  living  in  the  vicinity  of 
Curllsville.  Besides  these,  we  were  assisted  by  the  following,  liv 
ing  near  Greenville,  namely :  Washington  Craig,  John  W.  Sloan. 
Samuel  Connors,  Michael  Walters,  J.  B.  Jones,  David  Orr,  Rev. 
J.  S.  Elder.  As  related  in  siibsequent  parts  of  the  story  of  Com 
pany  K,  we  did  not  succeed  in  raising  a  full  company,  and  the 
effort  was  continued  after  we  had  organized  at  Cockeysville,  Mary 
land. 

At  the  time  Capt.  Thompson  Core  was  undertaking  to  recruit 
a  company  in  Clarion  County,  enlistments  were  and  had  been  for 
some  time  quite  actively  prosecuted,  and  recruits  were  not  easily 
obtained,  but  Captain  Core  was  very  persevering,  and  at  last  suc 
ceeded  in  enlisting  the  necessary  number  required  to  complete  the 
company,  and  joined  us  at  Cockeysville  with  nineteen  recruits  froni 
Montgomery  County. 

Henry  H.  Dotts  of  this  squad  was  to  be  Second  Lieutenant,  as 
he  had  recruited  a  number  of  men  and  was  held  in  very  high  esteem 
by  all  the  men  in  the  company,  and  his  recruits  proved  to  be  good 
soldiers,  and  rendered  noble  service  in  the  Regiment.  The  story 
of  our  stay  at  Cockeysville  has  been  fully  told,  and  need  not  lye 
repeated. 

As  we  approached  the  battlefield  of  Chancellorsville  and  heard 
the  roar  of  artillery  and  the  rattle  of  musketry  and  saw  the  wounded 


798  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

coming  back,  some  on  stretchers  and  some  limping  on  foot,  we 
began  to  realize  what  was  ahead  of  us  as  we  met  this  first  test  of  the 
mettle  of  our  new  troops,  but  our  boys  were  steady  and  solid  in 
line,  ready  for  the  encounter.  As  has  been  stated,  Company  K,  with 
five  other  companies,  were  on  the  picket  line,  and  hence  not  with  the 
Regiment  in  the  hot  fight  on  Sunday  in  the  rear  of  the  Chancellor 
House,  but  the  skirmish  line  had  several  quite  severe  engagements, 
and  lost  Corporal  Neil  of  the  color  guard,  killed,  and  three  men 
wounded. 

The  28th  of  June,  18 G3,  on  the  Gettysburg  campaign,  was  the 
hardest  day's  marching  we  ever  had.  The  evening  before,  I  had 
bought  a  peck  of  potatoes  from  the  officers'  wagon,  hoping  to  enjoy 
?,  good  breakfast,  but  the  bugle  sounded  the  march  before  the  pota 
toes  were  cooked.  Comrade  Polliard  proposed  to  carry  them,  so  that 
we  might  have  them  for  dinner.  He  put  them  in  his  knapsack,  and 
we  started.  It  was  a  very  warm  day,  the  march  was  rapid,  and 
about  noon  Polliard  said,  "I  wish  they  would  stop.  These  po 
tatoes  are  getting  heavy."  As  the  march  continued,  he  said,  "If  we 
don't  stop  soon,  I  will  have  to  throw  them  away,"  but  I  took  his 
gun  and  carried  it  for  him  for  several  hours,  and  when  we  halted, 
about  ten  o'clock  at  night,  with  but  four  men  of  the  company  to 
stack  arms,  we  dropped  down  on  the  ground,  forgetting  all  about 
the  potatoes,  and  went  sound  asleep.  We  had  them  for  breakfast, 
however,  the  next  morning. 

Company  K  was  fortunate  in  the  Gettysburg  battle,  being  on  a 
part  of  the  line  in  the  wheat  field  where  the  enemy's  bullets  went 
over  our  heads. 

After  the  Mine  Run  campaign,  when  we  had  gone  into  winter 
quarters  at  Stevensburg,  I  was  detailed  on  recruiting  service,  and 
with  with  Sergeant,  afterwards  Lieutenant  A.  C.  Sloan,  to  Clarion 
County.  About  the  1st  of  June  I  was  ordered  to  close  my  recruiting 
office  and  report  to  Harrisburg,  where  I  settled  my  accounts  and  was 
ordered  to  join  the  Regiment  near  Petersburg,  Virginia. 

The  account  of  the  capture  of  Fort  Crater  by  one  hundred  men 
of  our  Regiment  under  my  command  will  be  fully  described  in  the 
stories  of  other  comrades. 


.      THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          799 

The  company  served  with  the  Regiment  until  discharged  in 
June,  1865. 

The  following  families  were  represented  in  Company  K  by  two 
or  more  brothers:  the  Sloans,  Fox,  Quillman,  Woods,  Milligan, 
Van  Houter,  Swartzfager,  Carle,  Dorworth,  Wiant,  Miller 
and  Divins,  five  brothers.  Thirteen  men  of  Company  K  were  nevei 
absent  from  duty  from  the  time  of  enlistment  until  discharge.  Thc> 
were:  Corporal  G.  G.  Walters,  Wm.  Bartlett,  Dennis  Conner,  S. 
H.  Sloan,  Daniel  M.  Hirsch,  John  Donahue,  O.  M.  Cullens,  Robert 
Wilson,  Uriah  Wilson,  Reuben  Quillman,  Henry  B.  Fox  and  Wil 
liam  Zeigenfuss. 


800  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


THK  STORY  OF  COMPANY  K. 


PART  11. 

For  hand-to-hand  fighting,  for  the  use  of  sword  and  bayonet  in 
personal  conflict,  for  sj>ecial  cases  of  bravery,  Company  K  of  the 
148th  Pennsylvania  Yohmteer  Infantry  was  not  surpassed  in  the 
Union  armies  and  its  record  ranks  well  up  in  the  great  battles  of  all 
history.  The  total  enlistment  of  the  company  was  one  hundred  and 
thirty-eight,  of  whom  fourteen  were  killed,  thirty-nine  wounded,  six 
died  of  wounds,  five  were  wounded  twice,  ten  died  of  disease,  three 
in  rebel  prisons  and  twelve  were  taken  prisoners.  No  more  desper 
ate  charge  was  ever  made  than  that  led  by  Capt.  J.  Z.  Brown,  com 
posed  of  one  hundred  men  of  the  148th  on  Fort  Crater  at  Peters 
burg  on  October  27,  1864. 

On  that  historic  occasion  these  men  did  not  reason  why  but 
firmly  resolved  "To  do  or  die/7  and  on  the  double  quick  charged  with 
fixed  bayonets  "into  the  jaws  of  death;  into  the  mouth  of  hell." 

Forty  years  afterwards  Captain  Brown  was  induced  to  tell  the 
thrilling  story  to  the  writer,  although  he  did  it  with  his  characteristic 
modesty.  The  old  hero  sat  at  the  table  and  dictated  the  details  to 
a  stenographer  as  they  are  fully  verified  by  the  account  of  the  charge 
given  in  Harper's  Weekly  two  weeks  after  the  battle,  though  not  so 
fully,  and  as  it  is  given  in  substance  in  Bates7  History  and  other 
standard  histories  of  the  War. 

Major  Brown,  as  he  is  now  called  on  account  of  his  subsequent 
promotion,  thus  tells  the  story : 

"It  was  in  the  evening  of  October  27,  1864,  that  the  Adjutant 
of  the  Regiment  came  to  me  and  said,  'We  want  one  hundred  men 
to  charge  on  a  fort  in  front  of  Petersburg.'  I  found  that  it  was  to 
make  a  charge  on  earthworks  within  the  enemy's  lines  and  said,  M 
will  go  for  one.'  Three  other  officers  of  the  Regiment  volunteered, 
Lieut.  P.  D.  Sprankle,  Alexander  Gibb  and  J.  T.  Benner.  Capt. 
H.  D.  Price,  of  the  brigade  staff,  went  with  us.  He  was  killed  just 
as  he  reached  the  top  of  the  works.  His  body  was  recovered  the  next 
clay  by  flag  of  truce.  T  was  the  first  officer  to  volunteer,  and  as  the 


S.W.  Hernmjton 


L 


Unoh  Willson 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          801 

senior  officer  1  was  placed  in  command  of  the  forlorn  hope.  As  the 
detachment  was  about  ready  to  start  several  men  of  my  company  said, 
'Captain,  if  you  are  going  we  must  go  along/  but  1  said,  'Some  one 
of  Company  K  must  stay  at  home  to  tell  the  story/  but  I  enrolled 
fourteen  of  my  company.  We  formed  in  line  inside  our  works  about 
twilight,  and  after  receiving  instructions  from  General  Mulholland 
to  reserve  our  fire  until  we  got  close  to  the  fort,  we  fixed  bayonets 
and  started  on  the  double  quick  and  got  within  about  two  hundred 
yards  of  the  fort  before  the  enemy's  pickets  opened  fire  on  us.  Ad 
vancing  rapidly  our  first  trouble  was  with  the  chevaux-de-friese  in 
front  of  the  fort's  trench.  It  was  wired  and  roped  together  and  after 
some  of  my  men  had  cut  an  opening  with  axes  I  threw  the  chevaux- 
de-friese  around,  right  and  left,  and  my  men  charged  rapidly  and 
most  gallantly  through  the  opening.  We  jumped  the  ditch,  which 
was  full  of  water  and  scaled  a  rampart.  1  rushed  up  the  embank 
ment,  my  'boys'  with  me,  in  the  face  of  a  galling  fire,  and  jumped 
right  into  the  fort.  As  General  Burnside  had  mined  and  exploded 
a  fort  some  distance  to  the  right  about  three  months  before  this  the 
enemy  had  dug  a  hole  like  a  well  about  forty  feet  deep  just  within 
the  parapet  of  the  fort  we  charged  and  when  I  jumped  over  I  lit 
within  four  feet  of  the  hole,  at  the  peril  of  my  life.  There  was  a 
bomb-proof  embankment  just  inside  the  fort  and  the  rebel  artillery 
men  were  hurrying  up  with  grape  and  canister  to  charge  their  gunb 
for  use  on  the  assaulting  column.  A  rebel  officer  was  directing  the 
men  and  I  at  once  covered  him  with  my  sword  and  demanded  his, 
which  was  promptly  handed  over  and  also  the  swords  of  two  other 
rebel  officers,  and  all  were  passed  back  to  my  men.  We  learned  after 
wards  that  the  fort  was  garrisoned  by  the  46th  Virginia  Infantry. 

"We  captured  a  large  number  of  men  but  the  majority  of  the 
rebels  ran  out  at  the  rear  of  the  fort  and  escaped.  I  then  ordered  my 
men  to  fire  right  and  left  along  the  line  of  the  fort  and  directed  Lieut. 
J.  F.  Benner  to  take  the  prisoners  back  to  our  lines.  I  staid  within 
the  fort  half  an  hour  and  looked  in  vain  for  re-enforcements  and  could 
not  then  understand  why  they  did  not  come. 

"I  could  hear  the  enemy  in  the  rear  rattling  their  muskets, 
officers  giving  commands,  and  preparing  for  a  charge  when  I  ordered 
a  retreat  to  our  lines.  We  carried  back  with  us  some  who  had  been 
wounded  in  scaling  the  redoubt.  Just  as  1  had  entered  our  works 
again  I  met  a  brigade  of  re-enforcements  under  General  Mulholland. 
and  hot  under  the  circumstances,  I  >aid,  'General  Mulholland,  why 
in  h — 1  didn't  you  re-enforce  me.'  Tt  was  a  terrible  risk  for  a  little 
Captain  to  thus  speak  to  a  superior  officer,  but  he  mildly  replied.  'I 
did  the  best  T  could.' 


802  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

"The  next  morning  a  division  Aide  rode  down  the  lines  and  after 
finding  me  handed  me  an  envelope  ordering  me  to  report  at  division 
headquarters  immediately.  It  alarmed  me  greatly  but  I  buckled  on 
my  sword  and  assumed  my  best  military  bearing  and  soon  saluted 
General  Miles,  who  seated  me  by  his  table  and  remarked,  'That  was 
quite  a  snap  you  got  into  last  night/  I  answered,  'It  was  interest 
ing.'  I  told  him  I  could  not  understand  why  I  was  not  re-enforcect. 
General  Miles  then  astonished  me  by  saying,  'To  tell  you  the  honest 
truth  we  never  expected  yoii  to  cross  that  fort  or  a  single  man  of  you 
to  return  alive.'  lie  said  that  it  had  become  absolutely  necessary  to 
make  a  demonstration  at  that  point,  to  divert  Lee's  attention,  and  I 
thought  one  hundred  men  enough  to  sacrifice. 

"He  then  said  that  the  best  thing  that  he  could  do  was  to  rec 
ommend  me  for  promotion  to  the  War  Department  for  meritorious 
conduct  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  said  that  he  had  intended  to  do  the 
same  thing  for  me  after  the  battle  of  Reams  Station  but  had  over 
looked  it.  That  the  intention  of  the  commanding  General  was  car 
ried  out  is  shown  by  following  papers  which  explain  themselves: 

HEADQUARTERS  FIRST  DIVISION, 
SECOND  ARMY  CORPS. 

October  31,  1801. 
MAJOR  SEP'S  CORNCROSS, 

Assistant  Adjutant  General, 

Second  Army  Corps, 

MAJOR  :  In  compliance  with  instructions  contained  in  circular 
of  this  date,  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  recommenda 
tions  : 

That  Ca.pt.  Jeremiah  Z.  Brown,  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,, 
receive  the  brevet  rank  of  Major.  Captain  Brown,  on  the  27th  of  Oc 
tober  led  a  party  of  one  hundred  men  through  the  chevaux-de-freise 
and  abatis  of  the  enemy's  line  opposite  Fort  Morton,  capturing  one 
of  his  works  with  several  prisoners  among  whom  were  officers  of 
rank.  Very  respectfully, 

(Signed)  NELSON  A.  MILES, 

Brigadier  General  Commanding. 

Copy  respectfully  furnished  Captain  Brown  for  his  information. 
Bv  order  of  Brigadier  General  Miles. 

WM.  R.  DRIVER, 
Assistant  Adjutant  General. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          805 

WAR  DEPARMENT, 

Washington,  December  2,  1864. 

Siu  :  You  are  hereby  informed  that  the  President  of  the  United 
States  has  appointed  you  for  gallant  and  distinguished  services  in 
leading  a  storming  party  against  the  enemy's  works  at  Petersburg, 
Virginia,  and  capturing  a  fort  on  the  night  of  the  battle  of  Boyd- 
town  Plank  Road,  Virginia,  a  Major  of  Volunteers,  by  brevet,  in  the 
service  of  the  United  States,  to  rank  as  such  from  the  27th  day  of 
October,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-four.  Should  the 
Senate,  at  their  next  session,  advise  and  consent  thereto,  you  will  be 
commissioned  accordingly. 

Immediately  on  receipt  hereof,  please  to  communicate  to  this 
Department,  through  the  Adjutant  General  of  the  Army,  your  ac 
ceptance  or  non-acceptance;  and,  with  your  letter  of  acceptance, 
return  the  oath  herewith  enclosed,  properly  filled  up,  subscribed  and 
attested,  and  report  your  age,  birthplace  and  the  state  of  which  you 
were  a  permanent  resident. 

You  will  report  for  duty  to 

E.  M.  STANTON, 
Secretary  of  IVar. 

Brevet  Major  Jerry  Brown, 
U.  S.  Volunteers, 

Through  Commanding  General  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

UNITED  STATES  PENSION  AGENCY. 

Philadelphia,  May  11,  1896. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL:  I  beg  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your 
letter  of  April  25th.  I  would  have  answered  promptly  but  I  have 
been  confined  to  bed  and  too  ill  to  write.  You  ask  me  if  Capt.  Jere 
miah  Z.  Brown,  of  your  Regiment,  volunteered  to  lead  the  charge  on 
the  Confederate  fort  in  front  of  Petersburg,  October  27,  1864.  In 
reply  Captain  Brown  certainly  did  volunteer  and  he  behaved  on  the 
occasion  in  the  most  heroic  and  gallant  manner.  I  remember  him 
well  and  I  will  never  forget  how  perfectly  cool  and  self-possessed  he 
was  as  he  stood  with  me  in  front  of  the  enemy's  work  and  I  gave  him 
the  final  instructions  as  to  the  disposal  of  his  little  force  of  one  hun 
dred  men.  The  capture  of  the  fort  was  a  very  brilliant  exploit  for 
which  the  Captain  was  brevetted  Major  and  I  was  brevetted  Majoi 
General.  Not  only  did  Brown  volunteer  but  when  I  went  over  to  the 
Regiment  (148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers)  I  had  too  many  volun 
teers.  Every  officer  in  the  whole  camp  seomed  to  want  to  go  and  1 
was  almost  compelled  to  allow  one  or  two  more  than  was  wanted  to 
accompany  the  attacking  party.  Brown  was  the  senwr  officer  of  the 
many  that  volunteered  and  so  I  selected  him  to  lead  and  command 


804  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

and  J  made  no  mistake  in  tlie  man.     lie  was  a  success  and  deserves 
all  the  honors  that  can  be  given  him. 
I  hope  you  are  well. 

Sincerely  your  friend, 

ST.  OLAIR  A.  MULIIOIJ.AND. 
Gen.  James  A.  Beaver,  Bellefonte. 

In  1890  Major  Brown  received  a  medal  of  honor  according  to 
Act  of  Congress  by  direction  of  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
as  shown  by  the  following  paper : 

RECORD  AND  PENSION  OFFICE,, 
WAR  DEPARTMENT. 

Washington  City,  June  22,  1890. 
MAJOR  JEREMIAH  Z.  BROWN, 
Leatherwood, 

Clarion  County,  Pennsylvania. 

SIR:  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that  by  direction  of  the 
President  and  in  accordance  with  the  Act  of  Congress  approved 
March  3,  1803,  providing  for  the  presentation  of  medals  of  honor  to 
such  officers,  non-commissioned  officers  and  privates  as  have  most 
distinguished  themselves  in  action,  the  Acting  Secretary  of  War  ha? 
awarded  you  a  medal  of  honor  for  most  distinguished  gallantry  in 
action  in  front  of  Petersburg,  Virginia,  on  the  niffht  of  October  27< 
1804. 

The  medal  has  been  forwarded  to  you  today  by  registered  mail. 
Upon  the  receipt  of  it  please  advise  this  office  thereof. 

Very  respectfully, 

F.  C.  AINSWORTH, 
Colonel  United  States  Army, 
Chief  Record  and  Pension  Office. 

The  company  then  commanded  by  Captain  Brown  was  recruited 
in  Clarion  County  in  August,  1802,  and  entered  the  service  undo; 
Capt.  Thompson  Core,  who  was  idolized  by  his  men.  The  recruit- 
were  full  blooded  American  youths,  from  the  best  families  of  thr- 
county,  ranging  in  age  from  eighteen  to  twenty-two.  They  WPIV 
animated  bv  motives  of  the  highest  patriotism  and  when  they  en 
listed  they  had  good  reason  to  know  what  wrar  was.  Tt  was  on  Aug 
ust  20th  that  forty-two  of  these  young  men  left  Curllsville  in  wagons, 
amidst  parting  scenes  never  to  be  forgotten,  for  Kittanning.  O*n  the 
following  day  they  reached  Pittsburg  and  on  August  29th  were  mus 
tered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States.  Captain  Core,  A.  C. 


THE  I4&TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          805 

Coursin  and  .1.  /.  Brown  returned  to  Clarion  to  recruit  more  meii. 
The  com])any  was  quartered  at  Camp  Howe,  was  uniformed  OH 
September  4th  and  reaching  Ilarrisburg  the  next  morning  was  quar 
tered  at  Camp  Curtin.  Three  days  later  the  Clarion  recruits  arrived 
and  to  make  sure  of  it  the  entire  company  was  sworn  into  the  service. 

On  September  9th  the  company  was  armed  with  Vincennes  rifled 
muskets  and  assigned  to  the  148th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teer  Infantry  as  Company  K.  That  evening  the  Regiment  under 
command  of  Col.  James  A.  Beaver  started  for  the  front.  Captain 
Core  returned  to  Clarion  County  to  enlist  more  recruits.  He  re 
turned  to  his  company  on  September  27th  with  twenty-two  more  men, 
nineteen  of  whom  were  from  Montgomery  County,  the  Captain  hav 
ing  recruited  them  at  Ilarrisburg  with  the  condition  that  Henry  H. 
Dotts,  one  of  their  number,  should  be  Second  Lieutenant  of  tha 
company. 

At  this  time  the  Regiment's  headquarters  was  in  Maryland,  at 
Cockeysville,  and  Company  K  was  at  Phoenix,  live  miles  above  this 
place.  On  the  27th  of  October  each  man  received  the  advance 
bounty  of  $25  and  $2  premium.  They  were  paid  in  bonds,  which 
were  sent  to  Baltimore  and  cashed  by  the  Maryland  Bank. 

Rev.  Dr.  James  S.  Elder,  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church  at 
Greenville,  preached  to  the  soldiers  in  Camp  Beaver  on  November 
3,  1862. 

The  Regiment  received  its  flag  at  the  hands  of  the  Assistant 
Secretary  of  State  Thomas  on  November  14th. 

On  the  9th  of  December  the  Regiment  went  to  Baltimore,  thence 
to  Washington,  thence  to  a  point  opposite  Alexandria,  and  after  a 
long,  hard  march,  through  wet  and  cold,  reached  Fredericksburg  and 
was  assigned  to  the  First  Brigade,  First  Division  of  the  Second 
Corps,  and  went  into  'winter  quarters.  Their  amusements  of  horse 
racing  and  other  sports  were  brought  to  a  sudden  termination  on  St. 
Patrick's  Day  of  1863  by  the  rebels  opening  up  a  sharp  cannonade  on 
their  right.  On  April  28th  the  Regiment  broke  camp  and  inarched  to 
Chancellorsville  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  that  terrible  struggle. 
From  this  on  to  the  close  of  its  term  of  service  Company  K  was  on 
hand  for  every  battle  and  demonstrated  its  valor  on  many  a  bloody 


806  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

battlefield,  for  which  it  receives  due  credit  in  the  history  of  the  War. 
The  company  was  mustered  out  of  the  service  June  1,  1865,  with  a 
record  of  which  it  may  well  be  proud. 

The  writers  of  the  history  of  Company  K  have  made  every  pos 
sible  effort  to  obtain  the  individual  record  of  every  man,  writing  re 
peatedly  to  every  survivor,  but  with  indifferent  success.  What  has 
been  obtained  is  given  freely  as  throwing  the  most  light  possible  on 
the  record  of  the  company.  His  comrades  all  give  great  credit  to 
Major  Brown  and  Corp.  Geo.  G.  Walters  for  their  indefatigable  in 
dustry  in  gathering  up  as  much  of  the  history  of  Company  K  as  pob- 
sible,  and  in  giving  quite  fully  personal  memoirs,  all  reflecting  on 
the  record  of  Company  K.  Major  Brown  tells  of  the  death  of 
Leander  Myers  as  follows : 

"In  the  engagement  on  June  16,  1864,  General  Beaver,  while 
in  command  of  the  Brigade,  was  severely  wounded  by  the  explosion 
of  a  shell,  and  the  Brigade  was  repulsed  in  a  charge.  The  color 
bearer  of  our  Regiment  was  killed  and  the  flag  was  left  between  the 
lines.  Leander  Myers  of  Company  K  said  that  he  knew  just  where 
the  flag  was  and  after  dark  he,  with  two  others  of  the  Regiment,  went 
out  after  the  flag,  although  there  was  continual  firing  all  the  night. 
Myers  never  returned.  The  next  day  his  body  was  found  between 
the  lines  as  the  enemy  had  fallen  back.  Bates'  History  says  that 
Myers'  body  was  buried  in  Poplar  Grove  National  Cemetery,  Di 
vision  A,  Section  D,  Grave  75.  The  flag  was  recovered." 

The  story  of  the  battle  at  Deep  Bottom  is  told  by  Major  Brown 
in  a  style  which  will  interest  his  old  company.  lie  says: 

"To  repulse  the  assault  we  hid  behind  an  opposite  hill.  We  lay 
down  in  a  corn  field,  the  corn  in  tassel.  I  was  on  the  extreme  left  and 
lay  down  with  my  elbow  resting-on  Corporal  Gibson's  feet.  A  shell  ex 
ploded  and  blew  off  the  whole  head  of  Corporal  Gibson  and  almost  the 
whole  side  was  blown  off  Walter  Corbett,  but  I  was  only  touched  by 
a  little  of  the  sand.  We  retreated  about  forty  yards,  carrying 
Walter  Corbett  with  us.  His  hand  had  been  scratched  a  little  and 
he  kept  crying,  'Oh,  my  hand !  Oh,  my  hand !'  and  did  not  say  a 
word  about  his  side  although  it  was  torn  off  so  that  I  could  actually 
see  his  lungs  work.  But  he  only  lived  about  twenty  minutes.  I  went 
back  in  the  night,  at  fearful  peril,  and  took  the  pictures  and  his  watch 
and  pocketbook  from  the  dead  body  of  Corporal  Gibson  and  sent 
them  to  his  sister." 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          807 

"On  August  15th  my  company  was  thrown  out  on  picket  to 
try  and  find  the  rebels  and*  about  dark  I  was  ordered  to  halt,  but  the 
rebel  did  not  shoot  as  I  expected.  I  came  across  a  man  apparently 
dead  or  dying  whom  I  recognized  as  Capt.  W.  W.  Barr,  of  the  105th 
Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Infantry,  who  was  shot  right  below  the  left 
ear.  I  detailed  George  G.  Walters  and  Samuel  H.  Sloan  to  carry 
him  off  the  field,  which  saved  his  life.  These  men  never  met  him 
again  until  the  regimental  reunion  on  the  battlefield  of  Gettysburg, 
about  thirty  years  afterwards,  when  tears  were  shed  by  Captain  Ban- 
as  he  thanked  his  comrades  for  what  they  had  done." 

''At  Reams  Station,  where  Colonel  Beaver  lost  his  leg,"  says 
Major  Brown,  "my  company  took  an  active  part  in  strenuous  service. 
General  Warren  had  been  tearing  up  the  railroad,  advancing  his  lint 
as  rapidly  as  possible.  We  piled  up  the  ties,  twisted  the  track,  and 
burned  up  the  equipment.  About  11 :00  A.  M.,  August  25,  1864,  a 
Division  Aide  wanted  the  148th  to  come  out  along  the  railroad  to  pro 
tect  the  cavalry..  A  body  of  Pennsylvania  cavalry  was  stationed  in  a 
little  bit  of  woods  and  said  that  they  wanted  the  infantry  to  charge 
on  a  house  which  they  said  was  full  of  rebels.  We  deployed  as  skir 
misher?  and  went  forward  on  a  double  quick,  a  rebel  cavalryman  re 
treating  on  a  gallop  in  the  rear  of  the  house,  protected  by  it,  and 
when  we  entered  the  house  prepared  for  the  worst  we  found  two  old 
men  crouched  in  terror  behind  the  big  stone  chimney,  and  a  couple 
of  women,  but  no  soldiers  at  all.  We  had  our  own  views  of  that  cav 
alry.  One  of  the  women  had  been  shot  through  the  thigh  and  the 
wound  was  dressed  by  a  surgeon,  after  I  had  assured  the  women  thai 
we  would  not  harm  them.  The  cavalry  then  came  up  and  contined  the 
chase  of  the  retreating  rebels. 

"In  a  charge  of  the  rebels  in  this  battle  their  color  bearer  shook 
hi?  color?  over  the  works  until  they  touched  my  head.  I  slashed  at 
the  flag  staff  with  my  sword  but  could  not  cut  it  off.  I  took  a  musr 
ket  with  fixed  bayonet  and  pushed  it  into  the  flag  but  the  old  rag  was 
too  rotten  and  I  didn't  get  it. 

"The  rebels  got  into  our  rear  in  the  railroad  cut,  crawled  up  the 
embankment  and  we  rolled  them  back  dead  into  the  railroad  cut  by 
the  dozen.  It  was  all  over  within  twenty  minutes.  But  we  were  out 
flanked  by  the  enemy  and  saw  our  men  away  to  the  left  running  back, 
cavalry,  infantry  and  artillery  and  the  rebel  yell  going  up  all  the 
time,  'Get  out  of  this,  Yanks." 

Major  Brown  was  born  near  Rural  Village  in  Armstrong  Coun 
ty  in  1839  and  is  the  fourth  son  of  Jacob  and  ]^"ancy  Brown.  When 
about  nine  years  of  age  he,  with  his  father,  moved  to  Clarion  County 
and  assisted  on  a  farm  until  about  1S58.  He  received  his  primary 


808  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

education  in  the  common  schools.  He  went  to  an  academy  and  taughl 
school  in  the  winter.  He  came  back  home  in  the  summer  of  1861  and 
entered  Allegheny  College  at  Meadville  with  the  intention  of  taking 
the  regular  college  course  but  came  home  and  helped  to  take  off  the 
harvest  and,  in  the  early  part  of  August,  1862,  enlisted  in  Captain 
Core's  company.  He  is  very  eulogistic  of  Captain  Core. 

Major  Brown  wants  it  on  record:  "I  never  saw  a  better  man, 
nor  a  braver  man  nor  a  more  all  around  man,  and  a  better  man  was 
never  in  the  Army  than  General  James  A.  Beaver.  We  were  for 
tunate  beyond  expression  in  having  him  for  our  commander." 


NOTE   BY   THE   EDITOK. 

The  Confederate  work  on  the  Petersburg  line,  the  scene  of  the 
brilliant  exploit  of  Major  Brown  and  his  hundred  men,  was  named 
by  the  comrades  of  the  Regiment  "Fort  Crater,"  probably  because 
of  its  proximity  to  the  crater  formed  by  the  mine  explosion,  and  I 
have  allowed  this  name  to  stand  in  several  stories,  but  since  there  i? 
no  mention  of  a  Fort  Crater  in  the  Rebellion  Records  or  in  any  war 
history,  I  deem  it  proper  to  refer  the  reader  to  tho  "Brigade  Com 
mander's  Story,"  by  General  Mulholland,  page  50,  who  quotes  the 
report  of  this  affair  by  the  Confederate  General,  B.  R.  Johnson,  in 
which  the  work  is  denominated  "Davidson's  Battery."  A  descrip 
tion  of  the  fort  will  be  found  on  pages  52  and  53.  It  is  also  proper 
to  say  that  these  -hundred  men  were  not  volunteers  or  in  any  sense 
picked  men,  but  on  the  contrary  they  were  simply  representatives  of 
rhe  average  of  the  Regiment.  They  constituted  a  regular  detail  made 
in  the  usual  way  from  the  men  "next  for  duty"  on  the  roster.  See 
the  story  of  Adjutant  Ramsey,  page  352. 


BREVET-MAJOR  J.  Z.  BROWN 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          809 


THE  STORY  OF  COMPANY  K. 
PART  III. 

By  Dennis  Conner. 

It  is  now  thirty-seven  years  since  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  and 
when  we  look  back  to  that  time  the  few  of  us  who  yet  remain  can 
recall  many  scenes  and  incidents  that  were  very  exciting  at  the  time 
and  are  interesting  now  to  think  and  talk  about.  I  well  remember 
the  day  we  as  a  company  left  home  for  the  front.  None  of  us  knew 
anything  about  war  but  all  expected  soon  to  find  out.  We  were 
assigned  to  the  Second  Army  Corps,  First  Brigade,  First  Division 
and  were  in  camp  at  Falmouth  not  far  from  Fredericks  burg.  We 
remained  here  during  the  winter  and  did  picket  duty  along  the  north 
bank  of  the  Rappahannock  while  the  rebels  were  doing  the  same  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river.  Xow  there  was  more  or  less  shooting  back 
and  forth  at  each  other  all  winter,  but  they  had  the  advantage  of  us. 
They  were  well  sheltered  and  protected  by  the  buildings  of  the  town 
while  on  our  side  we  had  no  protection  of  any  kind,  so  we  dug  holes 
in  the  ground  to  stand  in  while  on  picket ;  and  still  they  would  suc 
ceed  in  shooting  one  of  our  men  occasionally,  and  there  is  where  I 
got  my  first  lesson  in  actual  war.  I  went  to  relieve  a  man  on  a  picket 
post  one  night  at  midnight  and  he  was  down  in  the  hole  and  I  thought 
sound  asleep.  I  tried  to  wake  him  and  I  soon  found  he  was  dead ; 
had  been  shot  by  a  rebel  across  the  river.  Xow  I  had  never  seen  a 
dead  man  before  that  time  and  I  felt  a  little  timid  about  being  there 
alone  with  him.  I  was  young  in  experience  and  in  years  and  I  did  not 
know  what  to  do  with  him.  I  soon  decided  to  try  and  get  him  out  of 
the  hole.  I  took  'hold  of  his  arms  to  pull  him  out.  I  pulled  him 
up  and  turned  him  around  till  the  light  of  the  moon  shone  on  his 
face  and  I  could  see  himi  full  in  the  face  and  that  one  look  knocked 
me  out  completely.  I  could  do  no  more.  The  ball  that  had  killed 
him  went  in  close  to  his  eye  and  knocked  his  eye  out  on  his  face  and 
made  him  look  terrible.  I  let  him  fall  back  in  the  hole  and 
stay  there  till  a  new  man  came  to  relieve  me  and  I  think 


810  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

I  can  safely  say  it  was  a  long  two  hours  to  me  till  I  was  relieved.  We 
continued  to  do  picket  duty  in  this  way  till  about  the  first  of  May  of 
1863,  when  the  Army  broke  camp  and  crossed  the  river  at  the  United 
States  Ford. 

The  battle  of  Chancellors  ville  was  our  first  experience  in  battle 
and  the  Regiment  lost  heavily.  Company  K's  loss  was  one  killed  and 
the  Captain  and  eight  men  wounded  and  eight  taken  prisoner.  One 
of  the  wounded  died  a  few  days  after  in  the  field  hospital.  After  this 
battle  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  moved  back  to  their  old  camps  and 
did  picket  duty  about  the  same  as  before  till  about  the  middle  of 
June,  when  we  again  broke  camp  and  started  north  in  the  direction 
of  Washington.  We  soon  found  the  rebels  were  ahead  of  us  going 
north.  We  followed  them  closely,  passing  through  Haymarket,  Cen- 
terville,  up  by  Thoroughfare  Gap  and  crossed  the  Potomac  at  Falling 
Waters. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          811 


SUPPLEMENT  TO  K  COMPANY'S  STOKY. 

It  is  said,  upon  apparently  good  authority,  that  Samuel  Sloan 
came  from  Louden  County,  Virginia,  March  3,  1797,  and  settled 
upon  the  farm  which  he  subsequently  purchased  over  which  Pickett 
made  his  famous  charge  July  3,  1863.  He  also  owned  a  considerable 
body  of  lands  in  the  neighborhood  of  Gettysburg  upon  which,  in  part, 
the  first  day's  fight  took  place. 

One  of  the  sons  of  Samuel  Sloan  was  Capt.  John  Sloan,  who 
served  throughout  the  entire  period  of  the  Revolution  and,  at  the  close 
of  the  War,  removed  to  western  Pennsylvania,  where  he  became 
famous  as  an  Indian  fighter  and  is  said  to  have  been  a  terror  to  the 
redskins.  He  was  a  powerfully  built  man,  six  feet  four  inches  in 
height,  and  weighing  over  two  hundred  pounds.  He  was  called  by 
the  Indians  "Big  Moccasin."  His  home  was  in  Westmoreland 
County  on  a  farm  upon  which  the  town  of  Latrobe  now  stands.  He 
was  a  great  hunter,  however,  and  spent  a  portion  of  each  hunting 
season  in  Clarion  County,  when  it  was  a  wilderness.  In  this  way  he 
became  quite  familiar  with  the  region  and  selected  and  purchased 
from  the  government  a  large  tract  of  land  in  and  around  Greenville 
and,  in  1815,  settled  his  five  sons  thereon,  assisting  them  to  clear 
their  farms  and  build  their  houses.  A  number  of  these  farms  art- 
still  owned  and  occupied  by  his  descendants.  They  have  always  been 
among  the  reliable,  respected  and  well-to-do  farmers  of  that  region. 

It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  the  descendants  of  Capt. 
John  Sloan  took  a  prominent  part  in  our  Civil  War.  One  of  his 
grandsons  and  five  of  his  great-grandsons  having  enlisted  at  Curlls- 
ville,  Clarion  County  with  Captain  Core  in  a  company  which  after 
wards  became  K  of  the  148th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
served  with  great  fidelity  therein. 

William  C.  Sloan,  an  uncle  of  the  others,  was  promoted  from 
Corporal  November  15,  1863,  was  killed  at  Spotsylvania  Court 
House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864,  and  buried  in  burial  grounds  in  the 
Wilderness.  The  others  were  great-grandsons  of  Captain  John  and 


812  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

great-great-grandsons  of  the  Samuel,  above  referred  to,  who  settled 
at  Gettysburg. 

Alexander  C,  Sloan  was  promoted  from  Sergeant  to  First  Ser 
geant  November  15,  1863  ;  to  Second  Lieutenant,  September  4,  1864: 
to  First  Lieutenant,  October  3,  1864,  and  was  mustered  out  with  his 
company  June  1,  1865. 

Isaac  N.  Sloan  was  promoted  to  Corporal  December  9,  1862  ;  to 
Sergeant  September  15,  1864,  and  to  the  non-commissioned  staff  of 
the  Regiment  as  Sergeant  Major  May  18,  1865,  and  was  mustered 
out  with  the  Regiment  June  1,  1865.  Wounded  and  prisoner.  Died 
in  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  in  1901. 

Samuel  H.  Sloan,  a  nephew  of  William  C.  and  cousin  of  the 
others,  was  promoted  to  Corporal  October  31,  1864,  and  mustered  out 
with  the  company  June  1,  1865. 

William  J.  M.  Sloan  died  at  Morrisville,  Virginia,  September 
9,  1863. 

Walter  L.  Corbett,  a  cousin  of  the  younger  generation  of  the 
Sloans,  who  enlisted  with  them  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  was  killed  at 
Deep  Bottom,  Virginia,  August  14,  1864. 

The  details  of  this  family  are  given  at  length,  first,  for  the  rea 
son  that  it  is  a  striking  illustration  of  the  spirit  which  pervaded  the 
country  at  the  time  the  services  of  our  people  were  demanded  for  the 
preservation  of  the  Union  and,  second,  because  no  other  one  family 
was  perhaps  more  numerously  represented  in  the  Regiment,  although 
the  Meyers  and  Bierlys  of  A  and  the  Holloways  of  D  might  furnish 
an  equally  interesting  record,  if  the  relationships  which  bound  them 
to  other  members  of  the  Regiment  were  followed  out. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          813 


SERGEANT  SLOAN'S  LAST  LETTEK. 

"Near  Spoteylvania  Court  House,  May  9,  1864. 
"Mr.  J.  W.  Sloan, 

"Dear  Friend:  1  wrote  to  you  on  Saturday  last,  but  I  am  not 
sure  whether  it  was  mailed.  There  has  been  very  heavy  fighting  for 
the  last  four  days.  Considerable  of  cannonading  yesterday  at  a  dis 
tance.  We  moved  to  the  left  some  five  miles  yesterday  morning  in 
the  direction  of  the  above  named  place,  formed  line  of  battle  in  the 
woods  and  lay  until  morning.  There  has  been  no  firing  this  morning 
so  far  up  to  the  present.  Our  men  have  defeated  the  enemy  at  every 
]>oint.  Generals  Grant  and  Meade  rode  along  our  line  on  Saturday 
night  with  a  large  escort.  The  troops  appear  in  be  in  good  spirits 
and  are  in  great  hopes  that  this  will  be  the  last  battle.  This  has  been 
one  of  the  hardest  battles  of  this  War  so  far  and  will  likely  last  for 
some  time.  Prisoners  say  Longstreet  was  severely  wounded.  Tho 
105th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  lost  about  one  hundred  and  forty 
men.  Colonel  Craig  was  wounded  in  the  face.  I  think  there  is  but 
one  officer  in  the  Regiment  killed.  Lieutenant  Mortimer  was  up  to  the 
Regiment  this  morning,  but  is  not  able  to  march.  Our  boys  all  stand 
it  first  rate,  very  little  straggling.  We  got  five  days'  rations  issued 
last  night  and  the  orders  are  to  make  them  last  eight  days  if  neces 
sary.  The  new  soldiers  think  it  pretty  hard,  but  the  old  soldiers  can 
easily  do  it  if  the  marching  is  not  too  hard,  from  six  to  eight  hard 
tack  a  day  with  strong  coffee  and  a  little  meat  will  satisfy  me.  1 
have  not  eaten  as  much  on  this  march  as  I  did  in  camp.  This  march 
is  very  different  from  the  march  to  Gettysburg.  The  men  are  not 
marched  to  death  before  going  into  battle.  Our  men  are  fresh  all 
the  time.  Our  Corps  has  done  some  hard  fighting.  Prisoners  say 
General  Lee  took  his  best  troops  and  tried  to  break  our  center,  but 
failed.  He  marched  his  troops  up  in  solid  column  but  our  men  fought 
in  intrenchments  and  repulsed  them  every  time  with  heavy  loss.  Our 
men  would  then  charge  and  drive  them  for  a  considerable  distance, 
but  would  generally  get  driven  back.  The  fighting  was  done  alto 
gether  in  the  woods.  It  seems  to  be  a  perfect  wilderness.  Our  men 
throw  intrenchments  up  whenever  we  stop.  Prisoners  have  a  pretty 
hard  time,  they  do  the  most  of  the  intrenching.  I  have  not  time  to 
write  any  more  at  present.  When  we  stop  we  do  not  know  what  min 
ute  we  may  have  to  start.  We  have  to  be  in  readiness  all  the  time. 

"Write  soon,  W.  C.  SLOAN. 

"P.  S. — Wednesday,  12th.  The  mail  is  just  leaving.  We  have 
had  seven  days'  fighting  and  no  telling  when  it  will  end.  We  have- 
five  killed  and  twelve  wounded  yesterday.  Captain  Core  is  wounded 


814  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

in  arm;  Hazlett  is  slightly  wounded  in  the  arm;  Jim  George  is 
wounded  in  arm ;  Jacob  Mast,  Ben  Thompson,  A.  Wansetler,  John 
Bostorf,  Ben  Carl  are  killed;  the  rest  are  all  right  and  in  good 
heart.  We  are  bound  for  Richmond.  I  will  write  the  first  oppor 
tunity.  We  have  had  some  rain  today  for  the  first. 

"SERGT.  W.  C.  SLOAN." 

This  part  of  the  letter  was  written  the  morning  he  was  killed. 


A  GALLANT  PENNSYLVANIA  SOLDIER. 

By  R.  H.  Forster 

Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  October  8,  1877. 
Editors  Bellefonte  Watchman :  In  the  address  delivered  at  the 
recent  annual  reunion  of  the  Veterans  Club  of  'Center  County,  I  paid 
a  slight  tribute  to  the  memory  of  Capt.  Thompson  Core,  of  Company 
K,  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  who  died  while  in  service  from 
a  wound  received  in  battle  near  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia, 
in  1864.  In  1863  he  received  a  severe  wound  in  the  left  arm  at  the 
battle  of  Chancellorsville,  and  it  was  from  a  second  wound  in  the 
same  arm  of  which  he  died.  He  was  one  of  the  most  gallant  and 
generous  of  men  and  a  favorite  of  all  who  knew  him.  The  following 
is  the  tribute : 

"The  loss  of  Captain  Core  was  a  grievous  one  and  came  unex 
pectedly  from  a  wound  in  the  arm.  The  wound  was  severe  though  not 
at  the  time  considered  dangerous.  Erysipelas  supervened  and  caused 
his  death.  He  was  a  large  man,  big  hearted  and  good  natured,  and  by 
his  unfailing  kindness  had  endeared  every  one  to  him.  He  was  also 
known  in  the  Regiment  as  a  model  of  devotion  to  duty,  always  to  be 
relied  upon,  under  any  circumstances,  and  never  disappointing  expec 
tations.  An  instance  of  this  may  be  given.  One  night  wrhile  we 
were  in  bivouac  on  the  banks  of  the  Rappahannock,  Captain  Core 
was  on  picket  duty  in  charge  of  a  detail  from  the  Regiment,  In  the 
morning  we  crossed  the  river  and  by  an  oversight  the  pickets  were 
not  relieved  and  were  thus  left  behind.  After  we  had  proceeded  a  mile 
or  more  the  oversight  was  discovered  and  a  discussion  arose  as 
to  whether  it  was  worth  while  to  send  back  after  them,  some  think 
ing  that  they  might  relieve  themselves  and  follow  of  their  own  ac 
cord.  The  Colonel  desired  to  know  who  was  in  command  and  was 
informed  that  it  was  Captain  Core. 

"Then  go  back  immediately  and  relieve  him.  Core  will  not 
leave  without  orders  if  he  stays  there  until  doomsday." 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          815 

Since  the  publication  of  the  above  I  have  received  a  letter  from 
Colonel  Silas  J.  Marlin  of  Brookville,  Pennsylvania,  an  officer  of 
the  same  Regiment,  who  relates  an  incident  in  the  career  of  Captain 
Core  which  further  illustrates  his  character  as  a  soldier  so  well  that 
T  cannot  forbear  giving  it  to  the  public.  Colonel  Marlin  writes  as 
follows : 

UI  think  your  idea  of  Captain  Core's  unselfish  devotion  is 
not  overdrawn.  I  recollect  very  distinctly  at  Chancellorsville,  after 
he  had  been  severely  wounded  he  came  to  me  to  ask  the  favor  that  I 
should  look  to  his  company  while  he  was  absent  and  he  would  see, 
before  he  went  to  the  hospital,  that  ammunition  would  be  sent  to  our 
command.  After  being  hurt  how  few  would  have  thought  of  the 
fight?  His  true  and  unselfish  devotion  was  beyond  praise!  Where 
so  many  did  splendidly  in  our  noble  Regiment  I  mention  Core  be 
cause  this  incident  in  our  first  battle  made  so  lasting  an  impression 
on  my  mind." 

Captain  Core  belonged  to  Clarion  County,  Pennsylvania,  and 
it  may  be  a  gratification  to  his  friends  in  that  county  to  know  what 
a  deep  impression  his  noble  and  unselfish  heroism  made  upon  his 
brother  soldiers  of  the  148th  and  how  fervently  they  cherish  his 
memory. 


I]XT  THE  HOSPITAL. 


PART  I. 

By  D.  W.  Woodring,  of  H  Company. 

In  the  desperate  encounter  in  which  the  four  companies  remain 
ing  with  the  colors  took  part  on  Sunday  morning,  May  3,  1863,  west 
of  the  main  road  from  Chancellorsville  to  the  river,  I  was  wounded 
in  the  left  elbow,  the  right  leg  and  right  and  left  shoulders ;  was  car 
ried  from  the  field  and  left  in  the  woods  east  of  what  was  known  at? 
the  White  House,  with  the  Twelfth  Corps  hospital.  T  say  "with" 
rather  than  "in,"  because  the  hospital,  of  course,  was  simply  a  col 
lection  of  wounded  men  lying  in  the  open,  with  surgeons  and  others 
ministering  to  them  as  best  they  could  during  a  battle. 

The  woods  were  shelled  that  afternoon  and,  in  consequence,  the 
hospital  was  removed.  When  this  operation  was  going  on,  T  asked 
the  person  who  seomed  to  be  in  charge  of  the  removal  of  the  wounded 
—presumably  a  hospital  steward — if  they  were  not  going  to  take  mt; 
along.  His  answer  was  ,  "No;  lie  there  and  die  and  be  d — d;  you 
will  die  anyway,''  and  so  1  would  have  done  so  far  as  any  assistance 
received  from  anyone  connected  with  this  hospital  was  concerned. 

After  all  had  gone,  however,  I  managed  to  turn  over  and  crawl 
down  the  hill  as  best  1  could;  but  finally,  falling  into  a  hole  made 
by  an  uprooted  tree,  T  was  unable  to  move  therefrom  and  seemed  to 
be  in  desperate  case.  About  sundown,  however,  the  124th  Pennsyl 
vania  Regiment  came  along  and  Col.  Joseph  W.  Hawley  took  the 
guns  from  several  of  his  men  and  directed  them  to  carry  me  to  the 
road  and  take  me  across  the  Rappahannock  in  an  ambulance.  When 
we  reached  the  road,  the  same  hospital  steward  who  had  refused  to 
remove  me  with  the  Twelth  Corps  hospital  was  there  and  in  charge 
of  the  ambulances.  He  brutally  refused  to  permit  me  to  be  put 
aboard  one  of  them,  until  compelled  to  do  so  by  our  Chaplain,  as 
related  in  the  "Chaplain's  Story." 

Soon  after  the  ambulance  began  to  move  1  fainted,  and  have  no 
further  recollection  of  anything  until  the  next  morning,  when  the 
hospital  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  was  shelled  and  Peter  Fran 1 7 
of  our  company  came  to  where  I  was  lying  and  liel])ed  me  to  walk  to 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          817 

one  of  our  own  ambulances  which  conveyed  me  to  the  Potomac  Creek 
Hospital  which  was  a  well  organized  field  hospital  and  had  been  used 
for  the  sick  during  the  winter  before  the  Chancellorsville  campaign. 
1  was  there  put  into  a  tent  at  the  lower  end  of  a  street  on  Monday 
night,  May  4,  1863.  The  tent  was  tied  upon  the  outside  and  no 
report  of  my  having  been  left  there  could  have  been  made,  for  no  one 
came  to  the  tent,  until  the  morning  of  May  11,  1863,  when  my  good 
friend  Peter  Frantz  again  appeared  and  found  me  nearly  devoured 
by  maggots. 

Up  until  this  time  not  even  a  bandage  had  been  placed  on  the 
wound  in  my  arm  or  any  attention  given  to  my  other  wounds.  That 
afternoon  the  arm  was  amputated.  Whether  it  could  have  been  saved 
if  attended  to  at  once  T  am  unable  to  say  but  neglect  and  exposure 
had  caused  fever  to  set  in  and  left  me  in  a  precarious  condition. 

Doctor  Gray,  formerly  a  surgeon  in  the  Crimean  War,  was  in 
charge  of  the  hospital,  with  Doctors  Beatty  and  Kelso  as  assistants. 

The  Sunday  afternoon  after  the  amputation  the  hospital  was 
visited  by  General  Hancock  and  Major  Forster  and  Captain  Bayard 
of  our  own  Regiment. 

Sergt  J.  J.  Fleming,  of  D  Company,  with  a  wound  in  the  calf 
of  his  leg  and  Sergeant  Boyne,  of  Pettit's  Battery,  with  one  side 
of  his  foot  taken  off  with  a  solid  shot,  were  also  in  this  hospital.  They 
were  the  life  of  our  tent.  They  were  in  fine  spirits  and  both  having 
crutches  they  would  fence  and  otherwise  attack  each  other  with  them 
in  such  a  way  as  to  divert  the  attention  of  those  more  severely 
wounded  who  were  thus  led  to  forget  their  pain  and  make  the  tent 
resound  with  their  laughter. 

One  day  Boyne  asked  Doctor  Beatty  to  prescribe  whiskey  for 
his  sore  foot.  The  Doctor  sent  him  an  ounce  bottle  of  it  which  Boyne 
would  hold  up  and  look  at  so  that  all  in  the  tent  could  see  it.  Finally 
he  said  he  would  drink  the  whiskey  and  rub  the  bottle  over  the 
wound,  which  he  proceeded  to  do — much  to  our  amusement. 

On  the  14th  of  June  we  were  loaded  on  such  palace  cars  as  were 
at  that  time  used  for  transporting  the  wounded — ordinary  box  cars 
with  a  little  hay  as  a  great  luxury  in  the  bottom — and  were  taken  to 
Acquia  Creek  Landing  and  there  transferred  to  boats  upon  which  wo 


818  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

were  taken  to  the  junction  of  the  Potomac  River  with  the  Chesa 
peake  Bay  known  as  Point  Lookout,  Maryland,  at  which  there  was  a 
general  hospital.  This  point,  which  was  surrounded  by  water  ex 
cept  at  one  end,  became  very  famous  during  the  War,  not  only  for 
hospital  purposes  but  as  a  camp  for  Confederate  prisoners  and  a 
gathering  place  for  "contrabands." 

While  in  this  hospital,  great  numbers  of  "contrabands"  were 
assembled  there — said  at  one  time  to  equal  22,000.  The  plantation 
songs  in  which  perhaps  1,000  voices  would  join  were  often  heard, 
especially  in  the  evenings,  and  were  as  entertaining  as  they  were 
pathetic.  Whippo,  of  our  company,  who  had  also  been  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville  was  with  me  in  this  hospital,  long  since  gone,  would 
sit  and  listen  to  them  with  great  interest  and  indulge  in  the  critical 
and  droll  remarks  characteristic  of  him,  suggesting  the  ideal  charac 
ter  of  the  hospitals  being  removed  from  the  unwholesome  influences 
of  the  city.  There  were  certainly  no  temptations  to  excess  of  any  kind 
and  in  this  respect,  as  well  as  because  of  its  healthfulness,  the  hos 
pital  was  admirably  situated. 

We,  of  course,  had  nothing  whatever  to  do,  even  when  we  were 
convalescent,  being  surrounded  by  water,  except  on  the  side  where  a 
strong  guard  was  placed  beyond  whose  beat  we  were  not  allowed  to 
go.  Our  only  amusement  was  to  tie  a  piece  of  bacon  rind  to  a  string 
and  fish  for  crabs.  Our  catch  we  had  baked  in  pies  which  gave  us  a 
pleasant  variety  of  food  and  furnished  a  striking  contrast  to  the  hos 
pital  diet  of  codfish  soup,  served  at  least  every  Friday. 

I  remained  here  until  September  11,  1863,  when  I  was  dis 
charged  for  disability. 

I  know  not  whether  it  distinctly  appears  elsewhere  in  the  story 
of  H  Company,  but  it  is  an  interesting  as  well  as  a  significant  fact 
that  six  men  of  our  company  lost  an  arm  at  the  battle  of  Chancellors 
ville.  They  were  Corporal  Richard  Miles,  Francis  J.  Hunter, 
Michael  Lebkecher,  Thomas  W.  Myton,  Adoniram  Yothers  and  my 
self.  Yothers  died  at  Falmouth.  Miles  and  Lebkecher  lived  for 
many  years  and  have  but  recently  died.  The  other  three  are  still 
living.  The  pictures  of  the  six  appear  on  one  page  as  an  illustration 
of  this  rather  remarkable  coincidence. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          819 
IN  THE  HOSPITAL. 


PART  IT. 

By  Henry  Meyer 

May  10,  1864,  was  an  eventful  day  in  the  history  of  the  148tn 
Regiment,  It  was  a  day  of  desperate  fighting  in  which  the  Regiment 
distinguished  itself  above  all  other  organizations  that  participated  in 
the  fierce  struggle  on  that  date  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Po ;  but  the 
laurels  garnered  there  were  steeped  in  the  blood  of  many  of  its 
gallant  sons.  Abandoned  by  the  Division  and  Brigade  to  which  the 
148th  Regiment  belonged,  and  given  up  as  lost,  it  was  compelled, 
unaided,  to  repel  the  repeated  assaults  of  a  Confederate  Division  and 
recross  the  river  in  the  face  of  overwhelming  numbers  of  the  enemy. 
Elsewhere  in  this  work  are  given  descriptions  of  this  engagement, 
and  also  correct  estimates  of  the  losses  sustained  by  the  Regiment; 
therefore  it  is  unnecessary  to  repeat  the  story  in  this  chapter. 

Company  A  suffered  severely,  losing  more  than  forty  per  cent 
of  the  number  engaged.  Three  of  her  boys  lay  dead  upon  the  field, 
two  others  were  wounded  fatally  and  died  soon  after,  one  at  Rich 
mond,  one  at  Washington,  while  eighteen  others  were  hurt  less  seri 
ously  and  succeeded  in  reaching  a  place  of  safety  across  the  river. 
Fortunately  I  was  one  of  those  mentioned  last,  and  a  brief  sketch  of 
my  experience  while  a  member  of  that  vast  army  in  the  rear — in  the 
hospital — is  contributed  to  this  chapter  of  the  "Hospital  Story/'  with 
the  hope  that  it  may  be  of  some  interest  to  some  of  my  old  comrades. 

The  "casualty"  which  sent  me  to  the  rear  and  placed  me  perma 
nently  on  the  retired  list  as  well,  was  a  big  hole  through  my  left  hand 
near  the  wrist.  Ascending  the  high  bluff  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
river,  in  company  with  Comrade  Benjamin  Beck  of  our  company 
who  also  had  been  wounded,  I  observed  a  hospital  flag  of  the  Sixth 
Corps  just  inside  the  woods  across  a  small  field  and  distant  about 
half  a  mile.  Thither  I  directed  my  steps. 

A  field  hospital  is  not  a.  very  elaborate  or  pretentious  affair. 
This  one  consisted  of  a  red  flag,  an  indispensable  article  of  all  hos 
pitals,  designed  to  guide  the  wounded  in  search  of  such  an  institu- 


820  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

tion,  and  also  to  serve  as  a  signal  to  the  enemy  not  to  shell  the  spot, 
several  long  tables  of  rough  boards  and  an  assortment  of  surgical  in 
struments  conspicuous  and  handy,  no  building  nor  tent.  There  were 
also  several  large  chunks  of  ice  among  the  furnishings,  a  luxury  sel 
dom  seen  at  field  hospitals.  It  was  procured  from  an  ice  house  near 
by;  we  saw  parties  the  day  before,  as  our  command  passed  towards 
the  river,  taking  out  ice  and  carrying  it  to  the  rear.  When  I  arrived 
at  the  hospital  about  4:00  p.  M.,  there  were  not  many  wounded  pres 
ent,  and  my  turn  to  be  operated  on  soon  came.  The  surgeon  requested 
me  to  lie  on  the  amputation  table.  They  then  raised  my  arm  and 
poured  ice  water  through  the  hole  in  my  hand  which  caused  intense? 
pain.  The  sponge  saturated  with  chloroform  was  then  applied  to  my 
nostrils  and  a  sweet  feeling  of  repose  gradually  ]>ervaded  my  tired 
body ;  the  crash  of  musketry  and  roar  of  cannon  that  resounded 
through  the  forest  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  where  the  conflict 
was  still  in  progress,  seemed  to  recede  farther  and  farther  in  the 
distance  until  all  was  silent  and  dark.  Recovering  consciousness 
before  the  operation  was  completed,  and  hearing  the  cutting  an<t 
scraping  at  the  shattered  bones  in  my  hand  and  not  yet  feeling  any 
pain,  I  requested  the  surgeon  to  apply  again  the  sponge  of  chloroform, 
which  request  was  quickly  complied  with.  1  had  to  call  a  second  time 
for  the  chloroform  before  the  operation  was  finished.  On  recovering 
consciousness  I  found  my  hand  nicely  bandaged  and  in  a  sling.  The 
surgeon  directed  me  to  keep  the  bandages  wet  with  cold  water  all  the 
time.  He  thought  it  might  be  necessary  to  amputate  the  hand  as  one 
of  the  bones  was  torn  out  of  the  wrist  joint  and  such  wounds  werw 
difficult  to  heal.  lie  said  the  wound  would  inflame  greatly,  and  there 
was  little  hope  that  the  hand  could  be  saved.  And  here,  in  contra 
diction  to  the  assertion  often  heard  that  army  surgeons  were  unsym 
pathetic  and  brutal  in  their  treatment  of  wounded  soldiers,  T  desire 
t<»  bear  testimony  to  the  fact  that  in  my  experience  while  under  their 
care,  and  my  observation  of  their  conduct  and  treatment  of  others,  T 
always  found  them  kind  and  courteous  and  ever  manifesting  a  sin 
cere  solicitude  for  the  welfare  of  their  patients. 

There  were  now  probably  about  fifty  wounded  soldiers  at  the 
place;  some  were  Iving  on  the  ground,  others  sitting  down  with  their 


THE  I4&TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          821 

backs  to  trees  or  other  supports.  Quite  a  number  were  desperately 
wounded  and  would  in  all  probability  be  "mustered  out"  ere  the  set 
ting  of  the  sun.  All  were  strangers  to  me,  none  of  our  company  having 
come  in  yet,  or  possibly  they  reached  other  hospitals.  Those  of  us 
who  were  able  to  walk  started  at  once  on  the  road  for  Fredericks- 
burg,  distant,  we  were  informed,  eighteen  miles.  Our  route  must 
have  been  considerably  roundabout,  else  the  distance  would  have  been 
only  about  twelve  miles.  The  Confederate  Army  having  moved  to 
our  left,  to  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Fredericksburg  and  the  roads 
leading  thither  from  our  position,  were,  in  consequence,  uncovered, 
and  the  town  became  for  the  time  being,  our  base  of  supplies.  Im 
mense  army  trains  now  began  to  move  on  those  roads  to  and  from 
Fredericksburg.  The  badly  wounded  were  transported  in  ambu 
lances  and  army  wagons  to  Fredericksburg ;  it  was  imperative  to  get 
them  out  of  the  way  as  speedily  as  possible.  I  trudged  along  the 
dusty  road  from  5  :00  P.  M.  until  dusk  when  I  arrived  at  a  small 
clearing  in  which  an  army  wagon  train  was  in  park.  I  was  now 
utterly  exhausted  and  sank  down  upon  the  ground  in  a  faint;  every 
thing  became  dark.  From  early  morn  during  the  entire  day  we  had 
been  on  the  move  on  the  south  side  of  Po  River,  changing  position 
frequently  and  constructing  breastworks  at  every  new  position,  and 
we  never  secured  a  moment's  time  to  make  coffee  or  prepare  food.  1 
subsisted  on  two  or  three  "hard  tacks"  that  day.  Hungry,  weak 
from  loss  of  blood,  suffering  great  pain,  worn  out  physically  from 
continuous  marching,  working  and  fighting,  I  now  found  it-  impos 
sible  to  continue  my  journey  on  foot,  though  there  yet  remained  at 
least  half  the  distance  to  traverse.  Just  then  one  of  the  teams  pre 
pared  to  pull  out  and  I  asked  permission  of  the  driver  to  get  on  his 
wagon.  He  granted  my  request.  There  were  already  three  other 
wounded  soldiers  on  the  wagon,  two  of  whom  lay  in  the  rear  of  the 
wagon  bed  side  by  side,  both  badly  hurt.  One  of  them  had  his  leg 
terribly  shattered  and  in  order  to  keep  it  in  place  or  shape  it  was 
firmly  tied  to  a  board.  The  poor  fellows  lay  on  the  bare  floor,  there 
being  neither  hay  nor  straw  under  them.  The  other  comrade -and 
myself  sat  on  a  heap  of  bags  filled  with  oats.  Our  transit  was  now 
assured,  but  it  was  at  the  expense  of  increased  suffering.  The  roads 


822  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

were  rough,  being  in  many  places  "corduroyed,"  and  the  constant 
jolting  caused  our  wounds  to  inflame  and  become  intensely  painful. 
The  plunging  of  the  wagon  jostled  the  two  men  in  the  rear  against 
each  other,  and  we  heard  them  swear  at  each  other  and  they  even 
came  to  blows.  No  doubt  they  were  delirious ;  the  torture  those  poor 
fellows  endured  on  that  night  journey  must  have  been  terrible. 

At  eleven  o'clock  the  driver  stopped  his  team,  unhitched  and  left. 
I  raised  the  side  of  the  wagon  cover  and  saw  that  we  were  at  anchor  in 
a  field,  nowhere  in  particular.  Not  knowing  where  to  go,  I  re 
mained  in  the  wagon ;  my  comrade  by  my  side  left.  The  two  com 
rades  in  the  rear  end  had  ceased  to  moan  or  quarrel.  It  was  a  vigil 
of  five  long,  miserable  hours  before  the  first  faint  streaks  of  the 
morning  sun  came.  As  I  descended  from  the  wagon  I  observed  that 
the  boy  whose  leg  was  tied  to  a  board  was  dead  and  his  comrade  by  his 
side  nearly  so.  Daylight  revealed  the  fact  that  we  had  bivouacked  on 
the  summit  of  a  high  hill,  probably  Marye  Heights  within  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile  from  Fredericksburg.  I  soon  reached  the  old  town, 
and  beheld  with  astonishment  that  the  sidewalks  were  literally  cov 
ered  with  wounded  soldiers.  Every  public  building  and  many  pri 
vate  residences  were  converted  into  temporary  hospitals.  There 
were  thousands  of  wounded  in  the  town ;  they  had  been  brought  in 
from  the  Wilderness  battlefield,  from  Po  River,  and  later  the 
wounded  from  Spotsylvania  swelled  the  number.  Passing  the  hos 
pital  of  the  Ninth  Corps,  I  soon  reached  that  of  our  own,  the  hospi 
tal  of  the  First  Division,  Second  Corps,  which  was  located  in  a  large 
brick  building  belonging  to  the  fire  department  of  the  town.  The 
main  room  or  hall  was  about  forty  feet  wide  and  about  fifty  feet  long 
and  at  one  end  of  it  was  an  elevated  platform  with  a  railing  around 
it.  There  also  were  several  smaller  rooms  in  the  building.  Every 
foot  of  space  was  appropriated  for  the  wounded  who  were  laid  in 
rows  on  the  bare  floor  with  narrow  aisles  between.  The  small  plat 
form,  about  twelve  feet  square,  was  also  occupied.  Here  I  found 
sitting  room  for  myself  during  the  greater  part  of  the  time  spent 
in  the  place,  and  thus  had  a  good  view  of  the  wounded  in  the  hall, 
and  the  scenes  transpiring  in  that  den  of  suffering.  With  hardly 
any  exception  the  wounds  of  these  poor  fellows  were  of  a  serious 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          825 

character;  those  who  were  but  slightly  hurt  were  forwarded  to 
Washington  as  rapidly  as  possible.  There  was  nothing  on  hand 
which  would  bring  a  slight  degree  of  comfort  to  the  wounded — no 
bedding  whatever.  The  poor  boys  lay  on  the  bare  floor,  having 
neither  blanket  for  cover,  blanket  or  comfort  on  which  to  repose  their 
lacerated  limbs  or  bodies.  Here  were  presented  to  the  view  wounds 
of  all  descriptions,  bodies  pierced  by  bullet,  limbs  shattered  by  shell 
or  minie  ball,  eyes  shot  out,  bowels  protruding  through  rents  made 
by  ragged  pieces  of  shell.  I  noticed  a  poor  lad  whose  head  was 
swollen  almost  twice  its  natural  size,  his  eyes  swollen  shut, 
his  face  terribly  bruised  and  inflamed,  who  at  intervals,  would 
thump  his  head  on  the  hard  floor  in  rapid,  resounding  strokes  and 
utter  piercing  screams.  He  was  delirious  and  may  not  have  been 
fully  conscious  of  his  frightful  condition.  Some  were  groaning, 
others  screaming  in  the  agony  of  pain ;  some  lay  perfectly  quiet, 
others  tossed  from  side  to  side  on  the  floor.  Death  was  ever  present 
to  claim  its  victims.  These  were  carried  out  just  beyond  the  build 
ing  where  the  grave  diggers  could  be  seen  through  the  windows  con 
stantly  at  their  gruesome  task.  I  surveyed  the  dreadful  scenes 
around  me  and  almost  persuaded  myself  to  believe  and  feel  that  I 
was  not  a  sufferer  also,  so  slight  seemed  my  injury  when  compared 
with  those  of  the  mangled  forms  ever  present  to  my  view. 

When  I  arrived  at  the  building  I  found  Doctor  Davis,  our  regi 
mental  surgeon,  in  charge,  and  of  him  I  inquired  with  some  diffi 
dence  whether  a  person  could  get  something  to  eat,  for  I  was  "awful''* 
hungry.  He  said  breakfast  would  be  served  presently.  Well,  I 
felt  a  little  skeptical  on  the  subject.  There  were  no  eatables  visible, 
and  there  was  no  flavor  of  anything  boiling  or  frying.  But  in  course 
of  time  we  got  a  few  army  biscuits  each  and  a  small  quantity  of  im 
ported  beef  tea.  It  was  poor  diet  for  sick  people,  especially  the 
former,  but  it  was  the  best  that  could  be  procured  under  the  circum 
stances. 

On  the  Hth  cousin  Wm.  C.  Meyer,  of  our  company,  caine  in 
among  a  long  procession  of  wounded.  He  was  slightly 
hurt  and  was  granted  a  thirty  days'  furlough.  This 
was  the  last  time  I  saw  him,  for  on  his  return  to  the  front  he  was 


824  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

killed  in  the  engagement  at  Deep  Bottom,  Virginia,  August  14, 
1864.  Comrade  William  Crum,  a  conscript  of  our  company,  was 
also  brought  into  our  hospital.  lie  was  severely  wounded  and  was 
tied  on  a  stretcher.  He  spoke  to  me  and  said,  "I  hope  to  God  I  may 
die  soon  for  I  can't  get  well."  He  said  that  he  was  suffering  ter 
ribly.  However,  the  poor  fellow  lived  to  be  taken  to  Washington 
where  he  soon  after  died. 

During  the  night  (llth)  it  began  to  rain  and  continued  next 
day.  Early  in  the  morning  of  the  12th  we  heard  rapid  and  con 
tinuous  volleys  of  musketry  and  the  roar  of  cannon  at  the  front.  Ft 
was  the  assault  of  the  Second  Corps  on  the  rebel  position  at  Spot- 
sylvania,  and  during  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  the  rebel*  cap 
tured  there  were  marched  through  Fredericksburg  on  their  way 
north. 

Large*  squads  of  the    wounded    left    the    town    at    intervals, 
marched  across  the  peninsula  to  Belle  Plain  Landing  on  the  Poto 
mac,  distant  eleven  miles,  and  were  thence  transported  on  boat  to 
Washington.     Doctor  Davis  had  promised  to  place  me  in  on©  of  those 
squads  and  L  waited  until  the  15th  for  a  chance  to  go,  supposing  that 
one  had  to  be  regularly  enrolled  by  some  officer  in  order  to  insure  a 
passage  on  the  boat.     But,  the  Doctor  had  his  hands  full  and  the 
responsibilities  resting  upon  him  were  very  great,  so  he  forgot  all 
about  his  promise.     Therefore,  when  on  the  morning  of  ]\Lay  15th, 
I  observed  another  contingent  getting  ready  to  march  to  Belle  Plain, 
J   joined  ranks  on  my  own  responsibility.      The  long  procession  of 
almost  a  thousand  men  wended  its  way  across  the  pontoon  bridge  on 
the  Rappahannock,  past  our  old  picket  posts  of  the  winter  of  186:2 
and  1863,  and  across  old  familiar  camp  sites  with  halting,  uncertain 
step,  little  heeding  objects  of  historic  interest  along  the  route.     Our 
company  soon  became  scattered  ;  those  who  were  strong  and  wounded 
loss  seriously  outstripped  the  weaker  fellows  who  straggled  lx?hind. 
We  had  not  proceeded  more  than  three  or  four  miles  until  T  was  left 
alone,  far  in  the  rear.     Half  starved,  suffering  great  pain,  and  the 
sun's  rays  beating  down  with  increasing  intensity,   T  finally  gave 
out  entirely.     I  sat  down  by  a  tiny  spring  of  water.     All  the  time  I 
was  obliged  to  wage  a  war  against  the  blow-flies  to  prevent  them 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          825 

from  alighting  on  my  wounded  hand.  While  resting  at  the  spring 
I  observed  two  men  of  the  Christian,  or  Sanitary,  Commission  pass 
ing  by  on  foot  towards  Fredericksburg.  Each  carried  a  satchel  and 
I  supposed  these  contained  a  lot  of  eatables.  T  hailed  them  and 
during  the  brief  conversation  which  ensued,  T  inquired  if  they  had 
anything  to  eat,  informing  them  also  of  my  helpless  situation.  Qnt 
of  the  men  replied  that  he  still  had  a  few  fragments  of  soda  biscuits, 
and  turning  his  satchel  upside  down,  he  shook  the  crumbs  into  m^ 
hand  and  also  a  small  piece  of  boiled  ham,  remarking  at  the  same 
time,  "This  is  all  I  have  got  and  I  don't  know  where  I  will  get  mv 
next  meal,  but  I  give  my  last  crumb  to  the  soldiers."  Indeed,  a 
feeling  of. guilty  shame  crept  over  me  for  robbing  those  men  of  their 
last  morsel,  for  I  knew  full  well  how  slim  their  chance  would  be  to 
secure  any  food  in  Fredericksburg.  Soldiers  ask  no  favors.  They 
are  schooled  to  rely  upon  themselves,  except  in  cases  of  extreme 
lirgency ;  otherwise  I  should  have  handed  back  the  food.  Being  now 
somewhat  refreshed  I  resumed  my  journey  but  in  a  short  time  gave 
out  a  second  time.  Just  then  the  friendly  covered  army  wagon 
again  came  to  the  rescue,  as  the  driver  allowed  me  to  get  on  board. 
^N"ow  I  was  certain  to  reach  my  destination,  but  the  jolting  over  thf 
"rough  roads  was  torture.  As  we  reached  the  high  bluffs  which  over 
look  the  Potomac  a  furious  thunderstorm  burst  over  the  landscape 
and  aggravated  the  discomforts  of  the  situation.  I  disembarked 
in  the  rain  and  walked  down  to  the  river,  the  teamster  having  kindly 
furnished  me  with  a  piece  of  shelter  tent  to  wrap  around  me. 

In  the  middle  of  the  Potomac  lay  at  anchor  a  big  hospital  steam 
boat  which  carried  the  wounded  to  Washington,  making  a  trip  every 
twenty-four  hours  about,  T  think.  A  small  steam  tug  conveyed  the 
soldiers  from  the  wharf  to  the  large  boat.  I  fell  in  at  once  at  the 
tiiil  end  of  the  procession  of  some  eight  hundred  men,  four  in  a  col 
umn,  moving  at  a  snail's  pace  in  the  direction  of  the  wharf.  The 
badly  wounded,  those  who  had  to  be  carried  on  stretchers,  were  first 
taken  across,  and  it  was  a  slow  process  to  transport  them  to  the  tus» 
boat  and  thence  to  the  hospital  boat.  The  tug  was  obliged  to  make 
many  trips  to  convey  so  many  men.  We  remained  in  line  from  4:00 
p.  M.  until  8  :00  p.  M.  before  the  last  file  of  our  column  reached  the 


826  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

small  boat;  the  greater  part  of  the  time  we  stood  in  soft  mud  knee 
deep  along  the  route  from  the  river  bank  to  the  wharf.  While  on 
the  small  boat  I  had  an  opportunity  to  examine  my  wounded  hand, 
which  had  now  become  swollen  twice  its  normal  size  and  was  very 
gainful.  On  removing  "the  bandages  I  discovered  that  they  were 
dry  as  powder,  the  water  which  I  kept  pouring  on  at  short  intervals 
in  compliance  with  instructions  given  me  by  the  surgeon  at  the  field 
hospital,  never  penetrated  beyond  the  outer  layers  of  the  bandages 
because  the  swelling  of  the  hand  and  arm  had  drawn  them  too 
tightly.  My  wound  had  not  been  dressed  since  the  morning  of  the 
llth — four  days.  My  hand  was  almost  black  and  I  was  certain  that 
mortification  had  already  set  in.  It  was  already  dark  when  the  last 
of  the  boys  got  in  the  big  hospital  boat  In  a  moment  our  condition 
was  changed  as  far  as  outward  circumstances  were  concerned,  from 
£  state  of  misery  to  one  of  solid  comfort  The  boat  was  large  and 
commodious,  it  was  furnished  with  excellent  beds,  and  there  was  an 
abundance  of  good,  substantial  food.  An  attendant  led  me  along  a 
'tier  of  bunks  and  pointed  out  one  and  said,  "You  occupy  that"  I 
had  waded  through  mud  a  foot  deep  only  an  hour  before,  and  the 
accumulated  dust  of  a  week  past  rendered  my  apparel  somewhat  un 
tidy  in  appearance,  and  I  said  I  would  not  get  between  those  white 
sheets  with  my  dirty  clothes.  But  he  said,  "Get  in ;  we'll  attend  to 
that,  and  in  a  few  minutes  we  will  bring  you  some  supper."  I  crept 
into  the  bed,  a  real  bed,  a  luxury  to  which  I  had  been  a  stranger  for 
almost  two  years.  A  bowl  of  excellent  soup  was  now  handed  to  each 
of  the  patients.  I  had  not  been  able  to  secure  an  hour's  sleep  since 
the  night  of  the  9th,  at  the  front,  and  I  now  tried  to  sleep,  but  with 
poor  success  on  account  of  the  increasing  pain.  Then  I  went  in 
search  of  the  surgeon  and  found  him  in  his  office,  doing  nothing  in 
particular.  That  functionary  seemingly  was  there  more  for  orna 
ment  than  use ;  he  manifested  no  special  interest  in  my  case,  nor  in 
that  of  any  other  wounded  soldier,  as  far  as  my  observation  went. 
However,  by  his  direction  the  steward  gave  me  a  dose  of  laudanum, 
which  had  the  effect  of  allaying  the  pain  considerably. 

The  boat  glided  smoothly  along  the  Potomac;  it  did  not  jar 
our  lacerated  limbs  and  bodies,  and  was,  therefore,  a  great  improve- 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          827 

inent  on  army  wagon  transportation  across  corduroy  roads.  When 
the  sun  had  risen  in  the  morning  the  boat  was  found  already  tied  to 
the  wharf  at  Washington.  The  wounded  were  speedily  distributed 
among  the  various  hospitals  of  the  city.  The  ambulance  to  which 
several  comrades  and  myself  were  assigned  drove  up  Seventh  Street 
and  unloaded  us  at  Campbell  Hospital  located  at  the  terminus  eft 
the  street  car  railroad,  distant  from  Pennsylvania  Avenue  about  two 
and  a  half  miles. 

The  hospital  consisted  of  nine  or  ten  wards,  originally  frame 
structures.  Later  a  number  of  additional  wards  were  put  up  to  ac 
commodate  the  increasing  number  of  wounded.  These  were  tempo 
rary  structures  intended  for  summer  occupancy,  covered  with  can 
vas  and  open  along  the  sides.  They  were  probably  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  long  and  sufficiently  wide  to  accommodate  two  rows  of  cots 
along  the  sides  with  an  aisle  between  the  same  extending  through  the 
length  of  the  ward.  The  cots  were  placed  about  two  feet  apart ;  the 
floor  was  of  rough  boards.  I  was  placed  in  "Ward  A." 

The  first  ceremony  to  which  we  were  subjected  on  our  arrival 
was  that  of  purification — that  is,  we  were  taken  to  the  bath-room  and 
scrubbed.  Hospital  apparel  was  then  given  us  and  cots  were  assigned 
us  in  the  wards.  The  condition  of  my  wound  was  at  such  a  stage 
now  that  I  was  certain  amputation  was  a  necessity.  In  my  simplic 
ity  I  inquired,  therefore,  of  an  attendant,  "Could  I  send  for  the  sur 
geon  in  charge  ?"  not  realizing  that  the  chief  surgeon  of  a  great  hos 
pital,  who  had  under  his  care  several  thousand  wounded  soldiers, 
would  hardly  be  in  a  position  to  respond  with  alacrity  to  a  message 
of  the  kind.  However,  the  attendant  said  he  would  see.  In  a  few 
minutes  a  fine,  gentlemanly  officer  came  to  my  cot.  It  was  the  sur 
geon  in  charge,  Dr.  A.  F.  Shelden.  I  desired  him  to  examine  nr^ 
hand  and  if  it  was  necessary  to  amputate  it,  as  I  thought  was  the 
case,  I  should  like  to  have  the  operation  performed  immediately. 
He  looked  at  me  a  moment  then  informed  me  that  I  was  too 
weak  to  undergo  the  operation ;  that  I  must  rest  and  eat 
awhile  to  get  stronger.  He  said  that  on  the  following 
day  my  case  would  be  taken  under  consideration.  It  seems 
it  was  an  unusual  thing  for  a  patient  to  make  a  request  that  a  limb 


828  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

be  amputated,  for  the  Doctor  often  teased  me  about  it  subsequently, 
especially  when  visitors  accompanied  him  while  making  his  rounds. 
Pointing  at  me  he  would  say,  "This  is  the  boy  who  asked  me  to 
amputate  his  hand."  True  to  his  promise  next  day  Doctor  Shelden, 
accompanied  by  several  attendants,  came  to  my  cot  and  informed  nit 
that  they  had  come  to  take  me  to  the  operating  room  to  amputate 
my  hand.  I  got  up  and  started  to  walk,  but  they  halted  me,  and 
said  they  would  carry  me  on  a  stretcher  because  I  was  too  weak  to 
walk.  Jt  surprised  me  to  learn  that  my  case  was  so  serious.  After 
being  placed  on  the  table  I  suggested  that  it  would  probably  be  nec 
essary  to  take  off  the  arm  above  the  elbow,  because  of  the  bad  con 
dition  of  the  wound.  The  Doctor  replied,  "We  will  put  you  under 
the  influence  of  chloroform  and  then  examine  your  hand ;  you  could 
not  stand  it  now,  and  we  shall  do  the  best  we  possibly  can." 

When  the  chloroform  was  administered  all  pain  gradually  left 
me  and  a  feeling  of  relief  and  sweet  rest  stole  over  me.  1  felt 
utterly  indifferent  also  as  to  whether  1  should  again  recover  con 
sciousness  or  pass  into  the  great  beyond.  Indeed,  when  a  young 
man  has  before  him  the  gloomy  prospect  of  dragging  himself  through 
a  long  life  on  one  leg  or  battling  the  world  with  but  one  hand,  he 
would  relinquish  life  without  serious  regret,  especially  when  his  exit 
would  be  facilitated  through  the  painless  agency  of  an  anaesthetic. 
Those  three  hours  of  unconsciousness  are  a  blank  in  my  existence;  it 
was  the  blackness  of  darkness ;  a  person  under  the  influence  of  chloro 
form  does  not  dream  dreams. 

On  regaining  consciousness  I  found  myself  back  in  my  ward 
upon  my  cot.  My  first  thought  was,  where  is  the  hand  cut  off  \  My 
arm  lay  on  a  cushion  by  my  side  neatly  bandaged,  the  hand  off  near 
the  wrist.  An  attendant  sat  by  my  side  and  kept  ice  water  on  my 
wound.  There  he  sat,  or  some  one  else  in  his  place,  day  and  night 
for  a  whole  week  and  not  for  a  moment  was  T  left  alone.  Inquiring 
why  I  was  being  watched  so  carefully  and  continuously,  they  in 
formed  me  that  the  operation  was  not  considered  very  satisfactory ; 
that  an  artery  might  open  and  I  would  bleed  to  death  unless  imme 
diate  help  would  be  summoned.  During  my  stay  at  the  hospital  I 
learned  that  in  amputation  cases  arteries  frequently  come  open 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          829 

and  it  was  a  common  occurrence,  at  all  hours  of  the  day  or  night  to 
see  or  hear  surgeons  and  nurses  rush  through  the  wards  to  rescue 
patients  thus  threatened  with  certain  death.  The  operation  on  my 
hand  was  performed  May  17th,  seven  days  after  the  wound  was  in 
flicted  at  the  front  in  line  of  battle.  On  the  same  day,  or  day  after, 
the  Chaplain  of  the  hospital  came  to  see  me;  he  took  down  the  name 
and  address  of  my  folks  at  home  and  proposed  writing  a  letter  to 
them  for  me,  I  assented  gladly.  And  he  intimated  that  it  would 
be  advisable  to  request  some  of  my  folks  to  come  to  Washington  to 
see  me.  "No,"  said  I,  "it  is  not  necessary  for  in  a  short  time  I  shall 
be  able  to  go  home  on  a  furlough."  Nevertheless,  he  sent  such  a 
message,  stating  that  I  was  very  low  and  that  my  recovery  was 
doubtful.  I  saw  the  letter  after  my  return  home  and  I  always  sus 
pected  that  the  surgeon  inspired  it. 

As  the  wounded  entered  the  hospitals  their  names  and  the 
organizations  to  which  they  belonged  were  put  on  record  in  books 
kept,  for  that  purpose.  Several  of  the  states  maintained  agents  at 
Washington  whose  duty  it  was  to  see  after  the  comfort  and  needs  of 
the  soldiers  of  their  respective  states.  These  records  would  show  at 
a  glance  what  soldiers  of  the  different  states  were  quartered  in  a  hos 
pital  ;  even  the  ward  and  cot  would  there  be  noted.  This  provision 
of  state  agency  was  a  great  blessing  to  many  a  boy  in  the  hospitals. 
These  agents  would  see  that  a  soldier  received  sufficient  food,  proper 
clothing  and  careful  attendance,  where  necessary.  They  would  write 
letters  for  the  boys,  furnish  stationery  and  even  money ;  they 
would  give  information  and  advice,  assist  in  procuring  discharge 
from  the  service  and  prepare  applications  for  pension  after  one  was 
discharged.  The  amount  of  good  these  state  agents,  the  Sanitary 
Commission,  the  Christian  Commission,  and  other  organizations, 
performed  is  simply  beyond  computation.  Our  state  agent  was  Mr. 
— ;  he  came  to  see  me  soon  after  my  arrival  at  the  hos 
pital  and  plied  me  with  questions  how  I  fared,  etc. ;  should  he  write 
to  my  friends  at  home?  "No,"  the  Chaplain  had  written.  Did  I 
need  anything  ?  Was  I  in  need  of  money  ?  "No,  I  am  in  want  of 
nothing  here.  We  have  an  abundance  of  good  food,  our  beds  are  very 
comfortable;  our  doctors  are  skillful  and  kind  and  our  attendants 


850  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

are  faithful.  Here  we  rest  undisturbed.  This  is  Paradise."  Nc 
doubt  the  agent  found  other  Pennsylvania  boys  in  localities  where  the 
environments  were  not  so  nearly  perfect  and  where  he  could  be  of 
more  service. 

The  patients  in  our  ward  were  all  quite  severely  wounded  so 
that  most  of  them  were  confined  to  their  bunks  continually.  Hav 
ing  been  accustomed  to  the  bustle  and  hilarity  incident  to  camp  life 
in  the  Army  and  recently  the  excitement  of  skirmishing  with  the 
enemy  at  the  front,  the  sudden  transition  from  those  scenes  of  stren 
uous  activity  to  a  state  of  helpless  and  utter  inaction,  had  a  tendency 
to  produce  a  feeling  of  loneliness  and  even  homesickness.  The  scenes 
of  suffering  and  distress  ever  present  to  our  view  and  the  never  ceas 
ing  groans  of  some  of  the  men  would  tend  to  make  our  situation  still 
more  gloomy  and  intolerable.  Thus  not  a  few  of  the  poor  fellows  in 
hospitals  lost  courage,  gave  way  to  despondency  and  died.  In  order 
to  mitigate  the  severity  of  the  bodily  suffering  of  the  patients  as 
much  as  possible,  and  to  provide  suitable  diversions  for  the  mind,  the 
Government  in  conjunction  with  the  Christian  and  Sanitary  Com 
missions  and  other  charitable  organizations,  contributed  a  vast  quan 
tity  and  variety  of  "extras"  to  all  the  hospitals  in  our  large  cities 
and  other  points  easy  of  access.  There  never  was  any  lack  of  medi 
cines,  surgical  appliances,  or  efficient  medical  attendance  both  on  the 
part  of  the  doctors  or  nurses.  Good,  substantial  food  was  abundant. 
Lemonade,  root  beer  and  other  summer  beverages,  and  many  deli 
cacies  of  various  kinds  were  frequently  served  the  boys.  There  were 
piles  of  books,  magazines,  and  various  periodicals  within  reach  of 
those  who  felt  inclined  to  read.  There  were  checker  boards  for  those 
who  would  delight  in  games.  Through  the  medium  of  these  agencies 
a  ray  of  cheer  and  happiness  might  perchance  penetrate  to  the  heart 
of  the  most  despairing. 

During  the  summer  of  1864  the  excitement  of  the  presi 
dential  campaign  ran  high.  We  of  the  hospital  discussed 
politics.  Both  the  presidential  candidates,  Lincoln  and  Mc- 
Clellan,  had  their  respective  partisans  in  our  ward  and  our  windy 
harrangues  sometimes  reached  such  a  stage  of  "pernicious  activity" 
that  our  ward  authorities  were  obliged  to  interfere.  Opposite  my 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          851 

cot  across  the  aisle  lay  a  member  of  the  5th  Vermont  Regiment,  who 
was  the  acknowledged  humorist  of  the  ward.  By  his  funny  stories, 
witty  sayings  and  humorous  antics  generally,  he  kept  us  roaring 
with  laughter  until  we  yelled  at  him  to  "shut  up"  as  the  agitation 
of  our  corporeal  part  caused  by  laughter  would  increase  the  pain  of 
our  wounds.  He  had  been  shot  through  one  of  his  arms  near  the 
wrist  and  all  the  bones  were  taken  out  for  the  space  of  an  inch  and 
a  half.  This  space,  it  was  said,  would  fill  up  with  gristle,  but  the 
hand  would  never  be  of  any  service.  Yet  he  preferred  not  to  hav« 
it  amputated.  He  was  a  sufferer  like  the  rest  of  us,  but  such  a  little 
matter  was  not  allowed  to  interfere  with  his  ebullitions  of  humor. 
He  used  to  say  that  Lincoln  and  himself  were  equally  noted  for 
beauty.  Who  was  the  boy  ?  I  never  knew ;  he  was  simply  "5th 
Vermont"  to  us;  names  are  nothing  either  in  the  hospital  or  in 
the  Army.  Such  terms  as  "John  Smith/'  "William  Jones,"  or 
"James  Brown"  were  useless  appendages.  It  is  said  that  Cyrus 
knew  by  name  every  soldier  in  his  army.  Well,  if  he  wished  to  load 
his  memory  in  that  manner  he  had  his  choice  in  the  matter.  We 
could  remember  faces  perhaps  equally  as  well  as  Cyrus,  but  wo 
designated  each  other  not  precisely  by  numbers,  as  inmates  of  peni 
tentiaries  are  said  to  be  labeled,  but  by  the  names  of  the  states 
whence  each  came  or  in  the  Army  by  name  of  the  company  or  regi 
ment  to  which  a  soldier  belonged.  The  comrade  on  the  cot  on  my 
right  was  a  New  Jersey  boy ;  to  the  left  an  Ohio  boy ;  our  big,  jovial, 
kind-hearted  nurse  who  dressed  our  wounds  every  morning,  or 
of  tener,  if  desired,  was  a  Michigan  boy ;  so  on  through  the  whole 
list.  Whatever  names  we  deigned  to  apply  to  each  other  were  gen 
erally  expressive  nick  names.  Among  those  two  hundred  occupants 
of  our  ward  there  were  no  two  who  had  ever  met  before ;  all  were 
strangers  to  each  other  yet  friends  nevertheless  from  the  moment 
they  met  That  is  the  privilege  of  all  veteran  soldiers  to  claim  each 
other  as  friends  without  the  formality  of  an  introduction. 

Among  the  several  luxuries  dispensed  daily  to  the  weaker  class 
of  patients  was  a  ration  of  whiskey  punch.  It  tasted  good  and  was 
exhilarating.  After  taking  it  several  days  I  declined  the  tempting 
potion.  No  doubt  it  was  beneficial  as  a  tonic,  but  the  danger  of 


852  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

acquiring  a  taste  for  strong  drink  and  finally  becoming  a  drunkard 
deterred  me  from  its  further  use.  Doctor  Shelden  thought  that  I 
ought  to  take  some  kind  of  stimulant,  however,  and  said  he  would 
order  a  bottle  of  porter  every  morning  which  I  should  imbibe  in 
small  doses  during  the  day,  I  acquiesced  and  even  petitioned  him 
to  restore  my  name  on  the  favored  list  of  porter  patients  after  the 
same  had  been  struck  off  later  on,  because  the  beverage  had  become 
an  unnecessary  luxury.  The  doctor  smiled  and  the  ration  came  as 
heretofore. 

The  various  dispositions  manifested  by  wounded  was  remark 
able.  There  were  those  who,  though  only  slightly  hurt,  would  moan 
and  lament  continually  to  the  great  annoyance  and  disgust  of  the 
other  sufferers.  There  were  others  who  underwent  the  most  excru 
ciating  torture,  but  not  a  groan  or  word  of  complaint  escaped  their 
lips.  They  gritted  their  teeth  and  bore  their  torture  in  silence.  Within 
a  few  yards  from  me  lay  a  big  German  patient  whose  left  arm  was 
severely  hurt  and  his  right  leg  still  more  seriously ;  his  leg  lay  in  a 
tin  trough,  and  both  it  and  the  arm  were  suspended  by  ropes  fas 
tened  to  the  rafters  above.  One  day  we  heard  something  drop  into 
the  tin  trough  in  which  his  leg  was  suspended,  and  on  examination 
it  was  discovered  that  the  bullet  which  had  caused  the  wound  had 
dropped  out,  having  by  its  own  weight  penetrated  through  the  rotten 
flesh.  Thus  he  lay,  unable  to  change  his  position  in  the  least,  except 
his  right  arm,  and  suffered  terribly  for  days  till  relief  came — death. 
But  he  never  complained,  never  groaned ;  he  smoked  his  pipe  in 
stoical  silence.  Among  the  seriously  wounded  there  was  also  a  great 
diversity  as  to  chance  or  probability  of  recovery.  Some  got  well 
contrary  to  all  expectation.  One  of  the  boys  of  our  ward  had  a 
bullet  hole  through  his  face  close  to  his  ears.  Only  liquid  food  wa& 
at  all  adapted  to  his  case,  and  that  nearly  all  came  out  at  the  bullet 
holes  when  he  attempted  to  swallow.  However,  after  a  time  these 
vents  healed  up  and  the  boy  recovered.  This  is  only  an  illustration 
of  numberless  similar  cases.  On  the  other  hand  many  died  that 
should  to  all  appearances  have  survived.  As  an  illustration :  A 
young,  robust  comrade  came  into  the  ward  one  day  who  was  slightly 
hurt  at  one  of  his  little  fingers.  The  surgeons  took  it  off,  but  the 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          853 

wound  inflamed  and  the  hand  was  amputated ;  next  it  was  found 
necessary  to  take  off  the  arm  near  the  shoulder ;  then  he  died.  It 
was  said  that  the  young  man  had  been  addicted  to  the  use  of  strong 
drink,  for  which  reason  the  wound  failed  to  heal.  It  was  a  common 
observation  among  surgeons  and  attendants  that  drinking  characters 
had  a  slim  chance  of  recovery  if  severely  wounded.  Those  boys  of 
the  148th  Regiment,  who  had  the  misfortune  of  getting  hurt,  had 
reasons  to  be  thankful  that  there  was  no  regimental  "army  canteen" 
during  their  period  of  service. 

Squads  of  visitors  passed  through  our  ward  at  certain  hours 
daily.  Among  them  was  Mrs.  Lincoln  on  a  certain  day,  but  Mr. 
Lincoln  never  came  to  visit  ours  while  I  was  an  inmate,  yet  it  was 
said  that  he  frequently  went  through  the  hospitals  of  the  city. 
Friends  and  relatives  of  many  of  the  patients  came  in  almost  daily. 
In  obedience  to  the  suggestion  conveyed  in  the  Chaplain's  letter, 
before  mentioned,  my  father  came  to  see  me  on  the  last  day  of  May. 
I  did  not  expect  any  of  my  people  to  come  and  of  course  I  was  sur 
prised.  I  noticed  father  as  he  came  into  the  ward.  He  passed  along 
the  aisle  and  scrutinized  the  patients  on  each  side  as  he  went.  He 
passed  by  me  failing  to  recognize  me.  So  I  called  him  back.  He 
seemed  greatly  distressed  because  my  hand  was  off — and  what  par 
ent  would  not  be?  He  remained  in  the  city  several  days.  Father 
and  I  conversed  in  Pennsylvania  German  and  my  jolly  ^7'ermont 
comrade  across  the  aisle  was  very  much  surprised  to  learn  that  1 
was  the  possessor  of  such  linguistic  accomplishments  as  to  be  able  to 
•discourse  in  a  foreign  language  ! 

Jime  22d,  I  had  so  far  improved  that  it  was  deemed  safe  to  send 
me  home  on  a  furlough.  August  20th  I  returned  to  the  hospital, 
having  spent  two  months  very  pleasantly  at  home.  My  circum 
stances  at  the  institution  now  suffered  a  sudden  and  violent  change 
for  the  worse.  I  was  no  longer  the  pampered  occupant  of  downy 
beds  of  ease  in  the  sick  ward,  to  be  petted  by  sympathizing  visitors 
•and  fed  on  dainties,  but  I  was  cruelly  thrust  out,  as  it  were,  into 
utter  darkness,  to  take  up  my  abode  among  the  common  herd  of  con 
valescents  who  in  like  manner  had  been  relegated  to  the  rough  bar 
racks  on  the  premises,  there  to  be  nourished  on  army  fare  of  hard 


854  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

tack,  beans,  pork  and  weak  coffee,  all  dumped  on  one  general  table. 
I  made  application  for  my  discharge,  desiring  to  return  home  and 
enter  school,  for  the  mutilated  condition  of  my  corporeal  part  ren 
dered  the  trade  I  had  learned  useless  to  me,  and  it  became  impera 
tive  to  begin  life  anew.  Dr.  Shelden  intimated  that  I  might  join 
the  invalid  corps  during  the  balance  of  my  term  of  enlistment  and 
perform  guard  duty  about  the  hospital  grounds.  I  suppose  I  should 
have  had  an  easy  time  serving  in  that  organization,  but  there  were 
already  nine  one-armed  invalids  doing  sentinel  duty  on  the  premises"; 
anyhow,  there  was  no  great  probability  of  making  a  fortune,  or  of 
achieving  glory  and  fame  in  the  invalid  corps.  Then  the  Doctor 
proposed  that  I  should  remain  at  the  hospital  and  perform  duty  as 
a  clerk.  This  proposition  was  tempting,  yet  I  preferred  to  adhere 
to  my  original  resolution  of  returning  home  and  entering  some  edu 
cational  institution.  I  was  discharged  September  12,  1864. 

Some  time  after  my  return  home  the  Doctor  and  I  exchanged 
photographs,  and  this  is  what  he  wrote  in  relation  thereto : 

Campbell  Hospital,  Washington,  D.  C.,  October  3,  1864. 
Friend  Meyer:  I  am  happy  to  inform  you  of  the  safe  arrival 
of  your  photograph  for  which  I  am  very  much  obliged.  It  will  be 
added  to  my  collection.  It  will  often  remind  me  of  what  I  thought 
to  be  one  of  the  poorest  operations  ever  performed  int  the  hospital, 
yet  terminating  in  one  of  .the  best.  I  presume  you  will  look  back 
on  the  time  you  spent  in  Campbell  Hospital  only  satisfactorily 
though  your  loss  was  great.  But  when  you  think  of  some  that  lay 
about  you,  you  will  feel  grateful  that  yours  was  not  like  theirs.  The 
hospital  is  looking  very  nicely. 

With  best  wishes  for  your  future  welfare,  I  am, 

Very  respectfully, 
(Signed)        A.  F.  SHELDEN, 
Surgeon  United  States 


THE  ONE-ARMED  MAN'S  STORY. 

By  T.  W.  Myton. 

At  Chancellorsville  we  formed  line  of  battle  in  front  of  what 
was  known  as  the  Bullock  House  and  were  ordered  to  advance  into 
the  woods  in  front  of  us. 

The  ground  in  the  woods  was  deeply  littered  with  fallen  leaves, 
limbs  and  tree  trunks.  The  trees  were  generally  small,  interspersed 
with  saplings  standing  so  thick  that  it  was  very  difficult  for  heavily 
armed  soldiers  to  get  through  them  and  preserve  their  alignment. 

We  had  ^one  some  distance  into  the  woods  and  I  had  just  freed 
myself  from  being  wedged  between  two  small  trees,  when  I  observed, 
about  ten  or  twenty  feet  in  front  of  me,  a  white  spot  come  suddenly 
on  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  and  a  second  later,  realized  that  it  was  a 
bullet  mark.  Immediately  the  air  seemed  full  of  bullets  and  one 
passing  through  the  side  of  a  small  tree  struck  me  on  the  right 
shoulder,  cutting  my  knapsack  strap  about  half  off,  seriously  bruising 
the  flesh  and  slightly  cutting  the  skin.  The  blow  seemed  seriou-  an  ;1 
for  a  time  I  thought  my  collar  bone  was  broken.  Just  then  order* 
came  to  lie  down  and  fire.  I  turned  to  leave  the  line  but  thought 
I  had  better  be  sure  I  had  sufficient  excuse  for  going.  I  found  no 
bones  were  broken  and  that  my  arm  worked  all  right  and  I  returned 
t:.  the  front  and  began  to  fire.  We  had  struck  their  line  obliquely 
giving  them  a  flank  fire  on  us.  The  fire  from  the  front  was  low 
but  the  fire  from  the  angle  was  direct  and  deadly. 

Coming  through  the  woods  I  was  losing  faith  in  myself  because 
of  a  certain  nervousness  and  a  disposition  of  my  knees  to  knock  to 
gether,  but  now  my  gun  came  down  steadily,  and  I  observed  tfiat 
I  was  doing  good  shooting  and  began  to  be  on  better  terms  with 
myself.  The  distance  was  very  short;  not  more  than  forty  yards,  1 
think,  and  the  fighting  became  fast  and  furious.  In  order  to  facili 
tate  rapid  firing  I  did  not  return  my  rammer  to  the  thembels  but  laid 
it  by  my  knee.  This  had  continued  for  some  time  when  as  I  turned 
my  head  to  put  a  cap  on  the  nipple  of  my  gun,  a  rifle  ball  struck  me 
in  the  lower  part  of  my  nose  and  through  my  upper  lip.  I  put  my 


856  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

hand  to  my  face  and  it  felt  as  if  my  nose  and  upper  lip  were 
torn  to  shreads.  I  uttered  a  soldier's  prayer  and  took  up  my  gun 
to  kill  somebody  but  that  benevolent  enterprise  was  frustrated  by  the 
blood  from  my  wound  running  into  my  mouth.  I  turned  to  leave 
the  field  and  thought  it  was  safer  to  creep  under  their  fire  than  to 
attempt  to  walk  through  it,  but  the  first  step  I  took,  a  bullet  passed 
through  my  left  arm  above  the  elbow  shattering  the  bone,  and 
I  fell  on  my  left  side,  fortunately,  with  my  shoulders  behind  a 
small  tree,  into  which  two  or  three  bullets  struck  and  bounced  out 
against  my  side.  I  decided  it  was  safer  to  lie  where  I  was  than  to 
attempt  to  get  out,  and  for  what  seemed  to  me  a  very  long  time, 
I  lay  there.  The  experience  of  that  interval  lying  there  fully  exposed 
to  that  fire  with  the  consciousness  that  any  second  might  be  my  last, 
and  fully  expecting  it,  I  shall  never  forget.  It  may  be  imagined 
but  can  never  be  described. 

After  wrhat  seemed  a  long  time  the  fire  slackened  about  me  and 
I  looked  up,  our  line  was  falling  back.  I  saw  Bob  Cassidy  (Big 
Bob)  taking  aim  from  side  of  a  tree  and  making  a  very  wry  face  as 
he  prepared  to  shoot  some  one.  I  felt  a  drowsiness  coming  over  me 
and  passed  into  unconsciousness.  I  do  not  know  how  long  I  remained 
so,  but  when  I  became  conscious  again,  the  fighting  was  over 
and  everything  quiet.  I  rose  to  my  feet  and  essayed  to  start  to  the 
rear,  the  first  step  I  took  I  placed  my  foot  in  a  pool  of  blood  (pre 
sumably  my  own)  my  foot  slipped  throwing  me  forward,  drawing 
my  knapsack  violently  over  my  bruised  shoulder  and  setting  my 
broken  arm  to  swinging  and  the  broken  bones  to  grinding  together. 
The  pain  was  intense,  beads  of  perspiration  broke  out  on  my  face 
and  I  became  totally  blind,  my  knapsack  seemed  to  be  pulling  me 
back,  I  had  the  sense  of  falling  backward.  I  was  in  the  "valley 
of  the  shadow"  and  alone.  The  thought  came  to  me  that  if  I  fell 
I  should  die  there,  and  with  all  the  strength  I  had  left  I  bent  my 
foot  forward  until  my  knapsack  was  over  my  feet  and  waited,  in 
total  darkness.  Presently  I  began  to  see  by  distorted  vision,  saw 
men  as  trees  walking,  but  I  waited  patiently  and  after  some  time 
everything  assumed  its  normal  shape.  Kemembering  the  trouble 
with  my  knapsack  I  unslung  it  and  lifting  it  from  my  left  shoulder, 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          857 

passed  it  down  gently  over  my  broken  arm  and  laid  it  on  the  ground. 
As  it  rested  on  the  ground  I  observed  at  my  feet  and  so  near  where 
I  had  lain  that  I  could  easily  have  laid  my  hand  on  his  face,  the 
body  of  Michael  Flinn.  His  fair  young  face  half  buried  in  the 
brown  dead  leaves,  apparently  he  had  died  in  peace  and  without 
much  pain.  But  this  was  not  the  time  for  sentiment  or  sorrow.  I 
had  but  one  chance  to  save  my  own  life  and  every  hour  tlvat  was  be 
coming  more  difficult. 

I  gathered  up  my  broken  left  arm  across  my  breast  and  with 
my  right  hand  under  the  elbow  to  sustain  the  weight,  started  for 
the  rear.  I  had  not  gone  far  when  I  discovered  that  I  had  become 
very  weak  from  the  loss  of  blood,  and  would  need  rest  frequently. 
A  large  tree  in  front  some  distance  seemed  to  afford  a  good  place 
t-;  rest  and  I  determined  to  rest  behind  it,  when  I  reached  it.  There 
were  still  some  shells  being  thrown  into  the  woods  by  the  Confed- 
eiate  batteries,  and  I  felt  like  seeking  the  protection  of  a  tree.  I 
walked  on  for  some  time  and  then  stopped  to  look  for  my  tree.  I  had 
drifted  down  hill  in  my  walk  and  was  some  yards  to  the  left  of  my 
tree,  but  I  could  see  behind  it,  and  there  resting  behind  it  were  two 
Confederate  soldiers. 

This  was  an  emergency  I  did  not  know  how  to  meet.  I  was 
determined  not  to  be  captured  if  I  could  avoid  it.  I  had  in  my 
blouse  pocket  a  six-inch  Colt's  revolver,  loaded.  I  let  down  my  broken 
arm  and  raised  the  revolver  in  my  pocket  so  that  the  handle 
was  above  my  pocket  where  it  could  be  readily  grasped,  then  taking 
up  my  broken  arm  again  and  believing  with  Falstaff  that  ''discretion 
is  of  valor  the  better  part,"  I  changed  my  course  so  as  to  avoid  them 
as  far  as  possible  and  saw  and  heard  nothing  more  of  them.  My 
course  fortunately  brought  me  out  at  the  point  where  the  road  crossed 
the  Bullock  farm.  When  I  came  out  into  the  field  I  was  surprised 
a  t  the  change  that  had  taken  place.  There  were  now  three  lines  of 
battle  across  this  field.  While  we  were  fighting  in  the  woods  the 
Army  had  been  brought  back  and  a  new  line  of  defense  formed.  On 
my  left  our  skirmish  line  was  being  driven  out  of  the  woods  and 
all  along  our  line  the  men  seemed  expecting  an  assault,  I  thought  the 
rebel  line  of  battle  was  approaching  and  I  would  be  caught  between 


838  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

them.  I  turned  to  seek  refuge  in  the  woods.  Just  then  a  cavalryman 
rode  out  of  line  in  the  road  and  said,  "You  can  get  through  here 
and  that  house  on  the  hill  is  a  hospital."  I  passed  through  the  lines 
and  walked  toward  the  house.  Before  I  reached  it  I  met  Lieutenant 
Ehinehart,  I  think,  of  Company  D,  and  two  or  three  of  our  men 
coming  from  the  house,  they  said  it  was  the  Twelfth  Corps  Hospital, 
was  full  "of  wounded  men  and  was  being  shelled,  and  that  our 
regimental  hospital  was  but  a  short  distance  down  the  road. 

We  went  on  together  and  soon  came  to  the  hospital  at  the  foot 
of  a  little  bank  or  hill ;  here  were  a  large  number  of  wounded  men 
of  our  Regiment,  including  Captain  Bayard  of  our  company.  The 
Captain  made  some  one  who  was  uninjured  surrender  a  comfortable 
seat  to  me,  where  I  could  lean  against  a  tree.  Surgeon  Davis 
examined  my  arm  quite  carefully  and  said  he  thought  the  arm  could 
be  saved.  Exhausted  by  my  long  walk  I  soon  fell  asleep  and  when 
I  awakened  the  hospital  had  disappeared,  I  was  alone,  save  the  body 
of  a  soldier  lying  on  a  stretcher  near  by.  T  determined  if  possible 
to  find  the  Second  Corps  Hospital  and  started  on  the  road  toward 
United  States  Ford.  I  walked  until  I  became  weary  and  sat  down 
by  the  roadside  to  rest,  and  again  fell  asleep,  from  which  I  was 
awakened  by  an  assistant  surgeon  who  said  he  was  gathering  up  the 
wounded  soldiers  straggling  in  the  roar  of  the  Army  and  would 
send  them  to  their  hospital.  He  had  a  stretcher  with  bearers  and 
insisted  on  carrying  me  off  to  one  side  of  the  road  where  he  had 
gathered  some  others.  There  I  remained  until  the  sun  was  declining 
iii  the  west. 

When  seeing  no  show  of  being  sent  anywhere  I  determined  to 
try  again  to  reach  the  Second  Corps  Hospital  and  again  took  the 
road  to  the  rear.  I  had  not  gone  far  until  I  was  overtaken  by  a 
young  soldier  carrying  his  rifle,  who  insisted  on  helping  me  off  the 
field,  to  him  I  finally  gave  my  canteen  and  haversack  and  together 
we  went  down  the  road  until  we  reached  the  rear  guard.  Here  I 
was  shown  the  Second  Corps  Hospital  which  was  near  by  and  he 
was  sent  back  to  his  regiment. 

The  hospital  was  a  place  in  the  woods  where  a  large  number 
of  the  wounded  men  df  the  corps  were  brought  together  and  where 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          859 

the  surgeons  had  found  enough  rough  boards  at  a  saw  mill  nearby 
to  make  a  temporary  operating  table,  the  men  sitting  or  lying 
Around  in  the  woods  awaiting  their  turn. 

I  was  here  but  a  short  time  when  hospital  attendants  brought 
me  a  cup  of  beef  tea,  I  was  very  hungry  and  asked  for  more  but 
it  could  not  be  furnished.  I  saw  that  I  would  have  to  pass  the  night 
there  and  with  a  large  knife  I  carried,  I  cut  from  some  small  pine 
trees  enough  limbs  to  make  me  a  bed,  but  the  night  was  chilly  and 
I  was  uncomfortable  until  some  one  gave  me  a  blanket.  The  next 
morning  a  number  of  surgeons  looked  at  my  arm  and  decided  that 
it  would  have  to  be  amputated.  Later  Chaplain  Stevens  found  me 
anjd  after  talking  to  me  for  some  time,  said,  "I  see  you  have  a 
revolver  and  a  pocketbook  in  your  blouse  pocket,  and  I  suppose  you 
have  some  money.  You  will  be  robbed  if  you  keep  these.  If  you 
will  give  them  to  me  I  will  send  them  to  you  at  the  hospital  soon 
after  you  get  there,"  I  gladly  gave  them  to  him  and  received  them 
again  two  days  after  reaching  the  hospital  at  Potomac  Creek. 

About  noon  the  hospital  steward  came  to  me  and  said,  "They  are 
now  ready  for  you."  I  walked  to  the  table  with  him  and  lay  down, 
he  administered  ether  to  me  and  after  a  while  I  became  unconscious. 

After  my  first  attempt  to  walk  from  the  field  I  had  carried  my 
arm  across  my  breast.  The  last  sound  I  heard  before  losing  con 
sciousness  was  that  of  my  arm  falling  from  my  breast  to  the  boards 
beside  me  and  the  first  thought  that  came  to  my  mind  on  awakening 
was  to  lift  it  back  again  and  when  I  opened  my  eyes  the  attendant 
was  standing  beside  me  laughing  at  my  failure  to  catch  my  arm 
that  had  been  cut  off;  I  was  trying  to  grasp  it  five  or  six  inches 
below  where  it  was  cut  off. 

I  got  up  from  the  table  and  walked  to  the  stretcher  where  my 
canteen  and  haversack  had  been  left,  and  lay  down.  I  looked  at  my 
left  side,  there  where  my  good  left  arm  had  been  was  a  short  stump 
neatly  bandaged.  For  the  first  time  the  full  significance  of  my  mis- 
furtune  appeared  to  me  and  I  covered  my  eyes  with  my  sleeve,  to 
hide  the  tears  I  did  not  care  to  show. 

I  still  had  a  desire  to  live  and  saw  with  delight  some  time 
after  a  long  line  of  ambulances  drive  up.  They  seemed  to  be  taking 


840  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

everybody  but  me,  I  became  impatient,  finally  they  came  to  me  but 
the  hospital  steward  said  you  cannot  take  him,  he  will  have  to  be 
curried.  I  was  again  in  despair,  if  I  was  to  be  carried  how  long 
would  I  have  to  wait,  and  if  the  Army  fell  back  what  would  my 
chances  be? 

Not  long  after  however,  four  soldiers  approached  me  and  taking 
my  stretcher  on  their  shoulders,  with  frequent  risk,  carried  me  to  a 
hospital  tent  on  the  bluff  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Rappahannock, 
nbove  United  States  Ford. 

In  the  evening  a  rain  came  up,  such  a  rain  as  I  had  then  never 
seen  and  such  as  I  have  never  since  seen.  We  nearly  all  got  wet, 
and  night  coming  on  we  were  in  a  pitiable  condition.  Spencer  Mc- 
Intyre  of  Company  H  was  here  on  some  detached  duty  and  seeing 
me  in  this  condition,  out  of  sympathy  for  me,  gave  me  his  blanket 
:inc!  I  had  a  fairly  comfortable  night.  Early  in  the  morning  we  were 
told  the  Army  was  recrossing  the  river,  we  were  given  stretchers 
cutside  where  we  could  have  the  warmth  of  the  sun,  and  where 
we  could  see  the  marching  column.  We  watched  carefully  for  the 
bright  new  flags  of  the  148th,  and  when  they  appeared  we  waved  our 
caps  above  our  heads.  The  signal  was  seen  and  two  or  three  of  the 
boys  came  over  to  see  us.  In  the  afternoon  the  ambulances  came  up 
and  we  were  loaded  in  for  a  long  rough  ride.  I  was  placed  in  an 
ambulance  with  a  soldier  of  the  140th  who  had  lost  his  right  arm. 
The  roads  were  the  worst  imaginable.  The  artillery  and  heavy  trains 
had  cut  them  up  deeply,  besides  parts  that  had  been  corduroyed  had 
been  dragged  together  in  heaps  and  over  these  the  ambulances  had  to 
be  driven.  Fortunately  we  had  a  most  careful  driver.  In  the 
early  evening  it  rained  slightly,  and  the  night  became  pitch  dark. 

We  arrived  near  General  Couch's  headquarters  about  ten  o'clock 
and  were  given  beef  tea,  and  to  each  ambulance  a  hospital  blanket. 
The  night  was  spent  in  the  ambulances  and  the  next  morning  we 
started  for  Potomac  Creek  over  exceedingly  rough  roads  and  arrived 
there  in  the  evening.  Here  we  were  washed,  our  wounds  examined 
and  dressed  and  were  given  clean  cot  beds  to  sleep  on.  The  next 
day  we  were  changed  to  other  wards.  The  wound  in  my  face  was 
not  serious  yet  painful,  that  on  my  left  shoulder  a  mere  bruise,  and 


CHANCELLORSVILLE 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          841 

my  arm  had  stood  the  rough  journey  very  well.  From  the  first 
day  my  wounds  healed  very  rapidly,  and  I  was  soon  able  to  walk 
about  the  grounds  but  I  had  not  learned  to  balance  myself  and  was 
inclined  to  walk  in  a  circle.  I  had  been  in  the  hospital  ten  or 
twelve  days  when  as  I  sat  on  the  foot  of  my  bunk  eating  my  dinner, 
which  on  that  day  consisted  of  a  slice  of  bread,  a  tin  cup  full  of 
gravy,  in  which  pickled  pork  had  been  boiled  and  a  small  piere  of 
the  pork.  I  heard  a  voice  I  knew  inquire,  "Is  there  a  man  named 
Thomas  Myton  here?"  The  nurse  said,  "Xo,  there  is  not,"  but  I 
called  out  as  loudly  as  I  could,  "Yes,  there  is."  It  was  a  friend 
(my  brother-in-law)  sent  by  my  mother  to  find  me  and  secure  for 
me  a  furlough  and  take  me  home.  I  was  greatly  rejoiced  to  see  him 
and  to  hear  from  home.  In  my  confusion  I  invited  him  to  dinner. 
He  looked  at  my  lay  out  and  said,  "I  just  came  from  Surgeon  Hays 
o.f  the  110th  and  have  an  invitation  to  dine  with  him.  He  men 
tioned  several  good  things  we  are  to  have  specially,  for  dessert, 
peaches  canned  in  brandy.  As  his  invitation  was  first  I  believe  I 
will  accept  it." 

After  two  or  three  days  of  earnest  effort,  tramping  around  from 
regiment  to  brigade,  from  brigade  to  division,  from  division  to 
corps  and  back  again,  a  furlough  of  ten  days  was  finally  secured  by 
my  brother-in-law.  It  was  to  date  from  May  22d. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  May  22d  we  left  the  hospital  for 
Brooks  Station  on  foot  and  arrived  there  in  time  for  the  train  to 
Acquia  Creek  when  we  got  a  boat  for  Washington,  arriving  there 
about  4:00  P.  M.  As  the  boat  approached  the  wharf  I  walked  to  the 
stern  to  avoid  the  crowd  that  rushed  forward,  a  gentlemen  standing 
there  pointed  to  six  small  cannon  lying  on  the  wharf  and  said,  "There 
are  the  guns  of  the  Washington  Light  Artillery,  captured  at  Marye 
Heights  a  few  days  ago."  We  had  intended  to  stop  at  Washington, 
but  finding  we  could  get  a  train  for  Harrisburg  that  evening  con 
cluded  to  go  on. 

Seated  on  the  train,  as  it  was  filling  with  passengers,  I  was 
greatly  impressed  with  the  music  that  is  in  a  woman's  voice.  It 
was  not  a  matter  of  sentiment  or  fancy  but  having  heard  nothing 
but  the  rough  voices  of  men  for  so  long  a  time,  the  finer,  softer  voices 


842  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

of  women  were  music  to  my  ear.  Seated  alone  in  a  car  seat  I  sank 
back  in  the  soft  velvet  cushion  and  as  we  flew  over  the  beautiful 
farms,  by  the  pleasant  stately  homes  and  flowering  trees  of  the  Dis 
trict  and  Maryland  away  from  the  battlefield,  the  hospitals  and 
desolation  of  Virginia,  I  was  for  the  space  of  one  short  evening  in 
Paradise  and  scarcely  desired  anything  more.  We  arrived  at  Harris- 
burg  that  night,  at  my  brother-in-law's  home  the  next  night  and 
on  Sunday  morning  May  24,  1863,  I  was  at  home  with  my  mother 
in  the  quiet  village  of  Manor  Hill. 


PO  RIVER  AND  SPOT S YLVANIA. 


PART  I. 

(The  following  memoranda,  opening  an  article  entitled  "The  148th  at  Po 
River,"  were  found  among  the  papers  of  Maj.  R.  H.  Forster.) 

From  Todd's  Tavern,  where  the  Second  Corps  had  been  de 
tained  over  the  8th  of  May  to  meet  a  demonstration  of  the  enemy 
that  threatened  some  danger  to  the  rear,  of  the  Union  Army,  'a  march 
of  a  few  hours,  on  the  9th,  brought  the  Corps  into  position  on  the 
extreme  right  of  the  line  facing  the  Confederate  forces  at  Spotsyl- 
vania  Court  House.  The  line  of  march  from  Todd's  Tavern  trav 
ersed  a  dense  wood.  Stately,  towering  trees,  beautiful  with  the 
\T-rdure  of  the  early  spring,  covered  the  ground.  There  were  ominous 
and  gloomy  recesses  in  that  dark  forest,  but  all  was  quiet  as  the 
weary  column  silently  pursued  its  march,  save  such  sounds  as  were 
occasioned  by  the  rapidly  repeated  orders  sent  along  the  line  by 
the  commanding  officers,  the  steady  tramp,  tramp  of  the  soldiers, 
and  the  monotonous  rumble  of  the  artillery  trains.  It  was  a  quiet 
and  undisturbed  march.  Xot  so,  however,  the  previous  day.  War 
ren,  with  the  Fifth  Corps,  had  passed  through  the  same  wood  a.nd 
met  with  stout  opposition.  The  road  was  not  only  obstructed  by 
numerous  barricades  built  with  fallen  trees,  but  Stuart,  the  alert 
and  dashing  chief  of  the  Confederate  cavalry,  with  a  portion  of  his 
command,  had  placed  himself  across  the  path  to  bar  the  approach 
to  Spotsylvania.  Almost  every  tree  concealed  and  sheltered  a  dis 
mounted  trooper,  and  the  sharp  crack  of  the  rifle  and  the  carbine 
told  of  the  spirited  resistance  the  wary  Confederate  was  making 
to  the  efforts  put  forth  to  dislodge  him.  For  hours  he  baffled  the 
attempts  of  the  cavalry  that  led  Warren's  advance  to  clear  the  road. 
Chafing  under  the  delay  thus  forced  upon  him,  Warren  finally  de 
termined  to  take  matters  into  his  own  hands.  He  promptly  brought 
his  infantry  in  front,  and  deployed  several  brigades  to  the  right  and 
left  of  the  road,  ordered  a  charge  and  succeeded  in  driving:  the 


844  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Confederate's  cavalry  in  headlong  flight  from  their  stronghold,  though 
not  without  suffering  considerable  loss.  The  way,  however,  was 
opened  and  the  march  resumed. 

It  was  some  time  past  noon  of  the  9th  when  the  First  Division 
of  the  Second  Corps  emerged  from  the  wood  and  filed  into  place 
upon  high,  cleared  ground  overlooking  the  valley  of  the  Po  Tliver. 
From  the  position  held  by  this  part  of  the  command  there  was  a 
good  view  of  the  open  country  in  immediate  proximity  to  it,  and  it 
was  not  long  until  a  Confederate  wagon  train  was  observed  at  some 
distance  beyond  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river,  slowly  wending  its 
way  towards  Spotsylvania  Court  House.  The  enemy  did  not  appear 
t:.  be  present  in  any  strength,  and  it  was  thought  that  by  a  rapid 
movement  across  the  stream  the  train,  or  a  portion  of  it,  might  be 
captured.  After  a  brief  consultation,  it  was  determined  to  make 
the  effort.  For  this  purpose  Brooke's  Brigade  was  selected,  and  in 
a  moment  was  in  motion  towards  the  river.  Reaching  the  river  Bank, 
the  148th,  with  Colonel  Beaver  in  command,  was  ordered  to  cross  in 
advance.  The  stream  at  the  point  where  the  crossing  was  effected 
was  not  very  wide,  but  was  sluggish  and  of  considerable  depth.  The 
men  quickly  dashed  across  and  promptly  fell  into  line  under  cover 
of  the  bank.  Colonel  Beaver  then  moved  the  Regiment  a  short 
distance  down  the  stream,  and  with  the  energy  and  gallantry  so 
characteristic  of  him  at  once  made  his  dispositions  for  an  advance 
upon  the  train.  Six  companies  of  the  Regiment — three  from  the 
right  and  three  from  the  left — were  deployed  as  skirmishers,  leaving 
the  four  center  companies,  with  the  colors,  to  'act  as  a  support  to 
the  skirmish  line.  When  these  dispositions  were  complete  and  all 
was  ready  for  the  forward  movement,  it  was  thought  it  might  be 
a  dangerous  experiment  to  advance  without  a  stronger  support,  and 
an  order  was  received  not  to  move  until  other  troops  were  across 
and  ready  to  follow  the  advance  line.  The  delay  caused  by  this 
order  was  unfortunate,  as  it  enabled  the  entire  wagon  train  to  pass 
by  in  safety.  In  the  meantime  a  battery  of  horse  artillery  that  had 
accompanied  the  train  wheeled  into  position  on  the  road  directly  in 
front  of  the  148th,  and  paid  its  respects  in  a  very  lively  and  interest 
ing  manner.  The  fire  was  at  short  range,  the  aim  accurate,  and  the 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          845 

shells  came  "thick  and  fast,"  but  protected  by  the  river  bank,  behin ; 
which  the  line  was  lying,  very  little  damage  was  done,  though 
the  scene  during  the  short  time  it  lasted  was  decidedly  spirited 
and  exciting.  Finally  the  clear  tones  of  the  bugle  sounded  the  ad 
vance,  and  the  long  line  of  skirmishers,  led  by  Colonel  Beaver  in 
person,  shot  forth  across  the  plain,  with  the  hope  at  least  of  captur 
ing  the  hostile  and  spiteful  battery.  This,  however,  was  not  ac 
complished.  A  narrow  country  road,  leading  directly  to  the  rear, 
gave  the  battery  an  avenue  of  escape,  and  when  the  line  was  half 
way  to  it,  the  guns  were  quickly  limbered  and  run  off  at  the  gallop. 
The  line  pressed  forward  to  the  road  upon  which  the  wagon  train 
had  moved  and  was  there  halted  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  supports 
which  were  still  crossing  the  river. 

(The  Story  of  Po  River  and  The  Salient  is  completed  at  request 
of  the  committee  by  extracts  from  the  Editor's  lecture  on  "Spot- 
sylvania,"  followed  by  three  other  short  stories  by  other  comrades.) 


846  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


PO  RIVER  AND  SPOTSYLVANIA. 


PART  II. 

By  J.  W.  Muffly,  Late  Adjutant  i48th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers. 
Fourth  Brigade  (Brooke}  First  Division  (Barlow}  Second  Corps  (Hancock}. 

The  battle  of  Spotsylvania  Court  House  began  on  the  8th 
day  of  May,  1864,  and  ended  on  the  19th — the  more  important  en 
gagements  being  those  of  the  8th,  10th  and  12th.  It  was  the  second 
of  the  four  bloody  and  indecisive  conflicts  between  the  veterans  of 
Meade  and  Lee — the  Wilderness,  Spotsylvania,  Sheridan's  Raid 
and  Cold  Harbor — leading  events  in  what  is  designated  in  the  Offi 
cial  Rebellion  Records  as  "The  Campaign  from  the  Rapidan  to  the 
James."  It  stands  No.  1,577  in  Scribner's  list  of  2,261  battles. 

The  battle  of  the  Wilderness  had  ended  on  the  6th  and  on  the 
7th  orders  were  issued  for  the  movement  to  Spotsylvania. 

Spotsylvania  Court  House  is  located  on  a  ridge  between  the 
Ny  and  the  Po  Rivers  which,  with  two  other  branches,  the  Mat  and 
the  Ta,  by  a  curious  geographical  conceit,  form  the  Mattapony. 

From  the  Wilderness  to  the  Court  House  is  ten  miles,  south 
east.  To  Todd's  Tavern  is  five  miles,  from  Todd's  to  Spotsylvania 
five  and  from  Spotsylvania  to  Fredericksburg  twelve. 

There  are  three  main  roads  from  the  Wilderness  to  Spotsylvania, 
all  bearing  southeast.  These  are  the  Piney  Branch  Road,  the  Brock 
Road,  and  the  Shady  Grove  Road. 

The  Catharpin  Road  running  in  a  southwesterly  direction  from 
Piney  Branch  Church,  intersects  the  Brock  at  Todd's  and  the  Shady 
Grove  at  Shady  Grove  Church,  a  mile  or  less  beyond  Corbin's  Bridge. 
The  Block  House  or  old  Court  House  Road  runs  south  from  its 
junction  with  the  Brock  Road  near  Spindler's,  crosses  the  Shady 
Grove  Road  at  the  Block  House,  passes  through  the  old  Court  House 
and  crosses  the  Po  a  short  distance  below  the  latter.  The  Fredericks- 
burg  Road  runs  from  Spotsylvania  northeast  quite  directly  to  the 
river. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          847 

The  movement  began  on  the  night  of  the  7th.  The  trains 
had  been  started  earlier,  and  Lee  supposed  his  opponent  was  retreat 
ing  toward  Fredericksburg.  He  ordered  Anderson,  now  commanding 
Longstreet's  Corps,  to  move  to  Spotsylvania  on  the  morning  of  the 
8th  by  the  Shady  Grove  Koad,  but  Anderson  found  the  woods  on 
fire,  and  on  account  of  the  discomfort  and  danger  of  a  bivouac  under 
such  conditions,  he  pushed  out  at  once  and  made  a  night  march  to 
his  objective  point  in  advance  of  his  order?.  This  accident  gave  Lee 
possession  of  the  Court  House.  So  say  Grant  and  Humphreys. 

At  8  :30  the  Fifth  Corps  under  Warren  moved  from  its  line, 
by  the  rear  of  the  Second  Corps,  and  marched  by  the  Brock  Road 
toward  Spotsylvania.  Sedgwick  with  the  Sixth  moved  at  the  same 
time  by  the  Piney  Branch  Road.  He  was  at  first  ordered  to  move 
t  the  crossing  of  the  Piney  Branch  and  Brock  Roads,  but  in  the 
morning  the  orders  were  changed  so  as  to  require  him  to  place  one 
division  at  that  point,  one  at  Piney  Branch  Church,  and  the  third 
half  way  between  the  two.  Burnside  followed  Sedgwick  and  in  the 
morning  was  ordered  to  halt  at  Aldrich's.  Hancock  followed  Warren 
so  far  as  Todd's  Tavern. 

Meade  and  Grant,  after  seeing  Warren  under  way,  rode  to  Han 
cock's  headquarters  on  the  Brock  Road  and  about  eleven  o'clock  pre 
ceded  Warren  to  Todd's.  Gregg's  and  Merritt's  cavalry  were  at 
and  near  the  Tavern  without  orders — Sheridan's  orders  not  yet 
having  reached  them.  At  1 :00  A.  M.  Meade  issued  the  following 
orders : 

''Headquarters    Army    of    the   Potomac,    Todd's    Tavern, 

"May  8,  1804,  1 :00  A.  M. 

"General  Torbert  or  Merritt :  You  will  immediately  move  your 
command  beyond  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  placing  one  brigade  for 
the  present  at  the  Block  House,  picketing  the  roads  approaching  the 
Court  House,  and  disposing  the  other  two  so  as  to  cover  the  trains 
that  will  be  north  of  the  Xy  River,  between  that  and  the  Orange 
Plank  Road.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  not  a  moment's 
delay  occur  in  your  opening  the  Brock  Road  beyond  Spotsylvania 
Court  House,  as  an  infantry  corps  is  now  on  its  way  to  occupy  that 
place. 

-GKO.  G.  MEADE, 
"Major  General  Commanding." 


848  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Also,  under  similar  head  and  date  the  following  to 

"Brigadier  General  Gregg,  Commanding  Second  Cavalry  Divi 
sion:  You  will  immediately  move  your  division  to  the  vicinity  of 
Corbin's  Bridge  and  watch  all  the  roads  approaching  from  Parker's 
Store,  and  as  soon  as  General  Hancock  has  occupied  Todd's  Tavern 
you  will  send  a  force  on  the  Brock  Road  to  notify  General  Hancock 
of  the  approach  of  the  enemy." 

With  like  heading  Meade  wrote  to  Sheridan,  as  follows : 

"Major  General  Sheridan,  Commanding  Cavalry  Corps:  1 
find  General  Gregg  and  Torbert  without  orders.  They  are  in  the 
way  of  the  infantry  and  there  is  no  time  to  refer  to  you.  I  have 
given  them  the  enclosed  orders  which  you  can  modify  today  after  the 
infantry  are  in  position." 

General  Sheridan's  order  was  as  follows: 

Headquarters  Cavalry  Corps  Army  of  the  Potomac, 

May  8,  1864,  1:00  A.  M. 
Brigadier  General  Gregg,  Commanding  Second  Cavalry  Division, 

General:  I  am  directed  by  the  Major  General  commanding  to 
instruct  you  to  move  with  your  command  at  5 :00  A.  M.  on  the 
Catharpin  Road  crossing  at  Corbin's  Bridge,  and  taking  up  position 
at  Shady  Grove  Church.  General  Merritt,  with  the  First  Division, 
will  follow  you  on  the  same  road,  and  on  arriving  at  Shady  Grove 
Church,  will  take  the  left  hand  or  Block  House  Road,  moving  for 
ward  and  taking  up  position  on  that  point  (via  Block  House).  Im 
mediately  after  he  has  passed,  you  will  move  forward  with  your 
Division  on  the  same  road  to  the  crossing  of  the  Po  River,  where 
you  will  take  up  position,  supporting  General  Merritt.  General 
Wilson,  with  his  Division,  will  march  from  Alsop's  by  way  of  Spot- 
•sylvania  Court  House  and  the  Gate,  to  Snell's  Bridge,  where  he  will 
take  up  position.  The  infantry  marched  to  Spotsylvania 

Court  House  tonight 

These  slightly  conflicting  orders  to  the  cavalry  have  had,  it 
seems  to  me,  more  attention  than  they  deserve.  Badeau  makes  them 
the  basis  of  a  very  severe  criticism  of  Meade,  claiming  that  his  action 
in  this  matter  gave  Lee  possession  of  the  Court  House.  Genera! 
Humphreys  disposes  of  this  charge  in  the  12th  volume  of  the  Scrib- 
ner  Campaigns.  Grant  also  refers  to  it  as  an  "unfortunate  change 
of  orders,"  and  Sheridan  gives  the  incident  several  pages  of  em 
phatic  prominence  in  his  memoirs. 

Merritt's  cavalry  moved  out  on  the  Brock  Road  toward  Spot 
sylvania,  and  soon  became  engaged  with  Fitzhugh  Lee's  cavalry. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          849 

Warren  reached  Merritt's  headquarters,  a  mile  east  of  Todd's,  at 
3  :30  A.  M.  Cavalry  fighting  had  been  going  on  for  some  time,  and 
Lee  had  felled  trees  and  barricaded  the  road.  At  Merritt's  request 
Warren  attacked,  thus  opening  the  battle  of  Spotsylvania.  This 
combined  cavalry  and  infantry  fight  lasted  well  into  the  evening, 
was  fought  over  the  ground  about  Alsop's  farm  and  in  the  surround 
ing  timber,  and  developed  the  fact  that  Anderson  was  in  our  front 
with  Longstreet's  Corps.  At  twelve-thirty  General  Warren  reported 
that  he  had  pushed  back  the  enemy,  but  had  not  quite  reached  the 
crossing  of  the  old  Court  House  Road  and  that  General  Wright  had 
joined  him.  Here  the  Corps  entrenched  their  line  which  ran  from 
two  to  four  hundred  yards  from  the  enemy's,  which  was  entrenched 
at  the  crossing  of  the  Brock  and  Old  Court  House  Roads,  one  and  a 
half  miles  from  Spotsylvania  Court  House. 

Grant  at  this  time  was  at  Piney  Branch  Church,  and  being 
anxious  to  crush  Anderson  before  Lee  could  support  him,  ordered 
Sedgwick  to  join  Warren,  but  Grant  says  Sedgwick  was  slow  in  get 
ting  up — probably  unavoidable — that  it  was  near  night  before  the 
combined  forces  were  ready  to  attack.  Warren  reported  at  noon 
that  Wright's  Division  had  then  come  to  his  support.  It  was  a  hard 
fought,  battle  with  heavy  losses  on  both  sides.  It  was  opened  with 
the  four  divisions  of  the  Fifth  Corps  on  our  part  and  Lee's  cavalry 
and  Kershaw's  Division  of  Longstreet's  Corps.  Field  came  up  dm- 
ing  the  day  and  joined  Kershaw.  The  fighting  here  determined  the 
lines  at  this  point  during  the  following  days. 

Hancock  reached  Todd's  at  nine  on  the  morning  of  the  8th,  and 
relieved  Gregg,  whose  cavalry  was  skirmishing  with  the  enemy's 
cavalry  in  front  of  the  Tavern. 

During  the  forenoon,  Miles  reconnoitered  toward  Corbin's  and 
found  Hampton's  Cavalry  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  Anderson 
marched  by  a  road  running  south  from  his  right  at  the  Wilderness 
and  entering  the  Catharpin  Road  between  Todd's  and  Corbin's.  He 
crossed  at  Corbin's  and  proceeded  on  the  Shady  Grove  Road  toward 
Spotsylvania,  crossing  the  Po  a  second  time  on  the  bridge  two  and 
a  half  miles  west  of  the  Court  House.  He  reached  this  bridge  at 
daylight  on  the  8th.  Kershaw  was  in  the  advance  and  finding  Fitz- 


850  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

hugh  Lee  engaged,  he  turned  off  to  the  left  with  two  brigades  after 
crossing  the  bridge  and  went  to  the  support  of  Lee,  followed  a  little 
later  by  Field's  Division.  The  rest  of  the  Corps  proceeded  to  the 
Court  House  and  helped  drive  out  Wilson's  Cavalry. 

Ewell  moved  by  way  of  Parker's  Store  and  probably  by  a  road 
leading  into  the  Shady  Grove  Road  at  the  Church.  Early  was  to 
move  by  the  Brock  Road  but  on  attempting  to  enter  the  Catharpin 
Road  by  a  cross  road  leading  into  it  between  Todd's  and  the  Church, 
he  encountered  cavalry  videttes,  and  throwing  Mahone's  Division  for 
ward  he  struck  Miles'  Brigade  arfd  was  twice  repulsed.  Finding  us 
in  possession  of  the  Brock  Road,  Early  took  the  Shady  Grove  Road 
to  Spotsylvania,  and  early  on  the  morning  of  the  9th  he  was  in  posi 
tion  close  to  and  east  of  the  Court  House. 

Meantime  Burnside  moved  from  Aldrich's  to  Sayles  House  on 
the  Frederickburg-Spotsylvania  Road  thence  toward  the  Court 
House,  crossing  the  Ny  at  Gayles  House,  one  and  a  half  miles  from 
Spotsylvania.  Both  Armies  were  now  in  position  and  entrenched. 
Longstreet's  Corps  under  Anderson  formed  Lee's  left.  The  left  of 
this  corps  rested  on  the  Po  opposite  Warren's  right,  about  one-third 
of  a  mile  above  the  bridge.  From  this  point  to  the  Brock  Road  the 
line  was  held  by  Field's  Division.  From  the  Brock  Road  northeast 
for  half  a  mile,  entering  the  open  ground  of  Harrison's  farm,  the 
line  was  held  by  Kershaw,  whose  right  extended  beyond  Warren's 
left,  Next  came  Ewell's  Corps,  Rodes'  Division  holding  the  line 
running  half  a  mile  nearly  north  to  what  was  afterward  the  Bloody 
Angle,  Rodes'  right  held  by  Dole's  Brigade.  Thence  the  line  ran 
nearly  east  for  four  hundred  yards  along  the  edge  of  the  woods  witli 
the  open  ground  of  Brown's  and  Landron's  farms  in  front.  Tt  ter 
minated  in  a  high,  open  point  which,  Ewell  says,  if  held  by  the 
enemy,  would  have  commanded  the  line.  Six  or  eight  guns  were  in 
position  at  this  angle.  The  line  turned  from  this  point  and  ran 
nearly  south  for  over  six  hundred  yards.  Johnson's  Division  of 
Ewell's  Corps  held  this  part  of  the  line  with  brigades  in  order  fol 
lowing:  On  Dole's  right,  Walker  (Stonewall),  then  York's  (Staf 
ford),  Terry  (Jones)  and  Steuart, 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          851 

Continuing  southward  the  line  was  held  by  Hill's  Corps 
(Early)  to  a  point  south  of  the  Fredericksburg  Road.  The  intrench- 
ments  on  this  side  were  afterward  extended  southward  to  Snell's 
Bridge  on  the  Po.  Also  on  the  enemy's  left  the  lines  were  extended 
ii  mile  west  of  the  Po  on  high  open -ground  of  the  Graves  farm,  cov 
ering  the  Shady  Grove  Road.  The  east  bank  of  the  Po  was  also  in 
trenched  to  hold  the  crossing.  From  Hill's  left,  across  the  Salient, 
a  second  line  was  intrenched  running  to  the  left  of  Ramseur's  Bri 
gade.  It  was  occupied  by  General  Gordon  until  it  was  found  that 
we  could  enfilade  it,  when  he  was  placed  in  reserve  in  the  Salient. 
This  Salient  was  a  mile  in  extent  north  and  south  and  about  half  a 
mile  east  and  west. 

Meade's  Army  was  formed  to  meet  Lee's  dispositions,  with 
Hancock  on  the  right  on  high  ground  overlooking  the  Po,  and  the 
Shady  Grove  Road  to  the  south.  Xext  came  Warren's  Fifth  Corps, 
Sedgwick  with  the  Sixth  and  one  division — Mott's  of  Hancock'? 
Corps — and  on  the  extreme  left,  Burnside. 

The  9 tli  was  a  day  of  rest.  The  Fifth  and  Sixth  Corps  cor 
rected  their  lines  and  strengthened  their  intrencliments.  General 
Sedgwick  was  killed  by  a  sharpshooter  at  the  right  of  his  corps  at 
a  point  where  the  forks  of  the  road  in  Alsop's  field  unite.  He  was 
in  company  with  General  McMahon,  his  chief  of  staff,  who  had  in 
sisted  that  he  should  not  expose  himself  to  the  fire  of  the  sharp 
shooters.  During  a  movement  of  a  few  men  to  the  right  there  was 
a  scattering  fire  from  the  enemy,  causing  some  of  the  men  to  dodge, 
at  which  the  General  laughed  and  said,  "What,  what,  men,  dodging 
like  this  for  a  few  bullets  \  What  will  you  do  when  they  open  all 
along  the  line  \  They  couldn't  hit  an  elephant  at  this  distance." 
General  McMahon  continues,  "A  few  seconds  later,  a  man  who  had 
been  separated  from  his  regiment  passed  in  front  of  the  General,  and 
at  the  same  moment  a  sharpshooter's  bullet  passed,  and  the  soldier 
dodged  to  the  ground.  The  General  touched  him  gently  and  said, 
'Why,  I  am  ashamed  of  you,  dodging  that  way !  They  couldn't  hit  an 
elephant  at  that  distance."  The  man  rose,  saluted,  and  said,  good- 
naturedly,  "Well,  General,  I  dodged  a  shell  once  and  saved  mv  head. 
I  believe  in  dodging."  The  General  laughed,  and  said,  "All  right, 


852  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

my  man,  go  to  your  place. "  Then  for  a  third  time,  says  McMahon, 
the  same  shrill  whistle,  closing  with  a  dull  stroke,  interrupted  our 
talk  when,  as  I  was  about  to  resume,  the  General's  face  turned 
slowly  toward  me,  the  blood  spurting  from  his  left  cheek  under  the 
eye  in  a  steady  stream.  He  fell  in  my  direction,  so  close  to  me  that 
I  could  not  support  him,  but  fell  with  him."  The  death  of  Sedgwick 
was  a  great  loss  to  our  Army.  He  was  a  commander  of  very  solid 
worth,  and  was  highly  regarded  by  his  associates,  with  much  the 
same  kind  of  esteem  as  that  accorded  to  General  Thomas  in  the  West. 
They  were  men  of  very  similar  character. 

In  consequence  of  certain  indications  of  a  movement  by  Lee 
toward  Fredericksburg,  Hancock  was  directed  to  examine  the  Po 
on  his  front,  with  a  view  to  crossing  it,  and  turning  the  enemy's 
left.  Accordingly,  on  the  evening  of  the  9th,  the  three  divisions  o± 
Birney,  Barlow  and  Gibbon  crossed  the  Po  at  different  points  be 
tween  Tinders  and  the  sharp  turn  of  the  river,  above  the  bridge. 
Barlow  was  in  the  advance,  Brooke's  Brigade  leading,  and  Beaver 
with  our  148th  was  the  first  to  cross.  This  was  probably  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Chewning  Place.  We  crossed  on  a  fallen  tree,  many 
of  the  men  wading  through  the  stream,  and  pushed  forward,  ab 
described  by  Major  Forster,  driving  the  enemy's  battery  and  getting 
possession  of  the  cross  roads  between  the  river  and  Glady's  Run. 
We  were  now  in  a  very  delicate  position.  As  Grant  says,  across  the 
left  flank  of  Lee's  Army,  but  separated  from  it  and  from  the  remain 
der  of  Meade's  Army  by  the  Po  River.  We  pushed  along  rapidly 
on  the  Block  House  Road  toward  the  bridge,  expecting  to  make  the 
second  crossing  in  the  night.  This  was  found  to  be  impracticable, 
and  tihe  command  bivouacked  in  woods  near  Wake's  Shop.  An  ex 
amination  of  the  wooden  bridge  at  dawn  of  the  10th  showed  the 
enemy  in  such  force  and  perfect  command  of  the  bridge  and  ap 
proaches,  as  to  prevent  our  crossing.  Brooke  then  moved  down  the 
river,  and  crossed  at  a  point  about  half  way  between  the  bridge  and 
the  mouth  of  Glady's  Run.  From  this  point  a  reconnoitering  force 
under  Lieutenant  Colonel  Hamill,  66th  New  York,  discovered  the 
enemy's  line  in  strong  works,  with  infantry  and  artillery.  This 
movement  disturbed  Lee,  and  he  sent  two  divisions  of  Hill's  Corps 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          855 

to  meet  him.  Mahone's  Division  moved  to  the  river  bank  on  Field's 
left,  while  Heth  came  up  on  the  Waite  Shop  Koad,  and  attacked  us 
from  that  point.  Meantime,  it  had  been  determined  to  make  an 
assault  at  Laurel  Hill  in  front  of  Warren's  position,  near  Alsop's, 
and  Hancock  was  ordered  to  move  two  divisions  back  to  take  part  in 
the  attack,  he  to  be  in  command  of  the  entire  body.  Hancock  began 
the  withdrawal  of  his  division,  just  at  the  time  when  Heth's  attack 
was  impending.  Gibbon  and  Birney  at  once  re-crossed,  leaving 
Barlow  to  hold  the  south  side  of  the  river  alone.  It  was  not  designed 
to  bring  on  a  battle  at  that  point.,  and  orders  were  issued  for  the 
withdrawal  of  all  the  force  on  the  south  side.  We  had  in  the  mean 
time,  as  I  remember,  fallen  back  from  our  second  crossing,  and  were 
in  position  in  front  of  the  road,  and  between  it  and  the  Po.  Miles 
and  Smith  were  withdrawn,  leaving,  as  the  reports  claim,  the  bri 
gades  of  Brooke  and  Brown,  but  we  saw  nothing  of  the  latter.  Then 
followed  an  episode  of  war  of  thrilling  interest  to  a  single  regiment, 
some  of  the  details  of  which  were  either  unknown  to,  or  were  ig 
nored  by,  the  general  officers  in  their  official  reports. 

The  148th  Pennsylvania  had  occupied  a  dozen  or  more  different 
positions  during  the  day,  and  late  in  the  afternoon,  was  formed 
behind  a  line  of  light  breastworks  facing  from  the  river.  We  were 
ordered  to  leave  these  works,  and  form  on  the  other  side  of  the  road, 
in  the  edge  of  the  timber  skirting  the  river  bank.  This  was  the  last 
order  we  received  that  day.  At  that  time  we  knew  nothing  of  the 
general  movements,  did  not  know  why  we  were  thrown  across  the 
river,  nor  why  we  had  retreated,  and  we  never  got  any  order  from 
anybody  to  withdraw  from  that  position.  We  had  skirmishers  in 
our  front,  and  in  a  very  few  minutes  after  our  last  change  of  posi 
tion,  they  fell  back  and  were  followed  by  the  enemy's  line  of  battle. 
We  held  our  fire  until  the  skirmish  line  was  clear  of  our  front,  and 
the  enemy  were  emerging  from  the  woods,  distant  only  the  width  of 
a  wagon  road,  when  we  opened  with  a  volley.  They  at  once  replied, 
and  the  fight  began.  They  soon  observed  the  works  we  had  left,  and 
deliberately  filing  in  behind  them,  continued  to  fight  us  from  our 
own  works.  This  battle  began  at  about  three  in  the  afternoon,  and 
lasted  about  two  hours.  We  lost  twenty  killed,  one  hundred  and 


854  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

thirty-five  wounded  and  twelve  missing.  So  far  as  we  could  see,  we 
were  the  only  regiment  left  on  that  side.  In  all  the  long  bloody 
hours  of  that  useless  battle,  no  orders  reached  us.  It  seemed 
that  a  single  regiment  was  left  to  fight  two  divisions  of  Hill's  Corps. 
The  fight  went  on  until  we  had  fired  our  last  cartridge.  Our  men 
were  falling  like  game  before  hunters,  and  still  no  relief  and  no 
orders.  Beaver  could  stand  it  no  longer.  Calling  me  to  his  side,  he 
said,  "Adjutant,  we  can  not  stand  this.  You  go  swing  the  right 
back  while  I  hold  the  left  and,  we  will  retire  down  the  ravine.  I 
will  take  the  responsibility  of  withdrawing  my  Regiment  without 
orders."  So  we  made  good  our  retreat,  gathering  up  our  dead  and 
wounded  as  we  went  toward  the  river,  and  as  we  were  about  to  croso, 
Beaver  looked  back  at  the  procession  of  stretcher  bearers  with  their 
burdens,  and  said  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  "Oh,  my  brave  boys !  What 
a  pity." 

During  this  battle  the  woods  took  fire, 'which  spread  rapidly, 
and  became  a  serious  factor  in  the  situation,  although  I  do  not  re 
member  that  any  casualties  resulted,  but  it  choked,  blinded  and  stifled 
us  to  a  most  exasperating  extent.  Just  on  our  left  was  a  section  of 
Arnold's  Battery.  When  they  started  to  withdraw  it,  one  of  the 
teams  became  unmanageable  and  dragged  the  gun  between  two  trees, 
where  it  was  wedged  so  tightly  that  all  efforts  were  unavailing  to  ex 
tricate  it,  and  it  had  to  be  abandoned — the  first  gun  ever  lost  by  the 
Second  Corps.  I  suppose  that  as  a  matter  of  fact,  it  was  assumed 
that  all  the  troops  had  crossed  the  river  before  we  became  engaged 
the  last  time,  and  were  thus  abandoned  to  our  fate. 

General  Hancock's  report  relating  to  our  battle  of  the  10th  on 
the  Po  says : 

"The  combat  now  became  close  and  bloody.  The  enemy 
in  vastly  superior  numbers  flushed  with  the  anticipation  of  an  easy 
victory,  appeared  to  be  determined  to  crush  the  small  force  opposed 
to  them,  and  pressing  forward  with  loud  yells,  forced  their  way 
close  up  to  our  line,  delivering  a  terrible  musketry  fire  as  they  ad 
vanced.  Our  brave  troops  again  resisted  their  onset  with  undaunted 
resolution.  The  fire  along  our  whole  line  was  so  continuous  and 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          855 

deadly  that  the  enemy  broke  and  retreated  in  the  wildest  confusion, 
leaving  the  ground  strewed  with  their  dead  and  wounded.  During 
the  heat  of  this  contest,  the  woods  on  our  right  and  rear  took  fire. 
The  flames  approached  close  to  our  line  rendering  it  almost  impos 
sible  to  retain  the  position  longer.  During  the  lull  in  the  fight 
Barlow  had  directed  Brooke  and  Brown  to  abandon  the  position  and 
retire  to  the  north  bank.  Their  right  and  rear  enveloped  in  the 
burning  woods^  their  front  assailed  by  overwhelming  numbers,  the 
withdrawal  was  attended  with  extreme  difficulty  and  peril,  but  the 
movement  was  commenced  at  once,  the  men  displaying  such  coolness 
and  steadiness  as  are  rarely  exhibited  in  the  presence  of  dangers  so 
appalling.  It  seemed,  indeed,  that  these  gallant  soldiers  were  de 
voted  to  destruction.  The  enemy  again  advanced,  but  were  promptly 
checked  by  our  troops  who  fell  back  through  the  burning  woods  with 
admirable  order  and  deliberation,  though  in  doing  so,  many  of  them 
were  killed  and  wounded,  numbers  perishing  in  the  flames.  I  feel 
that  I  cannot  speak  too  highly  of  the  bravery,  soldierly  conduct  and 
discipline  displayed  by  Brooke's  and  Brown's  Brigades  on  this  occa 
sion.  Attacked  by  Heth's  entire  division,  they  repeatedly  beat  him 
back,  holding  their  ground  with  unyielding  courage  until  they  were 
ordered  to  withdraw.  Col.  James  A.  Beaver,  148th  Pennsylvania, 
and  Lieut.  Col.  D.  L.  Strieker,  2d  Delaware,  are  particularly  men 
tioned  by  Colonel  Brooke  for  marked  service  and  conspicuous  cour 
age." 

The  only  operation  on  the  llth  was  a  reconnaissance  by  Mott 
to  find  a  weak  place  in  Lee's  line.  Grant  wrote  to  Halleck  his  ffl- 
mous  "fight  it  out  on  this  line"  message.  He  said  in  part : 

"We  have  now  ended  the  sixth  day  of  very  hard  fighting.  The 
result  up  to  this  time  is  very  much  in  our  favor.  We  have  lost  to 
this  time  eleven  general  officers  killed,  wounded  and  missing,  and 
probably  20,000  men.  T  think  the  loss  of  the  enemy  must  be 
greater,  we  having  taken  over  four  thousand  prisoners  in  battle.  I 
am  now  sending  back  to  Belle  Plaine  all  my  wagons  for  a  fresh 
supply  of  provisions  and  ammunition,  and  purpose  to  fight  it  out  on 
this  line  if  it  takes  all  summer." 

The  night  of  the  llth  of  May  was  a  type  of  the  meanest  of 
Virginia  weather.  We  had  made  ourselves  as  comfortable  as  pos 
sible,  and  were  sleeping  away  the  fatigues  of  the  campaign,  when  I 
was  roused  up  by  an  Orderly  from  headquarters,  with  marching 
orders,  and  at  ten  o'clock  on  that  miserable  night,  under  guidance 


856  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

of  Major  Mendell,  or  Captain  Morgan,  of  the  engineers,  we  set  out. 
The  darkness  was  inky  and  impenetrable.  The  drizzling  rain 
drenched  us,  and  the  mud  was  discouraging,  yet  withal  there. was  a 
feeling  of  mystery  in  the  movement  that  was  inspiring.  I  think  no 
one  except  the  guides  had  any  idea  of  our  direction  or  destination. 
We  were  ordered  to  preserve  the  utmost  silence.  Coffee  cans  and 
accoutrements  were  to  be  so  secured  as  to  prevent  rattling.  So  in 
silence  and  darkness  we  plodded  wearily  onward,  until  after  mid 
night.  Upon  halting,  the  troops  were  formed  in  double  column, 
closed  in  mass,  and  ordered  to  rest.  All  horses  were  sent  to  the 
roar.  The  point  of  our  formation  was  near  the  Brown  Hou^e.  We 
felt,  rather  than  saw,  that  we  were  in  a  ravine  or  depression,  and 
spreading  our  ponchos,  lay  down  and  slept.  I  never  knew  how  I 
was  awakened,  but  on  rising  from  my  bivouac,  I  found  every  one 
else  doing  likewise.  This  was  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  of 
Thursday,  May  12th.  On  reporting  to  Colonel  Beaver,  he  said, 
"You  will  say  to  each  company  commander  that  we  are  about  to 
charge  the  enemy's  works.  There  will  be  no  firing,  the  men  will 
march  in  at  right  shoulder  shift."  In  all  of  this,  from  the  begin 
ning  of  our  night  march,  not  a  loud  word  had  been  spoken^  and  at 
four-thirty  we  heard  all  along  the  line,  in  a  hoarse  whisper,  the 
single  word,  "Forward !"  and  the  Second  Corps  stepped  off  as  one 
man.  We  were  about  twelve  hundred  yards  from  the  enemy's  line 
and  as  the  light  improved,  we  could  see,  in  our  front,  a  considerable 
ascent,  partly  wooded,  but  with  about  four  hundred  yards  of  clear 
ing,  extending  up  to  the  works  in  front  of  the  Landrum  House.  Just 
at  the  edge  of  our  bivouac  was  a  bit  of  a  brook  with  marshy  bank?. 
Brooke's  and  Miles'  Brigades  of  Barlow's  Division  were  in  front  on 
the  open  ground.  Brown's  and  Smythe's  Brigades  in  the  second  line, 
all  in  double  column  on  the  center,  Birney's  Division  on  Barlow's 
right  in  two  deployed  lines,  Mott  in  rear  of  Birney  and  Gibbon  in 
reserve.  So  we  started,  an  almost  solid  rectangular  mass  of  twenty 
thousand  men.  Firmly,  steadily  we  moved  forward,  with  perfect 
alignment,  and  as  the  dawning  day  lifted  the  fog,  we  soon  saw, 
frowning  in  our  front  the  terrible  Salient  which  we  proposed  to 


\jlMvc)  JVAxU,^ 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          857 

capture.  At  a  distance  of  three  hundred  yards  we  marched  over  the 
enemy's  pickets,  who  were  so  astounded  upon  seeing  us  emerge  from 
the  fog  that  they  never  fired  a  shot,  nor,  of  course,  did  we.  But  on 
reaching  the  picket  reserve  at  Landrum's,  about  half  way,  we  re 
ceived  a  fire  which  killed  Colonel  Strieker  and  several  others. 

A  regiment  was  sent  to  disperse  this  reserve  and  the  column 
passed  on.     The  ground  was  open  and  rolling  from  Landrum's  and 
we  dashed  over  it  in  fine  style,  in  full  view  of  the  formidable  works 
in  our  front.     They  were  indeed  formidable !     Located  upon  a  pro 
jecting  and  commanding  point,  covered  with  large  oak  trees,  it  had 
been  fortified  with  consummate  skill  and  immense  labor.     The  great 
oaks  had  been  felled,  the  logs  piled  up  breast-high  and  the  red  "Vir 
ginia  clay  thrown  up  on  either  side,  forming  a  solid  embankment 
twelve  feet  wide  at  the  base  and  four  at  the  parapet.     Behind  this 
embankment  traverses  had  been  constructed,  running  backward  for 
some  distance  at  right  angles  to  the  main  line".   We  met  but  little  fir 
ing  until  within  about  three  hundred  yards  when  the    impetuous 
Irish   Brigade   set   up    a   wild   cheer   and    the   enemy    immediately 
opened  a  tremendous  fire  of  musketry  from  a  part  of  their  line.     But 
nothing  could  now  stop  our  advance.     Our  men  rushed  up  to  the 
works,  tearing  away  the  abatis  with  their  hands  and  poured  in  like 
a  great  wave,  driving  out  the  Confederates  pell  mell  with  clubbed 
muskets  and  bayonets,  capturing  twenty  guns  and  about  four  thou 
sand  prisoners,  being  nearly  the  whole  of  the  celebrated  Stonewall 
Brigade,  together  with  Major  Gen.  Edward  Johnson  and  Brig.  Gen. 
George  H.  Steuart.     Some  little  delay  in  our  entrance  was  caused 
by  the  long  stream  of  prisoners  passing  out  through  our  lines  to  the 
rear.     Just  here  and  while  our  Regiment  was  hotly  engaged,  a  Con 
federate  officer  pushed  through  the  struggling  troops  and  approach 
ing  Colonel  Beaver  said : 

"I  would  like  to  surrender  to  an  officer  of  rank.     I  am  General 
Steuart," 

"What,"  exclaimed  Colonel  Beaver,  "are  you  <Jeb'  Stewart  ?" 

"No,"  he  replied,  "I  am  Geo.  H.  Steuart." 

Said  Beaver,  "I  will  accept  your  surrender.     Where  is  your 
sword,  sir?" 


858  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

"Well,  sah,"  answered  Steuart,  in  a  melancholy  tone  of  regret 
with  a  tinge  of  the  comic,  "you  all  waked  us  up  so  early  this  mawn- 
in'  that  I  didn't  have  time  to  get  it  on." 

A  few  words  passed  between  the  officers,  Beaver  telling  him 
that  he  could  not  remain  there,  when  a  little  Corporal  of  the  Irish 
Brigade,  catching  the  situation,  stepped  up  smartly,  touched  his 
cap  and  said,  "I'll  take  care  uv  'im,  Colonel."  "Take  him  to  Gen 
eral  Brooke,"  said  Beaver,  and  off  went  the  little  Corporal  to  the 
rear,  proud  of  his  big  trophy.  On  his  way  to  the  rear  he  met 
Major  Mitchell,  of  Hancock's  staff,  and  shouted  to  him,  "Major 
Mitchell,  here  is  a  rebel  Gineral."  Mitchell  took  his  name  and  rank 
and  directed  a  Captain  of  the  53d  Pennsylvania  to  conduct  him  to 
General  Hancock.  When  Steuart  was  taken  to  the  General,  the% 
latter,  who  had  known  him  before  the  War,  held  out  his  hand  and 
said,  very  kindly: 

"'How  are  you,  Steuart?" 

The  latter  replied,  "Under  the  circumstances,  I  must  decline 
to  give  you  my  hand." 

Quick  as  a  flash,  the  great  commander  retorted,  "Under  any 
other  circumstances,  General  Steuart,  I  should  not  have  offered 
mine." 

But  we  were  going  in  at  the  Salient.  We  had  carried  the  first 
line  of  works  and  nothing  could  stop  the  men.  Barlow's  and  Bir- 
ney's  Divisions  had  entered  almost  at  the  same  moment  striking  the 
works  at  a  sharp  angle  immediately  in  front  of  the  Landrum  house. 
The  enemy  fled  in  great  disorder  and  confusion.  Accustomed  as 
we  were,  to  scenes  of  blood  and  carnage,  the  spectacle  inside  the  in- 
trenchments  was  sickening.  The  ghastly  faces  of  the  dead  and  their 
mangled  bodies  piled  in  the  traverses  bore  awful  testimony  to  the 
deadly  effect  of  our  rifles  and  bayonets.  But  horrible  as  it  was,  it 
only  proved  a  prelude  to  the  awful  horror  of  the  next  morning,  after 
the  all-day  conflict  that  followed  the  charge.  We  pursued  the  flying 
enemy  through  the  forest  toward  the  Court  House  until  we  struck 
the  second  line.  Here  we  met  Gen.  J.  B.  Gordon's  Division.  His 
division  had  been  put  in  reserve  as  support  to  the  other  troops  and 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          859 

lie  was  in  position  near  the  McCoull  House.  He  moved  up  promptly 
and  helped  in  a  great  measure  to  check  our  advance. 

The  assault  and  pursuit  had,  of  course  broken  up  our  formation 
and  the  troops  were  so  mixed  up  that  hardly  two  men  of  the  same 
regiment  were  together.  Hancock  ordered  up  his  reserves  to  occupy 
the  captured  line.  Lee  rallied  his  forces  and  was  determined  to 
lead  them  in  person.  General  Gordon  and  many  others  gathered 
about  him  and  remonstrated.  Gordon  says  he  took  hold  of  the  bridle 
of  Lee's  horse,  while  the  men  shouted,  "General  Lee  to  the  rear,"  and 
he  reluctanctly  yielded. 

Heavy  re-enforcements  were  brought  against  us  at  the  second 
line  and  we  were  obliged  to  retire  to  the  line  captured  in  the  morn 
ing.  Wright's  Corps  came  up  at  six  o'clock  and  occupied  the  cap 
tured  works  on  the  right  of  the  Salient.  The  enemy  now  attacked 
us  with  the  utmost  fury  determined  to  regain  the  position  held  by 
the  Sixth  Corps.  The  Second  Corps  held  to  the  left  of  the  Sixth 
with  divisions  in  order — Mott,  Gibbon,  Birney,  Barlow.  The  fight 
ing  now  became  desperate — our  troops  on  the  outside,  theirs  on  the 
inside  of  the  intrenchments,  hand  to  hand,  close  quarters,  the  battle 
raged.  Words  can  give  no  adequate  idea  of  the  dreadful  sanguinary 
conflict.  Hour  after  hour,  all  day  long  men  grappled  over  the 
works  in  bloody  struggle.  They  fired  their  guns  full  in  each  other's 
faces.  They  lunged  at  each  other  with  bayonet  thrust.  They  leaped 
upon  the  works  and  fired  down  among  the  maddened  crowd  on  the 
other  side.  They  grappled  in  mortal  combat  to  wrest  flags  from  each 
other.  They  held  their  guns  overhead  and  shot  downward  into  the 
enemy.  Hour  af  ter  hour,  all  day  long,  they  fought  like  demons.  It 
was  a  literal  saturnalia  of  blood.  It  was  grim  visaged  war  in  full 
panoply  of  horror.  And  all  day  long  the  rain  fell  and  the  ground 
was  drenched  with  mingled  blood  and  water.  At  eight  o'clock  Wright 
sent  to  Hancock  for  re-enforcements  and  our  Brigade,  although  it 
had  been  in  the  heat  of  battle  from  dawn  and  had  been  withdrawn 
to  reform  and  replenish  ammunition,  was  sent  over  and  relieved  the 
brigade  of  Wheaton.  There  we  fought  until  the  ammunition  was 
again  exhausted.  Hancock  meantime  had  placed  artillery  on  the 
high  ground  at  Landrum's  whence  it  fired  over  us  into  the  enemy's 


860  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

position.  A  section  of  Gilliss'  Battery,  Fifth  United  States,  was 
pushed  up  close  to  our  line  and  fired  canister  into  the  enemy.  A 
section  also  of  Brown's  First  Rhode  Island  took  position  on  the  left 
and  with  carriage  wheels  sank  half  way  in  the  soft  mud,  poured  its 
death-dealing  charges  into  the  Confederate  works.  This  is  said  to  be 
the  only  instance  of  artillery  taking  part  in  a  charge.  Gilliss'  Bat 
tery  had  to  be  withdrawn  on  account  of  its  terrible  losses.  Lieuten 
ant  Metcalf  and  Lieutenant  Gilliss  were  the  only  ones  who  got  out 
sound,  out  of  twenty-three  men  and  one  officer.  Seven  were  killed, 
sixteen  wounded,  every  horse  was  killed  and  the  gun  carriages  were 
so  splintered  and  shattered  as  to  be  useless.  This  terrific  combat 
ended  only  with  the  day,  the  Confederates  retiring  to  their  second 
line,  leaving  us  in  possession  of  the  Salient.  The  firing  did  not  en 
tirely  cease  until  three  o'clock  next  morning.  While  1  have  thus 
given  somewhat  in  detail  the  operations  on  the  north  line  of  the 
Salient,  it  is  to  be  kept  in  mind  that  during  all  of  the  day,  Warren 
on  our  right  and  Burnside  on  the  left  were  pressing  the  battle  on 
their  respective  fronts  so  that  all  the  way  round  from  Alsop's  Farm 
to  the  crossing  of  the  Fredericksburg  Road,  the  fierce  battle  raged 
throughout  the  long  day.  Burnside  pressed  up  to  the  very  parapet 
and  some  of  the  troops  got  over,  but  could  not  remain.  He  drew  th<- 
fire  of  the  enemy  at  four-thirty  in  the  morning  and  at  five  was  hotly 
engaged.  He  carried  two  detached  lines  of  rifle  pits  and  a  part  of 
the  main  line. 

The  capture  of  the  Salient  at  Spotsylvania  is  justly  regarded 
as  one  of  the  most  brilliant  episodes  of  the  War.  Beginning  with 
the  daylight  assault,  the  battle  continued  all  through  the  day  and 
until  late  in  the  night.  The  net  results  were — the  capture  of  an 
apparently  impregnable  position,  four  thousand  prisoners,  including 
two  general  officers,  and  the  celebrated  "Stonewall  Brigade"  almost 
entire,  twenty  guns  with  horses,  caissons  and  material  complete,  sev 
eral  thousand  stand  of  small  arms  and  upward  of  thirty  flags.  Pass 
ing  over  the  ground  inside  the  works  next  day  I  was  able  to  appre 
ciate  the  full  measure  of  its  horrors.  I  shrink  from  the  attempt  to 
describe  the  scene.  It  was  a  ghastly  and  horrible  example  of  the 
organized  brutality  that  we  call  war.  No  language  can  adequately 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          861 

portray  the  sickening  spectacle.  Imagine,  if  you  can,  a  line  of  in- 
trenchment  four  hundred  yards  in  length — a  solid  wall  of  timber 
and  earth  forming  its  front,  with  traverses  extending  at  short  in 
tervals  to  tlie  rear  forming  eight  or  ten  pen-like  enclosures  half  filled 
with  dead  and  dying  men.  They  lay  in  piles  sometimes  five  men 
deep.  Often  the  dead  were  lying  upon  the  mortally  wounded  who 
groaned  in  their  death  agony  and  begged  for  water  and  prayed  for 
death.  Bodies  hung  upon  the  works  in  every  form  of  mangling. 
Blood  and  mangling  were  everywhere  and  the  sickening  stench  of 
the  battlefield  was  over  it  all.  I  saw  there  the  famous  "Spotsylvania 
tree" — a  sound  growing  white  oak  twenty-two  inches  in  diameter 
that  had  been  whittled  off  splinter  by  splinter  by  musket  balls  to 
within  a  few  inches  of  the  center  so  that  it  fell  during  the  night  in 
juring  several  men  of  the  1st  North  Carolina  Regiment.  Tho 
stump  of  this  tree  is  preserved  in  the  Smithsonian  Institute  at  Wash 
ington — probably  the  most  marvelous  silent  witness  to  the  deadly 
effect  of  musketry  fire  to  be  found  anywhere  in  the  world. 

I  do  not  know  how  it  may  be  with  others,  but  I  confess 
that  as  I  recall  these  scenes  now  after  the  lapse  of  forty  years, 
I  sometimes  dwell  more  upon  the  horrors  of  war  than  upon 
its  glories.  Then  we  thought  little  of  danger,  wounds  or  death. 
We  were  under  the  spell  of  the  martial  spirit.  Like  Messala  in  Ben 
Hur  our  motto  was  "Down  Eros — up  Mars."  As  the  glorious  old 
Second  Corps  swung  across  the  rolling  grounds  from  Brown's  to  the 
charge,  we  thought  only  of  the  splendor  of  the  movement  and  the 
glory  of  the  victory.  And  it  was  a  brilliant  and  a  brave  thing  under 
a  brilliant  and  a  brave  leader.  ~No  man  more  brave,  able,  safe, 
dashing,  chivalrous  and  knightly  could  have  been  chosen  from  all 
the  Armies  of  the  Union  to  lead  that  audacious  daylight  assault,  than 
the  superb  commander  of  the  Second  Army  Corps — Winfield  S. 
Hancock.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  he  was  the  "knight  of  the 
nineteenth  century."  In  his  person  he  was  an  Apollo;  in  his  bear 
ing  he  was  knightly.  He  was  the  finest  figure  on  horseback  in  either 
Army.  In  his  physical  and  mental  make-up,  he  combined  all  genu 
ine  soldierly  qualities.  In  him  there  was  a  combination  of  military 
traits  rarely  given  to  one  man.  Courage  with  coolness,  dash  with 


862          THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS 

discretion,  intuition  with  judgment,  a  sunny  geniality  with  a  manly 
dignity.  He  commanded  without  tyranny  and  he  obeyed  without  ob 
sequiousness.  He  was  magnetic  and  magnanimous.  He  was  the  in 
carnation  of  war  and  the  embodiment  of  patriotism.  He  had  no 
ambition  but  to  serve  his  country.  He  never  sought  promotion.  He 
used  no  pull  for  his  personal  advancement.  He  was  altogether  an 
admirable  and  lovable  personality.  He  richly  earned  the  appella 
tion,  Hancock — Superb.  Grant,  always  fair,  but  never  flattering, 
careful  and  moderate  in  his  language,  says  in  his  memoirs,  written 
in  the  cool  retrospect  of  twenty  years :  "Hancock  stands  the  most  con 
spicuous  figure  of  all  the  general  officers  who  did  not  exercise  a  separ 
ate  command.  He  commanded  a  Corps  longer  than  any  other  one  and 
his  name  was  never  mentioned  as  having  committed  in  battle  a  blun 
der  for  which  he  was  responsible.  He  was  a  man  of  very  conspicu 
ous  personal  appearance.  Tall,  well-formed  at  the  time  of  which  I 
now  write,  young  and  fresh  looking,  he  presented  an  appearance  that 
would  attrack  the  attention  of  an  army  as  he  passed.  His  genial  dis 
position  made  him  friends  and  his  personal  courage  and  his  presence 
with  his  command  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight  won  for  him  the  con 
fidence  of  the  troops  serving  under  him.  No  matter  how  hard  the 
fight,  the  Second  Corps  always  felt  that  their  commander  was  look 
ing  after  them." 

There  are  preserved  in  the  Official  Rebellion  Records  more 
than  two  hundred  and  fifty  field  orders  and  messages  issued  on  this 
field  on  the  llth  and  12th  and  there  may  be  as  many  more  not  so 
preserved. 

During  our  fight  on  the  Po,  I  received  a  very  painful  wound 
and  started  to  the  rear.  Sergeant  Breon  and  another  man  followed 
me  to  offer  assistance.  An  examination  showed  that  the  wound  was 
not  serious  and  we  all  started  back  to  the  line  and  presently  met  Cor 
poral  Geo.  W.  Steffey  coming  down  the  ravine  pale  and  reeling  with 
a  bullet  hole  through  the  center  of  his  breast.  Turning  him  around, 
we  found  another  in  the  center  of  his  back.  He  had  been  shot 
straight  through  the  body.  I  told  the  men  to  take  him  off  and  I  re 
turned  to  the  line.  I  supposed  he  was  dead,  of  course,  but  in  the 
following  October,  when  serving  on  the  brigade  staff,  I  had  occasion 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          863 

to  visit  the  Regiment  and  on  approaching  the  beat,  a  Corporal  who 
had  relieved  the  sentinel,  saluted  me  and  as  I  acknowledged  the  sa 
lute,  I  recognized  Corporal  Steffey.  Dismounting,  I  told  him  to 
put  down  his  gun  and  shake  hands,  saying,  ''Why  George,  aren't  you 
dead."  "2s~o,"  he  said,  "I  had  a  close  call,  was  sent  to  general  hos 
pital  at  Washington,  the  surgeons  gave  me  up,  but  I  pulled  through." 
He  served  to  the  end  and  several  years  after  the  end  of  the  War 
I  received  a  letter  from  a  pension  attorney  in  Michigan  saying 
Steffey  was  living  there,  suffering  from  his  wound  and  badly  broken 
down.  That  he  was  unable  to  get  the  required  evidence  for  a  pension 
and  thought  I  might  remember  the  circumstance  of  his  injury.  1 
replied,  saying  I  remembered  the  incident  perfectly  and  would  be 
glad  to  make  the  affidavit,  which  I  did  and  have  heard  no  more  of  the 
case. 

As  a  counterpart  to  this  was  the  case  of  Captain  Core,  the  brave 
commander  of  Company  K,  who,  in  the  same  action,  received  a  slight 
wound  and  died  of  lock  jaw  in  less  than  a  week. 

The  gallant  little  Captain  Cooke,  of  Company  H,  stood  close  by 
my  side  directing  the  fire  of  his  company  when  he  sprang  three  feet 
into  the  air  and  fell  mortally  wounded. 


864  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


PO  EIVER. 


PART  III. 

By  I.  N.  Sloan. 

May  9th  at  12 :00  M.  we  marched  about  three  miles,  from 
Todd's  Tavern  to  near  Spotsylvania  Court  House  on  the  Po  River 
and  threw  up  breastworks.  At  5  :00  p.  M.  we  forded  the  river,  our 
Regiment  in  the  advance,  and  as  we  crossed  deployed  as  skirmishers, 
and  inarching  by  the  right  flank,  advanced,  driving  a  horse  battery 
from  the  hill  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  where  we  crossed. 
There  were  six  or  seven  wounded.  Wie  advanced  half  a  mile  far 
ther  and  lay  in  line  of  battle  all  night. 

May  10th,  K  was  on  the  skirmish  line  in  the  forenoon.  About 
4:30  P.  M.  the  enemy  advanced  with  a  strong  force,  driving  our 
skirmishers  back.  Our  line  of  battle  also  fell  back  in  rear  of  our 
own  breastworks,  letting  the  rebs  shelter  themselves  behind  our 
works.  We  made  a  stand  till  our  ammunition  was  expended,  our 
Regiment  losing  heavily  in  the  action.  The  right  of  the  Regiment 
was  on  a  line  about  parallel  with  that  of  the  enemy,  the  width  of  a 
road  separating  them.  The  left  wing  was  swung  back  to  conform 
to  the  edge  of  the  woods  in  which  the  Regiment  was  stationed.  This 
caused  a  part  of  the  left  to  be  enfiladed.  The  rebs  were  also  in  the 
woods.  I  was  not  aware  that  evening  of  the  utter  loneliness  of  our 
situation  while  under  fire,  but  the  next  evening  wrote: 

"In  the  action  of  yesterday  our  Regiment  held  an  entire  di 
vision,  said  to  be  Heth's,  at  bay  while  the  rest  of  our  Division  re- 
crossed  the  river." 

My  guess  as  to  Heth's  Division — if  such  it  was — is  confirmed 
by  General  Early,  whom  Gen.  A.  A.  Humphreys  quotes  in  reference 
to  this  action.  According  to  both  Early  and  Humphreys  it  was  the 
Shady  Grove  Road  on  which  we  were  engaged,  though  General  Han 
cock  calls  it  the  Block  House  Road.  There  is  no  contradiction 
though,  as  according  to  Humphreys'  map,  Shady  Grove  Church  and 
Block  House  are  connected  by  this  road. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          865 

hi  falling  back  to  our  last  position  I  passed  close  by  the  end 
of  the  works,  and  firmly  believe  that  the  end  was  a  little  to  the  left 
front  of  the  colors.  They  were  close  to  the  Shady  Grove  Road. 
At  the  reunion  no  one  but  myself  referred  to  the  broken  line  formed 
by  the  Regiment,  but  I  give  the  following  reasons  for  my  belief: 
First,  I  remember  of  some  confusion  in  the  left  in  breaking  back  to 
form  on  the  edge  of  the  woods ;  second,  I  was  with  the  colors  and  am 
certain  there  was  an  angle  made,  the  colors  being  right  in  the  angle 
with  Company  F  breaking  away  to  the  left;  third,  when  my  ammu- 
uition  was  expended  I  went  nearly  straight  back  till  I  came  to  the 
second  angle  where  I  found  a  severely  wounded  man  of  our  Regi 
ment,  who  gave  me  permission  to  take  cartridges  from  his  cartridge 
box,  when  I  returned  to  my  place  at  the  center  of  the  Regiment,  thus 
passing  along  that  part  of  the  line  between  the  angles  twice;  fourth, 
having  a  number  of  times  since  the  War  written  accounts  of  thai 
battle  for  publication  or  explained  it  from  blackboard  illustration? 
made  by  myself,  the  same  impression  has  always  remained  with  mo. 


866  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


PO  RIVEE. 

PART  IV. 
/.  Wesley  Allen,  Assistant  Surgeon  ijSth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers. 

I  was  detailed  to  accompany  the  Regiment  into  action  at  Po 
River  and  as  they  advanced  I  also  followed  up,  having  crossed  the 
river  on  foot  log.  1  was  ordered  as  far  as  an  old  house  to  the  left  of  the 
road  and  beyond  which  I  saw  breastworks  which  had  been  occupied 
by  our  troops.  This  was  in  the  afternoon  and  I  j^dge  near  four 
o'clock.  There  were  no  troops  in  sight  but  on  my  left  and  what  I 
took  for  south  was  firing.  Assistant  Surgeon  Richards,  of  the  145th 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  was  in  advance  of  me  behind  these  breast 
works  and  called  for  me  to  advance  as  there  were  no  troops  around. 
Shortly  afterwards  General  Brooke  came  along  with  an  Aide  and 
asked  me  what  I  was  doing  there.  He  said,  "Get  over  the  river  at 
once.  There  is  no  one  here  but  your  Regiment  holding  the  retreat." 
He  rode  on  and  in  about  twenty  minutes  after  my  man  carrying  the 
hospital  knapsack,  Dan  Mcllhattan,  said,  "Doctor,  look  there  are 
the  Johnnies,"  and  sure  enough  they  were  coming  through  the  woods 
thick.  They  took  Doctor  Richards  to  Richmond  and  we  went  over 
the  river  in  the  nick  of  time.  I  dressed  a  number  of  wounded  at 
this  point  and  sent  for  more  supplies  to  division  hospital.  Dr.  Chas. 
Spayd,  of  the  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  and  myself  were  at 
this  time  the  only  medical  officers  at  this  point.  The  woods  were 
on  fire  on  my  left,  the  Johnnies  on  the  right. 


LIEUT.  JAMES  E.   McCARTNEY 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          867 


PO  RIVER  AND  SPOTSYLVAXIA. 


PART  V. 

By  Lieut.  James  E.  McCartney. 

At  Po  River  our  Regiment  was  almost  sacrificed  in  covering 
the  retreat  of  the  Brigade.  When  we  reached  the  river  bank,  pur 
sued  by  Heth's  Division,  Colonel  Beaver  commanded  "About  face 
and  commence  firing"  and  it  was  one  of  the  best  executed  move 
ments  I  ever  saw. 

Adjutant  Muffly  will  remember  the  incidents  of  our  final  with 
drawal,  as  he  and  I  came  off  together.  I  was  near  Captain  Core 
when  he  received  the  wound  that  proved  fatal.  He  was  too  brave 
and  exposed  himself  more  than  he  should  have  done,  knowing  the 
proximity  of  the  enemy's  sharpshooters. 

After  the  charge  on  the  Salient  on  the  12th  the  Regiment  ran 
out  of  ammunition  and  Sergeant  Herman  Miller,  of  Company  H, 
and  I  went  back  to  a  New  Jersey  regiment  and  they  gave  us  all  we 
could  carry  in  hats  and  pockets.  We  took  them  to  the  Regiment  and 
Miller  kept  on  going  back  and  forth  carrying  ammunition.  He  was 
a  brave  fellow  and  risked  his  life  on  every  trip. 

I  certainly  think  Spotsylvania  was  our  hardest  fight.  I  remem 
ber  talking  with  Adjutant  Muffly  just  afterward  when  he  said  that 
out  of  seven  hundred  and  twenty-two  muskets  when  we  broke  camp 
May  1st  we  had  lost  at  Po  River  and  Spotsylvania  two  hundred  ano' 
four  killed,  wounded  and  missing. 

We  were  trying  to  find  Lieutenant  McGuire  who  had  been 
wounded — mortally  as  it  proved — and  passing  the  field  hospital  we 
saw  great  piles  of  arms  and  legs  which  the  surgeons  had  throwa  out 
and  hundreds  of  wounded  men  in  tents. 


SKETCH  OF  MAJOR  FORSTER. 

Major  Robert  Henry  Forster,  son  of  Capt.  John  Forster,  of 
Mifflinburg,  and  Margaret,  youngest  daughter  of  Dr.  Robert  Van 
Valzah,  of  Buffalo  Cross  Roads,  Union  County,  Pennsylvania,  was* 
born  in  Mifflinburg,  Pennsylvania,  November  10,  1829.  He  died 
at  his  residence  in  the  city  of  Harrisburg,  May  2,  1901,  and  was 
buried,  in  accordance  with  his  oft-expressed  wish,  at  his  birthplace 
and  boyhood  home  in  Mifflinburg. 

The  branch  of  the  Forster  family  to  which  Major  Forster  be 
longed  was  started  in  this  country  by  David  Forster  who  emigrated 
in  1733  from  the  north  of  Ireland  and  settled  in  Lancaster  County. 
He  died  in  1754,  leaving  to  survive  him  five  sons.  The  second  son, 
John  Forster,  removed  to  Buffalo  Valley,  now  Union  County,  and 
was  one  of  its  pioneer  settlers  and  became  the  owner  of  a  large  and 
valuable  tract  of  land.  He  died  in  1783,  leaving  to  survive  him  four 
sons  and  four  daughters.  His  youngest  son,  Robert,  was  the  fathei 
of  Capt.  John  Forster  from  whom  Major  Forster  descended. 

The  lad  grew  up  in  the  home  of  his  parents  until  the  war  with 
Mexico.  He  became  early  imbued  with  a  desire  for  military  serv 
ice  and,  in  order  to  gratify  it,  "ran  away"  from  home  and  joined  a 
volunteer  company  at  Danville,  Pennsylvania,  which  subsequently 
became  Company  C  of  the  2d  Regiment  of  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
and  was  mustered  into  service  January  3,  1847.  He  served  through 
out  the  entire  war,  taking  part  in  the  battles  of  Vera  Cruz,  Cerro 
Gordo,  Chapultepec  and  the  Garita  de  Beleu.  at  the  City  of  Mexico, 
and  was  mustered  out  with  his  company  July  20,  1848. 

He  subsequently  removed  to  Centre  County  and  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  for  a  number  of  years  until,  upon  the  breaking  out 
of  the  Civil  War,  he  recruited,  and  was  mustered  into  the  United 
States  service  as  its  Captain,  with  Company  A,  148th  Regiment, 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  September  1,  1862.  His  service  in  the  Mexi 
can  War  was  of  great  use  to  him  and  his  company  and  by  reason  of 
it  and  of  his  quiet,  masterful  manner  and  tactful  discipline,  the 
company  soon  became  a  model  in  neatness,  cleanliness,  military  bear 
ing,  discipline  and  drill.  By  reason  of  a  vacancy  among  the  field 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          869 

officers  of  his  Regiment,  he  was  made  Major  of  it  November  15, 
1862.  He  served  with  his  Regiment,  which  was  connected  with  the 
famous  First  Division,  Second  Corps,  in  all  the  battles  in  whicn 
it  participated  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  until  he  received  the 
wound  in  consequence  of  which  he  was  mustered  out  of  service,  on 
account  of  wounds  received  in  battle,  December  22,  1864.  He  was 
twice  wounded,  first  at  Chancellorsville  May  3,  1863,  and  at  Peters 
burg  June  18,  1864. 

Major  Forster  was  an  officer  of  unusual  gallantry  and  worth. 
Quiet  and  self-contained,  he  was  efficient  and  steady  in  the  enforce 
ment  of  discipline,  was  cool  and  self-possessed  in  action  and  inspired 
others  with  his  courage  and  persistence.  He  was  genial  in  manner 
and  courteous  to  his  fellows.  He  had  the  warm  affection  of  the  men 
whom  he  took  into  the  service  and  the  respect  and  admiration  of  all. 
He  was  in  many  respects  a  model  soldier. 

He  delivered  the  address  at  the  dedication  of  the  monument  of 
his  Regiment  at  Gettysburg  in  September,  1889,  which  is  to  be  found 
iii  "Pennsylvania  at  Gettysburg,'7  and  which  here  follows. 

During  his  term  of  service,  he  was  made  a  candidate  for  the 
Legislature  from  Centre  County  but  did  not  allow  his  candidacy  to 
interfere  in  any  way  with  his  military  duties.  After  his  muster  out  of 
the  service,  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Bellefonte.  He  served 
at  one  time  as  United  States  Revenue  Collector  and  was  at  another 
the  clerk  of  the  County  Commissioners.  He  was  appointed  in  1876 
to  a  clerkship  in  the  Department  of  Internal  Affairs  by  Gen.  Win. 
McCandless,  then  its  Secretary.  In  1879  he  became  editor  and  pub 
lisher  of  the  Centre  Democrat,  continuing  its  publication  until  in 
1884,  when  he  was  again  appointed  to  a  clerkship  in  the  Department 
of  Internal  Affairs  under  Hon.  J.  Simpson  Africa,  continuing  in 
that  position  under  the  succeeding  administrations  of  Gen.  Thomas 
J.  Stewart  and  Gen.  James  W.  Latta,  occupying  a  position  under 
General  Latta's  administration  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

Major  Forster  was  as  conspicuous  for  faithfulness  in  the  dis 
charge  of  his  duties  in  civil  as  in  military  life.  The  records  and 
publications  of  the  Department  of  Internal  Affairs  furnish  many 
proofs  of  his  fidelity  and  ability.  He  was  the  same  genial  gentleman 


870  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

in  every  relation  of  life.  The  estimation  in  which  he  was  held  by 
his  associates  in  official  position  cannot  be  better  evidenced  than  by 
the  fact  that,  although  his  last  illness  was  protracted  and  necessitated 
an  entire  absence  from  his  desk,  his  associates  voluntarily  carried 
on  his  work  until  his  death. 

Major  Forster  was  married,  September  22,  1859,  to  Miss 
Joanna  R.  Ettinger,  a  daughter  of  the  late  Emanuel  and  Elizabeth 
Ettinger,  of  Aaronsburg,  Centre  County,  who,  with  their  two  daugh 
ters,  Elizabeth  E.  and  Margaret  V.,  survives. 

Major  Forster  was  not  only  a  model  soldier  but  a  citizen  of  high 
ideals  and  patriotic  purposes,  of  usefulness  in  the  community  and 
helpfulness  to  his  kind.  Unostentatious  in  the  assertion  of  his  re 
ligious  views,  he  was  a  Christian  who  lived  what  he  professed.  He 
lived  the  more  than  three  score  years  and  ten,  which  was  the  span  of 
liis  life,  "in  cheerfulness  and  gentleness  and  honor  and  clean  mirth." 


PENNSYLVANIA  DAYS. 

Histerical  Address  of  Major  R.  H.  Forster,  at  the  Dedication  of  the  Monument 

of  the  i$8th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  Gettysburg, 

September  //,  /.?,  1889. 

COMRADES  AND  FRIENDS  :  I  approach  the  duty  assigned  to  me 
in  the  ceremonies  of  this  Pennsylvania  Day  with  great  diffidence, 
and  with  a  deep  sense  of  distrust  in  my  ability  to  do  justice  to  the 
merits  of  my  gallant  comrades  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Regiment, 
OJ  to  the  demands  of  this  interesting  occasion.  I  regard  it,  indeed, 
no  trifling  task  to  properly,  clearly  and  concisely  tell  the  story  of 
the  honorable  part  borne  by  the  148th  in  the  momentous  and  thrill 
ing  events  that  here  transpired  twenty-six  years  ago — events  which 
render  this  field  hallowed  ground,  dear  to  every  lover  of  liberty  and 
the  cause  of  free,  constitutional  government. 

The  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  were  recruited  and  organ 
ized  into  a  Regiment  in  the  months  of  August  and  September,  in 
the  year  1862.  For  a  period,  during  the  autumn  of  that  year,  it 
performed  duty  in  Maryland,  along  the  Northern  Central  Railway, 
one  of  the  most  important  lines  of  communication  between  the  North 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          871 

and  the  capital  city  of  the  Xation.  Under  the  orders,  and  almost 
constantly  under  the  personal  direction  of  an  able,  alert  and  ener 
getic  young  commander,  now  the  honored  Governor  of  this  great 
Commonwealth,  who  was  thoroughly  alive  to  the  far-reaching  im 
portance  of  drill  and  discipline,  the  months  given  to  this  duty  were 
wisely  and  profitably  spent.  Xo  daylight  hours  were  wasted  in  idle 
ness.  Life,  activity  and  industry  were  present  in  every  camp,  and 
a  system  of  regular  squad,  company  and  battalion  drills  was  insti 
tuted  and  enforced,  together  with  daily  instructions  in  all  the  duties 
pertaining  to  a  soldier's  life.  Rapid  and  encouraging  progress  was 
made,  and  it  may  be  said  that  the  impress  and  discipline  and  pro 
ficiency  in  drill  here  made  upon  the  Regiment  remained  with  it  dur 
ing  its  entire  term  of  service. 

In  the  month  of  December,  a  demand  arose  for  additional 
troops  to  strengthen  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  then  at  Fredericks- 
burg,  Virginia,  and  the  148th  was  among  the  regiments  at  that  time 
ordered  to  the  front.  Just  after  the  close  of  the  futile  and  disas 
trous  assaults  made  upon  that  stronghold  of  the  enemy  by  that 
Army,  the  Regiment  became  a  part  of  it.  It  was  assigned  to  the 
First  Brigade  of  the  First  Division  of  the  Second  Corps,  the  Corps, 
Division  and  Brigade  commanded  respectively  by  Generals  Couch, 
Hancock  and  Caldwell.  The  Brigade,  as  then  constituted,  was  com 
posed  of  the  5th  New  Hampshire,  the  Tth  and  61st  Xew  York,  and 
the  81st  and  148th  Pennsylvania  Regiments.  Remaining  in  camp 
near  Falmouth  during  the  winter  months,  the  148th,  in  the  spring 
campaign  of  1863,  marched  with  this  Brigade  to  Chanoellorsville, 
and  in  that  unfortunate  battle  received  its  first  baptism  of  fire,  bear 
ing  itself  most  gallantly  under  extremely  adverse  circumstances, 
and  receiving  honorable  mention  and  commendation  from  corps, 
division  and  brigade  commanders. 

Returning  with  the  Army  to  the  old  camps  opposite  Fredericks- 
burg,  the  Regiment,  materially  decreased  in  numbers  by  its  recent 
severe  experience  in  battle,  which  resulted  in  heavy  losses  in  killed 
and  wounded,  remained  quietly  performing  camp  and  picket  duty, 
until  early  in  the  month  of  June,  1863,  when  began  that  series  of 
wonderful  marches  and  complicated  manoeuvres  which  finally 


872  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

brought  the  great  contending  Armies  face  to  face  upon  the  soil  of 
Pennsylvania.  Two  mighty,  battle  tried  hosts  they  were — the  Army 
of  the  Potomac  and  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia !  Often  had 
they  confronted  each  other  as  adversaries,  and  fierce  and  bloody  had 
been  many  of  the  encounters  between  them  for  supremacy. 

The  initiative  of  the  Gettysburg  campaign  was  made  by  the 
Confederate  commander  on  the  3d  day  of  June.  It  began  by  the 
withdrawal  of  a  division  of  Longstreet'a  Corps  from  the  lines  of 
Fredericksburg,  which  marched  to  the  rear,  crossed  the  Rapidan 
River,  and  halted  in  the  vicinity  of  Culpeper  Court  House.  This 
first  movement  was  followed  by  successive  withdrawals  of  the  troops 
of  Longstreet  and  Ewell,  until  only  A.  P.  Hill  was  left  to  face  the 
Army  under  General  Hooker  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Rappa- 
hannock.  Thus  Hill  remained  until  Hooker,  apprised  to  a  certain 
extent  of  Lee's  designs,  by  information  gained  in  the  cavalry  battle 
of  Brandy  Station,  began  the  counter-movements  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac.  On  the  morning  of  the  13th  of  June,  the  last  of  the 
Union  Army  had  disappeared  behind  the  Stafford  hills,  and  then 
Hill  was  free  to  follow  after  those  who  had  preceded  him.  March 
ing  by  the  lower  gaps  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  Lee,  with  E  well's  Corps, 
passed  into  the  Shenandoah.  Valley,  swept  with  irresistible  power 
through  the  valley  and  forced  Milroy  from  Winchester :  thence  to 
the  Potomac,  across  that  river  to  Hagerstown  and  on  down  the  Cum 
berland  Valley  to  Chambersburg.  Ewell  was  pushed  forward  to 
Carlisle,  and  Early,  by  way  of  Gettysburg,  to  York  and  Wrights- 
ville.  These  points  were  occupied  on  the  27th  and  28th,  while  the 
advanced  cavalry  scouts  had  reached  the  Susquehanna  below  Harris- 
burg. 

To  the  loyal  people  of  the  North,  in  utter  ignorance  of  the 
whereabouts  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  the  situation  at  this  time 
must  have  been  truly  alarming.  But  Hooker,  with  his  host  of  tried 
veterans,  still  undaunted  and  undismayed  by  previous  reverses,  had 
not  been  idle,  and  appearances  were  therefore  somewhat  deceptive. 
When  the  Union  soldiers  abandoned  the  Rappahannock  on  the  13th, 
the  entire  Army  was  headed  north,  moving  by  interior  lines  and 
covering  the  city  of  Washington.  On  the  25th  and  26th  the  pas- 


THE    MONUMENT, 
"Wheat  Field,"  Gettysburg. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          873 

sage  of  the  Potomac  was  made  at  Edward's  Ferry,  and  by  the  28th 
General  Hooker's  entire  force  was  concentrated  around  Frederick, 
Maryland.  Here  it  was  that  Gen.  Joseph  Hooker  retired  from  the 
command  of  the  Army  and  was  superseded  by  Major  General  George 
G.  Meade.  The  march  towards  the  north  was,  however,  continued 
on  the  29th.  On  the  same  day  Lee  began  his  movement  of  concen 
tration,  which,  to  him,  had  now  become  an  absolute  necessity,  and 
thus  it  was  that  the  contending  forces — Meade  marching  northward 
and  Lee  drawing  in  his  scattered  column  towards  his  designated 
place  of  concentration  near  Cashtown — were  brought  together  upon 
the  field  of  Gettysburg  to  again  measure  strength  with  each  other  in 
the  gage  of  battle. 

Before  starting  from  the  camps  on  the  Rappahannock,  a  num 
ber  of  important  changes  had  occurred  in  our  immediate  command. 
The  7th  Xew  York,  a  two-year  regiment,  whose  term  had  expired, 
had  left  us.  That  superb  embodiment  of  every  soldierly  quality 
that  man  can  possess,  General  Hancock,  had  been  honored  with  the 
command  of  the  Second  Corps;  General  Caldwell  assigned  to  the 
First  Division,  and  Colonel  Edward  Cross,  of  the  5th  New  Hamp 
shire,  to  the  First  Brigade,  of  which  the  148th  still  formed  a  part. 
On  the  march  north  but  few  occurrences  of  a  noteworthy  character 
befell  the  Regiment.  There  were  the  usual  toilsome  marches  and 
the  usual  exposures  and  hardships  incident  to  an  active  campaign 
in  the  field,  all  of  which  were  borne  with  patience  and  fortitude  by 
the  men. 

The  morning  of  the  1st  of  July  found  the  148th,  with  the  corn- 
iD  •'  which  it  belonged,  at  Union  town,  a  village  in  the  state  of 

MaijAaiid,  twenty-three  miles  southeast  of  Gettysburg.  In  the  fore 
noon  of  that  hot  July  day,  a  march  was  made  to  Taneytown,  which 
place  was  reached  about  noon.  In  the  afternoon  the  march  was  con 
tinued  in  the  direction  of  Gettysburg,  eleven  miles  to  the  north. 
During  this  afternoon  the  bloody  grapple  of  the  First  and  Eleventh 
Corps  with  the  advancing  forces  of  Hill  and  Ewell  was  taking  place, 
yet  it  is  a  most  singular  fact,  though  so  near  the  field,  that  no  sound 
of  battle  reached  our  ears ;  nor  did  we  know  that  a  terrible  fight  had 
occurred  between  these  advance  columns  of  the  two  Armies,  until  an 


874  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

ambulance  bearing  the  dead  body  of  the  lamented  General  Reynolds, 
who  had  fallen  early  in  the  strife,  passed  us  on  its  way  to  the  rear. 
Late  in  the  evening,  as  the  shades  of  night  were  coming  on,  our  col 
umn,  when  within  two  miles  of  Gettysburg,  was  halted  by  General 
Hancock  and  placed  in  line  of  battle,  facing  north  across  the  Taney- 
town  road.  It  was  understood  that  this  position  was  taken  in  order 
that  the  Second  Corps  might  be  used  in  support  of  either  flank  of 
the  Army,  as  exigencies  might  require  the  coming  morning.  We 
stayed  in  this  position  until  after  daylight  of  the  morning  of  the  2d, 
and  then  after  a  careful  and  rigid  inspection  of  arms,  advanced  to 
the  field.  The  Corps  was  first  massed  in  the  woods  to  the  right  of 
the  road,  facing  to  the  east,  where  it  remained  until  some  time  dur 
ing  the  forenoon,  when  the  development  of  the  lines  of  the  enemy  to 
their  right,  from  the  town  then  held  by  them,  along  the  rear  of  the 
crest  of  Seminary  Ridge  became  apparent.  The  Second  Corps  then 
changed  position  to  the  line  along  Cemetery  Ridge,  and  facing  to 
the  west,  confronted  the  Confederate  position  along  the  opposite 
ridge.  The  First  Division  held  the  left  of  the  Second  Corps  line, 
the  First  Brigade  on  the  left  of  the 'Division.  The  Division  was 
here  massed  by  brigades  in  column  of  regiments — the  formation  of 
the  First  Brigade  presenting  the  61st  Xew  York  in  the  first  line; 
next  the  81st  Pennsylvania,  and  then  the  148th  Pennsylvania  in 
two  lines — the  left  wing  in  rear  of  the  right.  The  148th  was  thus 
massed  in  two  lines  because  it  was  about  double  the  size  of  either  of 
the  two  regiments  in  front.  The  5th  Xew  Hampshire,  which  had 
been  detained  some  distance  out  of  the  Taneytown  Rx>ad,  afterwards 
joined  the  Brigade  and  was  placed  in  the  rear  of  the  148th. 

Whilst  lying  inactive  in  this  position,  T  think  every  Pennsyl- 
vanian  was  inspired  by  the  thought  that  he  was  on  home  soil,  and 
that,  with  rare  exceptions,  each  one  nerved  himself  for  the  great 
struggle  which  he  realized  to  be  so  near  at  hand,  and  in  which  he 
knew  he  would  be  called  upon  to  bear  a  dangerous  and  it  might  be 
a  fatal  part.  To  us,  however,  except  that  moving  columns  of  in 
fantry  were  to  be  seem ;  that  the  dull  rumble  of  artillery  wheels,  an 
occasional  cannon  shot,  and  at  intervals  a  sharp  rattle  of  musketry 
away  to  the  right  were  to  be  heard  the  early  part  of  that  memorable 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS         875 

day  was  passing  in  comparative  quietude  and  with  little  that  was 
eventful.  But  here  our  first  casualty  occurred.  A  shell,  fired  from 
the  opposite  ridge,  exploded  over  the  Regiment,  and  Private  George 
Osman,  of  Company  C,  was  the  first  soldier  of  the  148th  killed 
ujx)n  the  field  of  Gettysburg. 

About  the  middle  of  the  day,  looking  from  where  the  148th 
was  lying  towards  the  crossroad  to  the  south,  which  runs  from  the 
Taueytown  Road  across  the  northern  base  of  Little  Round  Top  to  the 
Emmittsburg  Road,  a  strong  column  of  infantry  is  seen  passing  to 
wards  the  latter  road.  We  do  not  know  what  it  means,  but  soon  it 
is  ascertained  to  be  the  Third  Corps,  under  General  Sickles,  advanc 
ing  to  occupy  the  high  ground  over  which  passes  the  Emmittsburg 
Road  to  Sherfy's  buildings,  near  the  spot  that  afterward  became  s-o 
famous  as  the  peach  orchard.  Sickles  reaches  his  position,  and  forms 
his  lines  of  battle — his  right  along  the  road  to  the  peach  orchard', 
facing  west — his  left  refused  and  extending  from  the  angle  made  at 
the  peach  orchard  to  the  Devil's  Den,  facing  nearly  to  the  south. 
The  movement  of  this  Corps  was  admirably  executed,  and  we 
watched  with  intense  interest,  the  troops  marching  with  firmness 
and  precision  to  the  positions  assigned  them. 

Longstreet  had  also  begun  his  movement  toward  our  lefU  his 
march*  well  masked  from  observation  by  the  ridges  and  dense,  wood 
west  of  the  Emmittsburg  Road.  The  position  of  the  Third  Corps 
seemed  to  offer  him  a  favorable  opportunity  for  a  successful  assault, 
and  he  did  not  delay  long  in  taking  advantage  of  it.  The  Third 
Corps  is  barely  prepared  to  receive  an  attack,  before  he  hurls  his 
battalions  against  its  left  with  impetuosity  and  determination,  and 
then  began  one  of  the  most  remarkable  encounters  of  opposing  forces 
known  in  the  annals  of  modern  warfare.  The  resistance  offered  by 
the  Third  Corps  to  this  assault  was  stubborn,  persistent  and  vigor 
ous,  bur  at  last,  finding  himself  sorely  pressed,  General  Sickles  is 
obliged  to  call  for  help,  and  the  First  Division  of  the  Second  Corps, 
by  order  of  General  Hancock,  is  at  once  detached  from  the  Corp? 
and  hurried  to  the  assistance  of  Birney's  Division,  still  engaged  in 
a  desperate  struggle  with  its  assailants.  The  four  brigades  of  our 
Division,  as  before  described,  were  massed  bv  brigades  in  column  of 


876  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

regiments.  These  masses  promptly  moved  at  the  double-quick  by 
the  left,  and  in  that  order  approached  the  scene  of  action  near  thg 
wheat  field.  Observers  of  the  rapid  and  splendid  strides  of  these 
four  massed  brigades  along  the  western  slope  of  Cemetery  Ridge 
toward  the  left,  describe  the  sight,  in  glowing  words,  as  one  of  the 
most  inspiring  and  exciting  witnessed  during  the  battle.  In  the 
fight  that  followed  the  148th  bore  a  conspicuous  and  gallant  part. 
The  First  Brigade,  leading  the  Division,  was  the  first  to  deploy  into 
line  of  battle.  Before  reaching  the  crossroad  already  mentioned,  a 
halt  was  called.  The  61st  New  York  then  filed  to  the  right;  this 
regiment  was  followed  by  the  81st  Pennsylvania,  and  it,  in  turn, 
by  the  148th ;  but  the  148th  being  in  two  lines,  the  first  company 
of  the  right  wing  to  follow  the  81st  was  Company  C,  with  the  colors, 
and  the  last,  Company  A;  Company  B  of  the  left  wing  followeq 
Company  A,  and  thus  the  line  was  drawn  out.  The  line  was  then 
faced  to  the  left  before  crossing  the  road  into  the  wheat  field,  ana 
the  Regiment  found  itself  in  the  anomalous  condition  of  being  not 
only  faced  by  the  rear  rank,  but  inverted  by  wings — Companies  A 
and  B  in  the  center,  and  the  center  companies  far  out  of  place  at 
the  extremes.  This  eccentricity  of  formation,  I  am  happy  to  say, 
did  not,  in  the  slightest  manner,  affect  the  conduct  of  the  Regiment. 
Previous  drill  and  discipline  had  provided  for  just  such  conditions ; 
and  it  is  a  fact  in  which  we  may  feel  some  pride,  that  officers  and 
men  acquitted  themselves  with  as  much  credit,  bore  themselves  with 
as  much  coolness,  as  though  the  order  of  alignment  had  been  regu 
lar  and  habitual.  Advancing  into  the  wheat  field  a  short  distance, 
a  second  halt  for  a  few  minutes  was  made,  and  then  rushing  forward 
we  met  the  enemy.  A  volley  was  sent  into  their  lines,  and  although 
we  were  also  under  a  severe  fire  from  which  many  fell,  among  them 
the  brigade  commander,  the  advance  of  the  brigade  could  not  be 
checked.  We  seemed  to  have  approached  the  line  of  Birney's  Di 
vision  at  a  point  from  which  the  troops  had  been  taken  to  support 
another  portion  of  the  front — there  being  apparently  quite  a  vacancy 
or  gap  between  the  right  of  Ward's  Brigade  and  the  left  of  De  Tro- 
briand,  but  the  vacant  place  was  filled  and  held  with  cool  determin- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          877 

ation  and  unflinching  firmness.     Of  this  advance  of  the  First  Bri 
gade,  General  Caldwell,  in  his  official  report  of  the  battle,  says: 

"The  position  assigned  me  was  on  the  right  of  the -Fifth  and 
the  left  of  the  Third  Corps,  and  I  was  ordered  to  check  and  drive 
back  the  enemy  who  were  advancing  at  that  point.  I  ordered  Colonel 
Cross,  commanding  the  First  Brigade,  to  advance  in  line  of  battle 
through  a  wheat  field,  his  left  resting  on  the  woods  which  skirted  the 
field.  He  advanced  but  a  short  distance;  when  he  encountered  the 
enemy,  and  opened  upon  him  a  terrific  fire,  driving  him  steadily  to 
the  farther  end  of  the  wheat  field." 

Of  the  same  advance  Colonel  McKe>eii  says : 

"The  brigade  steadily  drove  back  the  enemy  to  the  far  end  of 
the  wheat  field.  So  quickly  was  this  done  that  prisoners  were  taken 
by  the  brigade  before  the  enemy  had  time  to  spring  from  their  hid 
ing  places  to  retreat." 

I  may  here  state  as  a  fact,  worthy  of  note  that  the  "hiding 
places"  mentioned  by  Colonel  McKeen  were  the  stone  fence  and 
boulders  along  the  edge  of  the  wood,  behind  which  a  number  of  the 
enemy  had  taken  refuge,  and  were  obliged  to  surrender  to  the  148  tli. 

Under  a  hot  fire  of  musketry,  which  was  duly  returned  in  kind, 
the  148th  reached  the  far  end  of  the  wheat  field,  seven  companies 
crossing  the  stone  fence  into  the  woods,  while  the  other  three  companies 
remained  in  line  in  the  open  field.  Here  the  battle  was  desperate  and 
sanguinary,  the  enemy  endeavoring  with  might  and  persistency  to 
drive  us  back,  while  the  Brigade  held  fast  with  marvelous  valor  and 
unyielding  tenacity.  This  battle  continued  to  rage  with  unabated 
fury,  our  ranks  were  being  rapidly  thinned  by  the  large  number 
who  were  falling  killed  or  wounded,  ammunition  was  running  low, 
when,  opportunely,  a  brigade  of  the  Fifth  Corps  was  found  to  re 
lieve  a  large  part  of  our  line.  A  part  of  the  148th  and  the  regi 
ments  to  the  right  were  then  retired  across  the  wheat  field  and  the 
road  at  its  border,  where  they  re-formed  behind  a  stone  fence  near 
the  latter  just  as  the  sun  was  sinking  behind  the  western  mountains. 
An  incident  of  this  withdrawal  of  the  First  Brigade  which  here  de 
serves  mention  is  that  a  part  of  the  148th,  with  the  5th  K"ew  Hamp 
shire,  was  compelled  to  remain  in  position  for  a  considerable  time 


878  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

after  die  balance  of  the  Brigade  had  been  relieved.  Col.  H.  13. 
MeKeen,  now  commanding  the  Brigade  in  place  of  Colonel  Cross, 
mortally  wounded  soon  after  the  advance,  discovered  that  by  retiring 
the  entire  Brigade,  the  left  flank  of  the  Brigade  which  had  come  to 
his  relief  would  be  exposed  to  attack,  and  to  avert  this  danger  he 
ordered  the  portions  of  his  command  mentioned  to  remain.  Colonel 
McKe'en  makes  special  mention  of  this  detachment,  and  the  service 
it  rendered,  in  his  report,  and  his  words  are  highly  complimentary. 
He  says : 

"The  5th  (New  Hampshire)  and  the  148th  (Pennsylvania) 
remained  in  position,  steadily  holding  the  enemy  in  check,  until 
every  round  of  cartridge  in  this  portion  of  the  Brigade  was  ex 
pended,  and  even  then  held  their  position  until  relieved  by  a  bri 
gade  of  General  Barnes'  Division  of  the  Fifth  Corps.  Passing  the 
relieving  brigade  by  file,  they  retired  in  splendid  order,  as  they  were 
enfiladed  by  a  galling  fire  from  the  left  flank  (faced  to  the  rear)." 

The  presence  of  this  little  detachment  in  position  had  also  an 
other  effect  besides  protecting  the  flank  of  the  relieving  brigade. 
Later  in  the  action  than  the  First  Brigade,  Colonel  John  R.  Brooke, 
with  his  splendid  Fourth  Brigade  of  our  Division,  had  swept  in  a 
headlong  charge  across  the  wheat  field  farther  to  the  right,  and  driv 
ing  everything  before  him,  had  crossed  the  stone  fence  and  reached 
the  top  of  the  hill  in  the  woods  beyond.  His  position  here  was  an 
exposed  one,  and  he  was  repeatedly  told  to  look  out  for  his  left  flank. 
He  at  once  refused  one  of  his  regiments  on  that  flank,  but,  contrary 
to  expectations,  he  experienced  no  trouble  from  that  direction.  Hear 
ing  afterwards  of  the  portions  of  the  First  Brigade  that  remained 
in  place  by  Colonel  McKeen's  order,  Colonel  Brooke  freely  acknowl 
edged  that  it  was  their  fire  that  kept  the  enemy  off  his  threatened 
flank. 

Of  the  conduct  of  the  Division,  General  Caldwell  was  fully 
satisfied,  as  appears  in  another  extract  from  his  report  which  T  will 
quote.  He  says: 

"The  Division  on  the  afternoon  of  the  2d  fought  with  its  accus 
tomed  gallantry,  and  performed  everything  that  could  be  expected 
of  either  officers  or  men.  The  large  number  of  killed  and  wounded 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          879 

would  attest  its  desperate  valor.  That  it  fell  back  was  owing  to  the 
breaking  of  the  troops  on  the  right,  permitting  the  enemy  to  get  on 
its  flank  and  rear." 

This  is  a  satisfactory  compliment  from  the  commander  of  the 
Division,  but  I  think  lie  falls  into  a  slight  inaccuracy  of  fact,  no 
doubt  inadvertent  on  his  part,  in  the  last  sentence  of  the  quotation. 
It  does  an  injustice  to  the  First  Brigade.  When  he  came  to  speak 
of  "falling  back,"  he  should  have  excepted  the  First  Brigade-  from 
his  general  statement,  because  in  no  sense  should  it  be  understood 
that  this  Brigade  was  forced  to  fall  back  from  any  cause,  and  not 
a  single  man,  unless  wounded,  left  its  line  until  it  was  regularly 
relieved  by  other  troops,  when  it  retired  under  orders. 

Late  in  the  evening  of  the  3d  when  the  Brigade,  lacking  the 
many  who  had  fallen  in  the  battle  of  the  wheat  field,  had  been  again 
united,  it  marched  to  the  position  on  the  left  of  the  other  two  di 
visions  of  the  Corps  from  which  it  had  been  detached.  The  Bri 
gade  was  here  placed  on  the  right  of  the  Division,  and  deployed  by 
regiments  in  a  single  line  of  battle,  and,  weary  and  worn  by  the  toil 
and  excitement  of  the  afternoon,  all  sank  to  rest  for  the  night  upon  the 
crest  of  Cemetery  Ridge,  while  many  of  our  comrades  were  sleej)- 
ing  the  long  sleep  of  death  in  the  wheat  field  and  woods  where  they 
had  fallen.  The  morning  brought  no  change  in  our  situation,  ex 
cept  that  upon  the  appearance  of  General  Hancock  at  an  early  hour, 
orders  were  issued  to  strengthen  that  part  of  the  line  by  artificial 
defenses  with  any  means  at  hand.  Tn  our  front  many  of  the  fences 
of  the  town  lots  were  still  standing  intact,  and  at  an  intimation  by 
Hancock  that  the  rails  could  be  utilized  in  the  construction  of  a 
breastwork,  these  fences  disappeared  as  if  by  magic;  the  rails  were 
brought  in,  and  along  the  entire  front  of  the  14Sth  a  breastwork,  as 
strong  as  it  could  be  made  with  such  material,  was  speedily  built. 
When  this  had  been  accomplished  artillery  came  to  the  front ; 
Thompson's  Battery  took  position  with  the  148th  and  the  men  of 
the  Regiment,  borrowing  the  picks  and  shovels  carried  by  the  bat 
tery,  still  further  increased  the  strength  and  safety  of  their  defenses 
by  giving  to  the  bare  rails  a  substantial  covering  of  earth.  The  re 
ward  for  the  time  and  labor  expended  in  this  work  came  later  r.\  the 


880  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

day.  The  silence  of  the  forenoon  of  the  3d  along  the  Second  Corps 
was  ominous  of  something  of  weighty  import  to  come.  That  the 
enemy  had  some  great  purpose  in  view  none  could  doubt.  At  last  a 
clue  to  their  intentions  is  apparent.  Artillery  is  beginning  to  oc 
cupy  every  available  spot  along  the  crest  of  Seminary  Ridge  and 
every  other  point  of  advantage  along  their  lines.  They  thus  placed 
in  position  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  guns,  while  on  our  side  this 
enormous  concentration  of  artillery,  owing  to  our  shorter  line,  could 
only  be  offset  with  eighty.  All  was  finally  in  readiness,  when,  at 
one  o'clock,  the  quietness  of  the  forenoon  was  suddenly  broken  by 
the  reverberations  of  two  signal  guns,  and  these  signals  were  imme 
diately  followed  by  a  terrific  outburst  from  the  entire  Confederate 
concentration  that  fairly  shook  the  earth.  The  Union  guns  for 
awhile  remained  silent,  "withholding  their  fire,"  as  Swinton  says, 
"until  the  first  hostile  outburst  has  spent  itself."  But  in  a  short 
time  the  guns  on  our  side  began  to  speak  in  reply,  and  for  over  two 
hours  this  prodigious  duel  of  over  two  hundred  cannon,  hurling  shot 
and  shell  from  ridge  to  ridge,  continued.  With  the  mad  roar  of  the 
guns,  the  heavens  above  us  seemed  alive  with  screeching,  shrieking 
missiles  of  destruction  and  death ;  and  yet,  with  the  protection  af 
forded  by  the  defenses  built  in  the  morning,  the  casualties  along  the 
line  of  the  148th  were  exceedingly  small. 

About  four  o'clock  the  clamor  of  this  noisy  combat  began  to  die 
away,  and  soon  Confederate  columns  of  infantry  were  seen  prepar 
ing  for  an  attack  on  the  center  of  the  Union  lines  on  Cemetery 
Ridge.  They  moved  forward  in  splendid  battle  array,  and  at  first 
it  appeared  that  their  objective  point  would  be  the  First  Division. 
'Not  so,  however.  On  reaching  the  Emmittsburg  Road,  near  the 
Codori  House,  Pickett's  columns  made  an  oblique  move  to  their  left, 
and  the  front  of  the  Division  was  for  a  little  while  clear.  The  weight 
of  the  assault  fell  upon  Webb's  Philadelphia  Brigade,  of  the  Second 
Division,  and  the  assault,  repulse  and  all  the  dramatic  features  con 
nected  therewith  can  form  no  part  of  my  recital.  Shortly  afterward, 
however,  an  isolated  brigade  of  the  enemy  to  the  right  of  Pickett, 
commanded  by  Wilcox,  appeared  on  our  front.  Moving  forward  to. 
the  assault,  this  column  had  partly  passed  the  troops  of  Stanard's 


THE    MARKER. 
Gettysburg. 


•^IBI**-^ 

OF   Tut 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          881 

\7'ermont  Brigade,  who  had  been  placed  somewhat  to  the  right  and 
in  advance.  Still  pressing  forward,  these  Confederates  soon  came 
within  musket  range  of  our  Brigade.  They  were  received  with  a 
volley  and  at  the  same  time  found  themselves  vigorously  assailed  on 
their  flank  by  Stanard,  who  had  promptly  made  a  change  of  front 
for  that  purpose.  Those  of  them  who  had  passed  Stanard,  seeing 
the  hopelessness  of  their  attack,  and  knowing  that  retreat  was  im 
possible,  threw  down  their  arms  in  token  of  surrender  and  passed 
over  our  breastworks  prisoners  of  war,  a  large  number  passing  over 
the  position  of  the  148th.  The  remainder  of  this  column  made  a 
hasty  retreat,  and  the  assault  was  over. 

My  comrades,  the  mighty  contest  of  the  1st,  2d  and  3d  day? 
of  July,  1863,  was  now  at  an  end,  and  the  time  had  come  to  count 
losses.  In  our  Regiment  they  were  exceedingly  severe.  Out  of  four 
hundred  of  actual  strength  carried  into  the  action  on  this  field  nearly 
one-third  were  killed  or  wounded,  the  heaviest  loss  occurring  on  the 
2d.  The  record  of  casualties  may  be  stated  as  follows : 

Killed,  officers,  1 ;  wounded,  officers,  6 ;  killed,  men,  18 ; 
wounded,  men,  95;  missing,  men,  1;  total  of  losses,  125. 

Of  the  wounded  one  officer  and  ten  men  subsequently  died  of 
their  wounds. 

The  two  gallant  officers  who  lost  their  lives  here  were  Capt. 
Robert  M.  Forster,  of  Company  C,  and  Lieut.  John  A.  Bayard,  of 
Company  H,  both  of  whom  fell  in  the  wheat  field. 

Captain  Forster  was  an  able  officer,  of  fine  intelligence,  and 
his  death  was  indeed  a  great  loss  to  the  Regiment.  He  was  a  strict 
and  excellent  disciplinarian,  prompt  and  energetic  in  the  perform 
ance  of  every  duty.  He  attended  faithfully  to  the  interests  of  his 
company,  and  always  took  great  pride  in  seeing  it  in  good  condition. 
The  loss  of  Lieutenant  Bayard  was  also  keenly  felt.  He  was  a  fine 
drill-master,  a  quality  acquired  by  some  years  of  service  in  the  Regu 
lar  Army,  and  the  ease  and  grace  he  displayed  in  handling  a  com 
pany  on  drill  or  parade  were  often  the  subject  of  complimentary 
remarks  of  his  fellow  officers. 

On  this  historic  field  the  148th  performed  splendid  and  valu 
able  service.  From  thence  its  standing  was  established.  To  the 


882  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

end  of  the  War  it  always  ranked  among  the  best  of  the  veteran  regi 
ments  of  the  Second  Corps,  and  as  a  recognition  of  the  part  it  played 
here,  it  is  only  necessary  for  me  to  give  you  another  short  extract 
from  Colonel  McKeen,  because  of  the  direct  reference  to  the  Regi- 
ment  which  it  contains.  It  reads  as  follows: 

"I  have  only  to  state  that  the  Brigade  fought  with  its  usual 
gallantry,  and  the  Regiment  I  had  the  honor  to  command  in  the  early 
part  of  the  engagement,  comparatively  a  new  one,  equaled  in  cool 
ness  and  gallantry  the  balance  of  the  Brigade — old  veterans  of  the 
Peninsula." 

And  now,  my  comrades,  as  a  conclusion  to  my  narrative,  this 
brings  me  to  state  how  it  happened  that  Colonel  McKeen,  of  the 
81st,  was  in  command  of  the  Regiment  in  the  early  part  of  the 
Gettysburg  engagement.  I  doom  it  an  act  of  duty  to  make  this 
statement,  yet  I  venture  ii]X)n  the  subject  with  some  hesitation,  for 
one  of  the  persons  of  whom  I  shall  speak  lost  his  life  in  this  wheat 
field.  It  would  be  ungracious  to  say  anything  unkind  of  him,  and, 
so  far  as  I  can  help  it,  I  will  not  do  so.  The  person  to  whom  T  refer 
is  Col.  Edward  E.  Cross,  under  whom,  as  our  Brigade  commander,  we 
marched  to  this  field.  Colonel  Cross  was  undoubtedly  a  dashing, 
brave  and  impetuous  soldier,  but  in  other  personal  characteristics 
he  was  not  noted  for  giving  much  consideration  to  the  rights  and 
feelings  of  other  soldiers.  For  some  cause,  never,  so  far  as  T  am 
aware,  known  or  explained,  he,  from  his  first  association  with  us, 
seemed  to  have  conceived  a  dislike  to  the  Regiment,  Xow,  because 
of  this  dislike,  or  prejudice,  or  whatever  it  may  have  been,  officer* 
and  men  of  our  Regiment  were  almost  daily,  from  the  day  we  broke 
camp  on  the  Rappahannock  until  we  reached  Gettysburg,  made  to 
suffer  wrong  and  injustice  from  him.  One  officer  in  particular,  at 
the  very  outset  of  the  campaign,  seemed  to  have  incurred  his  open 
displeasure.  That  officer  was  Lieutenant  Colonel  Robert  McFar- 
lane,  commanding  offtcer  of  the  Regiment  in  the  absence  of  Colonel 
Beaver,  who  had  not  recovered  from  the  severe  wound  he  had  re 
ceived  at  Chancellorsville.  Colonel  McFarlane  soon  became  a  vic 
tim  to  this  displeasure;  yet  it  is  a  truth,  known  to  myself  and 
others,  that  if  he  ever  gave  offense  to  Colonel  Cross,  it  was  only  in 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          883 

such  efforts  as  he  made  to  protect  himself  and  those  who  served 
under  him  from  imposition  and  injustice.  However  that  may  be, 
on  the  evening  of  the  30th  of  June,  1863,  while  in  bivouac  at  Union- 
town,  Maryland,  the  company  commanders  were  called  together  to 
meet  Colonel  McKeen,  and  were  by  him  informed  that  he  had  come 
to  the  Regiment  by  order  of  Colonel  Cross  to  assume  command  of 
it.  To  say  that  all  were  astounded  and  shocked  at  this  sudden  and 
unceremonious  announcement  is  to  give  mild  terms  to  their  feelings. 
It  must  be  said,  however,  that  if  such  an  arbitrary  and  cruel  act 
of  injustice  was  to  be  perpetrated,  a  less  objectionable  officer  than 
Colonel  McKeen  could  not  have  been  selected  to  place  in  command. 
He  was  an  officer  and  soldier  of  excellent  repute,  highly  esteemed 
by  all  who  knew  him,  and  in  all  respects  one  under  whom  a  subordi 
nate  might  cheerfully  serve.  Under  the  circumstances  we  could  only 
repress  our  indignation  and  submit.  Without  a  murmur  of  open 
complaint  at  the  time,  though  the  provocation  was  grievous.  Colonel 
McFarlane  quietly  bore  this  humiliation.  Courageous  man  and 
soldier  as  he  was,  he  followed  his  Regiment  to  Gettysburg  and  gal 
lantly  shared  its  dangers.  On  this  wheat  field,  after  the  fall  of 
Colonel  Cross,  and  Colonel  McKeen,  by  virtue  of  his  rank  had  be 
come  the  Brigade  commander,  so  acceptable  to  him  had  been  Col 
onel  McFarlane's  conduct  in  the  fight,  that  his  first  act  was  to  direct 
Colonel  McFarlane  to  resume  command  of  the  Regiment,  thus  in  a 
measure  atoning  for  the  wrong  of  his  predecessor  in  command.  From 
that  moment  until  the  battle  ended  the  Regiment  was  in  charge  of 
Colonel  McFarlane.  T  have  regarded  this  statement  due  to  Colonel 
MoFarlane  and  this  a  proper  time  and  a  proper  place  in  which  to 
make  it. 

Comrades  of  the  148th!  We  have  met  here  today  to  dedicate 
yonder  massive  and  imposing  pile  of  granite.  It  stands  there,  not 
alone  a  tribute  to  the  value  and  importance  of  the  services  you  ren 
dered  upon  the  field  of  Gettysburg,  the  events  of  which,  so  far  as 
you  are  concerned,  I  have  so  imperfectly,  though  I  believe  truth 
fully,  tried  to  tell.  You  participated  in  many  other  campaigns, 
made  many  other  weary  and  toilsome  marches,  and  fought  in  many 
other  bloody  battles.  From  Chancellorsville  to  the  surrender  at 


884  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Appomattox,  your  presence  as  a  regimental  unit  of  the  grand  old 
Corps  was  felt,  and  in  no  campaign,  on  no  inarch  and  in  no  battle 
in  which  you  were  engaged,  whether  upon  the  skirmish  line  of  which 
service  you  always  had  a  large  share,  or  in  the  line  of  battle  in  the 
midst  of  the  fray,  will  it  be  said  that  you  ever  shrank  from  the  full 
performance  of  your  duty.  At  all  times  and  under  all  surroundings 
you  had  the  respect  and  confidence  of  those  in  high  command  over 
you,  for  well  they  knew  you  would  never  fail  them  in  the  hour  of 
trial  and  danger.  This  record  of  our  Regiment  is  a  proud  one,  and 
that  monument  will  tell  the  story  to  generations  yet  unborn,  for  its 
list  of  battles  waged  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union  is  more  im 
pressive,  suggestive  and  eloquent  than  any  poor  words  of  mine. 

As  nearly  as  it  can  be  approximated  the  total  enrollment  of  our 
Regiment  was  1,370  officers  and  men,  and  the  casualties  in  all  ac 
tions  in  which  it  participated  were  as  follows:  Killed,  7  officers 
and  121  men;  wounded,  34  officers  and  581  men;  captured  or  miss 
ing,  4  officers  and  168  men;  making  the  aggregate  of  casualties  in 
action  915  out  of  the  total  enlistment  of  1,370. 

The  deaths  from  all  causes  were  as  follows :  Killed,  7  officers 
and  121  men ;  died  of  wounds  received  in  action,  6  officers  and  69 
men ;  died  of  disease,  4  officers  and  170  men ;  died  of  other  causes, 
22  men ;  making  an  aggregate  of  399.  It  should  also  be  added  that 
the  records  of  the  Regiment  show  a  list  of  over  25  men  missing  in 
action  who  were  never  af terwards  accounted  for ;  but  it  is  well  known 
to  many  of  the  survivors  of  the  Regiment  that  most  of  these  missing 
men  were  killed  in  battle,  and  therefore  properly  belong  to  the  list 
of  killed,  and  should  be  so  reported.  These  statistics  prove  that  your 
lot  as  soldiers  was  not  cast  in  soft  or  pleasant  places  in  the  rear,  but 
testify  with  startling  emphasis  to  your  presence  in  many  scenes  oi 
danger,  carnage  and  death. 

To  that  merciful  Providence  which  led  so  many  of  us  through 
those  days  of  danger  with  our  lives — days  of  danger  in  which  nearly 
one-third  of  those  who  marched  together  to  the  front  as  the  148th 
Regiment  were  left  behind — let  us  render  fervent  and  reverent  thanks, 
and  pray  that  our  beloved  country,  with  its  free  institutions  and  its 
beneficent  form  of  government,  reunited,  purified  and  strengthened 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          885 

by  the  toils,  sufferings  and  sacrifices  of  the  Union  soldiers  of  1861- 
1865,  may  be  safe  for  all  time  to  come  from  another  War  of  Re 
bellion.  Let  us  also  be  thankful  that  after  the  lapse  of  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  century,  so  goodly  a  number  of  us  have  been  permitted 
to  gather  here  to  engage  in  these  ceremonies.  It  has  done  my  heart 
good  to  meet  and  greet  you  today.  Comrades,  my  task  has  now  been 
completed.  I  thank  you  for  your  kind  attention,  and  hoping  that 
God's  choicest  blessings  may  rest  upon  each  one  of  you  during  the  re 
mainder  of  your  days  on  earth,  I  bid  you  all  a  kind  adieu. 


OAMP  FIKE. 
PART  I. 

By  Corporal}.  K.  P.  Ward,  Company  C. 

At  the  time  I  enlisted  1  was  working  on  a  farm  and  received 
the  princely  sum  of  eight  dollars  per  month  and  board  for  fifteen 
hours'  work.  About  that  time  the  148th  Regiment  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers  was  being  organized.  I  went  to  my  father's  home,  in 
Gatesburg,  to  get  his  consent  to  enlist.  He  told  me  I  was  too  young. 
I  said  I  would  go  anyway,  but  had  no  idea  of  going  without  his  per 
mission.  I  went  back  to  my  work  on  the  farm.  That  week  1  was 
ploughing,  I  looked  up  the  road  and  saw  some  wagons  coming  down 
with  a  flag  flying.  My  heart  was  with  them,  but  still  I  would  not 
go  without  my  father's  consent.  About  that  time  I  saw  the  teamt> 
stop  and  a  man  get  off  and  start  across  the  field  to  where  I  was. 
It  was  Daniel  Gates.  He  said,  "Jim,  your  father  is  over  there  and 
says  you  can  go  if  you  want  to."  I  don't  think  there  ever  was  a 
team  unhitched  from  a  plow  any  quicker  than  that  was.  I  put  them 
in  the  bairn,  took  off  the  harness,  changed  clothes  and  away  I  went 
to  Bellefonte  and  was  sworn  into  the  service  of  the  United  States 
Army  on  the  19th  of  August,  1862,  and  started  to  Harrisburg,  where 
the  Regiment  was  organized  as  the  148th. 

At  Cockeysville  I  was  taken  sick  with  typhoid  fever.  I  was 
taken  to  the  hospital  tent  in  the  woods.  Captain  Forster  detailed 
W.  H.  Mayes  to  stay  at  the  hospital  to  nurse  me,  which  1  think  was 
his  first  step  towards  getting  to  be  hospital  steward. 

When  I  was  able  to  leave  the  hospital  it  was  real  cold.  I  went 
to  Phoenix,  where  Company  C  was  located  and  helped  guard  the 
railroad.  One  night  I  was  on  guard  between  Phoenix  and  camp 
and  Lieutenants  Bible  and  Stevenson  came  along.  I  halted  them 
and  told  them  to  advance  and  give  the  countersign.  They  advanced 
and  Bible  leaned  over  to  give  the  countersign,  Stevenson  slipped  by 
me.  While  I  was  trying  to  stop  him,  Bible  ran  around  on  the  other 
side.  Tt  was  a  moonlight  night  and  T  could  see  them  plainly.  T 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS         887 

got  the  big  gun  to  my  shoulder  to  shoot.  They  commenced  calling 
not  to  shoot.  They  came  back  and  plead  with  me  not  to  tell.  If  the 
Colonel  had  heard  of  it  there  would  have  been  a  hot  time  in  the  old 
town. 

When  we  left  for  the  front  among  the  baggage  of  Company  A 
was  a  barrel  of  apple  butter.  Company  C  was  in  charge  of  trans 
portation.  They  would  not  allow  it  to  be  transported  as  baggage,  so 
Capt.  R.  H.  Forster  traded  it  to  a  hotel  for  dinner  for  the  company. 
There  was  a  great  wailing  in  Company  H  when  they  missed  thevr 
barrel  of  apple  butter.  You  could  hear  the  remarks  afterwards  hi 
German:  "Der  Captain  Forster  hat  unser  latwarrick  varkauft" 

We  reached  the  front  a  very  tired  set  of  men.  I  think  it  was 
the  most  tiresome  march  1  experienced  while  I  was  in  the  Army. 
Our  knapsacks  were  too  full  for  comfort.  At  Falmouth  we  joined 
the  Second  Army  Corps,  where  we  stayed  until  we  were  mustered 
out. 


PART  II. 

By  T.  W.  Myton. 

There  is  one  class  of  soldiers  who  served  in  the  Union  Army 
whose  services  and  sacrifices  have  never  been  properly  recognized, 
whose  patriotic  devotion  has  never  been  the  theme  of  poet's  song  or 
orator's  declamation,  whose  achievements  have  never  been  the  sub 
ject  of  official  reports,  whose  daily  and  special  returns  find  no  place 
in  the  "Records  of  the  Rebellion"  and  to  whom  the  historian  seldom, 
if  ever,  alludes.  We  refer  to  the  men  who  shod  the  mules  of  the 
army  wagon  trains. 

Their  service  was  rendered  under  peculiar  trials  and  tempta 
tions — trials  sore  and  grave  from  the  mule  and  temptations  to  pro 
fanity  which  were  too  overwhelming  to  be  resisted.  Talk  about  the 
infantry  fire  at  Spotsylvania  or  boast  of  your  rapid  fire  guns  of  a, 
Inter  date,  but  there  was  a  battery  that  could  fire  six  times  while  an 
automatic  gun  fired  once  and  never  miss  the  bull's  eye.  It  was  al 
ways  ain  battery."  It  could  fire  in  any  direction ;  it  had  no  ammu 
nition  chests  or  caissons  to  be  exploded  but  carried  its  own  ammuni- 


888  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

tion  within  itself ;  it  required  no  loading  at  either  muzzle  or  breach ; 
it  required  neither  primer  nor  lanyard  and  was  its  own  cannoneer ; 
it  did  not  fire  at  long  range,  as  do  our  modern  rifle  guns  but  within 
the  sphere  of  its  limited  range  it  was  absolutely  unfailing.  It  was 
the  army  mule. 

It  is  charged  and  generally  believed  that  the  army  contractors 
purchased  and  sent  to  the  Army  the  most  vicious  and  abandoned  ani 
mals  to  be  had  in  the  whole  country.  At  Washington  they  were  run 
into  stocks,  firmly  bound  and  shod  and  then  forwarded  to  the  Army. 
Their  experience  in  this  operation  did  not  tend  to  lessen  their  natural 
depravity  when  freed  from  the  environment  which  made  resistance 
useless  in  their  first  shoeing.  After  they  reached  the  Army,  their 
feet  were  cared  for  by  men  who  were  detailed  from  the  ranks  for 
that  purpose.  To  this  extra  hazardous  and  dangerous  duty  there  were 
detailed  and  sent  to  the  army  trains  from  the  148th  Regiment  John 
G.  Uzzle,  of  Company  H,  and  the  two  Condo's,  father  and  son,  from 
Company  G. 

Now  be  it  known  unto  you  that  the  army  mule  did  not  look 
the  mighty  warrior  he  was.  On  the  contrary,  as  you  stood  be 
side  him,  fat,  sleek  and  glossy,  and  looked  into  his  large,  soft,  soul 
ful  hazel  eyes  you  would  think  he  was  dreaming  of  those,  bright, 
happy  days,  now  long  since  past  when,  as  a  little  nondescript,  he 
played,  in  some  bright,  beautiful  sunny  meadow  of  the  far  northland, 
nibbling  the  tender  grass  and  violets  and  trying  to  guess  who  his 
father  was. 

By  the  side  of  a  specimen  like  this  Uzzle  stood  with  his  kit 
for  his  maiden  effort  at  shoeing  in  the  Army.  Having  looked  his 
subject  over  and  being  well  pleased  with  the  prospect,  he  took  up  his 
foot  to  put  a  shoe  on  it.  Then  something  happened.  The  world 
began  to  disappear.  He  was  going  upward.  Professor  Lowe's 
balloon  hung  like  a  mere  speck  near  the  earth  to  the  southwest.  Then 
the  world  began  to  grow  larger.  He'd  been  rejected  above  and  was 
returning  earthward.  As  he  came  down  he  passed  Condo  going  up 
and  said,  "Good-bye,  Dan,  I'll  draw  your  rations  and  if  you  don't 
get  back  pay  day,  I'll  draw  your  pay  and  send  it  to  your  widow." 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          889 

The  only  injury,  however,  resulting  from  this  double  mishap  was  a 
badly  sprained  knee  and  sundry  painful  bruises. 

But  these  were  no  ordinary  men.  They  were  wise  and  thrifty 
and  knew  how  to  coin  their  misfortunes  into  cash  and  out  of  their 
dangerous  occupation  lay  the  foundation  of  comfortable  fortunes. 
Thereafter,  neither  of  them  would  shoe  a  mule  until  his  feet  were 
clamped  to  good  substantial  pine  stumps  and,  while  they  shod  on« 
foot,  the  mule  kicked  the  stump  out  with  the  other.  When  out  of 
the  ground,  these  stumps  commanded  a  ready  market  to  the  lazy  sol 
diers  who  didn't  like  to  go  far  for  their  fire  wood  for  fuel.  There 
is  no  telling  how  large  fortunes  they  would  have  amassed,  if  it 
had  not  been  for  the  stiff  and  unreasonable  pigheadedness  of  the 
wagon  master  who  refused  to  move  the  camp  of  the  wagon  train 
every  time  they  ran  out  of  stumps  and  insisted  that  the  much-abused 
army  mules  had  enough  to  do  to  move  the  wagon  trains  without 
drawing  stumps  for  lazy  blacksmiths  to  speculate  on. 

Whilst  occupying  our  beautiful  winter  quarter  camp  near  Stev- 
ensburg  during  the  winter  of  1863-1864,  Captain  Core,  of  K  Com 
pany,  had  a  colored  cook  who  answered  to  the  name  of  Dick  Thomp 
son.  There  were  several  other  darkies  in  the  Regiment  who  were 
special  cronies  of  Dick.  Captain  Core  being*  absent  from  camp  on 
picket  duty,  the  darkies  met  at  his  quarters  for  a  social  game  of 
cards.  As  is  not  unusual  on  such  occasions,  they  differed  as  to  the 
rules  of  the  g*ame  and,  as  a  consequence,  came  to  loud  words  and 
threats  of  something  more.  S.  W.  Harrington,  of  K  Company,  pass 
ing  the  quarters  and  knowing  of  the  Captain's  absence,  concluded  to 
investigate.  Opening  the  door  of  the  Captain's  snug  quarters,  he 
passed  in  and  closed  it,  whereupon  it  was  immediately  blocked  from 
the  outside.  Some  of  the  other  fellows  of  the  company  saw  the 
chance  for  some  fun,  so  the  door  was  held  tightly  shut,  while  an 
other  of  the  mischief-makers  dropped  some  cartridges  down  the 
chimney  and  placed  a  board  over  the  top.  It  is  needless  to  say  that 
all  loud  talk  and  threats  of  dire  disaster  stopped  immediately  in  the 
face  of  the  greatest  danger.  The  cartridges  exploded,  the  ashes  flew^ 
the  smoke  emerged  from  the  chimney  and,  in  the  midst  of  the  melee, 
the  darkies  got  to  the  far  end  of  the  cabin  and,  when  Harrington 


890  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

looked  about  him,  all  that  he  could  see  was  three  sets  of  ivories  and 
the  whites  of  three  pairs  of  eyes  of  the  worst  scared  darkies  you 
ever  saw. 

When  the  door  was  finally  opened,  not  a  soul  could  be  seen. 
There  was  no  way  of  fixing  the  responsibility  for  what  had  happened 
and  Harrington  remained  in  blissful  ignorance  for  nearly  forty 
years.  Finally  S.  H.  Sloan,  of  K  Company,  now  of  Ashland,  Ohio, 
owned  up  that  he  was  the  doorkeeper  on  that  occasion  and  that  John 
Donahue,  one  of  the  tallest  members  of  K,  had  manipulated  the 
cartridges  and  the  board  over  the  chimney.  The  joke  was  on  Har 
rington  but  no  serious  consequences  resulted  and  the  Captain,  when 
lie  returned,  found  everything  in  apple-pie  order  in  his  comfortable 
hut, 

PART  III. 

John  M.  English,  of  F  Company,  tells  this  humorous  little  in 
cident  : 

A  squad  of  F  Company's  best  foragers  were  one  day  in  search 
of  anything  which  would  add  variety  to  the  army  ration  in  the 
neighborhood  of  one  of  our  camps  when  a  barrel  of  sorghum  molasses 
was  discovered  in  the»cellar  of  a  plantation  house  which  had  been 
practically  deserted.  The  head  was  soon  taken  out  and  all  available 
canteens  were  brought  into  requisition  to  be  filled.  The  foragers 
were  busily  engaged  in  their  work,  when  a  colored  girl — evidently 
belonging  to  the  plantation — came  up  and  put  her  head  down  to 
taste  of  the  molasses.  George  Zullinger,  who  was  always  ready  for 
such  an  emergency,  said  to  her,  "Do  that  again,  gal,"  which,  nothing 
loath,  she  immediately  did.  George,  as  quickly,  shoved  her  head 
into  the  molasses.  The  condition  of  things  when  her  head  re-ap 
peared  can  be  imagined  but  cannot  be  described.  She  took  it  good- 
naturedly,  however,  gave  herself  a  shake  and  said,  "Hi  gollies,  Pse 
sweet  all  over!"  A  little  circumstance  of  that  kind,  of  course,  did 
not  damage  the  molasses  in  the  eyes  of  the  boys  and  the  canteens 
continued  to  be  .filled,  until  they  were  satisfied  and  returnd  to  camp. 
The  several  messes  in  that  company  had  a  pleasing  variety  in  their 
flap-jacks  and  fried  hard  tack  for  several  days  thereafter. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          891 
PART  IV. 

By  J.  B.  Holloway,  of  Company  D. 

In  connection  with  the  capturing  of  the  rebel  fort  in  front  of 
Petersburg  by  one  hundred  selected  men  of  our  Regiment,  the  story 
of  Corp.  William  P.  Holloway,  of  Company  D,  and  now  of  Orange- 
ville,  Illinois,  is  worthy  of  record.  They  were  under  the  command 
of  a  Lieutenant  (Price),  a  staff  officer,  who  was  bold,  brave  and 
ambitious,  but  likely  used  more  of  these  qualities  than  of  discretion. 
He  led  the  men  up  the  works,  being  far  in  advance  of  them,  and 
urging  and  calling  to  them  to  come  on.  He  had  scarcely  reached  the 
top  of  the  fort  when  he  was  shot  dead  and  his  body  rolled  down  the 
embankment.  The  men,  however,  went  on  and  took  the  fort.  The 
rebels  were  very  stubborn  and  refused  to  lay  down  their  arms  and 
our  men  were  obliged  to  shoot  many  of  them  in  the  fort  and  in  their 
bomb  proofs  before  they  would  surrender.  Comrade  Holloway, 
while  tarrying  for  a  little  while  in  one  of  these  bomb  proofs,  on 
coming  out  found  that  every  man  had  left  the  fort.  He  hardly  knew 
what  to  do  or  where  to  go,  but  he  made  his  way  out  and  found  seven 
teen  of  our  men  and  three  rebels  huddled  together  in  the  trenches  on 
the  outside  of  the  fort.  He  asked  them  what  they  were  doing  there, 
and  why  they  did  not  return  to  our  lines.  They  said  they  could  not 
as  the  rebels  had  a  cross  fire  on  the  line  of  their  retreat.  He  told 
them  he  would  not  remain  there,  but  would  go  for  our  lines  at  all 
hazards,  as  it  would  be  about  as  sweet  for  him  to  be  shot  as  to  bo 
taken  prisoner.  He  then  told  the  three  rebels  that  they  must  go  with 
him.  '  They  objected  but  he  touched  his  repeater  and  the  four 
started  for  our  lines,  and  while  passing  the  exposed  place  one  of  the 
rebels  was  shot  through  the  shoulder,  but  he  could  still  travel  and 
so  the  Corporal  brought  the  three  into  our  lines.  All  of  the  seven 
teen  men  who  remained  in  the  trenches  by  the  fort  were  taken 
prisoners. 

In  this  connection  I  wish  to  say  that  few  men,  if  any,  in  our 
Regiment  or  in  any  other  regiment  did  more  actual  service  as  a  sol 
dier  than  Corporal  Holloway.  He  was  with  the  Regiment  from 
start  to  finish.  He  had  not  been  sick  during  his  three  years  service, 


892  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

and  was  away  from  the  Regiment  only  for  a  few  weeks  after  the 
battle  of  Spotsylvania  where  he  had  been  wounded. 

LINCOLN  AT  CITY  POINT. 

In  the  winter  and  spring  of  1865  I  was  on  detail  at  City  Point 
Hospital,  after  the  fall  of  Richmond  and  Petersburg  and  when 
President  Lincoln  made  his  memorable  trip  to  Richmond.  On  his 
return  to  Washington  he  stopped  for  a  short  time  at  City  Point.  The 
hospital  at  this  place  was  very  extensive.  The  different  army  corps 
having  their  separate  locations,  and  a  branch  of  the  railroad  extended 
tli rough  the  central  part  of  this  city  of  sick  and  wounded,  where 
on  were  brought  carload  after  carload  of  these  unfortunates  day  after 
day.  It  was  here  that  the  President  showed  his  great  kindness  ot 
heart  and  his  love  and  respect  for  the  soldier  boys.  He  visited  the 
greater  part  of  the  wards  of  this  great  hospital  wherein  were  the 
sick  and  wounded  that  Avere  unable  to  leave  their  beds  and  took  the 
boys  by  the  hand  and  talked  to  them  and  gave  them  words  of  cheer. 
Then  in  the  streets  of  this  city  of  tents  the  boys  that  were  able  to  be 
out  would  line  up  in  long  rows,  and  in  some  places  in  large  circles, 
and  Mr.  Lincoln  would  walk  along  these  lines  and  shake  all  by  the 
hand  and  say  to  each  one  alternately,  "How  do  you  do,  sir,"  "How 
are  you,  sir."  It  was  my  misfortune  to  stand  in  one  of  these  circles 
close  to  where  the  President  started  to  go  around  it.  He  went  to 
ward  his  right  which  was  away  from  me,  and  it  so  happened  that 
before  he  got  around  to  where  I  stood  some  one  engaged  him  in  con 
versation  and  so  he  stopped  before  completing  that  circle.  Then 
Mr.  Lincoln  said,  "Well,  where  will  we  go  now."  So  they  started 
across  the  railroad  track  to  the  Fifth  Corps  Hospital.  While  on 
this  little  walk  many  were  the  pulls  the  President  got  on  his  coat 
tail  by  persons  who  wished  to  meet  him,  so  he  would  turn  about  and 
take  them  by  the  hand.  As  for  myself,  I  pulled  the  Second  Corps 
badge  off  my  cap,  so  as  not  to  be  known  as  an  interloper,  and 
crossed  over  and  stood  in  line  with  the  Fifth  Corps  boys,  and  then 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  shaking  hands  with  President  Lincoln.  I  saved 
tli at  little  red  badge  off  my  cap  and  have  it  yet. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          893 
PART  V. 

The  following  incident,  related  by  Comrade  Lemuel  II.  Osman. 
of  Company  G,  illustrates  a  very  interesting  feature  in  the  life  of 
the  Regiment: 

There  was  in  this  company  what  was  known  as  a  praying  band. 
Comrades  Osman  and  William  Carson  had  been  two  rather  reckless 
characters  and  were  in  the  habit  of  smoking  this  praying  band  out 
of  the  tent  and  otherwise  disturbing  their  devotions.  One  Satur 
day  these  two  were  out  on  a  fishing  excursion  and  were  caught  in  a 
rain  storm  going  home.  Osman  says  they  were  going  along  very 
quietly  with  but  little  to  say,  when  Carson  suddenly  remarked, 
"Lem,  I  am  going  to  turn  over  a  leaf  and  live  a  better  life.  You 
and  I  have  been  rather  wicked;  let  us  try  and  do  better  for  once."' 
Osman  replied,  "All  right.  Xow  tomorrow  is  Sunday.  Sunnose  we 
get  our  testaments  and  go  up  to  the  praying  mess  and  ask  them  tu 
pray  for  us."  So  they  did. 

When  they  came  to  the  tent  of  John  Craig,  who  was  one  of  the 
leaders  of  the  prayer  meeting,  they  rapped  on  the  door  and  were  in 
vited  to  come  in.  Craig  said,  "How  is  this,  boys  ?  You  are  so  early 
this  morning?"  Osman  replied,  "Well  we  came  to  ask  you  to  pray 
for  us — Will  and  I."  Craig  replied,  "So  you  are  beginning  to  think 
of  your  wicked  life.  Well,  sit  down  there  till  we  get  breakfast." 
;\fter  breakfast,  we  all  knelt  in  prayer.  Samuel  Bottorf  was  called 
upon  to  lead  and  such  a  prayer  Osman  says  he  never  heard ;  that  he 
often  thinks  of  it  now  and  how  he  felt  on  that  Sabbath  day.  They 
spent  the  day  reading  the  testament. 

In  a  letter  from  Osman,  he  says,  "Poor  Carson  is  dead.  Soon 
our  time  will  come  and  I'm  looking  forward  to  a  brighter  world,  as 
we  are  dropping  out  of  the  ranks,  one  by  one." 


PAET  VI. 

Incidents  by  John  Craig,  of  Company  C. 

I  was  born  July  7,  1834.  About  forty  of  us  went  to  Bellefonte. 
From  there  went  to  Milroy  and  thence  to  Lewistown,  where  we 
took  the  train  for  Harrisburg  and  went  to  the  barracks  and.  after 


894  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

dinner,  reported  at  Camp  Curtin  to  'the  officer  in  charge;  thence  to 
the  Quartermaster  for  rations  and  equipment  and  settled  down  to 
camp  life  with  the  balance  of  the  Regiment.  Took  part  in  the  battle 
of  Chancellorsville. 

While  on  picket  at  Kelly's  Ford,  we  came  to  know  a  Mr.  Kelly 
who  was  the  owner  of  one  thousand  acres  of  land  and  one  hundred 
and  fifty  slaves.  ~Now  all  that  he  had  left  were  a  few  implements, 
three  old  negroes  and  a  little  darkey  boy. 

I  was  not  at  Gettysburg,  being  absent,  wounded.  I  think  T 
did  not  get  back  to  the  Regiment  until  April,  1864.  That  spring  I 
was  taken  sick  and  sent  to  the  general  hospital  in  Washington.  Later 
on  I  was  at  a  convalescent  camp  and  the  convalescents  were  all  or 
dered  to  the  front,  I  among  them,  where  I  took  part  in  the  operations 
before  Petersburg  and  at  Deep  Bottom. 

I  was  wounded  at  the  second  Deep  Bottom  fight  and  was  in 
Philadelphia  from  August  until  May,  when  I  was  discharged  and 
sent  home.  I  had  carried  a  running  wound  until  October,  1896, 
when  I  was  relieved  by  the  amputation  of  my  right  leg. 

In  front  of  Fredericksburg,  two  or  three  o'clock  one  morning,  I 
was  directly  opposite  a  rebel  picket,  when  he  called  out,  "Hello, 
Yank !  Want  to  trade  some  coffee  for  some  tobacco  ?  I  sent  a  little 
boat  over  to  you  with  tobacco  and  newspaper  for  some  coffee."  But 
his  boat  run  against  an  old  wreck  of  a  steamboat.  He  said,  "Keep 
a  look-out,  Yank,  for  the  boat,"  At  daybreak  I  saw  a  little  structure 
of  some  kind  behind  the  old  wreck  and  by  this  time  I  could  see 
Johnny  and  talk  with  him.  I  could  see  the  boat  but  it  was  cap- 
sized  and  the  cargo  lost.  It  was  about  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  down 
to  the  water  and  nearly  perpendicular.  I  was  looking  every  moment 
for  relief  but  the  best  T  could  do  was  to  go  part  way  down.  I  got 
a  piece  of  the  vine  and  worked  the  vine  over  the  top  mast  and  so  got 
hold  of  the  boat  but  the  cargo  was  gone — tobacco  and  newspaper. 

I  was  wounded  at  Chancellorsville  in  my  neck,  right  arm  and 
left  side.  I  was  near  Colonel  Beaver  and  called  to  him  that  I  was 
wounded.  He  said, '"Get  to  the  rear,"  and  I  was  taken  to  the  hospi 
tal  at  Washington  and  from  there  to  Philadelphia. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          895 

At  Deep  Bottom,  I  was  sitting  by  the  side  of  Samuel  Gill, 
when  a  shell  took  off  his  right  arm,  and  the  surgeons  tried  to  help 
him  but  could  do  nothing  to  save  his  life.  He  asked  me  to  pray  for 
him.  He  was  a  young  man,  in  his  prime,  and  just  returned  from 
the  hospital,  having  been  wounded  at  Cold  Harbor.  He  died  dur 
ing  the  night. 

About  the  same  time  Thomas  McBeth  and  I,  with  several  others, 
were  wounded  by  the  explosion  of  a  shell.  A  large  piece  struck  Mc 
Beth  in  the  side.  I  think  the  fragment  would  have  weighed  a  pound. 
T  sat  by  his  side,  while  the  surgeon  cut  it  out ;  you  could  have  put 
your  fist  in  the  hole.  I  never  expected  to  see  him  again  but  about 
eighteen  years  afterwards  I  happened  to  be  at  Julian  and  I  met 
McBeth  sound  and  well. 


PART  VII. 

By  Daniel  G.  Farley,  Company  H. 

On  our  march  from  camp  near  Falmouth,  in  April,  1863, 
loaded  down  with  eight  days'  rations  and  forty  rounds  of  ammuni- 
rion,  just  before  we  reached  United  States  Ford,  Comrade  John 
English  found  a  peacock  feather  and  thinking  to  pass  a  good  joke  on 
me,  stuck  it  in  my  cap,  saying,  "I  have  got  a  good  tail  for  the  old 
Shanghai,"  referring  to  the  fact  that  I  possessed  quite  a  talent  for 
imitating  that  domestic  fowl,  and  which  I  practiced  frequently  to 
the  amusement  of  some,  and  the  annoyance  of  others.  To  carry  out 
the  spirit  of  the  joke,  1  kept  the  feather  and  gave  one  of  my  best  imita 
tions,  pretending  to  flap  my  wings  and  crowing  as  only  a  Shanghai 
can  crow.  It  raised  a  loud  laugh  through  the  Regiment  with  th^ 
exclamation,  "The  Shanghai  is  still  living." 

In  crossing  the  pontoon  bridge,  and  when  our  company  had 
reached  the  center  of  the  river,  I  gave  two  lusty  crows,  seeing  Gen 
eral  Hancock  and  staff  waiting  on  the  bank  of  the  opposite  side. 
Hancock  smiled  and  said,  "Be  careful,  old  Shanghai,  or  you  will  lose 
your  tail  before  you  get  back."  The  General  was  not  far  wrong  in 
his  prediction,  'as  the  Shanghai  was  slightly  wounded  at  Chancellors- 
ville,  lost  his  feather  and  was  not  heard  to  crow  again  until  he  had 
recuperated  from  his  defeat. 


896  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

PART  VIII. 

By  John  C.  Sowers,  Company  C. 

As  I  undertake  to  write  a  short  sketch,  for  our  history  after  a 
lapse  of  forty-one  years,  altogether  from  memory,  the  past  like  a 
grand  panoramic  view  passes  before  me.  In  imagination  I  stand 
on  that  beautiful  morning  August  26,  1862,  with  other  boys  who  had 
enlisted  with  R.  M.  Forster,  on  Main  Street  of  Agricultural  Col 
lege,  as  it  was  then  called,  listening  to  words  of  patriotism  and  cheer 
from  Doctor  Pugh,  then  president  of  the  College.  The  mothers 
lingering  kiss  had  been  bestowed;  the  father's  blessing  had  been 
received,  the  sad  farewell  of  loved  ones  taken,  the  good-bye  had  been 
said,  when  we  went  to  Bellefonte  in  conveyances  of  different  varieties 
where  we  were  joined  by  others  who  had  enlisted  with  W.  H.  Bible 
and  Frank  Stevenson.  In  the  afternoon  we  were  examined  in  the 
basement  of  the  court  house  by  Doctor  Potter.  In  the  evening  we 
elected  R.  M.  Forster,  Captain;  W.  II.  Bible,  First  Lieutenant; 
and  Frank  Stevenson,  Second  Lieutenant,  and  at  no  time  did  the 
boys  ever  regret  their  choice.  August  27th  we  were  mustered  into 
the  United  States  service  for  three  years.  Then  we  started  for  Har- 
risburg  and  arrived  on  the  morning  of  the  28th.  I  shall  never  forget 
that  breakfast.  It  consisted  of  a  large  round  hard  tack,  a  slice  of 
salt  pork  and  tin  cup  of  black  coffee.  The  letters  "B.  C."  were 
stamped  on  the  hard  tack.  One  of  the  boys  after  a  fruitless  effort 
trying  to  bite  or  break  it,  said,  "No  wonder  it  is  so  hard ;  it  was 
baked  before  Christ." 

The  organization  of  the  Regiment  was  completed  on  the  7th 
of  September  and  on  the  8th  we  landed  at  Cockeysville,  Maryland. 
It  was  there  our  actual  soldier  life  began.  Squad  drill,  company 
and  battalion  drill,  camp  guard,  guarding  the  Northern  Central  Rail 
road,  dress  parade,  weekly  and  monthly  inspection,  all  under  the 
sharp  eye  of  our  Colonel,  and  the  man  or  boy  who  came  under  his 
scrutiny  without  clothes  carefully  brushed,  shoes  polished,  buttons 
and  brasses  brightened  up,  was  indeed  to  be  pitied.  I  am  at  this 
late  day  fully  satisfied  that  if  we  didn't  earn  our  thirteen  dollars  per 
month  it  was  because  the  days  were  too  short. 


THE  I4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          897 

One  illustration,  I  think,  will  show  how  strict  our  Colonel  was 
and  I  know  of  many  boys  who  had  similar  experiences.  After  we 
joined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  in  December,  1862,  while  out  on 
picket,  I  tore  the  little  button  off  the  side  of  my  cap.  I  fastened  the 
strap  with  a  pin,  fully  intending  to  sew  the  button  on  as  soon  as  we 
got  back  to  camp,  but  when  we  arrived  there  I  was  tired  and  lay 
down  to  rest  and  fell  asleep  and  the  first  thing  I  heard  was  the  drum 
for  dress  parade.  After  our  company  was  formed  in  line  on  our 
company  street  I  thought  of  the  button.  As  I  was  on  the  front  rank 
I  changed  places  with  my  file  closer,  telling  him  if  I  went  out  with 
that  button  off  the  Colonel  will  scold.  Everything  was  passing  off 
nicely,  but  just  before  he  turned  the  Regiment  over  to  the  Adju 
tant  he  pointed  with  his  sword  to  the  left  of  the  Regiment  and  in 
that  stern  voice  which  we  so  much  dreaded  he  said,  "You  Company 
B  man,  I  want  you  to  go  to  your  quarters  and  sew  that  button  on 
your  coat"-  -  then  pointing  to  me — "and  you,  Company  C  man,  if 
I  see  you  out  again  with  that  button  off  your  cap,  I'll  send  you  to  the 
guard -house."  I  am  glad  to  say,  however,  that  that  was  the  only  time 
he  ever  had  occasion  to  reprimand  me. 

My  brother  Henry  at  all  times  could  be  heard  singing,  "My 
name  is  Joe  Bowers — I  have  a  brother  Ike."  He  was  nicknamed 
Joe  Bowers  and  today  while  no  doubt  some  have  forgotten  Henry, 
they  have  a  distinct  recollection  of  Joe  Bowers. 

W.  H.  Morris  was  one  of  those  genial,  whole-souled  fellows  so 
seldom  met  with — always  a  kind  word  and  a  cheery  smile.  If  he 
could  play  a  harmless  joke  on  anyone  he  was  in  his  element  One 
day  he  was  on  guard  at  the  Colonel's  quarters.  The  Colonel  came 
out  for  an  armful  of  wood  and  just  as  the  Colonel  rose  up  with  his 
wood,  Norris,  who  had  so  timed  his  steps  came  from  the  other  end 
of  his  beat  and  promptly  came  to  a  present  arms.  The  Colonel 
dropped  his  wood  and  raised  his  cap,  returning  the  salute.  Morris, 
coming  to  a  shoulder  arms,  resumed  his  march..  The  Colonel  gath 
ered  up  his  wood  and  made  haste  to  get  in  his  tent  before  Morris 
came  back.  Poor  fellow,  he  was  killed  at  Chancellorsville. 

George  Osman  was  another  peculiar  character — always  in  a 
good  humor,  no  matter  how  arduous  the  duty,  it  was  willingly  and 


898  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

cheerfully  performed.  From  the  date  of  his  enlistment  till  the  day 
of  his  death,  July  2,  1863,  at  Gettysburg,  I  don't  think  he  ever 
uttered  one  word  of  complaint. 

Lemuel  H.  Osman,  who  has  written  an  "interesting  chapter 
was  known  in  the  company  as  the  Assistant  Quartermaster.  It  was 
a  cold  day  when  Lem  or  any  of  his  tent  mates  were  without  rations 
of  some  kind  so  long  as  there  were  any  supplies  to  be  had  at  the  Irish 
Brigade  Commissary. 

On  the  3d  of  May  I  was  wounded  at  Chancellorsville,  shot 
through  right  breast  and  shoulder.  The  bullet  is  still  lodged  some 
where.  I  was  in  the  hospital  at  Washington  for  a  month.  From 
there  I  was  sent  to  Satterlee  Hospital  Philadelphia,  which  I  think 
was  one  of  the  best  hospitals  in  the  United  States.  In  September. 
1863,  a  general  medical  examination  was  held  by  the  medical  di 
rector,  assisted  by  three  other  doctors.  I.  was  pronounced  unfit  for 
duty  and  had  my  choice  of  taking  my  discharge  or  be  transferred 
to  the  so-called  Veteran  Reserve  Corps.  I  chose  the  latter  and  was 
transferred  from  Company  C,  148th  Regiment  to  57th  Company, 
Second  Battalion,  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  by  General  Order  Xo.  365, 
Adjutant  General's  Office,  Washington,  D.  C.,  November  13,  1863. 
In  this  organization  I  served  till  expiration  of  term  of  service.  Our 
duty  was  of  various  kinds  but  of  such  a  character  as  men  not  fit  for 
field  duty  could  do.  Our  Captain,  William  Brian,  had  lost  his  left 
leg;  our  Lieutenant,  M.  Walter,  had  his  right  foot  off.  He  had 
been  a  Lieutenant  in  the  Pennsylvania  Reserves.  Our  Orderly  Ser 
geant  had  lost  one  arm.  I  think  if  my  memory  serves  me  right 
there  were  seven  men  in  the  company  that  had  lost  an  arm,  four  had 
lost  an  eye.  All  were  more  or  less  disabled  from  wounds,  yet  I  think  I 
can  say  we  all  served  faithfully,  doing  our  duty  cheerfully.  Our 
officers  were  good  and  kind  but  strict  as  regarded  military  duty.  1 
was  discharged  in  August,  1865,  but  my  home  coming  was  sad  on 
account  of  the  mother  who  in  1862  had  kissed  me  and  blessed  me 
when  I  went  away  had  been  called  home  to  her  final  reward. 

In  conclusion  to  the  comrades  of  old  Company  C,  may  God 
grant  you  a  long  increase  of  happy  years,  and  when  the  evening 
shall  come  on,  when  the  march  is  done  and  darkening  twilight  grows 
apace,  may  the  memories  of  your  rounded  life  be  as  happy  and 
pleasant  as  your  past  deeds  were  noble  and  brave. 


OFFICIAL  REPORTS  AND  ORDERS. 

Under  this  head  will  be  found  substantially  all  of  the  reports 
and  orders  from  the  official  Rebellion  records  relating  to  the  Regi 
ment,  except  such  as  have  been  heretofore  quoted  in  the  stories  of  the 
comrades. 

Report  of  Col.  James  A.  Beaver,  148th  Pennsylvania  Infantry. 
Near  Centerville,  Virginia,  October  17,  1863. 

CAPTAIN  :  In  accordance  with  directions  received  tShiJough 
your  headquarters  this  morning,  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  fol 
lowing  report  of  the  part  taken  by  this  Regiment  in  the  operations 
of  the  14th  instant,  being  field  officer  of  the  day. 

On  the  morning  of  the  14th,  the  Regiment  was  commanded  by 
Major  George  A.  Fairlamb,  by  whom  I  am  informed  that  the  Regi 
ment  left  the  place  at  which  it  bivouacked,  on  the  night  of  the  13th  at 
5:00  A.  M.,  crossed  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Occoquan,  formed 
line,  and  stacked  arms  on  a  hill  near  Auburn  Mills.  Permission 
was  given  to  cook  breakfast,,  skirmishing  being  then  going  on  to  our 
left  and  rear. 

While  breakfast  was  being  cooked  the  enemy  opened  with  an 
enfilading  fire,  at  very  short  range  on  our  right,  from  a  battery 
which  had  been  observed,  but  was  supposed  to  belong  to  our  own 
forces.  The  Regiment  was  immediately  formed  and  moved  by  the 
left  flank  so  as  to  secure  the  cover  of  the  hill  on  our  left.  The  enemy 
opening  on  our  rear  with  another  battery  on  the  other  side  of  the 
run,  we  moved  by  the  right  flank,  bringing  up  the  rear  of  the  Brigade 
as  it  advanced  to  the  road  leading  to  Catlett's  Station.  Although  ex 
posed  to  heavy  artillery  fire  for  almost  one  hour,  our  loss  was  but  two 
men  wounded. 

Having  withdrawn  the  pickets  and  crossed  the  run,  I  rejoined 
my  Regiment  and  took  command  while  the  shelling  was  still  going 
on.  Having  reached  a  position  near  Catlett's  Station,  I  was  ordered 
to  report  with  my  command  to  Colonel  Kelly,  commanding  the  Sec 
ond  Brigade,  who  ordered  me  into  a  position  supporting  his  Brigade, 
which  was  deployed  as  skirmishers.  Being  relieved  by  the  cavalry, 
the  Regiment  rejoined  the  Brigade,  and  moved  with  it  without  in 
cident  until  within  a  mile  of  Bristoe  Station.  Artillery  and  musket 
fire  being  heard  in  our  front,  we  immediately  took  the  double  quick 
step  and  advanced  to  the  support  of  the  forces  already  engaged. 

As  we  neared  the  station  our  forces  were  observed  advancing 
at  a  charge,  and  a  line  of  the  enemy  was  just  emerging  from  the 
woods  on  their  flank.  We  immediately  moved  Vv  the  left  flank, 


900  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

which  brought  us  in  line  facing  the  line  of  the  enemy,  and  advanced 
across  the  railroad.  We  were  halted  immediately,  however,  and 
ordered  to  recross  to  the  south  side  of  the  railroad,  which  being  tHere 
formed  by  a  high  embankment,  afforded  excellent  shelter  from  the 
fire  of  the  enemy.  An  artillery  fire  passed  over  our  heads,  in  reply 
ing  to  which  our  batteries  wounded  Sergeant  Barr,  of  Company  B, 
so  as  to  compel  the  amputation  of  his  right  arm. 

Firing  ceased  at  dark,  and  at  10  :00  P.  M.  we  took  up  our  lino 
of  inarch  with  the  column,  leaving  a  detail  of  twenty  men  which  had 
been  deployed  as  skirmishers  in  our  front.  This  detail  reached  us 
safely  after  crossing  Bull  Run. 

I  enclose  a  list  of  the  wounded  and  missing.  The  missing  are 
all  men  who  were  unable  to  march  and  may  be  with  the  wagon  train. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  Captain,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient 
servant, 

JAMES  A.  BEAVER, 
Colonel  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers. 

CAPTAIN  S.  R.  BEARDSLEY, 

Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General. 

(Reb.  Rec.  Serial  No.  48,  p.  269.) 


Report  of  Lieut,  Col.  George  A.  Fairlamb,  148th  Pennsylvania 

Infantry. 

Headquarters  148th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 

December  3,  1863. 

CAPTAIN  :  In  obedience  to  orders,  I  have  the  honor  to  report 
the  part  taken  in  the  recent  movement  of  the  148th  Regiment  under 
my  command. 

At  six  in  the  morning,  26th  of  November,  we  broke  camp  near 
Paoli  Mills,  Culpeper  County,  Virginia,  marched  to  the  Rapidan 
River,  which  we  crossed  at  Germania  Ford,  and  camped  for  the 
night  near  Flat  Run,  Spotsylvania  County.  Next  morning,  the 
27th  of  November,  at  7  :00  A.  M.,  the  Regiment  moved ;  one  hundred 
and  twenty  men,  under  Captain  Patterson,  were  detailed  to  act  as 
flankers  to  the  Brigade.  The  Regiment  was  then  deployed  until 
10:00  A.  M.  making  corduroy  roads  to  enable  the  artillery  to  pass, 
after  which  we  began  our  march  to  join  the  Brigade,  which  we 
reached  at  1 :00  p.  M.,  on  the  Orange  Court  House  Road. 

On  the  28th,  began  march  at  8  :00  A.  M.,  our  flankers  joining  the 
Regiment.  We  moved  about  one  and  a  half  miles,  taking  up  a  posi 
tion  in  line  of  battle  east  of  Black  Walnut  Run.  November  29th, 
at  5  :30  A.  M.,  we  began  march,  passing  Robertson's  Tavern,  on  the 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          901 

plank  road,  moving  in  a  southwest  direction  past  the  white  churcn 
(Xew  Hope),  and  camping  for  the  night  on  the  left  of  the  main 
road  leading  toward  Orange  Court  House. 

On  Monday,  30th  of  November,  we  marched  at  1 :00  A.  M.  to  rt- 
lieve  Morehead's  Brigade,  of  the  Second  Division,  on  picket  near 
Verdierville.  Companies  A,  C,  D,  E,  G  and  K  were  sent  on  the 
picket  line  under  command  of  Major  R.  II.  Forster;  Company  I, 
under  Lieutenant  McGuire,  was  sent  forward  to  relieve  a  portion 
of  the  28th  Massachusetts,  the  remainder  of  the  Regiment  camping 
about  three  hundred  yards  eastward  of  the  skirmish  line. 

December  1,  Companies  II,  B  and  F  were  ordered,  in  the  eve 
ning,  with  several  companies  of  the  52d  Xew  York  Regiment,  to 
relieve  the  picket  line.  At  7  :00  p.  M.  the  other  companies  came  in 
with  Major  Forster,  and  at  eight  we  marched  with  the  Brigade, 
reaching  Culpeper  Ford,  on  the  Rapidan  River,  at  seven  o'clock  the 
next  morning,  2d  of  December.  After  crossing  we  halted  an  hour 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  then  moved  with  the  Brigade,  and  at 
sunset  arrived  at  our  old  camp  near  Paoli  Mills. 

Though  the  Regiment  was  much  exposed  on  the  skirmish  line, 
no  casualties  occurred. 

All  of  which  I  have  the  honor  to  report. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

GEORGE  A.  FAIRLAMB, 

Lieutenant  Colonel  11+Stli  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers. 
Commanding. 

CAPT.  SAMUEL  R.  BEARDSLEY, 

Assistant  Adjutant  General. 

(Reb.  Rec.  Serial  Xo.  48,  p.  713.) 


Report  of  Flags  Captured  by  the  Second  Army  Corps  from  May  4 
to  Xovember  1,  1864. 

No.          REGIMENT  FROM          DATB  OF  BY  WHOM  RANK          REGIMENT 

WHICH  CAPTURED     CAPTURB  CAPTURED 

3  Unknown.  May  12.         Geo.  W.  Harris.         Private.       148th  Pa. 

Vol. 
(Reb.  Rec.  Serial  67,  p.  348.) 

8th  N.  Carolina         May  12     Robert  W.  Ammerman.   Private.      148th  Pa. 

Vol. 
(Reb.  Rec.  Serial  67,  p.  1020.) 


902  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Report  of  Brig.  Gen.  John  R.  Brooke,  United  States  Army,  com 
manding  Fourth  Brigade. 

(SPOTSYLVANIA.) 

Annapolis,  Maryland,  November  1,  1865. 
The  officers  and  men  behaved  with  great  gallantry.  I 
would  particularly  mention  Col.  James  A.  Beaver,  148th  Penn 
sylvania,  whose  Regiment  occupied  the  right  of  my  line  and 
the  most  exposed  position,  for  his  great  gallantry  and  tihe 
masterly  manner  in  which  he  extricated  his  Regiment  from  the 
burning  woods  (which  were  set  on  fire  by  some  means 
during  the  action).  During  the  latter  part  of  the  action  this 
Regiment  had  to  contend  with  the  enemy  in  front  and  th« 
burning  timber  in  the  rear,  and  at  its  close  wrere  compelled  to 
retire  through  the  fire  to  the  opposite  or  left  bank  of  the  Po,  there 
being  no  other  path  left  open.  About  9  :00  p.  M.  of  this 

day  (llth  May)  General  Barlow  sent  for  me  and  informed  me  of 
an  attack  to  be  made  by  the  Second  Corps  on  the  enemy's  works  on 
the  left  of  the  Sixth  Corps,  which  was  to  take  place  at  4 :00  A.  M.  on 
the  following  morning,  and  that  our  Division  would  march  for  that 
point  at  once.  At  4  :35  A.  M.  the  order  to  advance  wa» 

given,  and  the  Division  moved  forward  steadily  in  one  immense 
mass.  About  one  hundred  yards  from  the  enemy's  line  of  works  we 
ran  over  and  captured  their  skirmishers,  who  surrendered  without 
much  resistance,  and  without  firing  but  one  shot  that  I  heard.  Thus 
far  the  path  lay,  first,  through  a  slight  thicket,  then  over  an  open 
field,  with  a  slight  ascent,  the  extreme  left  through  a  forest  of  tall 
pines  (which,  however,  did  not  obstruct  the  march  in  any  material 
manner),  then  down  a  gradual  declivity  to  within  fifty  yards  of 
the  works,  then  up  a  sharp  ascent  for  that  distance.  The  face  of  this 
last  ascent  was  covered  by  an  abatis,  through  which  it  was  very  diffi 
cult  to  effect  a  passage.  The  enemy  was  apprised  of  the  attack  by 
cheers  of  some  new  troops  in  the  Division  as  we  swept  over  and  down 
the  last  descent,  and  opened  a  terrific  fire  of  artillery  and  musketry 
upon  us,  notwithstanding  which  our  brave  men  marched  on,  and 
dragging  away  the  abatis  to  effect  a  passage  poured  in  one  irresist 
ible  mass  upon  them,  and  after  a  sharp,  short  fight,  killed  and  cap 
tured  nearly  all  who  occupied  the  works.  Those  who  still  resisted 
were  driven  in  confusion.  Never  during  the  War  have  I  seen  such 
desperate  fighting.  The  bayonet  was  freely  used  on  both  sides,  the 
enemy  fought  desperately,  and  nothing  but  the  formation  of  our 
attack  and  the  desperate  valor  of  our  troops  could  have  carried  the 
point.  Not  a  shot  was  fired  by  (my)  men  until  they  mounted  the 
works.  The  right  of  my  Brigade  struck  the  works  about  forty  yards 
to  the  right  of  Ihe  angle,  thus  giving  us  a  great  advantage,  in  sweep- 


THE  I4&TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          903 

ing  down  the  line  to  our  left  of  the  angle.  After  crossing  the  first 
line  1  pushed  forward  in  pursuit  of  the  flying  enemy.  After  pro 
ceeding  about  five  hundred  yards,  I  encountered  a  second  line  of 
works  with  a  marsh  in  its  front.  Owing  to  the  disorganization  of 
my  command  I  could  not  make  a  determined  attack  on  this  line. 
Up  to  this  time  many  prisoners  were  taken,  among  them 
Major  General  Johnson  and  Brigadier  General  Steuart,  of  the  rebel 
service,  who  surrendered  to  officers  of  my  command,  General  Steuart 
to  Colonel  Beaver.  On  the  22d  instant  no  movement  except 

a  reconnaissance  made  by  Colonel  Beaver,  with  his  Regiment,  in 
obedience  to  the  orders  of  General  Barlow.  Col.  James 

A.  Beaver  distinguished  himself  on  every  occasion,  but  most  particu 
larly  at  the  battle  of  the  Po,  May  10th,  and  Spotsylvania,  May 
12th.  Lieut.  Col.  George  A.  Fairlamb,  148th  Pennsyl 

vania  Volunteers,  was  wounded  and  captured  while  gallantly  fight 
ing  at  Spotsylvania,  on  the  12th  of  May. 

(Eeb.  Eec.  Serial  No.  67,  pp.  406-414.) 


Report  of  Capt  James  F.  Weaver,  148th  Pennsylvania  Infantry. 
Headquarters  148th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 

August  9,  1864. 

LIEUTENANT  :  In  obedience  to  Special  Orders  Xo.  209,  head 
quarters  Army  of  the  Potomac,  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  fol 
lowing  report : 

FIRST    EPOCH. 

Regiment  broke  camp  near  Stevensburg,  Virginia,  on  the  evening 
of  the  3d  of  May,  and  crossed  the  Rapidan  at  Ely's  Ford  about  seven 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  4th  and  reached  the  old  Chancellors- 
ville  battleground  about  eleven  o'clock  the  same  day.  Remained  in 
line  of  battle  during  the  4th,  and  until  about  nine  o'clock  of  the  5th, 
when  Regiment  again  moved  forward,  and  about  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  two  companies  (B  and  D)  were  deployed  as  skir 
mishers  along  the  railroad  in  front  of  their  Brigade.  During  the 
night  the  Regiment  moved  to  the  right,  and  did  not  become  engaged. 
On  the  morning  of  the  6th  pickets  were  relieved  and  rejoined  Bri 
gade.  Xo  casualties.  The  Regiment  was  moved  rapidly  to  the  left 
to  guard  against  an  attack  at  that  point.  Remained  there  until 
about  three  o'clock  and  then  moved  again  to  the  right.  On  the  7th 
Companies  A,  C,  I  and  G  on  picket.  One  man  killed.  On  the  8th 
marched  to  Todd's  Tavern,  near  Spotsylvania  Court  House.  On  the 
9th  was  the  first  regiment  to  cross  the  Po  River,  and  in  the  skirmish 
of  that  afternoon  had  one  man  killed  and  one  officer  and  four  men 


904  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

wounded.  During  the  10th  the  Regiment  was  constantly  on  the 
move,  taking  up  during  the  day  some  ten  different  positions.  At 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  a  severe  engagement  with  the  enemy 
began,  the  Regiment  being  in  the  open  field,  while  the  enemy  were 
concealed  behind  works.  The  contest  lasted  some  hours,  during 
which  we  lost  in  killed,  eighteen  enlisted  men;  wounded,  three  officers 
and  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  enlisted  men ;  missing,  twelve  en 
listed  men.  The  Regiment  was  withdrawn  and  recrossed  the  river 
in  the  evening. 

SECOND  EPOCH. 

About  nine  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  the  llth  the  Regiment 
moved  to  the  left.  The  night  being  dark  and  the  roads  muddy,  the 
march  was  fatiguing.  Halted  at  2:00  A.  M.  the  12th,  massed  the 
Regiment,  and  lay  down  to  rest.  At  4:00  A.  M.  the  Regiment  with 
its  Brigade  charged  the  enemy's  works  scaling  them  handsomely  and 
carrying  everything  before  them,  capturing  four  battle  flags.  The 
rebel  General  Steuart  surrendered  his  sword  to  Colonel  Beaver,  who 
was  then  in  command  of  and  gallantly  leading  his  Regiment.  Lieu 
tenant  Colonel  Fairlamb  was  wounded  and  captured.  The  Regi 
ment  was  then  moved  to  the  right  in  the  column,  supporting  the 
Sixth  Corps.  Here  it  was  again  engaged  in  a  severe  musketry  fight. 
Casualties  of  the  day:  Killed,  sixteen  enlisted  men ;  wounded,  three 
commissioned  officers  and  seventy-eight  enlisted  men  ;  missing,  eleven 
enlisted  men.  The  Regiment  was  not  further  engaged  during  the 
operations  in  front  of  that  position  except  on  picket  duty. 

THIRD   EPOCH. 

May  23d,  Regiment  moved  to  the  left  and  after  a  hard  march 
reached  the  North  Anna  River  at  4:00  p.  M. 

On  the  24th  crossed  the  river  but  did  not  become  engaged.  Late 
in  the  evening  the  Regiment  moved  forward  along  the  railroad  and 
formed  line  to  the  right,  under  fire  from  the  enemy's  batteries.  No 
casualties.  Put  up  works  during  the  night  and  remained  in  from 
during  the  25th  and  26th,  recrossing  the  river  on  the  26th  after  dark. 

FOURTH   EPOCH. 

Regiment  moved  to  the  left  about  11 :00  A.  M.  and  marched  until 
11:00  P.  M.  and  bivouacked  for  the  night.  On  the  morning 
of  the  28th  moved  forward  and  crossed  the  Pamunkey  at 
2 :00  P.  M.  and  bivouacked  for  the  night,  after  having  thrown 
up  works  about  one  and  a  half  miles  from  the  river.  Re 
mained  quiet  until  the  29th,  when  again  moved  cautiously 
forward.  In  afternoon  Company  B  was  sent  forward  to  ascertain 
the  enemy's  position.  After  moving  about  a  mile  they  encountered 
some  rebel  pickets,  who  fled  without  resistance.  The  Regiment  and 


THE  I48TH  PENXSYLI'JNIJ  VOLUNTEERS          905 

Brigade  then  came  up  and  the  entire  Regiment  was  advanced  to 
ascertain  the  whereabouts  of  the  enemy.  Moved  forward  a  short 
distance,  when  the  enemy  poured  a  volley  into  the  Regiment  and 
threw  a  few  shells,  not  doing  any  damage,  however,  and  fled  precipi 
tately.  The  Regiment  was  then  ordered  to  retire  as  both  flanks  were 
exposed  and  danger  was  apprehended  of  a  flank  movement  on  the 
left.  Bivouacked  for  the  night  in  tho  thick  woods.  On  the  after 
noon  of  the  30th  advanced  a  mile  and  halted  under  cover  of  a  hill. 
At  sundown  the  order  came  to  fall  in.  The  Regiment  advanced  over 
an  open  field  supporting  the  (7th)  Xew  York  Heavy  Artillery. 
After  nightfall  retired  to  the  crest  of  the  hill  and  put  up  strong 
earthworks;  remained  in  same  position  until  dark  on  the  31st; 
moved  forward  a  short  distance,  crossed  the  Totopotomoy  Greek  and 
again  erected  works.  Regiment  remained  in  same  position  during 
the  next  day.  Casualties  on  picket  during  31st  of  May  and  1st  of 
June:  Killed,  one  enlisted  man;  wounded,  eight  enlisted  men; 
missing,  one  enlisted  man.  At  eight  o'clock  on  the  night  of  the  1st 
again  moved  to  the  left  and  marched  all  night,  halting  in  front  of 
Cold  Harbor  on  the  morning  of  the  2d.  During  the  day  the  Regi 
ment  advanced  its  left  wing,  deployed  as  skirmishers ;  the  right  wing 
remained  in  support  until  near  evening,  when  it  was  also  deployed  to 
strengthen  the  picket  line.  A  little  after  dark  the  left  battalion  was 
relieved  and  the  line  held  by  the  right  wing.  On  the  morning  of  the 
3d  the  skirmish  line  advanced  and  drove  in  the  enemy's  pickets.  The 
Regiment,  in  conjunction  with  the  Brigade,  moved  forward  and 
charged  the  enemy's  works  and  took  their  position,  but  were  compelled 
to  retire  a  short  distance,  where,  under  cover  of  a  hill,  the  Regiment 
erected  works.  During  the  afternoon  were  exposed  to  severe  shell 
ing  by  the  enemy,  but  held  the  works  erected  until  the  force?  were 
withdrawn  on  the  evening  of  the  12th.  Casualties  during  the  oper 
ations  at  Cold  Harbor:  Killed,  one  commissioned  officer,  six  en 
listed  men  ;  wounded,  one  commissioned  officer  and  forty-three  en 
listed  men. 

(Rob.  Rec.  Serial  Xo.  67,  p.  427.) 

FIFTH  EPOCH. 

Moved  immediately  to  the  left  after  nightfall  June  12th, 
marched  all  night,  and  crossing  the  Chickahominy  at  Long  Bridge 
about ..9:00  A.  M.  on  the  13th  reached  the  James  River  at  Wilcox's 
Landing.  The  march  was  very  rapid  and  harassing  on  the  men  ; 
they  were  much  exhausted.  Bivouacked  for  the  night.  Remained 
quiet  during  the  next  day. 

On  the  night  of  the  14th  were  conveyed  across  the  river  on 
transports.  Moved  a  few  miles  and  bivouacked  for  the  night,  where 


906  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

we  remained  until  12  M.  of  the  15th,  then  made  a  rapid  march  to 
ward  Petersburg,  and  about  two  o'clock  halted  in  front  of  the  town. 

On  the  morning  of  the  16th  moved  to  the  left  and  went  into 
position;  greater  part  of  the  Regiment  on  picket  line.  In  the  eve 
ning  advanced  and  attacked  the  enemy's  works,  but  were  repulsed. 
Casualties:  Colonel  Beaver  was  severely  wounded;  killed,  three 
enlisted  men ;  wounded,  three  commissioned  officers  and  six  enlisted 
men ;  missing,  ten  enlisted  men. 

On  the  17th  the  Regiment  moved  to  the  right  and  occupied  front 
works. 

On  the  18th  Major  Forster  was  severely  wounded  while  in  com 
mand  of  the  skirmish  line.  About  9  :00  p.  M.  on  the  20th  was  re 
lieved  by  the  Ninth  Corps  and  returned  a  short  distance  to  camp  in 
the  rear. 

June  21st,  moved  to  the  left  of  the  general  line  and,  taking  posi 
tion  near  the  Weldon  Railroad,  put  up  works.  Another  line  of  work^ 
was  erected  during  the  night.  Remained  in  the  last-named  position 
until  eleven  o'clock  of  the  22d,  when  the  Regiment  moved  forward 
into  the  road  in  front  of  our  works  and  formed  a  line.  This  posi 
tion  had  not  been  held  for  more  than  an  hour  before  the  enemy  came 
in  upon  our  left  flank  and  rear.  The  brigade  on  the  left  and  the 
left  of  the  Fourth  Brigade  gave  way  in  confusion.  Colonel  Fraser, 
commanding  brigade,  gave  orders  to  move  in  as  good  order  as  pos 
sible  and  occupy  the  works  alluded  to  above.  The  enemy  pressed 
our  rear  and  flank  severely,  advancing  rapidly  and  pouring  a  galling 
fire  into  the  rear  of  the  column.  After  gaining  the  works  the  Regi 
ment  was  reformed  and  was  ordered  in  reserve.  Late  in  the  evening 
the  Regiment  was  ordered  to  report  to  Lieutenant  Colonel  Broady, 
Division  officer  of  the  day,  who  deployed  it  in  front  of  the  works 
and  ordered  it  to  advance  into  the  road.  Moved  some  four  hundred 
yards  and  were  halted,  where  the  line  remained  until  morning,  when 
they  were  advanced  within  sight  of  the  enemy's  works. 

On  the  24th  the  Regiment  rejoined  the  Brigade  inside  the 
works,  where  it  remained  until  the  12th  of  July,  when  it  again  moved 
to  the  left,  leveling  the  works  prior  to  leaving.  During  the  day  occu 
pied  works  put  up  by  Sixth  Corps.  In  the  evening  advanced  about 
three  miles  on  the  Jerusalem  Plank  Road ;  remained  until  midnight, 
and  then  returned  to  position  occupied  during  the  day  previous. 

On  the  morning  of  the  13th  moved  to  the  right  some  six  or  eight 
miles,  where  we  remained  until  the  26th,  when  we  marched  in  the 
direction  of  City  Point.  Crossed  the  Appomattox  at  Point  of  Rocks 
and  the  James  River  at  Jones'  Neck  and  bivouacked  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river  under  cover  of  a  wood. 

At  seven  o'clock  advanced  in  line  of  battle ;  took  position  under 
the  crest  of  a  hill.  The  Regiment  was  then  deployed  as  skirmishers 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          907 

to  protect  the  right  flank.  The  enemy  here  threw  a  number  of  shells. 
In  about  an  hour  rejoined  Regiment.  During  the  afternoon  the  Regi 
ment  deployed  as  flankers,  but  as  the  connections  were  complete  it 
rejoined  the  Brigade.  During  the  evening  advanced  and  took  up  a 
new  position  in  the  wood.  Heavy  firing  on  the  right  of  the  line 
caused  a  rapid  move  in  that  direction  but  soon  returned.  Regimen  I 
went  on  picket  in  the  evening,  and  did  not  rejoin  Brigade  until  the 
next  evening.  Put  up  strong  works  and  remained  there  until  the 
evening  of  the  29th,  when  Regiment  again  recrossed  the  James  and 
Appomattox  at  points  above  mentioned.  Marched  all  night  and  by 
5  :00  A.  M.  of  the  30th  were  in  rear  of  the  Eighteenth  Corps. 

On  the  evening  of  the  30th  moved  to  the  right  and  occupied 
the  camp  occupied  prior  to  our  advance  over  the  James  River. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  Lieutenant,    very    respectfully,    your 
obedient  servant, 

JAMES  F.  WEAVER, 
Captain  IJ^StK  Pennsylvania    Volunteers,   Commanding  Regiment. 

LIEUT.  J.  W.  MUFFLY, 

Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General,  Fourth  Brigade,  First  Di 
vision,  Second  Army  Corps. 

(Reb.  Rec.  Serial  Xo.  80,  p.  363.) 


Headquarters  Fourth  Brigade,  First  Division,  Second  Corps, 

May  13,  1864. 
MAJOR  J.  HANCOCK, 

Assistant  Adjutant  General. 

SIR:  I  have  the  honor  to  report  that  my  Brigade  entered  the 
works  of  the  enemy,  in  which  I  counted  sixteen  pieces  of  artillery, 
and  took  an  immense  number  of  prisoners,  among  whom  were  Major 
General  Johnson  and  Brigadier  General  Steuart.  I  also  forward  the 
reports  of  the  regimental  commanders  who  made  the  capture  of 
colors  and  officers  (Generals).  I  also  have  the  honor  to  forward  the 
flag  captured  by  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers. 
Respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

JOHN  R.  BROOKE, 
Colonel,  Commanding  Brigade. 
(Reb.  Rec.  Serial  Xo.  68,  p.  710.) 


Headquarters  Second  Army  Corps, 
Camp  near  Petersburg,  November  10,  1864. 
GENERAL:     I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  report  of 
the  operations  of  my  command   on  the  25th,   26th,  27th  and  28th 
ultimo:     *     *     * 


908  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

The  reports  of  commanders  are  forwarded  herewith.  For  the 
operations  of  General  Miles  I  respectfully  refer  to  his  report,  as  he 
was  not  under  my  immediate  command.  It  will  be  seen  that  he  was  not 
idle,  though  holding  a  line  several  miles  in  length,  with  but  a  little 
over  six  thousand  men.  O'n  the  night  of  the  27th  he  carried  one  of 
the  enemy's  forts  near  the  crater  with  a  storming  party  of  the  148th 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  led  by  Captain  Brown,  of  that  Regiment, 
and  Lieutenant  Price,  of  the  116th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  Act 
ing  Assistant  Adjutant  General  of  Mulholland's  Brigade.  Lieuten 
ant  Price  was  unfortunately  killed.  This  party  held  the  work  for  a 
short  time,  capturing  several  prisoners,  including  two  field  officers, 
but  were  finally  obliged  to  retire,  as  the  enemy  concentrated  against 
them,  and  General  Miles  had  not  the  troops  at  his  disposal  to  pursue 
his  advantage.  On  the  same  night  he  captured  a  part  of  the  enemy's 
picket  line,  on  the  Jerusalem  Plank  Eoad,  holding  it  for  two  or  three 
hours,  and  retiring  at  leisure.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Burke,  88th  New 
York  Volunteers,  is  highly  commended  for  his  good  conduct  on  this 
occasion.  He  had  command  of  the  attacking  party.  Capt.  Jerry 
Brown,  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunters,  is  recommended  for  promo 
tion  by  brevet  to  the  rank  of  Major  for  the  gallant  manner  in  which 
he  led  the  storming  party  from  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers. 

A  tabular  statement  of  casualties  is  hereto  appended. 

I  am,  General,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK, 
Major  General  of  Volunteers. 
BRIG.  GKX.  S.  WILLIAMS. 

Assistant  Adjutant  General,  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

(Eeb.  Kee.  Serial  Xo.  87,  p.  237.) 


Headquarters  First  Division,  Second  Army  Corps, 

August  30,  1864. 

CAPTAIN  :     I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  report  of 

the  operations  of  this  Division  from  August  22  to  August  26,  1864: 

My  troops  could  not  fill  the  works  on  the  right,  but  in  the 

center  the  line  was  strong,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Broady  having  one 

regiment,  the  148th  Pennsylvania,  in  reserve. 

The  148th  Pennsylvania  was  quickly  advanced  as  skirmishers, 
and  took  a  fe\v  prisoners  of  Wilcox's  Division  of  Hill's  Corps. 
Soon  after  another  vigorous  attack  was  made  in  front  of  the 
Fourth  Brigade,  which  was  handsomely  repulsed.  I  then 

rode  down  the  line  of  the  Fourth  Brigade,  ordering  it  to  move  toward 
the  right  and  hold   the  rifle  pit.      These  troops  were  then  fighting 


THE  ij8TH  PEXNSYLI'AXIA  I'OLUNTEERS          909 

gallantly,    their    Brigade   commander,    Lieutenant   Colonel   Broady. 
being  conspicuous,  encouraging  and  directing  his  men. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully, 

XET.SOX  A.  MILES, 

Brigadier  General,  Commanding  Division. 
CAPT.  W.  P.  WILSON, 

Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General,  Second  Army  Corps. 

(Reb.  Rec.  Serial  Xo.  87,  pp.  251.  252,  253.) 


Headquarters  First  Division,  Second  Army  Corps, 

October  30,  1864. 

MAJOR  :     I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  report  of  the 
operations  of  this  Division  during  the  recent  movements: 

Reports  of  signal  stations,  pickets  and  officers  on  the  line  indi 
cated  that  the  enemy  had  left  a  force  in  his  works  smaller  than  my 
own.  To  determine  his  strength  I  directed  demonstrations  on  two 
points  of  his  lines,  namely,  a  work  opposite  Fort  Morton  near  the 
Crater,  and  his  picket  line  opposite  Fort  Sedgwick.  Just  at  dark 
one  hundred  men  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania,  under  command  oi 
Capt.  J.  Z.  Brown,  went  over  our  work  in  front  of  Fort  Morton, 
across  the  space,  about  forty  paces  to  the  enemy's  work,  cutting 
through  his  chevaux-de^rise  with  axes,  and  into  the  work.  Xo  shots 
were  fired  from  this  point,  but  a  sharp  fire  was  opened  with  musketry 
on  the  right  and  left.  Arriving  in  the  work,  the  enemy's  troops  left 
it,  with  the  exception  of  four  officers  and  thirteen  enlisted  men,  who 
were  taken  prisoners.  Among  them  were  the  Colonel,  Lieutenant 
Colonel  and  one  Lieutenant  of  the  46th  Virginia,  and  a  Lieutenant 
of  the  34th  Virginia.  A  regiment  of  the  enemy,  who  had  entered  a 
work  on  the  enemy's  right  of  the  one  thus  occupied,  immediately 
charged  into  it  and,  by  force  of  superior  numbers,  our  men  wen- 
driven  out,  fighting  gallantly.  Supports  were  on  their  way,  btfT 
could  not  reach  them  before  they  had  been  driven  out. 
Lieut.  Col.  D.  F.  Burke,  88th  Xew  York ;  Capt.  J.  Z.  Brown,  148th 
Pennsylvania,  and  Lieut.  Henry  D.  Price,  110th  Pennsylvania,  Act 
ing  Aide-de-Camp  to  the  commandant  Fourth  Brigade,  killed  and 

left  on  the  field,  were  conspicuous  for  their  spirit  and  good  conduct. 
*    *     *     * 

T  have  the  honor  to  be.  Major,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient 
servant, 

XELSOX  A.  MILES, 
Brigadier  General.  Commanding. 
MAJOR  SEPTIMUS  CARXCROSS. 

Assistant  Adjutant  General.  Second  Army  Corps. 
(Reb.  Rec.  Serial  Xo.  ST.  pp.  254.  255.) 


910  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Report  of  Capt.  Alfred  A.  Khinehart,  148th  Pennsylvania  Infantry, 
of  operations  August  13th  to  20th. 

Headquarters  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
September  28,  1864. 

.LIEUTENANT  :  In  compliance  with  existing  orders,  I  have  the 
honor  to  submit  the  following  report  of  the  operations  of  this  Regi 
ment  August  13th  to  20th,  inclusive: 

The  Regiment  embarked,  with  a  portion  of  the  7th  Xew  York 
Heavy  Artillery,  during  the  afternoon  of  the  13th,  and  according  to 
the  general  plan  was  carried  down  stream  some  distance.  When  the 
transports  carrying  the  Corps  moved  up  stream  the  one  upon  which 
the  Regiment  had  embarked  was  found  to  be  aground,  and  was  not 
got  off  until  about  9  :00  A.  M.  on  the  14th  inst.  The  command  wai> 
then  carried  up  the  James  and  landed  on  its  north  bank,  opposite 
Jones'  Xeck.  After  rejoining  the  Brigade  the  command  immediately 
advanced  to  the  front  and  took  up  position  in  rear  of  and  supporting 
a  portion  of  the  Second  Division,  Second  Army  Corps.  While  on 
this  line  the  Regiment  was  subject  to  a  raking  fire  from  the  enemy's 
artillery.  Late  in  the  evening  the  Regiment  was  put  upon  the 
picket  line  in  front  of  this  position  and  was  not  relieved  until  the 
morning  of  the  16th.  About  noon  of  the  16th  the  command  moved 
to  the  right  to  the  support  of  the  Tenth  Corps.  The  Regiment  was 
almost  immediately  afterward  put  upon  picket.  On  the  morning 
of  the  18th  the  Regiment  was  detached  from  the  Brigade  and  sent 
to  the  right  to  hold  a  road  upon  which  the  enemy  threatened  to  ad 
vance.  Tn  the  evening  of  the  same  day  the  command  moved  down 
on  the  New  Market  Road  toward  the  left,  and  immediately  on  the  right 
of  the  Second  Division,  and  constructed  breastworks,  which  were 
quietly  occupied  until  the  evening  of  the  20th,  when  the  command 
recrossed  the  James  River. 

The  casualties  of  this  movement  were  as  follows:  August  14, 
three  enlisted  men  killed,  11  wounded;  August  15,  one  enlisted  man 
killed,  four  wounded ;  August  16th,  two  enlisted  men  wounded. 

T  have  the  honor  to  be.  Lieutenant,  very  respectfully,  your 
obedient  servant, 

ALFRED  A.  RIIINETIART, 
Captain,   I.tj8tli  Pennsylvania    Volunteers,  Commanding  Regiment. 

LIEUT.  J.  WENDUL  MUFFLY, 

Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General,  Fourth  Brigade,  First  Di 
vision,  Second  Army  Corps. 

(RH).  Roe.  Serial  Xo.  ST,  p.  2S5.) 


THE  I4&TU  PENNSYU'JNM  I-'OLUNTEERS          911 

Report  of  Capt.   James  F.   Weaver,   148th  Pennsylvania    Infantry, 
of  operations  August  22d  to  27th. 

Headquarters  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers., 

August  29,  1864. 

CAPTAIN:  Jii  accordance  with  existing  orders,  I  have  the 
honor  to  submit  the  following  report  of  the  operations  of  the  148th 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers  from  the  22d  instant  to  the  27th  instant, 
inclusive : 

On  the  22d  the  Regiment  moved  with  the  Brigade  to  and  occu 
pied  the  Weldon  Railroad,  on  the  left  of  the  Fifth  Corps.  During 
the  afternoon  of  that  day  my  command  was  engaged  with  its  Brigade 
tearing  up  and  destroying  the  road.  This  destruction  of  the  road 
was  continued  on  the  23d.  At  sundown  of  that  day  the  Regiment 
deployed  as  skirmishers  in  front  of  the  Brigade,  immediately  on  the 
north  side  of  Reams  Station,  supporting  an  advanced  line  of  infantry 
skirmishers  and  the  cavalry  skirmish  line,  during  the  spirited  en 
gagement  of  pickets  on  the  evening  of  the  23d.  On  the  24th  the 
Regiment,  less  a  large  picket  detail  which  left  it  on  the  evening  of 
the  23d,  made  a  reconnaissance  along  the  railroad  in  the  direction  of 
Stony  Creek,  a  distance  of  some  three  miles,  and  returned  to  the 
Brigade  at  Reams  Station  the  same  night.  Through  the  forenoon 
of  the  25th  my  command  lay  quietly  in  the  intrenchments  just  south 
of  the  station.  At  12  M.  1  moved  rapidly  off  to  the  left  and  took 
post  on  the  right  of  our  Brigade,  the  Brigade  being  the  extreme  left 
of  our  line.  Before  we  got  fairly  into  position  the  whole  command 
was  ordered  to  march  at  double-quick  to  the  station  on  the  right  of 
the  lino.  "My  Regiment  was  then  put  under  the  immediate  order? 
of  General  Miles,  commanding  the  Division.  Captain  Sutton  with 
his  company  (E)  was  reported  to  Lieutenant  Black,  division  staff, 
for  duty  as  sharpshooters.  He  was  sent  to  the  front  and  occupied  a 
house  near  the  picket  line.  When  the  line  was  driven  back  he  was 
compelled  to  retire  as  rapidly  as  possible  to  save  his  command.  The 
Regiment  was  then  ordered  to  cross  the  railroad  and  support  the 
Third  Brigade.  In  a  few  minutes  T  was  ordered  to  deploy  the  regi 
ment  as  skirmishers  and  advance  it  to  drive  back  the  rebel  pickets 
and  sharpshooters  in  front  of  the  Fourth  Brigade.  This  was  done, 
and  the  Regiment  advanced  a  considerable  distance  under  the 
enemy's  severe  fire.  The  enemy's  pickets  were  driven  back  until  the 
Regiment  came  upon  their  line  of  battle  and  was  compelled  to  retire 
behind  our  works.  A  few  moments  af  forward  the  enemy  charged  our 
line.  The  Regiment  was  engaged  in  their  repulse.  A  half  hour  later 
the  Regiment  was  ordered  to  the  right  of  the  Third  Brigade,  where 
they  were  engaged  during  tho  terrible  hand  to  hand  fight  which  en 
sued.  The  onemv  advanced,  notwithstanding  the  galling  fire  thev 


912  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

received,  up  to  the  works,  and  mounting  the  intrenchments  were  met 
by  the  command.  The  men  in  many  instances  knocked  their  assail 
ants  down  with  the  butts  of  their  guns,  and  only  retired  when  the 
right  and  left  flanks  were  completely  overpowered  and  the  enemy  not 
only  had  possession  of  the  works,  but  occupied  the  railroad.  The 
command  fell  back  beyond  the  church  at  this  point  and  reformed. 
During  the  day  the  Regiment  lost  one  commissioned  officer  and  four 
enlisted  men  killed,  nineteen  enlisted  men  wounded,  and  forty-two 
enlisted  men  missing.  During  the  night  fell  back  to  the  Williams 
House;  remained  there  during  the  day,  and  on  the  27th  moved  to 
the  right  and  went  into  camp,  where  the  Regiment  is  at  the  present 
time. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  Captain,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient 
servant 

JAMES  F.  WEAVER, 

Captain,  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  Commanding  Regiment. 
CAPT.  A.  R.  CHASE, 

Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General,  Fourth  Brigade,  First  Di 
vision.,  Second  Corps. 

(Reb.  Rec.  Serial  Xo.  87,  p.  2SG.) 


(Confederate  Records.) 

Headquarters  Johnson's  Division, 
Petersburg,  Virginia,  October  28,  18  6-4-. 
•"•  *•  *  w  •>:-  it- 

See  the  story  of  General  Mulholland,  page  56. 
(Reb.  Rec.  Serial  Xo.  87,  p.  000.) 


Headquarters  Second  Army  Corp:*, 

November  8,  186-t. 

GEN.  G.  G.  MEADE:  The  following  is  the  result  of  today's  elec 
tion  in  the  First  Division  of  this  Corps:  *  *  *  148th  Pennsyl 
vania,  Lincoln,  127;  McClellan,  72. 

WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK, 

Major  General. 
(Reb.  Rec.  Serial  Xo.  SO,  p.  5fil.) 


Headquarters  First  Division,  Second  Armv  Corps, 

December  1,  18(U. 
MAJOR  SKPTIAITS  CARNCROSS, 

Axxixtanl  Adjutant  General,  Second  Anni/  Corps. 
MAJOR  :     I  have  the  honor  to  report  the  following  commanding 
officers  of  the  garrisons  of  the  forts  upon  the  line  of  this  Division 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          913 

and  I  be  Regiment  from  which  each  garrison  is  furnished: 
Fort  Gregg,   seventy-five  men   of  148th  Pennsylvania   Volunteers, 
Capt.   James  F.  Weaver  commanding;  Fort  Sampson,  seventy-five 
men  of  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  Capt.  A.  A.  Rhinehart  com 
manding.  Very  respectfully, 

X.  A.  MILES, 
Brigadier  General,  Commanding. 


SPECIAL  ORDERS  Xo.  309. 

Headquarters  Second  Army  Corps, 
Peebles'  House,  Before  Petersburg,  Virginia, 

December  5,  1864. 
#»*#•*##* 

4.  The  Major  General  commanding  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
having  received  medals  of  honor  for  the  under-mentioned  men  of 
this  command,  proposes  to  present  these  medals  in  person.  Accord 
ingly,  the  regiments  to  which  these  medals  belong  will  be  marched 
to  the  vicinity  of  these  headquarters,  and  formed  on  ground  to  be 
designated  by  a  staff  officer,  with  the  men  who  are  to  receive  the 
medals  in  front,  at  the  hour  of  12  :00  M.  tomorrow,  at  which  tinit 
the  presentations  will  be  made.  Division  and  brigade  commanders 
are  invited  to  be  present. 

FIRST  DIVISION. 

#  -:••  *  *  *  *  *  * 

Private  George  W.  Harris,  Company  B,   148th  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers. 
***°  •*•**••** 

By  order  of  Major  General  Humphreys. 

SEPTIMUS  CARXCROSS, 
Assistant  Adjutant  General. 

(Reb.  Rec.  Serial  Xo.  89,  p.  812.) 

(CIRCULAR.  ) 

Headquarters  Fourth  Brigade,  First  Division,  Second  Army  Corps, 

December  T,  1864. 

The  command,  except  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  will 
be  held  in  readiness  to  move  at  brief  notice.  Regimental  command 
ers  will  see  that  their  men  are  supplied  with  sixty  rounds  of  ammu 
nition  on  their  persons.  In  the  event  of  a  movement  the  command 
ing  officer  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  will  at  once  report 
to  Colonel  Xugent,  commanding  Second  Brigade. 
By  order  of  Colonel  Mulholland. 

J.  WEXDEL  MUFFLY, 

Lieutenant  and  Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General. 
(Reb.  Roc.  Serial  Xo.  S9,  p.  853. 


914  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

GENERAL  ORDERS  No  266. 

Headquarters  First  Division,  Second  Army  Corp*, 

December  14,  1864. 

The  Brigadier  General  commanding  desires  to  express  his  grati 
fication  at  the  gallant  manner  in  which  the  passage  of  Hatcher's  Run 
was  forced,  on  the  9th  instant,  in  the  face  of  an  intrenched  enemy 
and  over  the  obstacles  by  which  he  had  made  it  so  difficult. 
This  affair,  with  that  of  October  27th,  when  one  hundred  men  ol 
the  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  under  Capt.  J.  Z.  Brown, 
assaulted  and  captured  a  fort  of  the  enemy  opposite  Fort  Morton, 
proves  that  any  position  can  be  carried  by  resolute  and  determined 
soldiers,  led  by  skillful  and  gallant  officers.  Captain  Brown's  gal 
lantry  has  been  recognized  by  promotion  to  rank  of  brevet  Major. 

WM.  R.  DRIVER, 
Major  and  Assistant  Adjutant  General. 

(Eeb.  Eec.  Serial  No.  89,  p.  1000.) 


Report  of  Capt.  Alfred  A.  Rhinehart,  148th  Pennsylvania  Infantry, 
of  operations  March  25th. 
Headquarters  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 

March  27,  1865. 

LIEUTENANT:  In  compliance  with  existing  orders,  1  have  I  he- 
honor  to  submit  the  following  report  of  operations  of  this  command 
on  Saturday,  the  25th  instant: 

Immediately  after  daylight  the  Regiment  was  got  under  ann.H 
and  kept  in  hand  in  the  breastworks  until  about  3  :30  p.  M.,  when 
orders  were  given  to  have  the  Regiment  march  out  and  join  the  Bri 
gade,  then  moving  to  the  front.  My  command  remained  with  the 
Brigade  in  support  of  the  picket  on  the  right  of  the  division  line, 
and  afterward  in  support  of  the  general  line  of  the  division,  until 
about  4:15  p.  M.,  when  I  was  directed  by  Lieutenant  Corliss,  of  the 
Brigade  staff,  to  take  my  command  into  an  open  field,  just  in  roar  of 
an  old  house  and  barn  and  to  the  right  of  a  swamp  fronting  the  cen 
ter  of  the  Brigade  camps,  for  the  purpose  of  supporting  the  picket 
line.  I  here  deployed  the  line  to  some  extent  along  a  rail  fence, 
ordering  the  men  to  take  down  the  fence,  pile  up  the  rails,  and  make 
covers  of  them  for  themselves.  T  also  directed  Captain  Sutton,  of 
the  Regiment,  to  take  twelve  or  fifteen  men,  armed  with  Spencer 
rifles,  to  the  picket  line  and  front  as  sharpshooters ;  with  these  he 
was  enabled  to  annoy  considerably  a  body  of  the  enemy  in  a  large 
white  house  just  behind  their  picket  line  and  he  finally  succeeded 
almost  entirely  in  silencing  the  sharp  shooting  kept  up  from  this 
house.  At  about  5  :00  p.  M.  the  picket  reserve  in  front,  being  pressed 
by  the  enemy,  came  back  in  confusion  on  my  line.  The  enemy  kept 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          915 

up  a  rapid  tire,  and  part  of  my  line  on  the  right  and  left  were  thrown 
into  confusion ;  this  was  aided  by  the  fact,  as  some  of  the  men  per 
sistently  declare,  that  an  officer  repeatedly  cried,  "Fall  back,  men ; 
fall  back,  men."  The  whole  line  was  immediately  rallied,  however, 
and  moved  forward  in  a  few  moments  to  the  old  buildings  on  the  crest 
of  the  hill.  Here  a  constant  and  rapid  fire  was  kept  up  on  the  left 
flank  of  the  enemy's  column,  attacking  the  main  line  of  the  division 
until  dark.  The  Regiment  then  held  position  here  until  about  12:30 
A.  .\r.  of  the  26th,  when  orders  were  received  to  return  to  camp. 

During  the  day  I  lost  one  man  killed,  one  officer  and  eight  men 
wounded,  and  one  man  missing. 

I  am.  Lieutenant,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

ALFRED  A.  RHINE ir ART, 

Captain,  1  J^Stli  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  Commanding  Kef/intent. 
LIEUT.  S.  P.  CORLISS, 

Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General.  Fourth  Brigade. 

(Keb.  Rec.  Serial  Xo.  95,  p.  210.) 


Headquarters  Second  Brigade,  First  Division,  Second  Army  Corps, 

April  16,  1865. 
LIEUT.  COL.  RICHARD  A.  BROWN, 

Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General,  First  Division, 
COLONEL:  Having  been  informed  that  the  honor  of  the  cap 
ture  of  the  battle  flag  taken  from  the  enemy  in  the  charge  of  this 
Brigade  on  the  2d  of  April  was  about  to  be  awarded  to  an  enlisted 
man  of  the  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  I  beg  leave  to  state  that 
the  flag  was  captured  by  Private  Frank  Denio,  Company  M,  4th  New 
York  Artillery,  which  fact  can  be  substantiated  by  Lieut.  Col.  J.  J. 
Smith,  6 9 til  Xew  York  Volunteers.  Lieut.  Col.  Dennis  F.  Burke, 
88th  Xew  York  Volunteers,  Capt.  John  Oldershaw,  brigade  inspector 
Second  Brigade,  and  Lieut.  Charles  M.  Granger,  of  my  staff. 
I  am  very  respectfully  your  obedient  servant, 

ROBERT  NUGENT, 
Colonel,  Commanding  Brigade. 


( Indorsement.) 

Headquarters  First  Division,  Second  Army  Corps. 

April  Ifi.  1865. 
Respectfully  returned. 

A  careful  investigation  by  the  General  commanding  the  Divis 
ion  has  elicited  the  fact  that  the  flag  in  question  was  first  captured  by 
Private  Phillips,  14$th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  thrown  down  and 


916  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

passed  over  by  him,  and  afterwards  secured  by  Private  Frank  Denio, 
4th  Artillery. 

By  command  of  Brevet  Major  General  Miles: 

RICHARD  A.  BROWN, 

Lieutenant  Colonel  and  Act  tin/  Assistant  Adjutant  General. 
(Eeb.  Ree.  Serial  Xo.  95,  p.  720.) 


Report   of   Capt.    John   F.    Sutton,    148th   Pennsylvania    Infantry. 
Headquarters  148th  Pennsylvania  \7olunteers, 

April  10,  1865. 

LIEUTENANT  :  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  report 
of  operations  of  this  command  from  March  29th  to  this  date,  in 
clusive  : 

My  command  broke  camp,  with  its  Corps,  011  the  morning  of 
the  29th,  and  marched  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Boydton  Plank  Road. 
At  about  4  :00  p.  M.  of  that  day  the  Regiment  was  placed  in  support 
of  the  Brigade  skirmish  line,  connecting  with  the  Fifth  Corps  on 
the  left.  The  Regiment  was  gradually  deployed  on  the  line  as  it 
advanced,  taking  up  the  interval  between  the  Fifth  and  Sixth  Corps, 
and  remained  on  the  skirmish  line  throughout  the  night  During  the 
30th  the  Regiment  remained  in  support  of  the  Brigade,  in  line  of 
battle,  near  the  dirt  road,  in  front  of  a  portion  of  the  enemy's  works. 
March  .31st,  moved  to  the  left  with  Brigade  supporting  the  Fifth 
Corps.  At  about  11:30  A.  M.  the  whole  Brigade  moved  in  line  of 
battle  to  a  position  along  Gravelly  Run,  on  the  left  of  a  Brigade  of 
the  Fifth  Corps,  and  immediately  attacked  the  enemy's  line  across 
the  Run.  After  a  sharp  fight  the  line  fell  back  in  some  confusion, 
but  was  soon  rallied  and  pushed  forward,  driving  the  enemy  out. 
Captain  Rhinehart,  commanding  the  Regiment,  was  wounded  at  this 
juncture,  and  the  command  devolved  on  me.  After  driving  the 
enemy  some  time  the  Brigade  was  reformed  in  rear  of  the  skirmish 
line,  moved  some  distance  to  the  left,  where  works  were  put  up  and 
the  Regiment  remained  all  night  in  position. 

April  1st,  the  Brigade  moved  back  to  the  position  from  which 
it  had  advanced  on  the  31st  and  remained  throughout  the  day.  At 
dark  moved  to  the  left  and  at  midnight  to  the  extreme  left.  In  the 
morning,  after  considerable  manoeuvring,  it  was  discovered  that  the 
enemy's  works  had  been  evacuated,  and  my  Regiment,  with  its  Bri 
gade,  was  pushed  through  in  pursuit.  About  noon,  the  Division 
having  been  stopped  by  the  enemy's  rear  guard,  on  a  choice  position 
near  the  Southside  Railroad,  T  was  directed  by  Captain  Marlin,  of 
the  division  staff,  to  deploy  Regiment  as  skirmishers  to  the  front 
and  our  right  of  tlie  enemy's  ]x>sition,  and  immediately  I  was  ordered 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS 


917 


to  charge  along  their  left  flank.  1  succeeded  in  reaching  the  church 
<»n  the  dirt  mad,  on  the  left,  and,  with  the  aid  of  other  portions  of 
the  Brigade,  in  driving  them  out,  capturing  a  number  of  pris 
oners,  one  gnn  and  one  battle  flag.  They  were  pursued  with  vigor 
until  near  dark,  when  the  Brigade  was  taken  in. 

During  the  3d,  4th  and  5th  the  Regiment  marched,  with  Bri 
gade,  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy  without  incident  of  any  note,  and  on 
the  6th,  with  it  supporting  part  of  the  Division,  in  the  manoeuvres 
which  resulted  in  the  capture  of  part  of  their  train  and  some  artil 
lery.  After  reaching  High  Bridge  on  the  morning  of  the  7th  I  was 
ordered  to  send  out  my  Regiment  for  the  purpose  of  foraging.  The 
Regiment  succeeded  in  securing,  in  the  vicinity  of  Farmville  and 
beyond,  about  seven  head  of  horses,  one  hundred  and  eighty  head  of 
cattle,  fifty  head  of  sheep  and  forty  head  of  hogs.  These,  with  about 
sixteen  hundredweight  of  bacon,  were  disposed  of  as  T  had  been 
ordered ;  and  on  the  9th  T  rejoined  the  Brigade  and  moved  with  it 
to  the  position  now  occupied. 

During  these  operations  my  command  has  lost  as  follows: 


DATE 

KILLED 

WOUNDED 

MISSING 

TOTAL 

Officers 

g 

Officers 

c 

V 

Officers 

c 
u 

Officers 

g 

March  30  

1 

34 

4 

1 

39 
4 

1 

March  31  

1 

4 

2 

1 

3 

April  2   

April  7  

1 

TOTAL  .  .    . 

1 

5 

2         39      1 

o 

45 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

J.  F.  STTTOX, 

Captain,  14$th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers.  Commanding  Regiment. 
LIKUT.  S.  P.  CORLISS, 

Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General. 

(Reb.  Rec.  Serial  Xo.  95,  p.  75-4.) 


918  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

GENERAL  OKDERS  Xo.  10. 

Headquarters  Annv  nf  the  Potomac, 

March  7,  1SC>:>. 

In  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  General  Orders  Xo.  It), 
of  1862,  from  the  War  Department,  and  in  conformity  with  the  re 
ports  of  boards  convened  to  examine  into  the  services  rendered  by 
the  troops  concerned,  and  by  the  authority  of  the  Lieutenant  Gen 
eral  commanding-  armies  of  the  United  States,  it  is  ordered  that  there 
shall  be  inscribed  upon  the  colors  or  guidons  of  the  following  regi 
ments  and  batteries  serving  in  this  Army  the  names  of  the  battles  in 
which  they  have  borne  a  meritorious  part,  and  as  hereinafter  speci 
fied,  viz. :  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers — Ohancellors- 
ville,  Gettysburg,  Bristoe  Station,  ^line  Run,  Wilderness,  Po  River, 
Spotsylvania,  Xortli  Anna,  Totopotomoy,  Cold  Harbor,  Petersburg, 
Strawberrv  Plains,  Deep  Bottom,  Reams  Station. 
(Hob.  Rec.  Serial  Xo.  90,  p.  876.) 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          919 


THREE  HUNDRED  FIGHTING  REGIMENTS. 

''Regimental  Losses,"  a  work  by  Col.  Win.  F.  Fox,  of  Albany, 
New  York,  is  generally  regarded  as  the  most  comprehensive,  authentic 
and  reliable  tabulation  of  regimental  records  and  statistics.  Colonel 
Fox  devotes  302  pages  of  his  book  to  the  summaries  of  the  records 
of  the  three  hundred  fighting  regiments.  The  quotation  here  follow 
ing  is  from  page  302  of  that  work : 

ONE     HUNDRED     AND     FORTY-EIGHTH      PENNSYLVANIA 

INFANTRY. 

BROOKE'S   BRIGADE  —  BARLOW'S    DIVISION — SECOND    CORPS. 


COLONEL  JAMES    A.  BEAVER:    BVT.    BRIG.   GEN. 


KILLED  AND  DIED  OF 

DIED  OF  DISEASE. 

ACCI- 

WOUNDS. 

DENT 

,  IN  PRISON 

,  &C. 

COMP 

(kNIES. 

Officers 

Men 

Total 

Officers 

Men 

Total 

| 

Field  and 

Staff.    . 

" 

I 

1 

14 

Company 

A  ... 

1 

15 

16 

: 

I 

19 

20 

141 

B  .    .    . 

14 

14 

30 

30 

130 

C  -    •    . 

7 

28 

35 

, 

1  1 

1  1 

138 

D  .    .    . 

. 

29 

29 

2 

18 

20 

148 

E  .    .    . 

14 

14 

. 

25 

25 

122 

F  .    .    . 

17 

17 

. 

13 

13 

121 

G  - 

19 

19 

10 

10 

117 

H  •    -    . 

2 

24 

26 

. 

18 

18 

141 

I        -    . 

1 

19 

20 

19 

19 

132 

K  .    .    . 

1 

19 

20 

• 

20 

20 

135 

Totals    . 

12 

198 

210 

4 

183 

187 

1.339 

210  killed— 15.6  per  cent. 

Total    of   killed    and    wounded.    769:     died     in    Confederate    prisons     (previously 

included'  62. 

BATTLES. 


BATTLES.  K.  &  M.  W. 

Ghancellorsville.   Va.     .    .    .  48 

Gettysburg.  Pa 31 

Wilderness.  Va 1 

Po  River.  Va..  May  10.    •    .  37 

Spotsylvania.  Va..  May  12  .  29 

Spotsylvania.  Va..  May  16  .  1 

Totopotomoy.  Va.  ....  2 

Gold  Harbor.  Va 14 

Prison  guard.  Salisbury.  N.  C.     1 


K.  &  M.  w. 

Petersburg,  Va.  (assault).  .  5 

Siege  of  Petersburg,  Va  .    .  11 

Jerusalem  Road.  Va.     ...  5 

Deep  Bottom.  Va 8 

Ream's  Station.  Va 6 

Hatcher's  Run.  Va 2 

White  Oak  Road.  Va.    .    .    .  7 

Farmville.  Va.  2 


920  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Present,  also,  at  Bristoe  Station:  Mine  Run:  North  Anna:  Straw 
berry  Plains:  Sutherland  Station:  Appomattox. 

NOTES — Organized  at  Harrisburg,  in  September.  1862,  seven  of 
the  companies  having  been  recruited  in  Centre  County.  At  the 
request  of  the  line  officers.  James  A.  Beaver.  Lieutenant  Colonel  of 
the  Forty-fifth  Pennsylvania,  was  appointed  Colonel.  After  three 
months  of  service  in  Maryland,  it  joined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
and  was  assigned  to  Galdwell's  (  1st)  Brigade.  Hancock's  (  1st)  Divi 
sion,  Second  Corps:  it  remained  in  this  division  (First)  during  its 
entire  service.  Its  first  battle  occurred  at  Chancellorsville,  where  it 
lost  31  killed,  119  wounded,  and  14  missing.  Colonel  Beaver  being 
among  the  severely  wounded.  General  Galdwell  commanded  the 
Division  at  Gettysburg, and  Colonel  Gross  (Fifth  New  Hampshire),  the 
Brigade:  the  loss  of  the  Regiment  was  19  killed,  101  wounded,  and  5 
missing.  It  went  into  winter  quarters  (1863-4)  near  Stevensburg. 
Va.,  receiving  in  the  rreanwhile  283  conscripts  "and  120  recruits,  a 
needed  accession.  It  was  prominently  engaged  at  Po  River  and  Spot- 
sylvania.  where  it  lost  33  killed,  235  wounded,  and  33  missing:  total, 
301,  the  greatest  loss  of  any  infantry  regiment  at  Spotsylvania. 
Colonel  Beaver,  while  in  command  of  a  brigade,  was  severely 
wounded  at  Petersburg,  June  16,  1864.  He  rejoined  his  Regiment 
just  as  it  was  entering  the  fight  at  Ream's  Station,  where  he  was 
again  wounded,  and  suffered  amputation  of  a  leg.  In  September, 
1864,  the  War  Department  ordered  that  one  regiment  in  each  division 
be  armed  with  breech-loading  rifles:  the  148th  was  selected  by 
General  Hancock  as  the  deserving  one  in  its  division  to  be  thus 
armed. 


77/A   I48T11  PENNSYLVANIA  t()IA'\TKERS          921 

STATISTICS. 

The  following  pages  eml)o<ly  the  result  of  a  very  sincere  effort, 
involving  great  labor  and  research,  to  account  for  every  man  mus 
tered  into  the  Regiment's  service.  While  the  showing  is  not  abso 
lutely  complete,  it  is  as  nearly  so  as  could  be  expected  after  the  lapse 
of  so  many  years.  The  notation  on  company  rosters,  ''Transferred 
to  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,"  indicates  that  the  men  were 
recruits,  whose  time  had  not  "expired,  and  they  completed  their  serv 
ice  in  the  .">.•><!  which  had  veteranized. 

ROSTER  OF  FIELD  AND  STAFF. 

COL.  JAMES  ADDAMS  BEAVER — Private,  Sergeant  and  Second  Lieu 
tenant  Bellefonte  Fenoibles  prior  to  the  War.  First  Lieuten 
ant  Company  H,  2d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  three 
months  service  April  21,  1801,  to  July  20,  1801;  appointed 
Lieutenant  Colonel  July  22,  1801  ;  assigned  to  duty  at  Camp 
Curtin  and  mustered  wirh  45th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Vol 
unteers  October  21,  1801;  resigned  September  4,  1802,  to 
accept  command  148th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers; 
joined  Regiment  for  duty  September  0,  1802;  mustered  at 
Oockeysville  October  8,  1802  ;  re-mustered  1803,  as  of  Sep 
tember  8,  1802. 

Wounded  through  the  body  Chancellorsville  May  3,  1803; 
in  right  hip  at  Cold  Harbor  June  3,  1804;  in  left  side  by 
fragment  of  shell  in  first  assault  on  Petersburg  June  10, 
1804;  in  right  thigh,  with  loss  of  leg,  at  Ream  Station  Aug 
ust  25,  18G4-. 

Breveted  Brigadier  General  United  States  Volunteers  for 
meritorious  and  distinguished  services  during  the  campaign 
of  1804-,  especially  in  command  of  a  brigade  (Fourth  Brigade, 
First  Division,  Second  Army  Corps)  at  Cold  Harbor  June 
3,  1804. 

December  22,  1804,  mustered  out  at  his  own  request  on 
account  of  wounds  received  in  battle. 

Resides  at  Bellefonte,  Pennsylvania. 

LIEUT.  COL.  ROBERT  MCFAIJI.AXK — Captain  Company  II  7th  Regi 
ment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  three  months  April  22,  1801, 
to  July,  1801.  Recruited  G  Company  148th  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers;  promoted  from  Captain  G  Company  on  organiza 
tion  of  Regiment. 

Typhoid  fever  winter  of  1802-1803;  sent  to  his  home  and 
returned  to  Regiment  l>efore  he  was  fit  for  service;  did  not 
fully  recover  during  his  service  and  was  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  of  disability  Xovember  4,  1803. 

Died  at  Bellefonte,  Pennsylvania. 


922  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

LIEUT.  COL.  GEORGE  ASIIBRIDGE  FAIRLAMB— Recruited  and  was 
made  Captain  of  Company  H,  148th  Regiment  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers;  elected  Major  at  organization  of  Regiment; 
Lieutenant  Colonel  November  15,  1863. 

Wounded  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ; 
wounded  seriously  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House  May  12, 
1864,  where  he  was  captured  in  advance  of  the  Regiment; 
prisoner  May  12,  1864,  to  September  22,  1864. 

Discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  of  disability  February 
24,  1865. 

Resides  Bellefonte,  Pennsylvania. 

LIEUT.  COL.  JAMES  FREDERICK  WEAVER — Recruited  Company  B ; 
appointed  Second  Lieutenant  to  recruit  company ;  Captain 
Company  B  on  its  organization  September  1,  1862 ;  Major 
March  7,  1865  ;  Lieutenant  Colonel  May  15,  1865 ;  commis 
sioned  Colonel  June  1,  1865  ;  not  mustered  because  Regi incur 
was  below  minimum  standard. 

Wounded  Po  River  May  9,  1864. 

Mustered  out  with  Regiment,  June,  1865. 

Died  at  Milesburg,  Pennsylvania,  August  13,  1904. 

MAJOR  ROBERT  HENRY  FORSTER — private  2d  Regiment  Pennsyl 
vania  Volunteers  during  Mexican  War ;  recruited  and  elected 
Captain  Company  A  September  1,  1862  ;  Major  November 
15,  1863. 

Wounded  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  slight 
ly  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  3,  1863 ;  severely  at 
Petersburg,"  Virginia,  June,  1864;  discharged  on  surgeon's 
certificate  of  disability  on  account  fo  wounds. 

Died  at  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  May  2,  1901. 

MAJOR  GEORGE  ADAMS  BAYARD — Enlisted  August  22,  1861 :  First 
Lieutenant  Company  II  on  organization  of  company ;  pro 
moted  Captain  September  8,  1862;  Major  March  1TJ  1865; 
commissioned  Lieutenant  Colonel  June  1,  1865  ;  not  mustered 
because  Regiment  was  below  minimum.  Prisoner  June  22, 
1864,  to  March,  1865. 

Mustered  out  with  Regiment  June  1,  1865. 

Killed  by  shifting  engine  at  Bellefonte,  Pennsylvania,  July, 
1903. 

ADJT.  ROBERT  LIPTOS — First  Lieutenant  Company  E  1st  Pennsyl 
vania  Cavalry  (44th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers) 
August  12,  1861;  promoted  Captain  October,  1861;  resigned 
on  account  of  ill  health  March  31,  1862;  enlisted  in  Com 
pany  B  148th  Regiment  and  appointed  Adjutant  at  its  organ 
ization  September  8,  1863. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          923 

Died  at  Milesburg,  Pennsylvania,  during  a  leave  of  absence 
April  20,  1863. 

ADJT.  JOSEPH  WEXDEL  MUFFLY — Enlisted  Company  B  August  21. 
1862;  appointed  Sergeant  Major  September  8,  1862;  pro 
moted  Adjutant  April  27,  IH;:>;  -crvcd  1SG4-1865  as  Acting 
Assistant  Adjutant  General  Fourth  Brigade,  First  Division, 
Second  Corps. 

Wounded  Gettysburg  July  2,  1S(>:J;  P<»  River  May  10. 
ISO 4-;  Reams  Station  August  25,  l,s<J4. 

Discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  of  disability  March  2S, 
1865. 

Lives  Des  Moines,  Towa. 

ADJT.  CHARLES  ALEXANDER  RAMSEY — Enlisted  Private  Company 
D  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  August  28,  1862;  detailed 
as  clerk  at  regimental  brigade  and  division  headquarters  ;  pro 
moted  Sergeant  Major  August  2,  1864;  Adjutant  May  15, 
1865. 

Mustered  out  with  Regiment  June,  1865. 
Lives  Hillsboro,  Illinois. 

QUARTERMASTER  JOHN  GEORGE  KURTZ — Appointed  September  11, 
1862 ;  discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  of  disability  April 
28,  1864. 

Died  at  Milton,  Pennsylvania. 

QUARTERMASTER    SAMUEL    DAVID    MUSSER — Enlisted    August    28, 
.    1862,  Company  D;  appointed  Quartermaster  Sergeant  on  or 
ganization  of  Regiment;   promoted  Quartermaster  May   19, 
1864. 

Mustered  out  with  Regiment  June,  1865. 
Lives  Scranton,  Pennsylvania. 

SURGEON  URIAH  Q.  DAVIS — Appointed  Assistant  Surgeon  Septem 
ber  12,  1862:  promoted  Surgeon  December  8,  1862. 
Mustered  out  with  Regiment  June,   1865. 
Killed  in  railroad  accident  at  Milton,  Pennsylvania. 
ASST.  SURGEOX  CALVIX  PETER  WILLIAM  FISHER — Appointed  Sep 
tember  12,  1862:  discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  of  dis 
ability  June  12,  1863. 

Died  at  Boalsbursr,  Pennsylvania. 

ASST.  SURGEOX  ALFRED  THORLEY  HAMILTON — Appointed  February 
4,  1863:  mustered  out  with  Regiment  June,  1865. 
Lives  at  Lewistown,  Pennsylvania. 

ASST.   SURGEOX  Jonx  WESLEY   ALT  EX — Appointed  May   -3,   1S64: 
mustered  out  with  Regiment  June,  1865. 
Died  at  Altoonn,  Ponnsv 


924  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

CHAPLAIN  WILLIAM   HKNRV  STEVENS — Enlisted  as  Private,  II  Com 
pany;  elected   Second   Lieutenant  on   organization  of   Com 
pany;  appointed  Chaplain  September  7,  1862. 
Mustered  out  with  Regiment  June,  1865. 
Died    Shelby,     Iowa,    June    10,    1!M)1  ;    buried      in     Three 
Spring   Cemetery,    Huntingdon    County,    Pennsylvania. 

SKKCJT.   MAJOR   JOSEPH    K.    HALL — ^Promoted  from   Sergeant   Com 
pany  I  April   27,    186)5,   to   Second   Lieutenant   Cmn]>any    I, 
August  2,  1864;  to  Adjutant   IS.'M   Regiment   Pennsylvania 
Volunteers  September  7,  1864. 
Lives  Clatskanie,  Oregon. 

SKRGT.  MAJOR  ISAAC  X.  SLOAN — Enlisted  Company  K  September  7, 
1862;  promoted  to  Corporal  December  {),  1862;  to  Sergeant 
September  15,  1864;  to  Sergeant  Major  May  18,  1S6:>. 
Died  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania. 

QUARTERMASTER  SERGT.  WJLI.IAM  C.  DKVINNEY — Enlisted  Company 
E  September  2,  1862;  promoted  from  Corporal  to  Sergeant 
November    16,    1863;    to   Quartermaster    Sergeant    May    30, 
1864;  mustered  out  with  Regiment  June,  1865. 
Lives  Wilkinsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

COMMISSARY  SERCJT.  LEWIS  W.  INGRAM — Enlisted  Company  II  Aug 
ust  16,  1862  ;  promoted  Commissary  Sergeant  on  organization 
of   Regiment;    promoted   to   Quartermaster     81st    Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  27,  1864. 
Lives  Oregon  City,  Oregon. 

COM.    SKRGT.    JAMKS    P.    ODEXKIRK — -Promoted    from    Sergeant   of 
G   Company  .Inly  1,   1864. 
Lives  Warrensburg,  Missouri. 

HOSPITAL  STKWARD  JACOB  13.  KREIDER — Appointed  October  8, 
1862;  discharged  October  17,  1863. 

HOSPITAL  STEWARD  WILLIAM  II.  MAYKS — Unlisted  August  27,1862; 
promoted  from  Private  Company  C  November  1,  18fi.'>;  com 
missioned  Second  Lieutenant  Company  C  June  1,  ISO.");  not 
mustered. 

Mustered  out  with  Regiment  June  1,  1865. 
Died  since  the  War. 

/PRINCIPAL  MUSICIAN  ROHKRT  A.  CASSIDY — Enlisted  August  16, 
1862  Company  II;  appointed  Principal  Musician  September 
8,  1862;  transferred  to  10th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps  after  battle  of  Gettysburg;  discharged  by  General 
Orders  July  13,  1865. 
Live<  Cantcn,  Ohio. 


77/f;  ijXTII  l'E\\SYLrJ\I.-l  I'OLL'XTEERS  925 


PRINCIPAL  MUSICIAN  WILLIAM  II.  HABPSTER  —  Enlisted  August  27, 
1802  Company  C;  promoted  Principal  Musician  July  1, 
180:5;  mustered  out  with  Regiment  June,  1805. 

Lives  Houtzdale,  Pennsylvania. 

PRINCIPAL  MUSICIAN  SAMUEL  I).  OTTO  —  Enlisted  August  27,  1862, 
Company  C;  promoted  Principal  Musician  March   1,  1804; 
mustered  out  with  Regiment  June,  1805. 
Died  manv  vears  aero. 


ROSTER  OF  COMPANY  A. 

Compiled  by  Henry  Meyer. 

ROBERT  II.  FORSTEK — Age  33;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania; 
volunteer  Mexican  War;  enlisted  Civil  War  August  19, 
1802;  mustered  September  1st;  wounded  at  Chancellorsville, 
.May  3,  1803;  promoted  to  Major  Oetol)er  30,  1803;  mus 
tered  as  such  November  10,  1803 ;  discharged;  died  May  2 
1JMH  ;  buried  at  MitWinburg,  P; iinsylvauia. 

('APT.  Jon.x  L.  JOHNSTON — Age  22;  Bellefonte,  Pennsylvania;  pro- 
moted  from  First  Lieutenant  Company  H,  November  15, 
1803;  wounded  June  10,  1804;  on  detached  service  at  El- 
mira,  New  York,  from  October  13,  1804;  discharged  June 
4,  1S05;  Captain,  Fnited  States  Army,  retired;  resides  in 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  SIMON  S.  WOLF — A<re  24;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania; 
enlisted  August  1!>,  1S02;  mustered  August  31st:  discharged 
on  surgeon's  certificate  September  25,  1803;  died  January  1, 
1875  ;  buried  at  Centre  Hall,  Pennsylvania. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  WESLEY  W.  BIKKLY — Age  20  ;  Rebersburg,  Penn 
sylvania ;  enlisted  August  1(J,  1802;  mustered  August  25tjK 
promoted  from  First  Sergeant  to  Second  Lieutenant  October 
31,  1803;  to  First  Lieutenant  November  15,  same  year: 
served  as  Adjutant  of  Regiment  short  time;  was  injured  by 
concussion  of  exploding  shell  Gettysburg,  July  3,  1803: 
wounded  and  captured  June  22,  1804,  and  died  at  Peters 
burg,  Virginia,  of  wounds,  September  2,  1804. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  SIMOX  M.  SPAXGLEK — Age  22;  Rebersburg,  Penn 
sylvania;  enlisted  August  19,  1802;  mustered  August  25: 
was  in  three  .months  service ;  promoted  from  Corporal  to 
First  Sergeant  Xovember  10,  1803:  from  First  Sergeant  to 
First  Lieutenant  Xovember  30.  1804;  command  of  com- 


926  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

pany  during  last  months  of  War;  wounded  at  Spotsylvania 
May  12,  1804;  mustered  out  June  1,  1865;  resides  at  New 
ton,  Kansas. 

SECOND  LIEUTENANT  ERASTUS  J.  BURKERT — Age  23  ;  Rebersburg, 
Pennsylvania;  enlisted  August  19,  1862;  mustered  August 
'31 ;  discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  of  disability  June  26, 
1863;  resides  at  Chicago,  Illinois;  was  in  three  months 
service. 

SECOND  LIEUTENANT  DANIEL  E.  SHAFFER — Age  26 ;  Madisonburg, 
Pennsylvania ;  enlisted  August  19,  1862 ;  mustered  August 
25th ;  promoted  from  Sergeant  to  Second  Lieutenant  Novem 
ber  15,  1863;  died  at  Madisonburg,  Pennsylvania,  Septem 
ber  12,  1864. 

SECOND  LIEUTENANT  JARED  I.  JONES — Age  21 ;  Wolfs  Store,  Penn 
sylvania  ;  enlisted  August  21,  1862;  mustered  August  25th; 
promoted  from  Sergeant  to  Second  Lieutenant  November 
30,  1864;  part  of  time  on  recruiting  service;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865;  resides  at  Hiawatha,  Kansas. 

FIRST  SERGEANT  JOHN  A.  MILLER — Age  25;  Rebersburg,  Pennsyl 
vania;  enlisted  August  22,  1862;  mustered  August  25th; 
promoted  from  Corporal  to  First  Sergeant  December  7,  1864 ; 
had  been  slightly  wounded ;  mustered  out  with  company  June 
1,  1865;  died  May  14,  1900;  buried  at  Millheim,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

SERGT.  THOMAS  P.  MEYER — Age  20;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania; 
enlisted  August  19,  1862 ;  mustered  August  25th ;  promoted 
from  Corporal  to  Sergeant  December  7,  1864;  had  charge  of 
pioneer  corps  part  of  term  ;was  slightly  injured  by  concussion 
of  exploding  shell  at  Gettysburg  July  3,  1863  ;  wa.s  taken 
prisoner  at  Auburn  Mills,  Virginia,  October  14,  1863 ;  mus 
tered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865;  resides  at  Lock 
Haven,  Pennsylvania. 

SKRGT.  WILLIAM  HARPER — Age  25;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  en 
listed  August  19,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  promoted 
from  Corporal  'to  Sergeant  November  16,  1863;  on  recruit 
ing  service  from  February  8,  1864;  discharged  on  General 
Orders  June  26,  1865;  'died  February,  1901;  buried  at 
Rellefonte,  Pennsylvania. 

SERGT.  HENRY  MILLER — Ago  20 ;  Millheim,  Pennsylvania ;  enlisted 
August  21,  1862;  mustered  Aucrist  25;  promoted  from  Cor 
poral  to  Sergeant  April  1,  1865;  wounded  tti  Po  River,  Vir 
ginia,  May  10,  1864;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1, 
1865;  resides  at  Millheim.  Pennsvlvania. 


THE  148TH  PEXXSYLf'JXIJ  VOLUNTEERS          927 

SERGT.  DANIEL  WEAVER — Age  22 ;  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania ;  en 
listed  August  22,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  promoted 
from  Corporal  to  Sergeant  April  1,  1865;  wounded  at  Deep 
Bottom,  Virginia,  August  14,  1864;  mustered  out  with  com 
pany  June  1,  1865 ;  resides  at  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania. 

SERGT.  GEORGE  W.  LEITZELL — Age  33 ;  Millheim,  Pennsylvania ; 
enlisted  August  20,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  severely 
wounded  at  Gettysburg,  July  2,  1863 ;  transferred  to  Vet 
eran  Reserve  Corps  March  17,  1864;  discharged  July  6, 
1865 ;  resides  at  Altamont,  Illinois. 

SERGT.  ELIAS  MINGLE — Millheim,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  August 
21,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  died  July  31,  1863,  of 
wounds  received  at  Gettysburg,  July  2,  1863. 

SERGT.  A.  O.  DEININGER — Age  24;  Millheim,  Pennsylvania;  en 
listed  August  20,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  on  detached 
service  from  September  23,  1863 ;  discharged  July  14,  1865  ; 
resides  at  Hughesville,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  SAMUEL  R,  GETTIG — Age  23;  Madisonburg,  Pennsylvania; 
enlisted  August  23,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  promoted 
to  Corporal  November  16,  1863;  taken  prisoner  at  Reams 
Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864 ;  taken  to  Salisbury ; 
mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865 ;  resides  near 
Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  JACOP,  BRECKBILL — Age  24 ;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania ;  en 
listed  August  19,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  promoted  to 
Corporal  December  7,  1864;  mustered  out  June  1,  1865  ;  re 
sides  at  Altoona,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  BENJAMIN  BECK — Age  23 ;  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania ;  en 
listed  August  21,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  promoted  to 
Corporal  December  7,  1864;  wounded  at  Po  River,  Virginia, 
May  10,  1864,  also  March  31,  1865;  discharged  by  General 
Orders  June  24,  1865  ;  resides  at  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  MANASSES  GILBERT — Age  20 ;  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania ; 
enlisted  August  19,  1862 ;  mustered  August  25 ;  promoted  to 
Corporal  April  1,  1865;  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsyl 
vania,  July  2,  1863;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1, 
1865 ;  resides  at  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  GEORGE  GORMAN — Age  18 ;  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania ;  en 
listed  August  20,  1862 ;  mustered  August  25th ;  promoted  to 
Corporal  April  1,  1865  ;  captured  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsyl 
vania,  July  2,  1863;  returned  to  company  August  2,  1863; 
mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865;  reside?  at  Free- 
port,  Illinois. 


928  THE  STORY  OF  Ol'R  REGIMENT 

CORP.  HENRY  GROUSE — Age  18;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  en 
listed  August  21,  1802;  mustered  August  25th  ;  promoted  to 
Corporal  April  1,  1865;  mustered  out  with  company  June 
1,  1805;  died  December  22,  1S1W;  buried  at  Aaronsbuni', 
Pennsylvania. 


COUP.     FREDERICK     LIMBKRT — Age-     23;     Madisonburg, 

vauia ;  enlisted  August  21,  1802;  mustered  August  25tb ; 
wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1803;  pro 
moted  to  Corporal  April  1,  1805;  mustered  out  with  com 
pany  June  1,  1805;  resides  at  Aaronsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  DAVID  ROSSMAN — Age  28;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  en 
listed  August  22d  ;  mustered  August  25th;  wounded  at  Po 
River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1S04;  also  June  3,  1804,  at  Cold 
Harbor,  Virginia;  promoted  to  Corporal  April  1,  1805;  was 
in  the  assault  on  Klliott's  Salient  or  Fort  Crater,  October  27, 
1804;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1805;  resides  at 
Pleasant  Gap,  Pennsylvania. 

COUP.  LKVI  STRAYKR — Age  31);  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  10,  1802;  mustered  August.  25th;  discharged  <m  sur 
geon's  certificate  April  4,  1803;  died  January  17,  1003; 
buried  at  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  HKXRY  MEYER — Age  21;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  10,  1802;  mustered  August  25th;  promoted  to  Cor 
poral  November  1C),  1803;  wounded  at  Chancellorsville  May 
3,  1803;  again,  severely,  at  Po  River,  May  10,  1804,  neces 
sitating  amputation  of  left  hand  ;  discharged  at  Campbell 
Hospital,  Washington,  September  12,  1804;  resides  at 
Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  THOMAS  K.  ROYKIJ— Age  21;  Relx>rsburg,  Pennsylvania;  en 
listed  August  22,  1802;  mustered  August  25th;  promoted  to 
Corporal  November  10,  1803;  wounded  at  Spntsylvania,  Vir 
ginia,  May  12,  1804;  transferred  to  51st  Company,  Second 
Battalion,  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  February  0,  1805;  dis 
charged  August  24,  1805;  resides  at  Rebersburg,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

CORP.  GEORCJK  M.  RTPP — Age  23;  Aaronsburg,  Pennsylvania;  en 
listed  August  22,  1802;  mustered  August  25th;  wounded 
slightly  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July,  1803;  also  at 
Spotsylvania,  Virginia,  May  12,  1804;  promoted  to  Cor 
poral*  "November  10,  1803;  transferred  to  51st  Company, 
Second  Battalion,  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  February  .9,  1805; 
discharged;  dead;  buried  at  Aaronsburg,  Pennsylvania. 


THE  ijSTII  IJE\\SYLI'.LM.I  l'()Ll'\TEERS          929 


CORP.  AMOS  KKJIAKI)  —  Age  20  —  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania;  en 
listed  August  21,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  3,  18G3  ;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  C,  24th  Regiment,  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  January 

20,  *18(U;  discharged  June  2S,  1865;  died   1S1>7;  huried   at 
Seal])  Level,  Pennsylvania. 

COUP.  DA.MKI.  SHAFFKK  —  Age  23;  Madisonburg,  Pennsylvania;  en 
listed  August  21,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  died  near 
Falinoiith,  Virginia,  March  6,  1863;  huried  at  Madisonburg, 
Pennsylvania. 

CORP.    JACOK    LAMC'H  —  Millheim,    Pennsylvania;    enlisted    August 

21,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  killed  at  Gettysburg,  July 
2,  1863. 

COKP.  UAMEL  MILLER  —  Age  34;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  en 
listed  August  21,  1862;  mustend  August  25th;  slightly 
wounded  June  17,  1864;  died  at  Washington  August  8, 
1S(>4;  buried  at  Arlington,  Virginia. 

COUP.  PHILIP  WOODLING  —  Age  25;  R?bersburg,  Pennsylvania;  en 
listed  August  19,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  served  as 
musician;  transferred  to  Company  II,  1st  Regiment,  Vet 
eran  Reserve  Corps,  February  16,  1864;  discharged  by  Gen 
eral  Orders  July  24,  1865;'  died  April  0.  1893;  buried  at 
Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania. 


SOLOMON  BIKRLY — Age  17;  Madisonburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  21,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  wounded  at  Cold 
Harbor,  Virginia,  June  3,  1864;  discharged  by  General 
Orders  August  22,  1865;  resides  at  Seligman,  Missouri. 

CHARLES  BIKRLY — Age  22;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  22,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  wounded  at  Gettys 
burg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,1863:  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps  March  15,  1864;  discharged  June  26,  1865; 
resides  at  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania. 

JAMES  B.  BIKRLY — A»'e  21;  Madisonburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  22,1862;  mustered  August  25th;  died  near  Fal- 
mouth,  Virginia,  February  24,  1863;  buried  at  Madison 
burg.  Pennsylvania. 

LKVT  BOOB — Age  23;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  August 
22,  1862;  mustered  August  28th;  wounded  at  Reams  Sta 
tion,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864,  necessitating  amputation 
of  right  arm;  discharged  December  20,  1864;  shot  himself 


950  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

accidentally  August  20,   1807,    died    same    day;  buried  at 
1 1  artleton,  Pennsylvania. 

WILLIAM  BOOH— Ago.  21;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  22,  1802;  mustered  August  28th;  wounded  fatally  and 
captured  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1804;  died  at 
Richmond,  June  10,  1804. 

XATHANIEI,  BOOB — Age  11);  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  22,  1802;  mustered  August  28th;  wounded  May  10, 
1804,  Po  River,  Virginia;  captured  at  Reams  Station,  Vir 
ginia,  August  25,  1804,  and  taken  to  Salisbury,  North  Caro 
lina;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1805;  resides  near 
Mifflinburg,  Pennsylvania. 

DANIEL  BOWER — Age  22;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  22,  1802;  mustered  August  28th;  on  detached  duty  with 
ambulance  corps;  discharged  June  1,  1805;  resides  at  Rote, 
Pennsylvania. 

ADAM  BOYER — Age  21;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  21,  1802;  mustered  August  25th;  wounded  at  Gettys 
burg,  Pennsylvania,  July  3,  1803 ;  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps  March  17,  1805  ;  discharged  August  23,  1805  ; 
resides  in  Abilene,  Kansas. 

I)AVTD  BRESSLER — Age  28;  Millheim,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  22,  1802  ;  mustered  August  25th ;  discharged  on  surgeon's 
certificate  May  23,  1803;  dead;  buried  near  Penn  Hall, 
Pennsylvania. 

HENRY  G.  CONSER — Age  28;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  21,  1802;  mustered  August  25th;  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  March  2,  1803;  died  May,  1900,  at  Valley 
Falls,  Kansas. 

JAMES  T.  CORMAN- — Age  22;  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  20,  1802;  mustered  August  25th;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1805;  resides  at  Rebersburg,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

SOT.OMON  DALE — Age  20;.  Boalsburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  21,  1802;  mustered  September  1st;  missing  in  action  at 
Spotsylvania,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  company  return  for 
"February,  1805,  states,  "died  of  wounds  received  in  action 
at  Spotsylvania." 

ELTAS  EDLEMAN — Ago  18;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  22,  1802;  mustered  August  25th  as  a  musician,  but 
served  in  the  ranks  whole  term;  transferred  to  Veteran  Re 
serve  Corps  April  14,  1804;  discharged  by  General  Orders 
June  1.  1S05  :  dead. 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  I'()LL'\TEERS          951 

JACOB  EMERICK — Age  IS;  Millheim,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  21,  1862 ;  mustered  August  25th ;  wounded  at  Chancel- 
lorsville,  May  3,  1863 ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps  March  17,  1864;  discharged  September  6,  1864;  re 
sides  at  Millheim,  Pennsylvania. 

ISAIAH  FULLMER — Age  18;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  21,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  fatally  wounded 
at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  taken  prisoner  and 
died  soon  after  at  Petersburg,  Virginia;  buried  in  Poplar 
Grove  Cemetery,  Division  8,  Section  E. 

WILLIAM  FULLMER — Age  20 ;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania ;  enlisted 
August  22,  1862 ;  mustered  August  25th ;  killed  at  Po  River, 
Virginia,  May  10,  1864. 

LEVI  H.  FULLMER — Age  25  ;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania ;  enlisted 
August  22,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  had  been  in  three 
months  service;  discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  February 
11,  1863 ;  resides  at  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania. 

GRIFFITH  GARRETT — Age  20 ;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania ;  enlisted 
August  22,  1862 ;  mustered  August  25th ;  died  at  Falmouth, 
Virginia,  May  11,  1863. 

SAMUEL  GILBERT — 'Age  21 ;  Millheim,  Pennsylvania ;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  21,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  wounded  at  Po  River, 
Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps,  Company  B,  18th  Regiment,  September  11,  1864; 
discharged  by  General  Orders  June  17,  1865;  dead;  buried 
in  Nittany  Valley,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 

ADAM  GRIM — Age  25  ;  Madisonburg,  Pennsylvania ;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  22,  1862  ;  mustered  August  25th ;  captured  at  Reams  Sta 
tion,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864,  was  taken  to  Salisbury, 
North  Carolina ;  discharged  by  General  Orders  June  6, 
1865;  resides  at  Smithfield,  Missouri. 

JOHN  GRIM — Age  21  ;  Madisonburg,  Pennsylvania ;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  21,  1862  ;  mustered  August  25th ;  mustered  out  June  1, 
1865  ;  resides  at  Smithfield,  Missouri. 

MARTIN  GROVE — Spring  Mills,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  August  21, 
1862;  mustered  August  25th;  died  near  Falmouth,  Virginia, 
February  17,  1863. 

MATTHIAS  GUISER — Age  19 ;  Madisonburg,  Pennsylvania ;  enlisted 
August  21,  1862 ;  mustered  August  25th  ;  wounded  at  Gettys 
burg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863 ;  absent,  wounded,  at  mus 
ter  out;  died  July  23,  1904;  buried  at  Kinmundv,  Illinois. 


932  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

JOHN   \V.    HAFFLY — Age   24;   Aaronsburg,   Pennsylvania;   enlisted 
August  20,  1802;  mustered  August  25th;  transferred  to  Vet 
eran    Reserve   Corps   November   13,    1803;    discharged;    re 
sides  at  Aaronsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

SIMON  HARPER — Age  21 ;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania ;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  22,  1802;  mustered  August  25th;  served  as  a  musician; 
transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  September  1,  1803; 
discharged  July  12,  1805;  died  August,  1900;  buried  at 
Centre  Hall,  Pennsylvania. 

CHARLES.]!.  HELD — Age  20;  Millheim,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  20,  1802;  mustered  August  25th;  served  as  a  musi 
cian;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1805;  dead; 
buried  at  Millheim,  Pennsylvania. 

DANIEL  J.  JOHNSON — Age  19;  Wolfs,  Store,  Pennsylvania;  en 
listed  August  22,  1802;  mustered  August  25th;  transferred 
to  Signal  Corps  from  February  4,  1804;  discharged;  resides 
at  Easton,  Pennsylvania. 

J.  W.  KENNEDY — Age  20;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  22,  1802  ;  mustered  August  25th,  by  name  of  "John 
Strong;"  mustered  out  June  1,  1805;  resides  at  Lake  City, 
Missouri. 

AARON  KLI.XEKELTER — Age  21;  Madisonburg,  Pennsylvania;  en 
listed  August  21,  1M52;  mustered  August  25th;  discharged 
on  surgeon's  certificate  March  7,  1804. 

GIDEON  KREA.MER — Age  21;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  22,  1802;  mustered  August  25th;  wounded  at  Po 
River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1M>4;  absent,  sick,  at  muster  mil: 
dead  ;  buried  at  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania. 

JESSE  KIM-.A.MER — Ago  20;  Rebersburg  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  22,  1S(>2;  musteued  August  25th;  was  taken  prisoner  in 
the  assault  on  Elliott's  Salient  or  Fort  Crater  October  27, 
1804,  to  Salisbury,  North  Carolina;  discharged  by  General 
Orders  May  20,  1805;  resides  at  Millheim,  Pennsylvania. 

SAMTEL  KRAPE — Millheim,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  August  21, 
1802;  mustered  August  25th;  died  at  Falmouth,  Virginia. 
April  14,  1803. 

MICHAEL  LAMEY — Age  27;  Millheim,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  22,  1802;  mustered  August  25th;  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  "February  23,  1803;  resid.es  at  Millheim, 
Pennsylvania. 

GEORGE  W.  LANICII — Millheim,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  August  21, 
1802;  mustered  August  25th ;  discharged  by  General  Orders 
June  0,  1805;  resides  at  Dublin,  Wavne  Countv,  Indiana. 


THE  148TH  IJE\\SYLI'A\L-I  I'OLUNTEERS          955 

HENRY  LAMCII — Age  25;  Millheim,  Pennsylvania;  August  2i, 
1N62;  mustered  August  25th;  dishonorably  discharged  June 
7,  1864;  dead;  buried  at  Logan  town,  Pennsylvania. 

DAM  EL  LONG — Age  19;  Aaronsburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  22,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  wounded  at  Chancel- 
lorsville  May  3,  1863;  captured  near  Petersburg,  Virginia, 
June  22,  1864;  exchanged  alx>ut  March  1,  IM',5;  died  soon 
aft;  r  the  War. 

JESSE  LONG — Age  2'2  ;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  August 
22,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  captured  at  Reams  Sta 
tion,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864,  taken  to  Salisbury,  Xorth 
Carolina;  served  part  term  as  pioneer;  mustered  out  June 
1,  1865;  resides  at  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania. 

GEORGE  S.  ]X>OSE — Age  18;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania:  enlisted 
August  1!>,  1M52:  mustered  August  25th;  died  at  Potomac 
('reek  Hospital,  Virginia,  June  7,  1863. 

ISRAEL  MAZE — Age  22;  Millheim,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  August 
22,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  captured  at  Xnrth  Anna, 
Virginia,  June  7,  1864,  taken  to  Andersonville,  Georgia, 
where  he  died  September  22,  1864. 

AAROX  MILLER — Age  21;  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  22,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  killed  at  Gettys 
burg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863. 

Jon.v  MILLER — Age  19;  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  22,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  discharged  on  surgeon's 
certificate  May  17,  1865;  Missouri. 

JOSEPH  K.  MEYER — Age  22;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  22,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  "absent  without 
leave"  from  Xovember  17,  1862;  resides  near  Rebersburg, 
Pennsylvania. 

WILLIAM  ('.  MEYER — Age  18;  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August,  22,  T862  ;  mustered  August  25th;  wounded  slightly 
at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  killed  at  Deep  Bot 
tom,  Virginia,  August  14,  1864. 

ISRAEL  OTTO — Age  111;  Millheim,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  August 
22,  lsr>2  ;  mustered  August  25th  ;  wounded  slightly  at  Gettys 
burg,  Pennsylvania.  July  2,  1863;  slightly  at  Cold  Harbor, 
Virginia.  June  3,  1MJ4;  again  April  2,  1865;  discharged  by 
General  Orders  July  3.  1865;  dead. 

WILLIAM  OTTO — Age  27;  Millheim,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  22,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  served  as  a  musician 


954  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

part  of  term;  mustered  out  June  1,  1865;  resides  at  Coch- 
ranton,  Pennsylvania. 

JOHN  E.  REISII — Age  26;  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  22,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  April  1,  1863. 

J.  E.  Rousn — Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  August  22,  1862  ; 
mustered  August  25th ;  "absent  without  leave"  from  Novem 
ber  17,  1862;  dead. 

LEVI  II.  SMITH — Age  21;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  22,  1862 ;  mustered  August  25th  ;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  C,  llth  Regiment,  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  April  14. 
1864;  discharged  July  8,  1865;  dead;  buried  at  Mifflin- 
burg,  Pennsylvania. 

SAMUEL  STRAYER — Age  18  ;  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania ;  enlisted 
August  22,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  mustered  out  June 
1,  1865;  resides  at  Shickley,  Nebraska. 

ELI  AS  STOVER — Age  43;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania  ;  enlisted  August 
22,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  discharged  on  surgeon's 
certificate  January  20,  il864;  resides  at  Rebersburg,  Penn 
sylvania. 

SIMON  STOVER — Age  22;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  22,  1862  ;  mustered  August  25th  ;  died  at  Falmouth,  Vir 
ginia,  April  0,  1863;  buried  at  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania. 

IRA  WALKER — Age  20;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  August 
22,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  "absent  without  leave" 
from  July  IS,  1,863;  resides  at  Orangeville,  Illinois. 

JOHN  WEIGHT — Age  34;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  22,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  died  July  24,  1863, 
of  wounds  received  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  '2. 
1863;  buried  at  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania. 

WILLIAM  WEIGHT — Age  22;  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  22,  1862  ;  mustered  August  25th;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  H,  24th  Regiment,  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  April  14, 
1864;  discharged  June  30,  1865;  resides  at  Rebersburg, 
Pennsylvania. 

THOMAS  G-.  WEIRTCK — Affo  1  (» ;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania  :  enlisted 
An  mist  10,  1862:  mustered  September  1st;  wounded  at  Cold 
Harbor,  Virginia,  June  3,  1864;  youngest  member  of  com 
pany;  discharged  June  7,  1865  ;  resides  at  Washington,  D.  C. 

SOLOMON  WISE — Madisonbnrg,  Pennsylvania  ;  enlisted  August  22, 
1862;  mustered  August  25th;  "ab«ont  without  leave"  from 
December  0.  1S62. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYU'ANIA  VOLUNTEERS          935 

CHARLES  W.  WEISER — Age  18;  Millheim,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  22,  1862 ;  mustered  August  25th ;  wounded  at  Gettys 
burg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863;  discharged  by  General 
Orders  May  19,  1865 ;  resides  at  Burbank,  Ohio. 

CHARLES  A.  WOLF — Age  18;  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted 
August  22,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  captured  at  Reams 
Station,  August  25,  1864,  taken  to  Salisbury,  Xorth  Caro 
lina,  where  he  died  February  9,  1865. 

FRANKLIN  WOLF — Age  20 ;  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania ;  enlisted 
August  22,  1862 ;  mustered  August  25th;  killed  at  Po  River, 
Virginia,  May  10,  1864. 

HENRY  WOLF — Age  19;  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  22,  1862;  mustered  August  25th;  died  near  Falmouth. 
Virginia,  May  28,  1863 ;  buried  at  Rebersburg,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

SAMUEL  WOLF — Madisonburg,  Pennsylvania ;  enlisted  August  22, 
1862;  mustered  August  25th;  died  at  Falmouth,  Virginia, 
February  22,  1863. 

JOHN  B.  ZEIGLER — Age  19;  Millheim,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  19,  1862 ;  mustered  August  25th  as  a  musician  but  served 
in  the  ranks  whole  term ;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1, 
1865  ;  resides  at  Swengle,  Pennsylvania. 

VOLUNTEER  RECRUITS. 

JOHN  CLAPHAM — Millheim,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  February  19, 
1864;  mustered  February  25th;  transferred  to  Company  B, 
53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865 : 
mustered  out  June  30,  1865. 

K"OAII  GILBERT — Age  16;  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  and 
mustered  February  15,  1864;  killed  at  Po  River,  Virginia, 
May  10,  1864. 

MOSES  GILBERT — Age  16;  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania;  enlisted  and 
mustered  February  22,  1864;  wounded  at  Spotsylvania,  May 
12,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  B,  53d  Regiment  Penn 
sylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865;  discharged  June  24, 
1865  ;  resides  near  Wolfs  Store,  Pennsylvania. 

MORRIS  MOCK — Enlisted  March  22,  1864 ;  took  part  in  the  assault 
on  Elliott's  Salient,  or  Fort  Crater,  October  27,  1864;  tran* 
ferred  to  Company  B,   53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers  June  1,  1865  ;  mustered  out  June  30,  1865  ;  reside?  at 
Lock  Haven,  Pennsylvania. 

JOSEPH  MOCK — Enlisted  and  mustered  March  17,  1864;  took  part 
in  the  assault  on  Elliott7?  Salient  or  Fort  Crater  October 


956  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

27,  186-1- ;  transferred  to  Company  B,  53d  Regiment  Pennsyl 
vania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865 ;  discharged  by  General 
Orders  June  16,  1865;  resides  at  Lock  Haven,  Pennsylvania. 

JOSEPH  E.  MESSINGER — Age  21;  mustered  November  12,  1863; 
discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  February  16,  1865. 

JOHN  F.  REEDER — Enlisted  February  4,  186-1;  mustered  February 
10;  transferred  to  Company  B,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers  June  1,  1865;  absent  sick  at  muster  out. 

JOHN  W.  SIIIVELY — Age  21;  enlisted  and  mustered  February  15, 
1864;  discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  September  2,  1S64. 

DRAFT*:!)   MEN. 

JEREMIAH  BEAM — .Mustered  August  20,  186:5;  wounded  at  Po 
River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  transferred  to  53d  Regi 
ment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865;  absent  sick  at 
muster  out. 

ISAAC  BARK — Mustered  August  15,  1863;  killed  at  Deep  Bottom, 
Virginia,  August  16,  1864. 

SIDNEY  J.  BUTLER — Mustered  October  18,  1863;  wounded  and  cap 
tured  at  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia,  June  3,  1864,  taken  to 
Andersonville,  Georgia,  were  he  died  July  22,  1864;  grave 
3808. 

WILLIAM  A.  CHESTNUT — Mustered  October  21,  1863;  wounded  June 
3,  1864,  at  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia;  transferred  to  Company 
B,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1S65: 
discharged  by  General  Orders  June  28,  1865. 

WILLIAM  CHUM — Mustered  August  22,  1863;  severely  wounded  at 
Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  company  return  for 
month  of  February,  1865,  reports  him  as  having  died  at 
Washington. 

JAMES  DECKEKT — Mustered  August  28,  1863;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  B,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
ISC*.");  mustered  out  June  30,  1865. 

WILLIAM  I).  KVMEK — Mustered  August  18,  1863;  slightly  wounded 
at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  B,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865  ;  absent  at  muster  out. 

JAMES  M.  FLECK— Mustered  August  25,  1863;  killed  at  the  Wil 
derness  May  7,  1864;  buried  at  Wilderness  burial  ground. 

KELSON  FURNEY — -Mustered  August  26,  1863  ;  served  in  the  Pioneer 
Corps  for  a.  time;  died  at  Washington,  November  24,  1864; 
buried  at  Arlington.  Virginia. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          957 

SAMUEL  K.  F UK LEY — Age  24;  mustered  August  29,  1863;  wounded 
at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps,  October  17,  1864. 

JOSIAII  HOWE — Mustered  August  18,  1863;  transferred  to  Company 
B,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865 ; 
discharged  by  General  Orders  June  16,  1865. 

TOBIAS  T.  HECKERT — Mustered  October  22,  1863;  transferred  to 
Company  B,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865  ;  discharged  by  General  Orders  June  3,  1865. 

HENRY  HELMAN — Mustered  August  29,  1863;  wounded  May  10, 
1864,  Po  River,  Virginia;  transferred  to  Company  B,  53d 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers ;  absent,  sick,  at  muster 
out. 

WILLIAM  M.  HA.XLY — Mustered  August  10,  1863;  wounded  at  P<» 
River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  B, 
53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865;  mus 
tered  out  June  30,  1865 ;  resides  at  Mahalsville,  Morgan 
County,  Indiana, 

IGNATZ  MILLER — Mustered  August  19,  1863 ;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  B,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865;  absent  sick  at  muster  out. 

HENRY  MANNS — Mustered  August  29,  1863;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  B,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865 ;  discharged  by  General  Orders  June  9,  1865. 

JAMES  F.  McMuRRY — Mustered  August  22,  1863 ;  fatally  wounded 
at  Cold  Harbor,  June  3,  1864;  died  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  of 
wounds. 

FANTON  L.  NORTHROP — Age  19;  mustered  October  22,  1863; 
wounded  at  Spotsylvania,  Virginia,  May  14,  1864;  trans 
ferred  to  Company  II,  14th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps,  September  16,  1864;  discharged  on  surgeon's  certifi 
cate  May  15,  1865. 

JOHN  PARKES— Mustered  August  28,  1863;  wounded  at  Cold  Har 
bor,  Virginia,  June  3,  1864;  captured  in  assault  on  Elliott's 
Salient  or  Fort  Crater  October  27,  1864 ;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  B,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865 ;  absent 
at  muster  out. 

FRANKLIN  ROSENBERRY— Mustered  August  28,  1863;  wounded  at 
Spotsylvania,  May  12,  1864;  discharged  May  15,  1865. 

JOHN  ROOF — Mustered  August  29,  1863;  wounded  at  Po  River, 
Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  B,  53d 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865 ;" mustered 
out  June  30,,  18 65. 


938  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

JOHN  H.  RANDALL — Mustered  October  14,  1863 ;  on  detached  ser 
vice;  transferred  to  Company  B,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers  June  1,  1865  ;  mustered  out  June  30,  1865/ 

DAVID  STOMBAUGII — 'Mustered  August  27,  1863;  transferred  to 
Company  B,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1. 
1865;  mustered  out  June  30,  1865. 

JOSIAH  SIXES — Mustered  August  29,  1863;  wounded  at  Cold  Har 
bor,  Virginia,  June  3,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  B,  53d 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865  ;  absent  at 
muster  out. 

JOHN  S.  STEVENS — Mustered  August  18,  1863;  died  March  17, 
1864,  at  Stevensburg,  Virginia. 

MARTIN  TROUTMAN — Mustered  October  22,  1863;  captured  in  the 
assault  on  Elliott's  Salient  or  Fort  Crater,  Petersburg,  Vir 
ginia,  October  27,  1864;  was  taken  to  Salisbury,  North 
Carolina;  died  there  November  22,  1864. 

AUGUSTUS  B.  WHIFFLE — Mustered  August  20,  1863 ;  wounded  at 
Cold  Harbor,  Virginia,,  June  3,  1864;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  B,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865  ;  mustered  out  June  30,  1865. 

elAcoB  D.  WEBB — Mustered  August  20,  1863  ;  wounded  at  Po  River, 
Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  B,  53d 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865  ;  discharged 
by  General  Orders  June  19,  1865. 

PHILIP  WILE — Mustered  August  29,  1863;  wounded  at  Po  River,. 
Virginia,  May  10,  1864 ;  transferred  to  Company  B,  53d 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865;  absent  at 
muster  out, 

WILLIAM  WOLF — Mustered  August  29,  1863 ;  wounded  at  Po  River, 
Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  also  reported  wounded  June  3, 
1864;  transferred  to  Company  B,  53d  Regiment  Pennsyl 
vania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865 ;  mustered  out  June  30,  1865. 

ISAAC  C.  WILCOX — Mustered  August  20,  1863;  reported  missing  in 
action  May  12,  1864;  was  taken  prisoner;  transferred  to 
Company  B,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865 ;  discharged  by  General  Orders  June  29th  to  date  June 
28,  1865. 

ANDREW  ZERBY — Mustered  October  20,  1863;  wounded  at  Cold 
Harbor,  Virginia,  June  3,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  B, 
53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865; 
mustered  out  June  30,  1865. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          959 

ROSTER  OF  COMPANY  B,  148TH  REGIMENT  PENNSYL 
VANIA  VOLUNTEERS. 

GENERAL  RENDEZVOUS,  MILESBURG. 

CAPT.  JAMES  F.  WEAVER — September  1,  1862 ;  wounded  at  Po 
River,  Virginia,  May  9,  1864 ;  promoted  Major  March  7, 
1865 ;  Lieutenant  Colonel  May  15,  1865 ;  commissioned  Col 
onel  June  1,  1865;  mustered  out  with  Regiment :  died  at 
Milesburg,  Pennsylvania,  August  13,  1904. 

CAPT.  WILLIAM  D.  HARPER — August  29,  1862 ;  promoted  Sergeant 
October  22,  1862;  First  Lieutenant  March  1,  1863;  Captain 
March  7,  1865 ;  wounded  at  Jerusalem  Plank  Road  June  22. 
1864;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865;  served  as 
Second  Lieutenant  Company  A  49th  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers;  died  at  Renovo,  Pennsylvania,  December  15,  1890; 
buried  at  North  Bend. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  JABEZ  C.  P.  JONES — September  1,  1862  ;  discharged  on 
surgeon's  certificate  February  16,  1863  ;  present  postoffice  ad 
dress,  Curwensville,  Pennsylvania. 

SECOND  LIEUT.  JAMES  E.  MCCARTNEY — September  1,  1862 ;  com 
missioned  First  Lieutenant  February  1,  1865 ;  discharged  on 
surgeon's  certificate  February  21,  1865  ;  served  in  Company 
H  4th  Regiment,  three  months  service;  present  postoffice  ad 
dress,  National  Soldiers  Home,  Virginia. 

FIRST  SERGT.  JOHN  B.  LIKE — August  29,  1862 ;  died  at  York,  Penn 
sylvania,  December  16,  1862;  buried  at  Milesburg. 

FIRST  SERGT.  MICHAEL  F.  CONNER — August  29,  1862;  promoted 
Sergeant  December  27.  1862;  killed  at  Chancellorsville,  Vir 
ginia,  May  3,  1863. 

FIRST  SERGT.  SAMUEL  L.  BARR — August  29,  1862;  promoted  Ser 
geant  August  1,  1863 ;  wounded  at  Bristoe  Station,  Virginia, 
October  14,  1863,  with  loss  of  arm;  promoted  Second  Lien- 
tenant  18th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps;  died  at  Belle- 
fonte,  Pennsylvania. 

FIRST  SERGT.  DAVID  H.  SWYERS — August  29,  1862 ;  promoted  Cor 
poral  October  1,  1863;  First  Sergeant  August  1.  1864; 
wounded  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  9,  1864,  and  at  Five 
Forks,  Virginia,  March  31,  1865 ;  commissioned  First  Lieu 
tenant  Company  B  March  1,  1865 ;  discharged  by  General 
Orders  June  3,  1865 ;  died  at  Milesburg,  Pennsylvania. 

SERGT.  GEORGE  W.  LUCAS — August  29,  1862 ;  prisoner  from  June 
16,  1864,  to  April  28,  1865;  discharged  May  29,  1865,  to 
dateMav  16,  1865. 


940  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

SERGT.  THOMAS  T.  TAYLOR — August  29,  1862 ;  promoted  Sergeant 
May  27,  1863;  commissioned  Second  Lieutenant  June  1, 
1865  ;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865  ;  present  post- 
office  address,  Altoona. 

SERGT.  ALFRED  C.  MOORE — August  29,  1862 ;  promoted  Sergeant 
November  19,  1863  ;  wounded  at  Five  Forks,  Virginia,  March 
31,  1865 ;  discharged  by  General  Orders  May  22,  1865  ;  pres 
ent  post/office  address,  Harrisburg. 

SERGT.  CONST ANS  BARGER — September  1,  1862 ;  promoted  Corporal 
November  19,  1863;  Sergeant  August  1,  1864;  wounded  at 
North  Anna  River,  Virginia,  and  at  Five  Forks,  Virginia, 
March  31,  1865;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865; 
present  postoffice  address,  Roland,  Pennsylvania. 

SERGT.  GEORGE  R.  HUSTON — August  29,  1862;  promoted  from  Cor 
poral  December  27,  1862 ;  wounded  at  Gettysburg  July  2. 
1863;  transferred  to  96th  Company,  Second  Battalion,  Vet 
eran  Reserve  Corps,  December  14,  1863 ;  discharged  August 
28,  1865;  died  at  Oibbs,  Adair  County,  Missouri,  March  16, 
1904. 

SERGT.  WILLIAM  J.  J.  DAVIDSON — August  29,  1862 ;  promoted  Cor 
poral  March  19,  1863 ;  died  at  Potomac  Creek  Hospital,  Vir 
ginia,  May  2,  1863. 

SERGT.  JACOB  ROOF — August  29,  1862 ;  promoted  Corporal  August 
1,  1863 ;  killed  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  9,  1861. 

CORP.  GEORGE  P.  HALL — August  29,  1862;  promoted  Corporal  No 
vember  9,  1862;  wounded  at  Gettysburg  July  3,  1863;  dis 
charged  May  20,  1865  ;  present  postoffice  address,  Fleming, 
Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  SAMUEL  R.  MITCHELL — August  29,  1862;  promoted  Corporal 
May  27,  1863;  discharged  June  23d  to  date  June  4,  1865; 
present  postoffice  address,  Philipsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  JOHN  D.  LUCAS — August  29,  1862;  promoted  Corporal  No 
vember  19,  1863;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865.- 

CORP.  EDWIN  SEARSON — August  29,  1862 ;  promoted  Corporal  May 

12,  1864;  received  two  wounds  at  Gettysburg  July  3,  1863. 

and  one  at  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia,  June  6,  1864;  discharged 

by  General  Orders  August  9,  1865 ;  present  postoffice  address. 

Grand  Island,  Nebraska. 
CORP.  BENJAMIN  F.  HARRIS — August  29,  1862 ;  promoted  Corporal 

August  11,  1864 ;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 
CORP.  WILLIAM  B.  PETERS — August  29,  1862;  promoted  Corporal 

September  29,  1864;  wounded  at  Wilderness,  Virginia,  Ma\ 

4,  1864;  discharged  Juno  12,  1865. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          941 

CORP.  ALLEN  S.  AMMERMAN — August  29,  1862 ;  promoted  Corporal 
February  28,  1865 ;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1, 
1865. 

CORP.  DAVID  SEIBERT — September  1,  1862 ;  promoted  Corporal  De 
cember  27,  1862 ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  Feb 
ruary  1,  1864:. 

CORP.  EDWARD  H.  POORMAN — September  1,  1862;  promoted  Cor 
poral;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  April  20,  1864; 
present  postoffice  address,  Clarence,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  WILLIAM  LATTA — August  27,  1863;  drafted;  promoted  Cor 
poral  August  17,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  I,  53d  Regi 
ment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

CORP.  OLIVER  W.  VANVALIN — September  1,  1862 ;  promoted  Cor 
poral  March  17,  1863 ;  wounded  at  Gettysburg  July  2,  1863  ; 
promoted  First  Lieutenant  41st  Regiment  Colored  Troops,  Oc 
tober  11,  1864;  mustered  out  December  10,  1865;  present 
postoffice  address  Johnsonburg,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  WILLIAM  C.  AMMERMAN — August  29,  1862;  promoted  Cor 
poral;  wounded  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863, 
and  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  May  12,  1864;  died  May 
31,  1864;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Arlington,  Virginia. 

MUSICIAN  NATHANIEL  BEERLY — August  29,  1862 ;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865 ;  died  at  Milesburg  December  2, 
1902. 

MUSICIAN  EMERY  HUTTON — August  29,  1862 ;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865. 

PRIVATES. 

R.  WTESLEY  AMMERMAN — August  29,  1862 ;  wounded  at  Spotsyl 
vania,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864,  with  loss  of  leg;  captured 
Confederate  battle  flag  for  which  he  received  Congres 
sional  medal  of  honor  ;  discharged  May  30,  1865  ;  present  post- 
office  address,  McAllisterville,  Pennsylvania. 

NELSON  ADAMS — August  29,  1862 ;  wounded  at  Five  Forks,  Vir 
ginia,  March  31,  1865  ;  discharged  by  General  Order  June  6, 
1865. 

JOSEPH  AMMERMAN — August  29,  1862  ;  wounded  at  Po  River,  Vir 
ginia,  May  10,  1864;  discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate 
March  30,  1865. 

JOHN  W.  ASHTON — October  22,  1863.  (Substitute.)  Transferred  to 
Company  T,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865. 


942  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

JOHN  ADAMS — February  18,  1864.  (Drafted.)  Transferred  to 
Company  D,  16th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  June 
24,  1865;  discharged  by  General  Order  June  13,  1865. 

DAVID  AMMERMAN — August  29,  1862;  died  July  5,  of  wound  re 
ceived  at  Gettysburg  July  2,  1863;  buried  in  National  Ceme 
tery,  Section  B,  Grave  33. 

JOHN  THOMPSON  AMMERMAN — August  29,  1862;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg  July  2,  1863 ;  captured  at  Reams  Station,  Vir 
ginia,  August  25,  1864;  died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia,  Feb 
ruary  19,  1865.  (Burial  records  died  at  Salisbury,  North 
Carolina,  February  7,  1865.) 

SAMUEL  BRYAN — September  1,  1862  ;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865.  (See  his  story  as  teamster.)  Postoffice  ad 
dress,  Roland,  Pennsylvania. 

PHILIP  B.  BROWER — September  1,  1862  ;  mustered  out  with  com 
pany  June  1,  1865;  postoffice  address,  Wingate,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

MICHAEL  BUSH — August  29,  1862;  discharged  by  General  Order 
May  31,  1865;  dead. 

JAMES  BARGER — September  1,  1862;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865;  present  postoffice  address,  Roland,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

GEORGE  BILLET — August  29,  1862 ;  mustered  out  with  company 
Juno  1,  1865;  present  postoffice  address,  Lamar,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

JOHN  W.  BIDDLE — September  1,  1862;  captured  in  front  of  Peters 
burg,  Virginia,  June  16,  1864,  and  held  as  such  until  April 
28,  1865  ;  discharged  May  29th  to  date  May  16,  1865  ;  pres 
ent  postoffice  address,  Fleming,  Pennsylvania. 

AUSTIN  BROWER-  -February  18,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  I, 
53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

MICHAEL  A.  BROWN — August  29,  1862;  wounded  at  Chancellors- 
ville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863,  and  Gettysburg,  July  2,  1863: 
transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  date  unknown. 

MESULAM  BEERLY — August  29,  1862;  died  at  Falmouth,  Virginia. 
February  8,  1863. 

GEORGE  BENNET — September  1,  1862;  died  at  York,  Pennsylvania, 
March  23,  1863 ;  buried  in  Prospect  Hill  Cemetery. 

JACOB  BEAR — August  31,  1863.  (Drafted.)  Died  near  Stevens- 
burg,  Virginia,  March  21,  1864;  buried  in  National  Ceme 
tery,  Culpeper  Court  House,  Virginia,  block  1,  section  A,  row 
12,'  grave  412. 


THE  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          945 

JOHN  F.  BYERS — August  29,  1803.  (Drafted.)  Wounded  at  Po 
River  May  9,  1804;  died  same  day. 

EMANUEL  BRUBAKER — October  23,  1803.  (Substitute.)  Died  at 
Washington,  D.  C.,  June  20,  1804;  burial  records  July  19, 
1804;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Arlington,  Virginia. 

BENJAMIN  F.  BAKER— October  21,  1803.     (Drafted.)     Captured; 

died    at   Anderson  ville,    Georgia,    October    27,    1804,    grave 

11,500. 
JAMES  R.  BROWER — September  1,   1802;  wounded  at  Gettysburg, 

July  2,  1803 ;  captured  at  Petersburg,  Virginia,  June  22, 

1804;  died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia,  October  18,  1804. 

REUBEN  B.  BEERS — August  29,  1802.  (Deserted  September  0, 
1802.) 

HARRY    C.    BULLOCK — February    9,    1804;    discharged    by    special 

order  February  18,  1804  (under  age). 
THOMAS  A.  CONAWAY — September  1,  1802;  wounded    at    Spotsyl- 

vania  May  12,  1804;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1, 

1805. 

FREDERICK  DOUGHMAN — September  1,  1802 ;  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  January  1,  1805. 

ALEXANDER  J.  DROUCKER — February  28,  1804;  wounded  at  Po 
River,  Virginia,  May  9,  1804;  transferred  to  Company  I  53d 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1805. 

JOHN  L.  DURST— August  31,  1803.  (Drafted.)  Transferred  to 
Veteran  Reserve  Corps  April  20,  1804;  discharged  by  Gen 
eral  Order  July  19,  1805. 

ABEL  DAVIS — August  29,  1802 ;  killed  at  Gettysburg,  July  2,  1803. 

HENRY  S.  DENEEN — August  29,  1803.  (Drafted.)  Died  near 
Sfrevensburg,  Virginia,  April  21,  1804;  burial  records  April 
12,  1804;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Culpeper,  Virginia, 
block  1,  section  A,  row  7,  grave  211. 

JOHN  C.  EHRHOM — September  1,  1802  ;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1805. 

WILLIAM  A.  EDMISTON — September  1,  1802 ;  wounded  at  Po  River. 
Virginia,  May  9,  1804;  transferred  to  Company  I,  Oth  Regi 
ment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps;  discharged  by  General  Order 
July  3,  1805 ;  died  at  Fillmore,  Pennsylvania. 

JACOT.  FLJCK — September  1,  1802;  wounded  at  Reams  Station,  Vir- 
.dnia,  August  25,  1804;  discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate, 
March  fi,  1S65:  dead. 


944  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

HENRY  FISIIEL — February  18,  1864;  wounded  at  Spotsylvania,  May 

12,  1864;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  March  14, 

1865. 
SAMUEL   HULING — September   1,     1862 ;     discharged    by     General 

Order  June  2,  1865. 
CHARLES  F.  HURTO — September  1,    1862;    captured    at    Jerusalem 

Plank  Road,  Virginia,  June  22,   1864;   mustered  out  with 

company  June  1,  1865. 

GEORGE  W.  HARRIS — August  29,  1862;  captured  Confederate  battle 
flag  at  Spotsylvania  May  12,  1864;  received  Congressional 
medal  of  honor ;  discharged  for  wound  received  at  Five  Forks, 
Virginia,  March  31,  1865 ;  present  postoffice  address  Run- 
ville,  Pennsylvania. 

\7ALENTiNE  HARRIS — August  29,  1862;  transferred  to  Veteran  Re 
serve  Corps,  July  27,  1863. 

JAMES  HUSTON — August  29,  1862 ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps  September  17,  1863 ;  present  postoffice  address  Tyrone, 
Pennsylvania. 

DAVID  E.  HAGEY — October  26,  1863.  (Substitute.)  Transferred  to 
Company  I  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865. 

WILLIAM  II.  HENRY — October  26,  1863.  (Substitute.)  Trans 
ferred  to  Company  I  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers 
June  1,  1865. 

JAMES  HINES — August  29,  1862;  captured  at  Reams  Station,  Vir 
ginia;  died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia,  February  27,  1865; 
burial  records  December  9,  1864,  Salisbury,  North  Carolina. 

CYRUS  HORNER— October  21,  1863.  (Drafted.)  Captured;  died  at 
Andersonville,  Georgia,  February  27,  1865. 

ENOCH  HUGO — September  1,  1862 ;  discharged  on  surgeon's  certifi 
cate  April  12,  1864;  postoffice  address,  Philipsburg,  Penn 
sylvania. 

THOMAS  IT.  IRVIN — March  1,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  I  June 
1,  1865;  discharged  by  General  Order  August  18,  1865. 

JOSEPH  IDDINGS — August  29,  1862;  wounded  at  Chancellorsville, 
Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps  June  27,  1864;  died  at  Runville,  Pennsylvania. 

WILLIAM  H.  KREPS — August  29,  1862 ;  discharged  by  General 
Order  June  5,  1865  ;  dead. 

WILLIAM  KEELER — August  29,  1862 ;  prisoner  from  August  25, 
1864,  to  October  7,  1864;  discharged  by  General  Order  June 
29,  1865;  present  postoffice  address,  Roland,  Pennsylvania. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          945 

DAVID  KLINE — September  1,  1862;  discharged  October  18,  1864, 
for  wound  received  at  Jerusalem  Plank  Koad,  Virginia,  June 
22,  1804,  with  loss  of  arm;  died  at  Julian,  Pennsylvania, 

WILLIAM  KNIGHT — October  26,  1863.  (Substitute.)  Wounded  at 
Five  Forks,  Virginia,  March  31,  1865;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  I,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865 ;  discharged  by  General  Order  June  13,  1865. 

JACOB  KRINER — August  27,  1863.  (Drafted.)  Wounded  with  loss 
of  leg  at  Boydton  Plank  Road,  Virginia,  October  27,  1864; 
transferred  to  53d  .Kegiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  July 
1,  1865. 

JACOB  C.  KEYSER — August  29,  1863.  (Drafted.)  Wounded  and 
captured  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  9,  1864;  died  at  Rich 
mond,  Virginia,  July  24,  1864. 

JOSEPH  KEELER — August  29,  1862 ;  died  at  Falmouth,  Virginia, 
April  4,  1863 ;  buried  at  Roland,  Pennsylvania. 

ABRAHAM  KILLINGER — August  29,  1862 ;  died  at  Washington,  D. 
C.,  September  16,  1863;  buried  in  Military  Asylum  Ceme- 
tery. 

OLIVER  F.  KEELY — August  30,  1863.  (Drafted.)  Captured;  died 
at  Andersonville,  Georgia,  August  6,  1864;  grave  4,895. 

FREDERIC  LEONARD — August  29,  1863.  (Substitute.)  Captured; 
died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia,  August  26,  1864;  grave 

6,884. 

ROBERT  LIPTON — August  29,  1862 ;  promoted  to  Adjutant  148th 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  September  8,  1862  ;  died 
at  Milesburg,  Pennsylvania,  April  20,  1863. 

JOHN  LUCAS — August  29,  1863.  (Drafted.)  Transferred  to  Com 
pany  I,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865  ;  discharged  by  General  Order  June  3,  1865. 

JACOB  LILLY — August  27,  1863.  (Drafted.)  Wounded  at  Five 
Forks,  Virginia,  March  31,  1865;  transferred  to  Company 
I,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

WILLIAM  M.  LOHR — August  31,  1863.  (Drafted.)  Transferred  to 
Veteran  Reserve  Corps  April  20,  1864. 

JOSEPH  W.  MUFFLY — September  1,  1862;  promoted  to  Sergeant 
Major  14Sth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  September  8,  1862, 
and  to  Adjutant  April  27,  1863.  Acting  Assistant  Adjutant 
General  Fourth  Brigade. 

JACOB  MISHLER — August  31,  1863.  (Drafted.)  Transferred  to 
Company  I,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1, 
1865. 


946  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 


A.  MOORE  —  August  31,  Ib63.  (Drafted.)  Deserted  August 
31,  1864;  returned  January  1,  18(35  ;  transferred  to  Company 
I,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865; 
discharged  by  General  Order  June  '2,  1865. 

CHARLES  MOON  —  August  29,  1862  ;  wounded  at  Five  Forks,  Vir 
ginia,  March  31,  1865  ;  died  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  April  7, 
1865  ;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Arlington,  Virginia. 

CHARLES  McGABVEY  —  August  29,  1862  ;  discharged  on  surgeon's 
certificate  of  disability  March  11,  1863;  died  at  Unionville. 

GODFREY  ONSTEAD  —  August  21,  1863.  (Drafted.)  Captured;  died 
at  Andersonville,  Georgia  (date  unknown). 

WILLIAM  PISEL  —  August  31,  1863.  (Drafted.)  Transferred  to 
Company  1,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865. 

JAMES  POORMAN  —  February  15,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  1, 
53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865;  post- 
office  address,  Linden  Hall,  Pennsylvania. 

WILSON  J.  PARSONS  —  August  29,  1862;  transferred  to  162d  Com 
pany,  2d  Battalion,  Veteran  Reserve  Corps;  died  February 
23,  1865  ;  buried  in  Poplar  Grove  Cemetery,  Petersburg,  Vir 
ginia,  division  C,  section  D,  grave  105. 

JOHN  PETERS  —  August  29,  1862  ;  died  near  Morrisville,  Virginia. 

August  17,  1863. 
GEORGE  PHEASANT  —  September,  1862  ;  killed  at  Gettysburg  July  2, 

1863. 

THOMAS  QUICK  —  August  29,  1862  ;  wounded  at  Cold  Harbor,  Vir 
ginia,  June  3,  1864;  discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  Janu 

ary  4,  1865  ;  postoffice  address,  Runville,  Pennsylvania. 
ANDREW  B.  ROAN  —  August  29,  1862  ;  mustered  out  with  company 

June    1,    1865;    present   postoffice    address,    West   Decatur, 

Pennsylvania. 
JOSEPH  F.  RITTER  —  September  1,  1862;  transferred  to  Veteran  Re 

serve  Corps,  April  20,  1864. 
JAMES  ROSE  —  August  29,    1862  ;   transferred  to   Veteran   Reserve 

Corps,  date  unknown. 
ARMOR  RICHARDS  —  September  1,  1862  ;  died  at  Philadelphia,  Penn 

sylvania,  November  17,  1864. 
JACOB  SIEULTZ  —  September  1,  1862  ;  discharged  on  surgeon's  certifi 

cate  of  disability  August  20,  1863  ;  died  in  Belief  on  te,  Penn 

sylvania. 

JOHN  SHIRK,  JR.  —  September  1,  1862;  mustered  out  with  company 
1,  1865. 


THE  ijSTH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          947 

GKOKGE  STONE — August  29,  1862;  discharged  by  General  Ord^r 
July  :?2,  18TJ5;  postotfice  address,  Johnstown,  Pennsylvania. 

SAMUEL  C.  SEAVOLT — August  29,  1863.  (Drafted.)  Transferred  to 
Company  I,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1. 
1865. 

ISAAC  STRAIT — August  31,  1863.  (Drafted.)  Transferred  to  Com 
pany  I,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865  ;  died  in  Fulton  County,  Pennsylvania. 

FREDERICK  SLEGLE — August  31,  1863.  (Drafted.)  Transferred 
to  Company  1,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865. 

JACOH  W.  SUNDAY — February  9,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  I, 
53<1  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865;  pres 
ent  postoffice  address,  Pennsylvania  Furnace. 

BENJAMIN  SAILOR — -September  1,  1862;  died  at  Cockeysville, 
Maryland,  October  27,  1862 ;  buried  at  Roland,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

JAMES  SCHROYER — August  29,  1862  ;  died  at  Cockeysville,  Mary 
land,  December  3,  1862. 

WILLIAM  STONE — August  29,  1862  ;  died  at  Falmouth,  Virginia. 
February  6,  1863. 

WILLIAM  SCIIROYER — August  29,  1862 ;  died  at  Potomac  Creek  Hos 
pital,  Virginia,  May  29,  1863. 

JOHN  SPOTTS — September  1,  1862;  killed  at  Spotsylvania  Court 
House,  May  12,  1864. 

JOSEPH  Si  DELL — August  31,  1863.  (Drafted.)  Killed  at  Five 
Forks,  Virginia,  March  31,  1865. 

JOHN  SHAFFER — October  26,  1863.  (Substitute.)  Died  at  Wash 
ington,  I).  C.,  March  1,  1865;  buried  in  National  Cemetery, 
Arlington,  Virginia. 

JAMES  \V.  VAN  VALIN — September  1,  1862;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865 ;  present  postoffice  address,  Hiawatha, 
Kansas. 

CHARLES  WALTER — August  29,  1862  ;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865. 

PETER  WYLAN — August  29,  1862  ;  absent,  sick  at  muster  out  June 
1,  1865. 

BENJAMIN  F.  W  ATKINS — August  29,  1862;  wounded  at  Spotsyl 
vania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  absent  at  mus 
ter  out  June  1.  1865  ;  died  at  Snow  Shoe,  Pennsylvania. 

ALEXANDER  C.  W  ATKINS — September  1,  1862;  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  March  4, 


948  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

SAMUEL  WELLS — September  1,  1862  ;  discharged  on  surgeon's  cer 
tificate  January  1,  1865. 

WILLIAM  II.  WEKTZ — March  14,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  I, 
53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June'l,  1865. 

GEORGE  W.  WALKER — March  14,  1864;  wounded  at  Po  River,  Vir 
ginia,  May  9,  1864,  and  at  Five  Forks,  Virginia,  March  31, 
1865;  transferred  to  Company  I,  53d  Regiment  Pennsyl 
vania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865 ;  discharged  by  General 
Order  June  16,  1865 ;  died  at  Runville,  Pennsylvania. 

HENRY  WOLF — August  29,  1862 ;  died  near  Stevensburg,  Virginia, 
April  16,  1864;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Culpeper 
Court  House,  Virginia,  block  1,  section  A,  row  7,  grave  215. 

S.  I).  WITIIEROW — August  31,  1863.  (Drafted.)  Killed  at  Spot- 
sylvania  Court  House  May  12,  1864. 

ROBERT  WILAN — August  29,  1863 ;  killed  at  Petersburg,  Virginia, 
June  16,  1864. 

WILLIAM  WALKER — October  26,  1863.  (Drafted.)  Captured  ;  died 
at  Andersonville',  Georgia,  October  12,  1864;  grave  10,797. 

MATIIIAS  WALKER — August  29,  1862;  wounded  at.Chancellorsville, 

Virginia,  May  3,   1863 ;   died  at  Milesburg,  Pennsylvania, 

December  4,  1864. 
SAMUEL  YEAGER — October    28,    1863.       (Substitute.)       Captured; 

died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia,  February  27,  1865. 
ISAAC  ZUFALL — August  31,  1863  ;  killed  at  Po  River,  May  10,  1864. 
BENJAMIN  ZIMMERMAN — October  27,  1863.     (Drafted.)   Captured; 

died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia,  July  29,  1864;  grave  4,255. 

XOTE. — It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  the  Retained  Copy  of  the 
original  Muster-in  Roll,  which  gave  the  age,  occupation  and  place  of 
residence  of  the  original  members  of  the  company,  together  with  all  in 
termediate  muster  mid  pay-rolls  (including  the  muster-out  roll)  in 
possession  of  Capt.  Wm.  D.  Harper,  of  Renova,  were  destroyed  by  fire 
a  number  of  years  ago  by  the  burning  of  his  residence.  The  only 
data  at  hand  at  this  time,  beyond  the  recollection  of  members  of  the 
company  still  living,  is  Prof.  Samuel  P.  "Rates'  "History  of  Penn 
sylvania  Volunteers,"  which  is  not  entirely  reliable  in  some  instances. 
Nothing  whatever  is  known  of  the  drafted  men  and  substitutes  sub 
sequently  assigned  the  company,  as  to  thoir  residence  or  occupation 
prior  to  that  time. 

JAMES  F.  WEAVER. 

Milesburg,  Pennsylvania,  July,  1904. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          949 

ROSTER  OF  COMPANY  C,  148TH  REGIMENT  PENNSYL 
VANIA  VOLUNTEERS. 

The  pLace  of  enrollment,  so  far  as  it  can  be  ascertained,  is  given. 
The  date  of  original  enlistment  cannot  be  secured,  inasmuch  as 
neither  muster-in  nor  muster-out  roll  is  available,  and  the  date  fol 
lowing  place  of  enrollment  is,  therefore,  the  date  of  original  muster- 
in  at  Harrisburg  and  Belief onte,  Pennsylvania. 

CAPT.  ROBERT  McKAy  FORSTER — State  College;  mustered  August 
30,  1862;  killed  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863; 

CAPT.  JACOB  B.  EDMONDS — Boalsburg,  Pennsylvania.,  August  27, 
1862;  promoted  from  First  Lieutenant  Company  G  Novem 
ber  15,  1863;  killed  at  Petersburg,  Virginia,  June  22,  1864. 

CAPT.  WILLIAM  E.  GRAHAM — 'State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August 
27,  1862  ;  promoted  from  Corporal  to  Second  Lieutenant  Aug 
ust  1,  1864;  to  Captain  October  3,  1864;  resigned  March  2, 
1865  ;  died  in  Minnesota,  1902. 

CAPT.  JOHN  F.  BENNER — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27. 
1S(>2 ;  promoted  from  Sergeant  to  Second  Lieutenant  October 
3,  1864,  to  Captain  May  15,  1865;  mustered  out  with  com 
pany  June  1,  1865;  died  in  California  November,  1902. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  WILLIAM  H.  BIBLE — Bellefonte,  Pennsylvania,  Aug 
ust  30,  1862 ;  killed  at  Chancellorsville,  May  3,  1863. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  JACOB  S.  LANDER — Hublersburg,  Pennsylvania,  Aug 
ust  27,  1862;  promoted  from  Sergeant  October  31,  1862 ; 
acting  as  Adjutant  and  Quartermaster;  killed  at  Cold  Har 
bor, /Virginia,  June  3,  1864. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  DAVID  G.  RALSTON — State  College,  Pennsylvania, 
August  27,  1862;  promoted  from  Sergeant  to  Second  Lieu 
tenant  August  26,  1863 ;  to  First  Lieutenant  July  31,  1864 : 
killed  at  Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  SAMUEL  EVERHART — Boalsburg,  Pennsylvania,  Aug 
ust  18,  1862 ;  promoted  from  Sergeant  Company;  G  Octo 
ber  3,  1864;  commissioned  Captain  March  1,  1865 ;  not  mus 
tered;  killed  at  Five  Forks,  Virginia,  March  31,  1865. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  DANIEL  SHUEY — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August 
27,  1862  ;  promoted  to  Corporal  October  1,  1863 ;  to  Sergeant 
October  1,  1864;  to  First  Sergeant  March  1;  to  First  Lieu 
tenant  May  17,  1865 ;  mustered  out  with  company  June 
1,  1865 ;  died  since  the  war. 


950  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

SECOND  LIEUT.  FRANCIS  STEVENSON — Buffalo  Rim,  Pennsylvania, 
August  30,  1862 ;  killed  at  Chancellors ville  May  3,  1863. 

FIRST  SERGT.  EZRA  B.  WALTER — Hublersburg,  Pennsylvania,  Aug 
ust  27,  1862 ;.  promoted -from  Sergeant  May  17,  1865;  mus 
tered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865;  lives  at  Hillsdale, 
Kansas. 

FIRST  SERGT.  FREDERICK  YOCUM — Hublersburg,  Pennsylvania, 
August  27,  1862;  discharged  February  1,  1865,  for  wounds 
received  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House  May  12,  1864:  died 
since  War  at  Philipsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

FIRST  SERGT.  JOHN  CRAIG — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  Augus^ 
27,  1862;  wounded  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864; 
discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  May  5,  1865;  lives  Julian. 
Pennsylvania. 

FIRST  SERGT  CHARLES  C.  HARMAN — State  College,  Pennsylvania, 
August  27,  1862;  died  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  July  1,  1863, 
of  wounds  received  at  Chancellorsville  May  3,  1863. 

SERGT.  JAMES  KNOX — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,1862; 
promoted  to  Sergeant  May  17,  1865 ;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865 ;  lives  Fillmore,  Pennsylvania. 

SERGT.  JOHN  F.  SWILER — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August  27, 
1862 ;  missing  in  action  Petersburg,  Virginia,  June  22,  1864. 
SERGT.  JEROME  B.  STEWART — August  18,  1863;  drafted;  promoted 
to  Sergeant  June  1,  1863;  to  Second  Lieutenant  109th  Regi 
ment  U.  S.  C.  T.  August  2,  1864. 

SLRGT.  WILLIAM  C.  HUEY — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August 
27,  18£2;  wounded  Chancellorsville  May  3,  1863;  promoted 
from  Corporal  August  27,  1863 ;  transferred  to  Company  B, 
12th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  February  15,  1864: 
discharged  by  General  Orders  June  28,  1865. 

SERGT.  ABRAHAM  GREEN  CARTER — State  College,  Pennsylvania 
August  27,  1862;  promoted  from  Corporal  January  5,  1863: 
killed  at  Chancellorsville  May  3,  1863. 

CORP.  JAMES  K.  P.  WARD — Gatesburg,  Pennsylvania,  August  27, 
1862;  promoted  to  Corporal  November  1,  1864:  mustered 
out  with  company  June  1,  1865  ;  lives  Washington,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

CORP.  ABRAHAM  WERTZ — Houserville,  Pennsylvania,  August  27, 
1862:  promoted  to  Corporal  November  1,  1864;  mustered 
out  with  company  June  1,  1865  ;  died  since  the  War. 

CORP.  JAMES  ELLENBERGER — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August 
27,  1862;  promoted  Corporal  February  21,  1865:  muster^t 
out  with  company  June  1,  1865:  lives  Julian,  Pennsylvania. 


77/A  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          951 

CORP.  Joins'  G.  lioiuxsox — Buffalo  Hun,  Pennsylvania,  August  27, 
1862;  promoted  to  Corporal  May  17,  1865;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865;  died  Boalsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  CHRISTIAN  LOWRY — llouserville,  Pennsylvania,  August  27, 
1862;  wounded  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863; 
promoted  to  Corporal  August  15,  1864;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865 ;  lives  Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  MICHAEL  HATT — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August  27, 
1862;  promoted  Corporal  May  17,  1865;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865. 

CORP.  PATRICK  CAMPBELL — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August 
27,  1862;  promoted  Corporal  May  17,  1865;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865  ;  died  since  the  War. 

CORP.  CHRISTIAN  SWARTZ — Hublersburg,  Pennsylvania,  August 
27,  1863;  discharged  September  21st,  for  wounds  re 
ceived  at  ClMincellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863:  lives 
Bellefonte,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.    SAMUEL  BOTTOKF — Pine   Grove  Mills,   August     '21.     ISCn* 
wounded  Chancellorsville  May  3,  1863 ;  transferred  to  Vet 
eran  Reserve  Corps  February  16,  1864;  lives  Downs,  Kansas. 

CORP.  JAMES  RAY — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862; 
wounded  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863 ;  trans 
ferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  February  15,  1864;  served 
in  Color  Guard ;  discharged  by  General  Orders  June  29, 
1865:  died  since  the  War. 

CORP.  JAMES  T.  BECK — Jacksonville,  August  27,  1862  :  promoted 
Corporal  December  2,  1862;  killed  Chancellorsville,  Vir 
ginia,  May  3,  1863. 

CORP.  WILLIAM  T.  MCCALMONT — Jacksonville,  August  27,  1862 ; 
promoted  Corporal  June  25.  1863;  killed  at  Gettysburg, 
July  2,  1863. 

CORP.  NATHAN  M.  YARNELL — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August 
27,  1862;  killed  at  Chancellorsville^  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

CORP.  HILAND  BIDDLE — Buffalo  Run,  August  27,  1862;  promoted 
Corporal  August  25,  1863;  died  December  28,  1864,  of 
wounds  received  at  Petersburg,  Virginia,  October  8,  1864: 
burial  records  died  at  City  Point  January  28,  1865. 

CORP.  THOMAS  C.  KEYS — Pine  Grove  Mills,  August  27,  1862;  pro 
moted  Corporal;  killed  at  Reams  Station,  Virginia.  Au<ni^ 
25,  1864. 

CORP.  LEWIS  A.  WOOD — August  19,  1863;  drafted:  promoted  Cor 
poral  -  -;  killed  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864. 


952  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

CORP.  JOHN  G.  MATTERN — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August  27 

1862;  promoted  Corporal  April  1,  18G4;  killed  at  Spotsyl- 

vania  Court  House  May  12,  1864. 
MUSICIAN    LAWRENCE    B.    BATHURST — Unionville,    Pennsylvania. 

August    27,    1862;    mustered    out    with    company    June    1, 

1865 ;  died  since  the  War. 
MUSICIAN  WILLIAM   H.   HARPSTER — Buffalo    Run,    Pennsylvania, 

August   27,    1862;   promoted  Principal   Musician     July     1, 

1863;  lives  Houtzdale,  Pennsylvania. 
MUSICIAN  SAMUEL  D.  OTTO — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August 

27,  1862;  promoted  Principal  Musician  March  1,  1864;  died 

since  the  War. 

PRIVATES. 

ALBERT  ADAMS — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862 ; 
wounded  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  reported  in 
Pates'  History  as  having  died  June  11,  1864,  and  buried  in 
.Yational  Cemetery,  Arlington,  Virginia;  is  still  living. 

JACKSON  APPLEBY — August  28,  1863  ;  drafted ;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865. 

GEORGE  N.  ALLEN — February  25,  1864;  wounded  Po  River,  Vir 
ginia,  May  10,  1864;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps; 
discharged  by  General  Order  November  21,  1865. 

WEBSTER  D.  BAKER — February  25,  1864;  transferred  to  Companv 
K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865 ; 
died  at  Plattville,  Illinois,  January  1,  1903. 

ISAAC  BAILEY — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862;  trans 
ferred  to  Company  D,  19th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps, 
February  14,  1864;  discharged  by  Special  Order  April  18, 
1865;  died  since  the  War. 

JACOB  BAIRD — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27.  1862 ; 
killed  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

DAVID  BECK — August  28,  1863 ;  drafted ;  transferred  to  Company 
K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

GEORGE  BROWN — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862 ; 
on  detached  service  with  ambulance  corps;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865;  lives  Philipsburg,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

WILLIAM  CAMPBELL — Buffalo  Run,  August  27,  1862;  killed  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

JAMES  CARNER — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862: 
captured  near  Petersburg,  Virginia.,  October  27,  1864;  died 
Salisbury,  ^Tortli  Carolina,  "November  24,  1S64. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          955 

WILLIAM  GARNER — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862; 
wounded  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  trans 
ferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  September  1,  1863;  died 
since  the  War. 

WILLIAM  CARSON — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862; 
discharged  December  24-,  1864,  for  wounds  received  at  Spot- 
sylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  died  since 
the  War. 

JACOB  L.  CARTER — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862; 
wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863 ;  dis 
charged  July  29,  1865 ;  died  since  the  War. 

HENRY  J.  CARTIN — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862; 
discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  August  17,  1863. 

JOSEPH  CARVER — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862 ; 
killed  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863;  buried  Na 
tional  Cemetery,  Section  F,  Grave  27. 

WILLIAM  CLARK — October  25,  1863;  substitute;  transferred  to 
Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June 
1,  1865. 

JOHN  A.  CLINE — Hublersburg,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862 ; 
died  Cockeysville,  Maryland,  December  8,  1862. 

JOHN  COBLE,  JR. — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  272  1862 ; 
mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865  ;  lives  Linden  Hall. 
Pennsylvania. 

ANDREW  N.  CORBIX — February  25,  1864;  transferred  to  Company 
I,  53d  Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865; 
discharged  by  General  Orders  July  8,  1865. 

REUBEN  CRONAMILLER — Houserville,  Pennsylvania,  August  27, 
1862;  died  June  4,  of  wounds  received  at  Chancellorsville, 
Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

JAMES   P.   DE  ARMONT — Hublersburg,   Pennsylvania,   August  27, 
1862 ;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

JACOB  DORMAX — Hublersburg,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862 : 
killed  Chancellorsville," Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

ABRAHAM  FINK — August  20,  1863;  drafted;  discharged  by  General 
Orders  May  15,  1865. 

ABRAHAM  FREED — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862; 
died  near  Falmouth,  Virginia,  January  10,  1863. 

LLEWFLLYN  FULTOX — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27, 
1862;  on  detached  duty  with  wagon  train;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865. 


954  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

MARTIN  FI.NK — Hublersburg,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862; 
wounded  Chancellors  ville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1803 ;  trans 
ferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  May  3,  1865 ;  lives  at  Port 
Matilda,  Pennsylvania. 

AMOS  GABRICK — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862 ; 
wounded  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  dis 
charged  Juno  1,  1865;  lives  Belief onte,  Pennsylvania. 

GEORGE  GATES — Gatesburg,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862;  dis 
charged  on  surgeon's  certificate  April  20,  1863;  died  since 
the  War. 

DANIEL  GATES — Gatesburg,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862;  died 
near  Falmouth,  Virginia,  April  4,  1863. 

SAMUEL  GILL — -State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862 ; 
killed  Deep  Bottom,  Virginia,  August  14,  1864. 

ROBERT  GRATER — Hublersburg,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1S62; 
wounded  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  absent, 
sick,  at  muster-out. 

SIEGFRIED  HEILIGSTEIN — October  27,  1863,  substitute;  captured: 
died  Andersoiiville,  Georgia,  December  8,  1864. 

JONAS  HERSHBERGER — October  28,  1863,  substitute;  transferred  to 
Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June 
1,1865. 

DAVID  HITE — June  10,  1863,  drafted;  transferred  to  Veteran  Re 
serve  Corps,  February  14,  1864;  discharged  by  General 
Orders  July  19,  1865. 

SAMUEL  HOOVER — October  28,  1863,  substitute;  transferred  to 
Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June 
1,  1865. 

JOHN  JACKSON — 'State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862 ; 
wounded  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  trans 
ferred  to  51st  Company,  Second  Battalion,  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps  November  16,  1863;  discharged  August  26,  1865,  on 
expiration  of  term;  living  Tyrone,  Pennsylvania. 

ANDREW  JOHNSON — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862 ; 
detailed  with  wagon  train ;  .discharged  by  General  Order 
May  19,  1865. 

JOHN  JOHNSON — October  27,  1863,  substitute;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1. 
1865. 

J.  C.  JOIINSTONBAUGH — February  25,  1864;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          955 

\VILI.IAM  II.  .IONKS — August  20,  1803,  drafted;  transferred  tu 
Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June 
1,  1865;  discharged  by  General  Order  June  5,  1865. 

DAVID  KREPS — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862 ; 
wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863;  dis 
charged  February  4,  1864;  died  since  the  War. 

ANDREW  J.  KLINE — August  29,  1863,  drafted;  wounded  and  cap 
tured  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  died  Annapolis, 
Maryland,  October  4,  1864. 

ISAIAH  KOONTZ — October  30,  1863,  substitute ;  killed  Cold  Harbor, 
Virginia,  June  3,  1864. 

Wj  i. T.I  AM  LAMBERT — Bellefonte,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862; 
discharged  September  24th,  for  wounds  received  at  Chan- 
cellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  died  since  the  War. 

SAMUEL  LAWSON — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862; 
deserted  December  13,  1862. 

JOSEPH  LEE — Hublersburg,  Pennsylvania,  Aug.  27,  1862; 
wounded  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  trans 
ferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  June  16,  1864;  died  since 
the  War. 

HERBERT  W.  LYMAX — October  19,  1863,  substitute;  transferred  to 
Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June 
1,  1865;  discharged  by  General  Order  June  13,  1865. 

ALM  X.  LYMAX — August  18,  1863,  drafted;  died  near  Stevensburg, 
Virginia,  April  10,  1864. 

WILLIAM  LYTLE — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862 ; 
discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  March  30,  1863. 

FPIIRIAM  LYTLE — Buffalo  Run,  August  27,  1862  ;  deserted  June  28, 
1863. 

FABIAX  MATZ — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862: 
wounded  Five  Forks,  Virginia,  March  31,  1865 ;  discharged 
July  18,  1865;  died  since  the  War. 

JAMES  I.  MAYES — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862; 
discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  March  14,  1863. 

LEWIS  MAYES — February  25,  1864;  captured  FV>rt  Crater,  Virginia, 
October  27,  18(>4;  transferred  to  Company  K,  53d  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

MILKS  M.  MAYKS — Potters  Mills,  Pennsylvania,  April  3,  1864;  died 
May  18th,  of  wounds  received  at  Spotsylvania  Court 
House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864. 

WILLIAM  IT.  MAYES — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27, 
1862;  promoted  to  Hospital  Steward '  "November  1,  1863: 
died  since  tho  War. 


956  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

HENRY  MARKLE — Hublersburg,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862 ; 
died  June  6th,  of  wounds  received  at  Chancellorsville, 
Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

JOHN  H.  MASTLY — June  15,  1863,  drafted;  died  May  11,  of 
w*ounds  received  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864. 

GEORGE  M.  MATTHEWS — June  15,  1863,  drafted;  killed  Spotsyl- 
vania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864. 

WILLIAM  R.  MOREY — August  18,  1863,  drafted;  wounded  Po  River, 
Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  K,  53d 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

WILLIAM  MOSIER — October  26,  1863,  substitute;  discharged  May 
9,  1865;  for  wounds  received  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10, 
1864. 

WILLIAM  MUSSELMAN — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27, 
1862;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  January  6, 
1864;  discharged  by  General  Order  June  17,  1865. 

THOMAS  McBATH — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862; 
wounded  Deep  Bottom,  Virginia,  August  14,  1864j  trans 
ferred  to  Third  Company,  Second  Battalion,  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps;  discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  August  5,  18(>5; 
lives  in  Ohio. 

JOHN  MCDOWELL — August  18,  1863;  drafted;  died  June  18th, 
of  wounds  received  at  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia,  June  3,  1864; 
buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Arlington,  Virginia. 

JOHN  MclvAsoN — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862 ; 
died  Falmouth,  Virginia,  March  17,  1863. 

ROBERT  C.  NEIL — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August  27r  1862 ; 
discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  August  20,  1863 ;  died 
since  the  War. 

SAMUEL  NICHOLS — Belief onte,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862; 
transferred  to  Twenty-seventh  Company,  Second  Battalion, 
Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  September  30,  1864;  discharged  by 
General  Order  June  29,  1865 ;  died  since  the  War. 

WILLIAM  H.  NORRIS — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27, 
1862;  killed  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

LEMUEL  H.  OSMAN — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27, 
1862;  wounded  at  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia,  June  3,  1864; 
discharged  August  2,  1865;  lives  State  College,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

GEORGE  OSMAN — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862 ; 
killed  at  Gettysburg,  July  2,  1863;  'buried  in  National 
Cemetery,  Section  B,  Grave  53. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          957 

HENRY  PENNINGTON — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27, 
1862;  wounded  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863,  and 
at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  on  detached  service 
with  wagon  train;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865 ; 
died  since  the  War. 

JOHN  W.  PORTS — August  31,  1863,  drafted;  discharged  February 
10,  1865,  for  wounds  received  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May 
10,  1864. 

ARCHIBALD  S.  PAUL — June  1,  1863,  drafted;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865. 

GEORGE  POTTSGROVE — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August  27, 
1862;  transferred  to  Fifty-seven th  Company,  Second  Battal 
ion,  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  November  15,  1863;  discharged 
August  26,  1865,  on  expiration  of  term;  lives  in  Philips- 
burg,  Pennsylvania. 

JACOB  R.  RHOADS — August  28,  1863,  drafted;  captured  Spotsyl- 
vania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864 ;  transferred  to 
Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865. 

ABRAHAM  RIFFLE — October  31,  1863,  drafted;  captured  at  Reams 
Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864. 

DANIEL  K.  REISII — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862; 
wounded  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  dis 
charged  by  General  Order  May  3,  1865;  died  May  4,  1869. 

DAVID  Ross — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  April  27,  1862;  mus 
tered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865 ;  lives  at  Buffalo  Run, 
Pennsylvania. 

HENRY  ROYER — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862;  died 
at  Washington,  D.  C.,  June  30,  1863. 

THADDEUS  C.  RUMBERGER — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August 
27,  1862;  detailed  as  musician;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865 ;  lives  Philipsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

THOMAS  E.  SHERMAN — October  18,  1863,  drafted;  transferred  to 
Company  II,  24th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  Febru 
ary  15,  1864;  discharged  by  General  Order  July  25,  1865. 

JACOB  SEESE — September  1,  1863,  substitute;  killed  at  Cold  Har 
bor,  Virginia,  June  3,  1864. 

SIMON  SEGNER — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862 ; 
killed  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

JAMES  SHERWOOD — October  19,  1863,  drafted;  discharged  May  31, 
1865,  for  wounds  received  at  Boydton  Plank  Road,  Vir 
ginia,  October  27,  1864. 


958  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

PATTERSON  M.  SHIELDS — August  28,  drafted;  captured  at  Peters 
burg,  Virginia,  June  16,  1864. 

DAVID  W.  SHIVERY — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862; 
wounded  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  trans 
ferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  September  12,  1863 ;  lives 
State  College,  Pennsylvania. 

DAVID  G.  SMITH — October  25,  1863,  substitute;  transferred  u> 
Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865 ;  discharged  by  General  Order  June  17,  1865. 

WILLIAM  SMYTIIE — August  27,  1862;  discharged  December  9, 
for  wounds  received  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May 
3,  1863. 

JOHN  C.  SOWERS — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862; 
wounded  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  trans 
ferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  November  13,  1863 ;  dis 
charged  August  21,  1865,  at  expiration  of  term  of  service; 
lives  at  State  College,  Pennsylvania. 

HENRY  A.  SOWERS — State  College,  August  27,  1862;  discharged 
February  24,  1864,  for  wounds  received  at  Ohancellorsville, 
May  3,  1863;  lives  at  State  College,  Pennsylvania. 

MICHAEL  SPICHER — October  28,  1863,  substitute;  transferred  to 
Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June 
1,  1865. 

WILLIAM  STICKLER — State  College,  August  27,  1862;  discharged 
on  surgeon's  certificate  July  10,  1863. 

JOHN  SUDERS — October  23,  1863,  substitute;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865. 

CHRISTIAN  SWILER — Houserville,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862 ; 
wounded  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  trans 
ferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  September  30,  1863 ;  died 
since  the  War. 

SMITH  SWILER — Houserville,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862;  miss 
ing  in  action  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  1:2. 
1864 ;  supposed  to  have  'been  killed. 

HENRY  SWARTZ — Hublersburg,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862; 
discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  April  11,  1863. 

ELI  P.  TATE — February  25,  1864;  wounded  Five  Forks,  Virginia. 

March  31,  1865;  transferred  to  Company  K,  53d  Regiment 

Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1S65;  lives  at  Huntingdon, 

Pennsylvania. 
JOHN    THOMAS — Buffalo    Run,    Pennsylvania,    August     27,     1862: 

wounded    Chancellorsville,    Virginia,    May    3,    1863;    trans- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          959 

f erred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  November  18,  1864;  died 
since  the  War. 

ZECHARIAII  TRUCKENMILLER — Hublersburg,  Pennsylvania,  August 
27,  1862 ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  May  3, 
1864;  discharged  July  3,  1865. 

CHRISTIAN  VAUGHN — Buffalo  Run,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862  ; 
transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  September  1,  1863. 

AMOS  WARD — August  20,  1863,  drafted;  transferred  to  Veteran  Re 
serve  Corps  February  14,  1864. 

JOHN  R.  WEST — August  18,  1863,  drafted;  transferred  to  Company 
K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865  ; 
discharged  by  General  Order  M>ay  26,  1865. 

ANDREW  G.  WHITEHILL — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27, 
1862;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps;  discharged  by 
General  Order  June  27,  1865 ;  lives  Lemont,  Pennsylvania. 

THOMAS  WILLIAMS — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862; 
discharged  November  23d  of  wounds  received  at  Chancellors- 
ville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  died  since  the  War. 

JOSEPH  YETTERS — State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  27,  1862 ; 
wounded  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  trans 
ferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  May  3,  1864;  lives  Philips- 
Imnr,  Pennsylvania. 


ROSTER  OF  COMPANY  I),  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOL 
UNTEERS. 

CAPT.  ANDREW  MUSSER — Mustered  August  30,  1862 ;  died  at  Po 
tomac  Creek  Hospital,  Virginia,  May  14,  1863. 

CAPT.  ALFRED  A.  RHINEHART — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  pro 
moted  from  Sergeant  to  Second  Lieutenant  March  1,  1863 ; 
promoted  to  Captain  August  27,  1863 ;  wounded  at  Po 
River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  discharged  May  15,  1865: 
living  at  Irving,  111. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  J.  E.  THOMAS — Mustered  August  30,  1862 ;  resigned 
January  10,  1863 ;  died  at  Pine  Grove  Mills,  Pennsylvania, 
in  1872. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  ISRAEL  F.  MUSSER — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  pro 
moted  from  First  Sergeant  to  First  Lieutenant  March  1, 
1863;  died  at  Potomac  Creek  Hospital.  Virginia,  May  26, 
1863. 


960  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

FIRST  LIEUT.  JOHN  A.  BUKCHFIELD — Mustered  August  28,  1862; 
promoted  from  First  Sergeant  to  First  Lieutenant  August 

27,  1863;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865;  living 
at  Pine  Grove  Mills,  Pennsylvania,  Kovember,  1903. 

SECOND  LIEUT.  LEWIS  C.  EDMONDS — Mustered  August  30,  1862; 
resigned  February  7,  1863;  living  at  Ford  City,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

SECOND  LIEUT.  WM.  GEMMLLL — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  pro 
moted  from  First  Sergeant  to  Second  Lieutenant  November 
16,  1863;  resigned  on  account  of  wound  received  at  Chan- 
cellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  living  at  Allenwood, 
Pennsylvania. 

SECOND  LIEUT.  LUTHER  D.  KURTZ — Mustered  August  28,  1862; 
promoted  from  First  Sergeant  to  Second  Lieutenant  April 
22,  1861;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865;  living 
at  Mitiiinburg,  Pennsylvania. 

FIRST  SERGT.  JOHN  J.  FLEMING — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  pro 
moted  to  First  Sergeant  April  22,  1864;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865;  living  at  Connellsville,  Pennsylvania, 

SERGT.  WILLIAM  D.  Ross — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  promoted 
to  Sergeant  August  30,  1863;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865  ;  living  at  500  Sixth  St.,  Kansas  City,  Missouri. 

SERGT.  S.  P.  LANSBERRY — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  promoted 
to  Sergeant  January  21,  1865 ;  wounded  at  Chanoellorsville, 
Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  mustered  out  with  company  June 
1,  1865. 

SERGT.  HENRY  C.  CAMPBELL — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  pro 
moted  to  Sergeant  March  14,  1865 ;  wounded  at  Chanoel 
lorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863,  and  at  Spotsylvania,  Vir 
ginia.  March  12,  1864;  mustered  out  with  company  June 
1,  1865  ;  died  at  State  College,  Pennsylvania,  August  2,  1904. 

SERGT.  ALLEN  B.  CROSS — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  promoted  to 
Sergeant  January  1,  1865  ;  wounded  at  Po  River,  Virginia. 
May  10,  1864;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865; 
deceased. 

SERGT.  GEO.  M.  BOAL — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  promoted  to 
Sergeant  August  18,  1863;  commissioned  as  Quartermaster 
of  the  83d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  March  25,  1865 ;  living 
at  Centre  Hall,  Pennsylvania. 

QUARTERMASTER  SERGT.   SAMUEL  D.    MUSSER — Mustered    August 

28.  1862 :   promoted  to  Quartermaster  Sergeant  September 
8,    1862;    later   on   commissioned    Quartermaster   of   Regi 
ment;  living  at  Scranton,  Pennsylvania. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          961 

SERGT.  JOHN  C.  BATHGATE — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  wounded 
at  Bethesda  Church,  Virginia,  May  30,  1864 ;  transferred  to 
Veteran  Reserve  Corps  March  14,  1865 ;  discharged  by  Gen 
eral  Order  July  8,  1865 ;  deceased. 

SERGT.  SAMUEL  HARSHBERGER — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  killed 
at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

CORP.  WILLIAM  P.  HOLLOWAY — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  pro 
moted  to  Corporal  January  1,  1864 ;  wounded  at  Spotsyl- 
vania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865 ;  living  at  Orangeville,  Illinois. 

CORP.  DAVID  L.  KERR — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  promoted  to 
Corporal  February  28,  1864;  wounded  May  3,  1863,  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865 ;  living  at  Centre  Hall,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  JOHN  H.  ODENKIRK — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  transferred 
to  Signal  Corps  April  2,  1864;  died  at  Potters  Fort,  Penn 
sylvania. 

CORP.  JOHN  C.  EOTE — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  promoted  to 
Corporal  August,  1863;  wounded  at  Auburn  Mills,  Virginia, 
October  14,  1863;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps 
September  1,  1864 ;  living  at  Axemann,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  CHARLES  F.  SPEAKER — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  promoted 
Corporal  April,  1864;  wounded  at  Chancellorsville.  Vir 
ginia,  May  3,  1863,  and  at  Totopotomoy  Creek,  Virginia. 
May  30,  1864 ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  March 
14,  1865  ;  living  at  Williamsport,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  SIMON  VENADA — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  wounded  at 
Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps  March  14,  1865;  living  at  Lewisburg,  Penn 
sylvania. 

CORP.  WILLIAM  BICKFORD — Drafted;  mustered  August  30,  1863; 
promoted  to  Corporal  March  14,  1865 ;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

CORP.  JACOB  CORY — Drafted;  mustered  August  30,  1863;  pro 
moted  Corporal  January  1,  1865;  wounded;  transferred  to 
Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865. 

CORP.  CHARLES  F.  HOIINBON — -Substitute;  mustered  October  22, 
1863;  promoted  Corporal  March  14,  1865;  transferred  to 
'Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

CORP.  JAMES  OSMAX — Substitute;  mustered  March  23,  1863;  pro 
moted  to  Corporal  March  14,  1865 ;  transferred  to  Company 
H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865. 

CORP.  GEORGE  W.  SEAL — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  killed  at 
Petersburg,  Virginia,  June  16,  1864;  buried  in  Poplar 


962  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

Grove  National  Cemetery,  Petersburg,  Virginia,  Division  L), 
Section  C,  Grave  148. 

TEAMSTER  JACOB  Kocn — Mustered  August  28,  1802 ;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865 ;  deceased. 

MUSICIAN  FRANKLIN  MATTERN — Mustered  August  28,  18(52  ;  trans 
ferred  to  Veteran.  Reserve  Corps  August  10,  1863;  company 
musician;  living  at  Mileeburg,  Pennsylvania. 

WILLIAM  BIBLE — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  died  at  Potomac 
Creek  Hospital,  Virginia,  May  10,  1863,  of  wound  received 
at  Cliancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

WILLIAM  WEAVER — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  killed  at  Chan- 
cellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

JOHN  13.  HOLLO  WAY — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  mustered  out 
•with,  company  June  1,  1865,  as  musician;  living  at  Bur- 
bank,  Ohio. 

PRIVATES. 

GEORGE  W.  ALLEN — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  wounded  May  3, 
1863,  at  Chaiicellorsville,  Virginia;  discharged  for  disability 
from  wound  April  20,  1865. 

DAVID  ACKER — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  died  at  Potomac  Creek 
Hospital,  Virginia,  June  3,  1863,  of  wound  received  May 
3,  1863,  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia. 

SETIL   ANDREW — 'Drafted;   mustered   August   10,    1863;   wounded; 

transferred  to  Company  II,  53d    Pennsylvania     Volunteers, 

June  1,  1865. 
JAMES  ALVORD — Drafted;  mustered  August  19,  1863;  captured  at 

Spotsylvania,   Virginia,  May   12,   1864;   died  in  .Richmond, 

Virginia,  July  15,  1864. 
JAMES  ABOTT — Drafted;  mustered  August    19,    1863;    died    near 

Stevensburg,  Virginia,  December  10,  1863. 
ROBERT  G.  BULLOCK — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  wounded  at  Po 

River,  Virginia,  May  10,  18(54;  absent  in  hospital  at  muster 

out  of  company. 
MICHAEL  BOWKKS — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  mustered  out  with 

company  June  1,  1865;  living  at  Emngham,  Illinois. 
NATHANIEL   BROWN — Mustered   August   28,    1862;   discharged   on 

surgeon's  certificate  of   disability    August    11,    1864;    living 

at  Farmers  Mills,  Pennsylvania. 
JACOB  BnruAKKK— Drafted;  mustered  August  19,  1863;  discharged 

to  date  October  13,  1864. 

MICHAEL  BUMBAUGH — Drafted;  mustered  August  19,  1863;  dis 
charged  to  date  September  18,  1864. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLI'ANIA  VOLUNTEERS          963 

BENJAMIN  BLOOM — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  died  at  Potomac 
Creek  Hospital,  Virginia,  June  11,  1863,  of  wounds  re 
ceived  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

ARCHIBALD  M.  BELL — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  died  at  Wash 
ington,  D.  C.,  October  17,  1863. 

GEORGE  \V.  BOIIX — ^Substitute ;  mustered  October  12,  1863;  died 
January  12,  1864. 

CYRUS  BRUBAKER — Drafted;  mustered  August  20,  1863;  killed  at 
Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864. 

GEORGE  BYAMS — Drafted;  mustered  August  20,  1863;  killed  at 
Cold  Harbor,  Virginia,  June  5,  1864. 

SYLVESTER  BURDIC — Drafted ;  mustered  August  19,  1863 ;  pris 
oner  at  Spotsylvania,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  died  at  An 
derson  ville,  Georgia,  August  12,  1864. 

WILLIAM  A.  CARTER — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  wounded  <v 
Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  dis 
charged  for  disability  July  28,  1865 ;  died  near  Pine  Grove 
Mills,  Pennsylvania. 

PETER  L.  CARBOUGH — Drafted;  mustered  August  19,  1863; 
wounded ;  transferred  to  Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

PHILO  CLOSE — Drafted;  mustered  August  10,  1863;  transferred 
to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  April  14,  1864. 

ABLE  CLOSE — -Drafted;  mustered  August  10,  1863;  died  in  Phila 
delphia,  Pennsylvania,  July  14,  1864. 

HENRY  CONFARE — Draf ted ;  mustered  February  27,  1864;  killed  at 
Petersburg,  Virginia,  March  25,  1865. 

JAMES  J.  DRESHER — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  mustered  out  wirl: 
company  June  1,  1865 ;  deceased. 

SAMUEL  B.  DENNIS — Mustered  August  28,  1862  ;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865 ;  living  at  Sherman  Heights,  Ten 
nessee. 

LEONARD  DIVELBISS — Substitute;  mustered  August  19,  1863; 
transferred  to  Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteer- 
June  1,  1865. 

JACOB  DIVELBISS — Drafted;  mustered  August  19,  1863;  trans 
ferred  to  Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  Juno 
1,  1865. 

THOMAS  E.  DAVIS — Draf  ted  ;  mustered  March  15,  1864;  wounded 
and  prisoner  at  "Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864. 

LEWIS  H.  DAVIDSON — Mustered  August  28.  1862;  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  transferred  to  Vet 
eran  Reserve  Corps  February  15.  1864. 


964  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

FRANKLIN  DURST— Mustered  August  28,  1862;  killed  at  Chancel- 
lorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  18G3. 

JOHN  DURST — Mustered  August  28,  18G2;  died  at  Harrisburg, 
Pennsylvania,  October  6,  1863,  of  wound  received  at  Gettys 
burg,  Pennsylvania,  July  3,  1863. 

JACOB  DUNKLE — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  wounded  at  Chan- 
cellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863,  in  eye,  arm  and  leg; 
transferred  to  Veteran  Beserve  Corps  March  16,  1864;  living 
at  Aaronsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

DAVID  ETTERS — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  wounded  and  prisoner 
at  Spotsylvania,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864. 

JOSEPH  L.  EVANS — Drafted;  mustered  September  17,  1863; 
wounded  in  eye  June,  1864,  in  front  of  Petersburg,  Vir 
ginia  ;  transferred  to  Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers  June  1,  1865. 

WASHINGTON  D.  EDDY — Drafted;  mustered  August  20,  1863;  died 
at  Washington,  D.  C.,  April  7,  1864. 

OLIVER  W.  ELLIOTT — Drafted;  mustered  March  17,  1863;  died 
at  Washington,  D.  C.,  April  27,  1864. 

JOHN  H.  EORTNEY — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865;  died  at  Tyrone,  Pennsylvania,  April 
3,  1887. 

JACOB  A.  FISHER — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865;  died  April  19,  1904. 

DAVID  F.  FORTNEY — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  discharged  on 
surgeon's  certificate  of  disability  February  19,  1863;  living 
at  Bellefonte,  Pennsylvania. 

CHARLES  A.  FISHER — Drafted;  mustered  September  17,  1863, 
wounded;  transferred  to  Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers,  June  1,  1865. 

EMANUEL  Fox — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  died  at  Falmouth,  Vir 
ginia,  January  28,  1863. 

ALFRED  W.  FRASER — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  killed  at  Chan- 
cellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

HENRY  GRIM — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  discharged  on  surgeon's 
certificate  January  16,  1863. 

JEREMIAH  GARIS — Drafted;  mustered  March  31,  1864;  trans 
ferred  to  Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865. 

WILLIAM  GABLE — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  died  at  Cockeysville. 
Maryland,  November  14,  1862. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          965 

DAVID  HARSHBERGER — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  discharged  June 
15,  1865,  by  General  Order;  living  at  Hublersburg,  Penn 
sylvania. 

WILLIAM  F.  HEBERLING — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  discharged  by  Gen 
eral  Order  July  3,  1865 ;  living  at  Benore,  Pennsylvania. 

JACOB  HARNER — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  prisoner  May  10, 
1864,  at  Po  River,  Virginia. 

CHARLES  HART — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  wounded  at  Chancel 
lorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  discharged  on  surgeon's 
certificate  September  14,  1863. 

M.  V.  HUFFMASTER — Drafted;  mustered  August  28,  1863;  wounded 
near  Petersburg,  Virginia,  March  25,  1865 ;  transferred  to 
Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865. 

DANIEL  H.  HARTER — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  transferred  to  Vet 
eran  Reserve  Corps  November  19,  18 64-;  living  at  Rittman. 
Ohio. 

ISRAEL  HOOVER — Drafted;  mustered  August  31,  1863;  transferred 
to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  April  14,  1864. 

SAMUEL  HOLLO  WAY — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  killed  at  Chan 
cellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

ABEAM  HULL — Mustered  August  28,  1862  ;  killed  at  Reams  Station,. 
Virginia,  August  26,^1864. 

WILLIAM  HIMES — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  deserted  September 
7,  1862. 

DANIEL  C.  HOLLO  WAY — Mustered  August  28,  1862  ;  promoted  to 
Corporal  September,  1863;  wounded  May  10,  1864,  at  Po 
River,  Virginia;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps, 
March  14,  1865  ;  died  at  Aaronsburg,  Pennsylvania,  since  the 
War. 

PALSOR  F.  IMBODEN — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  killed  at  Chan 
cellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

JOHN  L.  KREAMER — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  discharged  by 
General  Order  June  8,  1865 ;  living  at  Woodward,  Penn 
sylvania. 

JOHN  M.  KEPLERS — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  wounded  at  F 
Forks,  Virginia,  March  31,  1865. 

WILLIAM  B.  KRAPE — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  discharged 
March  3,  1863;  living  at  Centre  Hall,  Pennsylvania. 


966  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

DAVID  S.  KEYS — Mustered  August  28,  1862  ;  wounded  at  Chancel- 
lorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1803;  discharged  August  14, 
1863. 

WILLIAM  KNARR — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  killed  at  Chancel- 
lorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

Esic  KERN — Drafted;  mustered  September  17,  1863;  discharged 
May  15,  1865. 

JAMES  A.  KOONEY — Drafted;  mustered  March  26,  1863;  wounded; 
transferred  to  Company  H,  53  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865. 

JOHN  KANE — Substitute;  mustered  October  17,  1863;  deserted 
April  28,  1864. 

TASKER  K.   Kocn — Mustered  August  28,   1862;  died  of  fever  ;i': 

York,  Pennsylvania,  June  1,  1863. 
JACOB  G.   KANE — Mustered  August  28,   1862;  killed  at  Chancel- 

lorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 
FRANKLIN  KOCH — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  killed  at  Chancel- 

lorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 
GEORGE  LEITZEL — Mustered  August  28,   1862;  discharged  March 

28,  1863. 
EMANUEL  LEITZEL — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  died  at  Cockeys- 

ville,  Maryland,  of  fever  December  12,  1862. 
JACOB  LEITZEL — Mustered  August  28,  1862  ;  died  at  his  home  at 

Woodward,  Pennsylvania.,  December,  1862. 
SAMUEL  LEITZEL— Mustered  August  28,  1862;  killed  at  Chanoel- 

lorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 
HENRY  LONG — Mustered  August  28,   1862;  killed  at  Chancellors- 

ville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 
WILLIAM  LONG — Mustered  August  28,   1862;   mustered  out  with 

company  June  1,  1865  ;  living  at  Kebersburg,  Pennsylvania. 
JACOB  L.  LYNN— Drafted ;  mustered  August  27,   1863;  absent  at 

muster  out ;  living  at  Spirit  Lake,  Iowa. 
DAVID  L.  MILLER — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  mustered  out  with 

company  June  1,  1865;  living  at  Pine  Grove  Mills,  Penn 
sylvania. 
DANIEL  MILLER— Mustered  August  28,  1862  ;  discharged  February 

8,  1863;  died  on  his  way  home. 

JACOB  MARSHAL— Substitute;  mustered  October  28,  1863;  trans 
ferred  to  Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 

1,  1865. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          967 

LEONARD  MKSSIMER — Substitute;  mustered  March  8,  1804;  trans 
ferred  to  Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June 

I,  1805  ;  living  near  Penn  Hall,  Pennsylvania. 

JOHN  A.  MURPHY — Mustered  August  28,  1802;  killed  at  Chancel- 
lorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1803. 

DAVID  MOORE — Substitute;  mustered  October  31,  1803;  died  April 

II,  1804. 

ADAM  G.  MYERS — -Drafted;  mustered  August  28,  1803;  killed  at 
Cold  Harbor,  Virginia,  June  3,  18 64-. 

HENRY  V.  MCALLISTER — -Substitute;  mustered  February  2,  1804; 
died  at  Bellefonte,  Pennsylvania,  of  wound  received  at  Cold 
Harbor,  Virginia,  June  3,  1804. 

ADAM  NEARHOOD — Drafted;  mustered'  March  9,  1804;  transferred 
to  Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1805. 

DANIEL  OSMAN — Mustered  August  28,  1802  ;  killed  at  Chancellors- 
ville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1803. 

JOHN  PUGH — Mustered  August  28,  1802 ;  mustered  out  with  com 
pany  June  1,  1805  ;  living  at  Browerville,  Missouri. 

SAMUEL  L.  POTTER— Drafted ;  Mustered  August  28,  1803; 
wounded ;  transferred  to  Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers  June  1,  1805. 

GEORGE  W.  PALSGROVE — Drafted;  Mustered  August  28,  1803;  (Tied 
near  Stevensburg,  Virginia,  December  31,  1803. 

ALFRED  A.  RANKIX — Drafted ;  mustered  August  28,  1803 ;  absent, 
sick,  at  muster  out  of  company ;  died  in  Bellefonte,  Pennsyl 
vania,  in  1878. 

GEORGE  M.  REESER — Mustered  August  28,  1802  ;  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  March  3,  1803  ;  living  at  Windber,  Penn 
sylvania. 

JOHN  C.  REFSNYDER — Drafted;  mustered  August  28,  1803;  prisoner 
from  May  10,  1804  to  April  25,  1805;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  volunteers,  June  1,  1805. 

CHARLES  D.  RUNKLE — Mustered  August  28,  1802 ;  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1803 ;  transferred  to 
Veteran  Reserve  Corps  December  18,  1803;  living  at  243 
Rochele  St.,  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

\VIJLIAM  A.  RKKI> — Mustered  August  28.  1802;  wounded  at  Chan- 
cellorsvillo.  Virginia,  May  .°>.  1S<J.°>:  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps  December  18,  1803;  died  at  Reedsville,  Penn 
sylvania,  1903. 

JOHN  REED — Mustered  August  28.  1802;  killed  at  Chancellorsville, 
Virginia,  May  3.  1SO.°>. 


968  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

CHARLES  A.  RAMSEY — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  promoted  to 
Sergeant  Major  August  2,  1864;  promoted  to  Adjutant  May 
15,  1865;  mustered  out  with  Company  June  1,  1865;  living 
at  Hillsboro,  Illinois. 

JACOB  REESER — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  wounded  at  Gettys 
burg,  Pennsylvania,  July  3,  1863;  wounded  at  Spotsylvania 
Court  House,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864,  and  prisoner;  died  at 
Richmond,  Virginia,  July  14,  1864. 

JOHN  Y.  STOVER — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  one  of  the  few  that 
came  out  of  Ghancellorsville  'battle  unhurt;  discharged 
by  General  Order  June  27,  1865 ;  living  at  Wolfs  Store, 
Pennsylvania. 

THADDEUS  D.  STOVER — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  wounded  at 
Chancellorsvillei,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  discharged  Septem 
ber  20,  1863  ;  living  at  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania,  November, 
1903. 

JOHN  J.  STOVER — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  killed  at  Spotsyl 
vania,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864. 

CORNELIUS  STOVER — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  wounded  at  Chan 
cellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  died  at  Potomac  Creek 
Hospital  of  wound  May  17,  1863. 

GEORGE  SHEPARD — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  deserted  June  30, 
1863. 

JACOB  STAER — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  discharged  June  16, 
1863. 

JOSEPH  SIIIERY — Drafted;  mustered  August  20,  1863;  transferred 
to  Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1S65. 

SIMON  SHUMAN — Drafted;  mustered  August  28,  1863;  transferred 
to  Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865. 

CHARLES  J.  SMITH — Substitute ;  mustered  October  19,  1863 ; 
wounded;  transferred  to  Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Vol 
unteers  June  1,  1865. 

JACOB  STULL — Substitute;  mustered  October  19,  1863;  wounded; 
transferred  to  Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers 
June  12  1865. 

GEORGE  SWEENY — Substitute;  mustered  March  1,  1864;  transferred 
to  Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865; 
living  at  Centre  Hall,  Pennsylvania. 

JOSEPH  SHIRE: — Substitute;  mustered  March  21,  1864;  wounded; 

transferred  to   Company  H,   53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers. 
PETER  SWISIFER — Substitute;  mustered  March  19,  1864;  wounded; 

transferred   to   Company  H,   53d  Pennsylvania   Volunteers, 

June  1,  1865. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          969 

WILLIAM  SUTTLE — Substitute;  mustered  March  22,1864;  wounded; 
transferred  to  Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers 
January  1,  1865. 

OLIVER  E.  SHERMAN — Drafted;  mustered  August  10,  1863;  de 
serted  April  28,  1864. 

WILLIAM  B.  SMITH — Drafted;  mustered  October  30,  1863  ^trans 
ferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  March  14,  1865  ;  discharged 
by  General  Order  August  3,  1865. 

SAMUEL  SHANNON — Mustered  Aiigust  28,  1862;  killed  by  accident 
at  Carlisle,  Pennsylvania,  January  5,  1865. 

HENRY  STAYMAN — Drafted;  mustered  August  28,  1863;  wounded 
at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  died 
in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  of  wound  July  11,  1864. 

JOSEPH  VANSICKLE — Drafted;  mustered  September  17,  1863; 
wounded  November  3,  1863;  discharged  April  28,  1864,  of 
wound  received  November  3,  1863. 

DAVID  H.  WEAVER — Mustered  August  28,  1862 ;  discharged  June  7, 
1865,  by  General  Order;  living  at  Pine  Grove  Mills,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

HENRY  H.  WEAVES — Mustered  August  28,  1 8  62  ;_  discharged  by 
General  Order  June  3,  1865 ;  died  at  Aaronsburg,  in  1903- 

DAVID  H.  WAXCE — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  discharged  by 
General  Order  June  2,  1865 ;  living  at  Philipsburg,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

DAVID  N.  WOLF — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  wounded  at  Chancel 
lorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  discharged  May  10,  1865  ; 
living  at  Win  slow,  Illinois. 

GEORGE  E.  WILLIAMS — Drafted;  mustered  August  28,  1863;  trans 
ferred  to  Company  H,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865. 

JONATHAN  E.  WOLF — Mustered  August  28,  1862  ;  died  at  Falmouth, 
Virginia,  May  12, .1863,  of  fever. 

SOLOMON  WTNKLEBLECII — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  discharged 
on  surgeon's  certificate  of  disability  January  15,  1864. 

DAVID  H.  YOUNG — Mustered  August  28,  1862;  wounded  at  Chan- 
cellorsville,  May  3,  1863;  discharged  March  28,  1864;  living 
at  Aitch,  Pennsylvania. 


970  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 


ROSTFR  OF  COMPANY  E,  148TII  REGIMENT  PENNSYL 
VANIA  VOLUNTEERS. 

Organized  at  HJarrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  August  31,  1862. 
Mustered  into  United  States  service  at  Harrisburg,  September 

1  and  2,  18G2. 

CAPT.  CHARLES  STEWART — Second  Lieutenant  August  5,  1862,  to 
recruit  company;  Captain  September  2,  1862;  wounded  in 
foot  at  Ohancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  2,  1863;  resigned 
September  25,  1863. 

CAPT.  JOHN  F.  SUTTON — Enlisted  Plumville,  Indiana  County,  Aug 
ust  5,  1862;  mustered  as  First  Lieutenant  September  2, 
1862;  promoted  Captain  November  15,  1863;  wounded 
Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865;  lives  at  Gallon,  Ohio. 

FIRST  LLEUT.  WILLIAM  T.  CLARK — Enlisted  August  6,  1862,  Brook  - 
ville,  Pennsylvania;  Sergeant  September  2,  1862;  First  Ser 
geant  July  1,  1863;  Second  Lieutenant  August  26,  1863; 
First  Lieutenant  November  15,  1863;  wounded  at  Chancel- 
lorsville,  Virginia,  May  2,  1863;  discharged  on  surgeon's  cer 
tificate  July  7,  1864;  died  since  the  War. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  PETER  D.  SPRANKLE — Enlisted  August  19,  1862; 
Corporal  September  2,  1862;  Sergeant  November  11,  1863; 
First  Sergeant  January  14,  1864;  First  Lieutenant  Sep 
tember  25,  1864;  wounded  and  taken  prisoner  at  Fort  Crater 
in  front  of  Petersburg,  Virginia,  October  27,  1864;  mus 
tered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

SECOND  LIEUT.  GEORGE  HAMILTON — Mustered  September  2,  1862; 
resigned  June  1,  1863. 

SECOND  LIEUT.  JAMES  M.  SUTTON — Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  at 
Indiana;  Sergeant  September  2,  1862;  First  Sergeant  No 
vember  10,  1863;  Second  Lieutenant  January  13,  1864;  dis 
charged  -at  Annapolis  November  8,  1864,  for  wounds,  with 
loss  of  leg,  received  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864: 
died  since  the  War. 

SECOND  LIEUT.  JOHN  KENLY — Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  at  In 
diana,  Pennsylvania  ;  appointed  Corporal  September  2,  1862  ; 
Sergeant  January  1,  1863;  First  Sergeant  September  24, 
1864;  Second  Lieutenant  November  30,  1864;  wounded  at 
Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  mustered  out  with  com 
pany  June  1,  1865  ;  died  since  the  War. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          971 

FIRST  SERGT.  LEVI  C.  SMITH — Enlisted  August  6,  1862,  Brook- 
ville,  Pennsylvania;  promoted  First  Sergeant  September  1, 
18G2;  discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  January  27,  1863. 

FIRST  SERGT.  ROBERT  A.  TRAVIS — Enlisted  August  6th,  Brook- 
ville,  Pennsylvania;  Sergeant  September  1,  1^62;  First 
Sergeant  August  20,  1863 ;  commissioned  Second  Lieutenant 
September  26,  1863;  not  mustered;  discharged  by  order  of 
Secretary  of  War  to  accept  appointment  as  Captain  8th  Regi 
ment  United  States  Colored  Troops;  resigned  as  such  Feb 
ruary  23,  1865 ;  lives  Tarentum,  Pennsylvania. 

FIRST  SERGT.  GEORGE  BAUGHMAN — Enlisted  August  6,  1862,  at 
Ringgold,  Pennsylvania;  Corporal  September  1,  1862;  Ser 
geant  November  12,  1863;  Firbt  Sergeant  November  30, 
1864;  discharged  June  9,  1865;  lives  Sprankle's  Mills, 
Pennsylvania. 

SERGT.  JOHN  L.  MABON — Enlisted  August  21,  Perry sville,  Penn 
sylvania;  Corporal  October  1,  1862;  Sergeant  December  16, 
1863;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865;  died  since 
the  War. 

SERGT.  DANIEL  W.  SMITH — Enlisted  August  10,  1862 ;  Corporal 
December  21,  1862-;  Sergeant  November  30,  1864;  dis 
charged  by  General  Order  June  8,  1865;  wounded  at  Po 
River  May  10,  1864. 

SERGT.  JOSEPH  H.  MOOREHEAD — Enlisted  August  16,  1862;  Cor 
poral  January  3,  1864;  Sergeant  May  30,  1864;  wounded 
Cold  Harbor  June  4,  1864;  mustered  out  with  company  June 
1,  1865. 

SERGT.  CHAS.  M.  LAW — Enlisted  August  12,  1862;  Corporal  Octo 
ber  1,  1863;  Sergeant  September  24,  1864;  wounded  at  Po 
River  May  10,  1864;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1, 
1865  ;  lives  Markton,  Pennsylvania. 

SERGT.  WILLIAM  C.  DEVINNEY — Enlisted  August  16,  1862;  Cor 
poral  September  2,  1862;  Sergeant  November  16,  1863; 
Quartermaster  Sergeant  May  30,  1864;  mustered  out  with 
Regiment;  lives  Wilkinsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  GEORGE  W.  ROLAND — Enlisted  August  17,  1862;  Corporal 
September  2,  1862;  died  at  York,  Pennsylvania,  December 
21,  1862;  buried  in  Prospect  Hill  Cemetery. 

CORP.  JACOB  ROLAND — Enlisted  August  18,  1862;  Corporal  Sep 
tember  2,  1862;  apparently  reduced  to  ranks;  deserted  July 
1,  1863,  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania;  afterwards  enlisted 
in  a  Pennsylvania  Cavalry  Regiment  and  served  in  the  west 
ern  armv ;  has  died  since  the  War. 


9T2  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 


iu'.  ROBERT  GETTIS  —  Enlisted  August  20,  1862;  Corporal  Sep 
tember  2,  1862;  detailed  as  company  clerk;  died  near  Fal- 
mouth,  Virginia,  February  29,  1863. 

CORP.  ISAIAH  L.  WELLS  —  Enlisted  August  17,  1862;  Corporal  No 
vember  1,  1863;  died  at  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  June 
5,  1864. 

CORP.  ROBERT  J.  CRISSMAN  —  Enlisted  August  7,  1862,  Punxsu- 
tawney,  Pennsylvania;  Corporal  November  1,  1863;  mus 
tered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865;  wounded  May  10, 

1864,  at  Po  River,  Virginia;  died  September  17,  1904. 

CORP.  DANIEL  R.  SUTTER  —  Enlisted  August  7,  1862  ;  Corporal 
January  15,  1864;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865  ; 
wounded  at  Fort  Crater  October  27,  1864. 

CORP.  JOHN  MILLIRON  —  Enlisted  August  16,  1862;  Corporal  May 
30,  1864;  wounded  and  taken  prisoner  August  25,  1864,  at 
Reams  Station;  absent  sick  at  muster  out. 

CORP.  VINCENT  RICHARDS  —  Enlisted  August  20,  1862,  Brookville, 
Pennsylvania;  Corporal  September  24,  1864;  wounded  in 
thigh  May  10,  1864,  at  Po  River,  Virginia;  taken  prisoner 
and  recaptured  by  United  States  Cavalry;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865. 

COUP.  WILLIAM  BYERS  —  Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  Indiana,  Penn 
sylvania;  Corporal  November  30,  1864;  absent  sick  at  mis 
ter  out, 

CORP.  JOSEPH  HALLO  WELL  —  Enlisted  September  22,  1862  ;  pro 
moted  Corporal  February  7,  1865  ;  feet  frozen  at  Mine  Run, 
Virginia,  November  30,  1863;  lost  one  of  his  big  toes  in 
consequence;  mustered  out  with  company  June,  1865;  has 
died  since  the  War. 

CORP.  JAMES  S.  SHOPPARD  —  Enlisted  August  2,  1862;  promoted 
Corporal  February  6,  1865;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865. 

CORP.  WILLIAM  B.  WILKINS  —  Enlisted  February  29,  1864;  pro 
moted  to  Corporal  April  1,  1865;  transferred  to  Company 
E  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865; 
died  since  the  War. 

CORP.  WILLIAM  J.  POSTLETIIWAITE  —  Enlisted  August  21,  1862; 
Corporal  November  1,  1863  ;  wounded  Spotsylvania  Court 
House,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  died  of  wounds  May  11, 
1864. 

CORP.  JOSEPH  J.  SHOFSTALL  —  Enlisted  August  20,  1862  ;  Corporal 
Jan.iary  1,  1863;  killed  at  Five  Forks,  Virginia,  May  31, 

1865,  carrying  regimental  colors;  buried  in  Poplar  Grove. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          975 

National  Cemetery,  Petersburg,  Virginia,  Division  D,  Sec 
tion  B,  Grave  47. 

CORP.  MATTHEW  C.  ALLISON — Enlisted  August  16,  1802;  Corporal 
November  1,  1863;  died  May  19,  of  wounds  received  at  Po 
River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864. 

MUSICIAN  JOHNSTON  HAMILTON — Enlisted  August  13,  1862 ;  mus 
tered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

MUSICIAN  DAVID  N.  HENRY — Enlisted  August  7,  1862 ;  discharged 
by  General  Order  June  7,  1865. 

WAGONER  JOHN  S.  WEAMER — Enlisted  August  16,  1862 ;  died 
Cockeysville,  Maryland,  November  30,  1862. 

PRIVATES. 

JAMES  ADEN — Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  Indiana,  Pennsylvania; 
died  Morrisville,  Virginia,  August  17,  1863;  buried  in  Na 
tional  Cemetery,  Arlington,  Virginia,  Block  2,  Section  E, 
Row  11,  Grave  83. 

WILLIAM  R.  ANDERSON — Drafted  August  15,  1863;  taken  prisoner 
at  North  Anna,  Virginia,  May  25,  1864;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  E,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

JOHN  BOYER — Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  Brookville,  Pennsylvania; 
captured  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863;  also 
Petersburg,  Virginia,  June  22,  1864;  discharged  June  1, 
1865 ;  died  since  the  War. 

EMANUEL  BUSH — Enlisted  August  6,  1862,  Brookville,  Pennsyl 
vania;  missing  in  action  May  12,  1864,  at  Spotsylvania 
Court  House,  Virginia ;  supposed  to  be  dead ;  burial  record, 
died  at  Richmond,  Virginia,  September  15,  1864. 

PETER  BURKET — Enlisted  August  21,  1862,  Brookfield ;  mustered 
out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

JAMES  BEAR — Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  Indiana;  discharged  Jan- 
nary  30,  1864,  on  surgeon's  certificate  on  account  of  gun  shot 
wound  received  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863. 

CLARENCE  T.  BARR — Recruited;  enlisted  February  29,  1864; 
wounded  in  hand  in  front  of  Petersburg;  transferred  to 
Company  E,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June 
1,  1865 ;  lives  Kingston,  New  Mexico. 

ISAAC  G.  COCHRAN — Enlisted  August  6,  1862,  Brookville;  on  de 
tached  service  with  ambulance  train ;  died  since  the  War. 

JOHN  A.  CUMMINGS — Enlisted  August  27,  1862,  Indiana;  wounded 
in  thigh  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia,  wounded 
at  Adams  Farm,  Virginia,  March  31,  1865;  absent  sick  at 
muster  out. 


974  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

JAMES  C.  CRAMER — Drafted  July  1,  1863;  wounded  Po  River,  Vir 
ginia,  May  10,  1864;  deserted  May  28,  1864. 

HENRY  CLINGENBERGER — Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  Indiana;  dis 
charged  on  surgeon's  certificate  on  account  of  disease  con 
tracted  in  the  service,  August  3,  1863. 

AMOS  CRYSTER — Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  Indiana,  Pennsylvania; 
died  in  hospital  at  York,  Pennsylvania,  February  3,  1863, 
of  pneumonia. 

JAMES  DEVINNEY — Enlisted  October  18,  1862,  Indiana;  discharged 
on  account  of  disease  contracted  in  service,  on  surgeon's  cer 
tificate  June  10,  1863. 

WILLIAM  F.  DILL — Enlisted  February  29,  1864;  transferred  to 
Company  E,  53d  Eegiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June 
1,  1865. 

DANIEL  P.  DRIVER — Enlisted  February  29,  1864;  died  on  United 
States  Transport  on  James  River  April  12,  1864. 

ALEXANDER  R.  DUNLAP — Enlisted  August  7,  1862,  Brookville;  on 
detached  duty  as  brigade  pioneer;  mustered  out  with  com 
pany  June  1,  1865 ;  died  since  the  War. 

SAMUEL  P.  EDWARDS — Enlisted  August  7,  1862,  at  Punxsutawney ; 
transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  September  30,  1863. 

WILLIAM  EVANS — Enlisted  August  16,  1862;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  D,  19th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  September 
17,  1863;  discharged  by  General  Order  July  13,  1865. 

WILLIAM  FISHER — Enlisted  August  -  -  1862 ;  died  at  Cockeysville. 
Maryland,  October  10,  1862. 

HARMON  FRIDAY — Drafted  October  30,  1863;  wounded  May  10, 
1864,  at  Po  River;  transferred  to  Company  E,  53d  Regi 
ment,  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865;  discharged 
by  General  Order  June  26,  1865. 

THOMAS  GARRET — Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  Indiana;  wounded  in 
ankle  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court  House;  absent  in 
hospital  at  muster  out. 

DAVID  GEARIIART — Enlisted  Waterford,  Pennsylvania,  February  22, 
1864;  wounded  in  leg  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia; 
transferred  to  Company  E,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Vol 
unteers  June  1,  1865;  died  since  the  War. 

SAMUEL  R.  GEARIIART — Enlisted  Waterford,  Pennsylvania,  Febru 
ary  22,  1864;  wounded  in  left  arm  May  10,  1864,  Po  River, 
Virginia;  died  June  7,  1864,  York,  Pennsylvania,  of  con 
gestion  of  the  lungs. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          975 

GEORGE  GOODMAN — Enlisted  July  2,  1863 ;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  E,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1, 
1865. 

GEORGE  GROFT — Enlisted  August  21,  1862,  Indiana;  wounded  in 
knee  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863;  discharged 
by  General  Order  May  29,  1865. 

WILLIAM  M.  HALLO  WELL — Enlisted  September  22,  1862 ;  mus 
tered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

JOHN  S.  HARMAN — Enlisted  August  26,  1862;  taken  prisoner  June 
22,  1864,  Petersburg,  Virginia ;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865. 

JOHN  HARMON — Enlisted  August  18,  1862,  Indiana;  died  Wash 
ington,  D.  C.,  February  11,  1863;  burial  record  April  30, 
1863;  buried  in  Military  Asylum  Cemetery. 

JOHN  M.  HARTMAN — Enlisted  August  13,  1862,  Perrysville;  dis 
charged  on  surgeon's  certificate  at  convalescent  camp  Feb 
ruary  13,  1863. 

JOHN  C.  HOOVER — Enlisted  August  11,  1862,  Indiana;  deserted 
October  27,  1863,  from  hospital. 

HENRY  HORXER — Enlisted  August  17,  1862,  at  Indiana ;  wounded 
in  leg  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863 ;  trans 
ferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  January  4,  1865. 

LEWIS  H.  IRWIX — Enlisted  August  16,  1862;  died  September  18, 
1864,  in  hospital  at  Washington,  D.  C. 

JACOB  H.  JAMISON — Enlisted  August  21,  1865;  wounded  in  right 
arm  May  12,  1864,  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia; 
arm  amputated  at  shoulder;  discharged  October  7,  1864,  on 
surgeon's  certificate  of  disability. 

STAGEY  C.  JONES — Enlisted  February  2,  1864;  appointed  regimen 
tal  clerk;  transferred  to  Company  E,  53d  Regiment  Penn 
sylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

WILLIAM  JORDAN — Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  Perrysville,  Penn 
sylvania  ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  April  7, 
1864. 

BENJAMIN  F.  KECK — Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  Brookville,  Penn 
sylvania  ;  transferred,  to  Veteran    Reserve    Corps    July    27, 
1863. 

ERASTUS  KING — Drafted  October  30,  1863;  wounded  in  knee  May 
10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

SAMPSON  KLINGENSMITH — Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  at  Ring-gold; 
killed  July  2,  1863,  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania. 


976  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMEN  T 


N  F.  KRAMER  —  Drafted  October  30,  1863;  burial  record, 
died  at  Beverly,  New  Jersey,  September  29,  1864. 

ELIAS  R.  KROII  —  Enlisted  February  27,  1864;  captured  Reams 
Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864;  transferred  to  Company 
E,  53d  Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865. 

JOHN  KUNKLE  —  Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  Indiana,  Pennsylvania; 
wounded  July  2,  1863,  at  Gettysburg;  died  in  hospital  a  few 
days  afterwards. 

DANIEL  C.  LAW  —  Enlisted  August  12,  1862,  Punxsutawney  ;  on  de 
tached  service  in  band  at  division  headquarters  ;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865  ;  lives  Lyons,  Iowa. 

JOSEPH  H.  LAW  —  Enlisted  August  12,  1862,  Punxsutawney;  on 
detached  service  as  bugler  at  brigade  headquarters  August, 
1863;  killed  near  Farmville,  Virginia,  April  7,  1865;  last 
man  killed  in  Regiment. 

WILLIAM  LAININGEK  —  Enlisted  August  11,  1862,  Indiana,  Penn 
sylvania;  deserted  March  31,  1863,  at  Falmouth,  Virginia. 

WILLIAM  LANDERS  —  Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  Indiana;  died  April 
8,  1865,  of  wounds  received  at  South  Side  Railroad  March 
31,  1865;  buried  in  National  Cemetery  City  Point,  Section 
A,  Division  4,  Grave  65. 

JOSEPH  LONG—  Drafted  June  30,  1863;  died  January  5,  1864, 
Douglas  Hospital  Washington,  D.  C.,  from  amputation  of 
leg;  buried  National  Cemetery,  Arlington,  Virginia. 

DAVID  F.  LUCKIIART  —  Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  at  Indiana; 
wounded  July  2,  1863,  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  and 
May  10,  1864,  in  left  knee  at  Po  River,  Virginia;  died  May 
30,  1864,  at  Armory  Hospital,  Washington,  D.  C. 

THOMAS  R.  LUCKHART  —  Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  Indiana; 
wounded  in  knee  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863  ; 
transferred  to  Company  B,  18th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps,  September  11,  1863;  discharged  by  General  Order 
June  1,  1865. 

JOHN  C.  MOOREIIEAD  —  Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  Plumville;  de 
tached  service  as  mounted  orderly  headquarters  Fourth  Bri 
gade,  First  Division,  Second  Corps;  mustered  out  with  com 
pany  June  1,  1865. 

TMOMAS  McEi,WEE  —  Enlisted  August  18,  1862,  Indiana,  Pennsyl 
vania;  wounded  July  2,  1863,  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania; 
mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

MONTGOMERY  MCFADDEN  —  Drafted  August  15,  1863;  taken  pris 
oner  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station;  transform!  to  Com- 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          977 

pany  E,  53d  Regimeut  Pennsylvania    Volunteers    June    1, 
1865 ;  discharged  by  General  Order. 

JOHN  MEEKENS — Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  at  Indiana,  Pennsyl 
vania;  wounded  in  leg  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor;  leg 
amputated;  discharged  May  29,  1865. 

WILLIAM  MILLTRON — Enlisted  August  21,  1862,  at  Indiana,  Penn 
sylvania;  taken  prisoner  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 
Virginia;  died  afterwards. 

ELI  R.  MILLER — Drafted  August  15,  1863;  captured  Reams.  Sta 
tion,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  E, 
53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865. 

GEORGE  MILLER — Enlisted  August  21,  1862,  Ringgold;  wounded  in 
leg  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863 ;  discharged 
August  31,  1864,  at  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  by  order  of 
Secretary  of  War  and  appointed  Adjutant  127th  Regiment 
U.  S.  a  T.,  September  5,  1864. 

JACOB  W.  MILLER — Substitute  October  26,  1863;  wounded  in  arm 
May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia ;  transferred  to  Company 
E,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

ANDREW  MINICII — Drafted  October  31,  1863;  killed  Gravelly  Run, 
Virginia,  March  31,  1865. 

JOHN  MOUNTZ — Drafted  August  30,  1863 ;  discharged  from  the 
hospital  to  date  July  29,  1864. 

WILLIAM  S.  NEWCOMB — Enlisted  August  21,  1862,  at  Punxsutaw- 
ney;  died  in  hospital  January  5,  1863,  at  Falmouth,  Vir 
ginia,  of  inflammation  of  the  brain. 

WILLIAM  P.  OBERLIN — Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  Indiana;  taken 
prisoner  March  31,  1865,  at  Gravelly  Run;  discharged  by 
General  Order  June  5,  1865 ;  died  since  the  War. 

JOSIAH  PHILIPS — Drafted  August  2,  1863 ;  wounded  Deep  Bottom, 
Virginia,  August  18,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  E,  53d 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865. 

SAMUEL  A.  PILSON — Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  Indiana,  Pennsyl 
vania  ;  wounded  in  left  arm  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10, 
1864;  discharged  by  General  Order  June  6,  1865. 

JOHN  POUNDS — Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  at  Punxsutawney ;  trans 
ferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  September  17,  1863;  dis 
charged  by  General  Order  July  8,  1865. 

JOSIAH  POSTLETHWAITE — Enlisted  August  21,  1862,  at  Punxsutaw 
ney;  deserted  from  hospital  November  2,  1863. 

WILLIAM  PRIXGLE — Enlisted  August  18,  1862,  at  Indiana;  died 
August  24,  1864,  on  transport;  buried  in  Cypress  Hill  Cem 
etery,  Long  Island. 


978  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

EMANUEL  RAYBUCK — Enlisted  August  21,  1862,  at  Perrysville; 
wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863 ;  dis 
charged  by  General  Order  July  12,  1865 ;  died  September 
15,  1890. 

HENRY  RAYBUCK — Enlisted  August  21,  1862,  at  Perrysville;  mus 
tered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

HEZEKIAII  C.  REED — Enlisted  August  16,  1862;  transferred  to  Vet 
eran  Reserve  Corps  September  17,  1863;  discharged  by  Gen 
eral  Order  June  30,  1865. 

MALCIIIA  RHODES — Enlisted  September  22,  1862,  at  Indiana; 
wounded  July  2,  1863,  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania;  mus 
tered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

JOSEPH  RISING — Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  at  Indiana;  taken  pris^ 
oner  October  27,  1864,  at  Fort  Crater  in  front  of  Petersburg, 
Virginia;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

JOHN  G.  ROLAND — Enlisted  August  16,  1862,  Indiana;  wounded 
and  taken  prisoner  Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  25, 
1864;  died  February  6,  1865,  Salisbury,  North  Carolina. 

JOHN  B.  SHALL — Enlisted  August  16,  1862;  taken  prisoner  August 
25,  1864,  Reams  Station,  Virginia;  discharged  by  General 
Order  June  22,  1865. 

SAMUEL  SHILLING — Enlisted  August  7,  1862,  Brookville,  Penn 
sylvania;  wounded  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863; 
taken  prisoner  Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864. 

PHILIP  SLOPPY — Enlisted  August  14,  1862,  Brookville;  wounded 
in  leg  and  taken  prisoner  May  10,  1864,  at  Po  River;  died 
in  Richmond,  Virginia,  December  17,  1864. 

DAVID  SMITH — Enlisted  August  7,  1862,  Brookville;  wounded  July 
2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania;  killed  May  12,  1864. 
'Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia. 

JOHN  SNYDER — Enlisted  August  10,  1862,  Brookville;  wounded 
and  taken  prisoner  May  10,  1864,  at  Po  River,  Virginia; 
died  December  7,  1864,  at  Richmond,  Virginia. 

JOSEPH  C.  SPEEDY — Enlisted  August  17,  1862,  Indiana;  wounded 
in  leg  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863 ;  discharged 
September  1.  1863,  at  U.  S.  G.  Hospital  on  surgeon's  certifi 
cate  of  disability. 

DAVID  E.  STAMM — Drafted  August  15,  1863 ;  captured  Reams  Sta 
tion,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  E, 
53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

JAMES  L.  STAGGERS — Enlisted  August  10,  1862,  Brookville;  taken 
prisoner  Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864;  died 
Salisbury,  North  Carolina,  December  17,  1864. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          979 

JACOB  M.  K.  STRAYER — Drafted  October  30,  1863;  wounded  in 
thigh  August,  1804;  transferred  to  Company  E,  53d  Regi 
ment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1805;  discharged  by 
General  Order  June  0,  1805. 

JOSEPH  L.  SUTTON — Enlisted  August  10,  1802,  at  Indiana;  died  in 
division  hospital  at  Ealmouth,  Virginia,  May  25,  1803. 

EDWARD  SWEENY — Enlisted  August  18,  1802,  Indiana;  discharged 
May  29,  1803,  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  on  surgeon's  certificate 
of  disability. 

ROBERT  P.  THOMPSON — Enlisted  August  10,  1802,  at  Indiana; 
captured  Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1804;  died 
Salisbury,  Xorth  Carolina,  December  8,  1804. 

CHAMBERS  O.  TIMBLIN — Enlisted  August  13,  1802,  Brookville, 
Pennsylvania;  discharged  July  4,  1804,  by  sentence  of  G. 
C.  M. 

GEORGE  F,  TIMBLIN — Enlisted  February  25,  1804,  Waterford; 
wounded  in  left  knee  May  10,  1804,  Po  River,  Virginia;  died 
Washington,  D.  C.,  June  3,  1804,  of  wounds;  buried  in  Na 
tional  Cemetery,  Arlington,  Virginia. 

HARVEY  H.  TRANSUE — Drafted  August  10,  1803 ;  wounded  through 
the  face  May  13,  1804,  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Vir 
ginia  ;  transferred  to  Company  E,  53d  Regiment  Pennsyl 
vania  Volunteers  June  1,  1805. 

PETER  VANCILE — Drafted  October  30,  1803 ;  wounded  in  thigh  June 
3,  1804,  at  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia;  discharged  from  United 
States  General  Hospital,  Washington,  February  25,  1805. 

GEORGE  D.  WELCH — Enlisted  August  10,  1802,  at  Indiana;  taken 
prisoner  August  25,  1804,  Reams  Station,  Virginia;  died 
February  0,  1805,  at  Salisbury,  Xorth  Carolina. 

LEWIS  A.  WELCH — Enlisted  August  10,  1802,  Indiana;  011  detached 
service  at  division  hospital ;  mustered  out  with  company  June 
1,  1805;  died  February  19,  1902. 

JAMES  K.  WELLS — Enlisted  August  21,  1802,  Indiana;  wounded 
in  face  Gettysburg,  July  2,  1803 ;  discharged  December  22. 
1803,  at  Washington  011  surgeon's  certificate  of  disability. 

DANIEL  CLARK  WHITACRE — Enlisted  August  20,  1802,  Indiana; 
died  July  7,  1803,  at  General  Hospital,  Alexandria,  Vir 
ginia;  burial  record,  June  28,  1803;  grave  800. 

PHILIP  WHITSEL — Enlisted  August  13,  1802,  Brookville;  wounded 
Cold  Harbor,  Virginia,  June  5,  1804;  died  June  0^  1804. 

MILES  WYNKOOP — Enlisted  August  21,  1802,  at  Indiana;  mus 
tered  out  with  company  June  1,  1805. 


980  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

JOHN  S.  WYNKOOP — Enlisted  August  18,  1862 ;  wounded  July  2, 
1863,  Gettysburg;  died  May  23,  1864,  at  Fredericksburg, 
Virginia,  of  wounds  received  at  Po  River,  May  10,  1864. 

HENRY  YOUNG — Enlisted  August  13,  1862,  Brookville;  died  Fred 
ericksburg,  Virginia,  May  20,  1864,  of  wounds  received  at 
Po  River,  Virginia,  May  "lO,  1864. 


ROSTER  OF  F  COMPANY  148TH  REGIMENT  PENNSYL 
VANIA  VOLUNTEERS. 

The  place  of  enrollment,  so  far  as  it  can  be  ascertained,  is  given. 
The  date  of  original  enlistment  cannot  be  secured,  inasmuch  as 
neither  muster-in  nor  muster-out  roll  is  available,  and  the  date  fol 
lowing  place  of  enrollment  is,  therefore,  the  date  of  original  muster- 
in  at  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania. 

CAPT.  MARTIN  DOLAN — Milesburg,  Pennsylvania,  September  8, 
1862;  discharged  September  8,  1863;  died  since  the  War. 

CAPT.  WILLIAM  POTTER  WILSON — Potters  Mills,  Pennsylvania; 
September  1,  1S62;  promoted  from  First  Lieutenant  to  Cap 
tain  November  15,  1863;  served  on  division  headquarter 
staff  from  spring  of  1863  >to  spring  of  1864;  transferred  to 
corps  headquarter  staff  spring  of  1864;  brevet  Major  Decem 
ber  2,  1864;  brevet  Lieutenant  Colonel  March  13,  1865; 
Captain  and  Aide-de-Camp  United  States  Volunteers  May 
14,  1865 ;  died  August  6,  1886. 

CAPT.  JACOB  BREON — Potters  Mills,  Pennsylvania;  September  1, 
1862 ;  promoted  from  Sergeant  to  First  Sergeant  March  8, 
1863;  to  Second  Lieutenant  November  15,  1863;  to  Captain 
May  15,  1865;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865; 
died  Altoona,  Pennsylvania,  April  21,  1901. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  GEORGE  T.  CURVAN — Promoted  from  First  Sergeant 
to  Second  Lieutenant  March  2,  1863;  to  First  Lieutenant 
November  15,  1863;  discharged  by  Special  Order  November 
21,  1864. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  WILLIAM  LUCAS — Snow  Shoe,  Pennsylvania;  pro 
moted  from  Corporal  to  First  Sergeant  March  28,  1865;  to 
First  Lieutenant  May  15,  1865 ;  mustered  out  with,  company 
June  1,  1865  ;  lives  Philipsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

SECOND  LIEUT.  DAVID  C.  FREEMAN — Cameron  County,  Pennsyl 
vania;  September  8,  1862;  Private  Company  C,  Bucktail 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          981 

(42d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers)  ;  was  wounded 
Cross  Keys  June  8,  1862 ;  transferred  and  promoted  to  Sec 
ond  Lieutenant;  resigned  March  2,  1863 ;  died  since  the  War. 

FIRST  SERGEANT  WILLIAM  J.  MACKEY — Milesburg;  promoted  from 
Sergeant  May  15,  1865;  commissioned  Second  Lieutenant 
May  18,  1865;  not  mustered;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865  ;  lives  Altoona,  Pennsylvania. 

FIRST  SERGT.  JEREMIAH  A.  SANKEY — Potters  Mills,  September  1, 

1862;  commissioned  First  Lieutenant  December  1,  1864;  not 
mustered;  died  at  City  Point,  Virginia,  March  29,  1865,  of 
wounds  received  at  Petersburg,  Virginia,  March  25,  1865. 

FIRST  SERGT.  ROBERT  A.  HENRY — September  1,  1862 ;  killed  at  Po 
River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864. 

SERGT.  SIMEON  BATIIURST — Milesburg,  Pennsylvania,  September 
1,  1862;  promoted  to  Corporal  April  17,  1863;  to  Sergeant 
February  26,  1865;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1, 
1865. 

SERGT.  SYLVESTER  A.  ENGLISH — Cameron  County,  Pennsylvania, 
September  1,  1862;  promoted  to  Corporal  July  13,  1863;  to 
Sergeant  February  25,  1865;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865;  lives  Benezett,  Pennsylvania. 

SERGT.  JOHN  M.  ENGLISH — Cameron  County,  September  1,  1862 ; 
promoted  to  Corporal  September  11,  1864;  to  Sergeant  March 
29,  1865 ;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865  ;  lives 
Driftwood,  Pennsylvania. 

SERGT.  SAMUEL  STAIR — 'September  1,  1862;  promoted  to  Corporal 
September  11,  1864;  to  Sergeant  May  16,  1865;  mustered 
out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

SERGT.  WILLIAM  P.  PHELPS — Cameron  County,  September  1,  1862  ; 
discharged  February  20,  1865,  for  wounds  received  at  Po 
River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864. 

SERGT.  DAVID  BURRELL — Spring  Mills,  Pennsylvania,  September 
1,  1862;  promoted  Corporal  August  29,  1862;  Sergeant  Xo- 
vember  15,  1863;  discharged  February  20,  1865,  for  wouncU 
received  at  Deep  Bottom,  Virginia,  August  14,  1864;  lives 
Spring  Mills,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  JAMES  S.  RILEY — Cameron  County,  September  1,  1862;  pro 
moted  to  Corporal  September  14/1863;  discharged  by  Gen 
eral  Order  May  29,  1865. 

CORP.  HENRY  HEATON — Milesburg,  Pennsylvania,  September  1, 
1862;  promoted  to  Corporal  September  11,  1864;  on  special 
duty  at  commissary  department ;  absent  sick  at  muster  out ; 
lives  Yarnall,  Pennsylvania. 


982  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

COUP.  J.  W.  STRINGFELLOW — Cameron  County,  September  1,  1862 ; 
promoted  to  Corporal  July  11,  1864;  wounded  Po  River, 
Virginia,  May  10,  1864,  and  at  Reams  Station,  Virginia, 
August  25,  1864;  absent  at  muster-out. 

CORP.  ISA  P.  LEIGILTLEY — Milesburg,  Pennsylvania;  September  1, 
1862;  promoted  to  Corporal  February  26,  1864;  served  with 
color  guard;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865;  lives 
YeageTtown,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  WILLIAM  BAINLEY — Milesburg,  Pennsylvania,  September  1, 
1862;  promoted  Corporal  February  26,  1864;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865. 

CORP.  DAVID  IRVIN — September  1,  1862;  wounded  Po  Riygr,  Vir 
ginia,  May  10,  1864;  promoted  Corporal  March  25,  1865; 
mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

CORP.  WILLIAM  A.  JACOBS — Snow  Shoe,  Pennsylvania,  September 

1,  1862;   promoted  to  Corporal  March  26,   1865;  mustered 

out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 
CORP.   GEO.    W  .    STEFFEY — Huntingdon    County,     September    1, 

1862,  promoted  to  Corporal  March  26,  1865;  mustered  out 

with  company  June  1,  1865. 

CORP.  JAMES  POTTER — September  1,  1862;  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps  September  12,  1863. 

CORP.  REUBEN  SHIRK — September  1,  1862;  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps  April  18,  1864. 

CORP.  CONSTANTINE  HINTON — Snow  Shoe,  Pennsylvania,  Septem 
ber  1,  1862;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  January 
30,  1865. 

CORP.  WILLIAM  H.  BURRELL — Spring  Mills,  Pennsylvania,  Sep- 
•tem'ber  1,  1862;  promoted  to  Corporal  January  12,  1863; 
killed  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863;  buried  Na 
tional  Cemetery,  Section  E,  Grave  7. 

CORP.  STEPHEN  KENNELLY — Spring  Mills,  Pennsylvania,  Septem 
ber  1,  1862;  promoted  to  Corporal  September  28,  1863; 
killed  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864. 

CORP.  MARTIN  T.  IRVIN — September  1,  1862  ;  promoted  to  Corporal 
April  26,  1864;  killed  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864. 

CORP.  DANIEL  SHAEFFER — Potters  Mills,  Pennsylvania,  September 
1,  1862;  died  at  Potters  Mills  April  9,  1863. 

MUSICIAN  THOMAS  MINNICH — September  1,  1862;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          983 

PRIVATES. 

WILLIAM  W.  ANDERSON — February  3,  1864;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865. 

SETJI  M.  ABRAHAM — October  14,  1863;  substitute;  deserted  No 
vember  5,  1863. 

GEORGE  ARMSTRONG — Milesburg,  Pennsylvania,  September  1,  1862; 

deserted   July   18,    1864;   returned;    discharged  by   Special 

Order  August  16,  1865. 
DAVID  BEHRS — September   1,   1862;   mustered   out  with  company 

June  1,  1865;  lives  Benore,  Pennsylvania. 

JACOB  J.  BERGER — October  7,  1863;  substitute;  died  at  Baltimore; 
Maryland,  November  28,  1864. 

WILLIAM  H.  BERGER — October  17,  1863^  substitute;  transferred  to 
Company  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865. 

WILLIAM  C.  BENNETT — February  29,1864;  transferred  toCompany 
G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865. 

FREDERICK  BINGMAN — October  2,  1863;  drafted;  transferred  to 
Company  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865. 

JOHN  BARMOY — Frenchville,  Pennsylvania,  September  1,  1862 ; 
wounded  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863;  trans 
ferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  January  2,  1865  ;  died  since 
the  War. 

ELIAS  BOYER — Milesburg,  Pennsylvania,  September  1,  1862 ;  trans 
ferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  January  2,  1865  ;  died  since 
the  War. 

JOHN  COONEY — September  1,  1862;  wounded  and  captured  at  Po 
River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  died  at  Richmond,  Virginia, 
June  19,  1864. 

JONATHAN  CAMP — August  22,  1863;  drafted;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsvlvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865. 

JOHN  CONFER — September  1,  1862 ;  discharged  on  surgeon's  cer 
tificate  March  20,  1863. 

JOHN  COGAN — August  22,  1863 ;  drafted;  transferred  to  Company 
G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

HENRY  CRAWFORD — Spring  Mills,  Pennsylvania,  September  1, 
1862 ;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

ASHER  CRIDER — September  1,  1862 ;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865. 


984  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

SOLOMON  CRIDER — September  1,  1862;  died  at  Cockeysville,  Mary 
land,  October  6,  1862. 

ALEXANDER  CREIGHTON — Cameron  County,  September  1,  1862 ; 
killed  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  3,  1863 ;  buried  in 
National  Cemetery  Section  A,  Grave  4. 

LEWIS  W.  CULVER — Snow  Shoe,  Pennsylvania,  September  1,  1862 ; 
transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  September  12,  1863 ; 
discharged  by  General  Order  July  1,  1865. 

JAMES  G.  DENT — Cameron  County,  September  1,  1862;  prisoner 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May,  1863 ;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865. 

GEORGE  W.  DUNKLE — Spring  Mills,  Pennsylvania,  September  1, 
1862;  discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  March  5,  1863; 
lives  Spring  Mills,  Pennsylvania. 

CHARLES  DUNLAP — -Cameron  County,  September  1,  1862;  died  ar 
Stevensburg,  Virginia,  January  4,  1864. 

ELI  FRITZ — October  1,  1863;  drafted;  discharged  on  surgeon's  cer 
tificate  February  23,  1864. 

JAMES  E.  FLEMING — September  1,  1862;  captured;  died  at  Salis 
bury,  North  Carolina,  January  18,  1863. 

MICHAEL  Fox — June  1,  1863;  drafted;  transferred  to  Company 
G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865; 
discharged  by  General  Order  June  24,  1865 ;  lives  Belleville, 
Pennsylvania. 

HAMILTON  H.  GRAHAM — Snow  Shoe,  Pennsylvania,  September  1, 
1862 ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  February  15. 
1864. 

WILLIAM  GARES — September  1,  1862 ;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865  ;  lives  Williamsport,  Pennsylvania. 

INMAN  A.  HALLET — Cameron  County,  September  1,  1862;  mustered 
out  with  company  June  1,  1865  ;  died  since  the  War. 

CHRIST  C.  HAVENER — Cameron  County,  September  1,  1862 ; 
wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863;  pris 
oner  August  25,  1864,  to  March  1,  1865 ;  discharged  by  Gen 
eral  Order  June  27,  1865. 

GEORGE  M.  HARNDEN — September  1,  1862;  discharged  on  surgeon's 
certificate  December  29,  1863. 

JAMES  HENRY — September  1,  1862;  died  January  1,  1865,  while  a 
prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 

BENJAMIN  HOCKENBERRY — October  7,  1863 ;  drafted ;  died  at 
Washington,  D.  C.,  August  28,  of  wounds  received  at 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          985 

Deep  Bottom,   Virginia,   August  16,    1864;   buried   in   Na 
tional  Cemetery,  Arlington. 

F.  F.  HOLLINGSWORTII — February  3,  1864;  transferred  to  Company 
G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

ISAAC  HOLLINGSWORTH — September  1,  1862  ;  died  at  Falmouth,  Vir 
ginia,  April  1,  1863. 

EDWARD  HOUSTON — October  10,  1862 ;  transferred  to  Company  G, 
53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

JOHN  W.  HOWARD — Snow  Shoe,  Pennsylvania,  September  1,  1862 ; 
transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  April  15,  1864;  dis 
charged  by  General  Order  July  8,  1865 ;  died  since  the  War. 

ABRAHAM  HULSIZER — October  8,  1863;  drafted;  transferred  to 
Company  G  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865. 

JAMES  O.  JORDAN — Cameron  County,  September  1,  1862 ;  dis 
charged  on  surgeon's  certificate  March  30,  1863. 

JOHN  H.  JACOBS — Snow  Shoe,  Pennsylvania,  September  1,  1862 ; 
transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  September  12,  1863. 

IRA  JOHNSTON — Cameron  County,  September  1,  1862 ;  died  at 
Washington,  D.  C.,  February  19,  1865;  buried  Military 
Asylum  Cemetery. 

DAVID  KENNEDY — August  22,  1863;  drafted;  died  May  31,  1864, 
of  wounds  received  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia, 
May  12,  1864;  buried  National  Cemetery,  Arlington,  Vir 
ginia 

MILES  T.  KETNER — September  1,  1862;  discharged  on  surgeon's 
certificate  January  16,  1863. 

ALBERT  LORD — Cameron  County  September  1,  1862 ;  captured 
Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864;  discharged  by 
General  Order  May  20,  1865  ;  lives  Cameron,  Pennsylvania. 

DAVID  J.  LITTLE — September  1,  1862 ;  absent  sick  at  muster-out. 

JOHN  D.  LUCAS — Snow  Shoe,  September  1,  1862 ;  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863;  absent  at  muster- 
out. 

JOHN  LININGER — September  1,  1862 ;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865. 

JOHN  LINGLE — September  1,  1862;  discharged  on  surgeon's  certifi 
cate  March  5,  1863. 

WILLIAM  LIGIITNER — September  1,  1862  ;  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps  September  12,  1863. 

BENJAMIN  LITTLE — September  1,  1862 ;  killed  at  Spotsylvania 
Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864. 


986  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

MARTIN  H.  MACKEY — Snow  Shoe,  Pennsylvania,  September  1, 
1862;  discharged  by  General  Order  May  23,  1865;  lives 
Altoona,  Pennsylvania. 

JOHN  MILLS — Snow  Shoe,  Pennsylvania,  Septem'ber  1,  1862; 
wounded  at  Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864 ;  mus 
tered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

WILLIAM  MILLER — Spring  Mills,  Pennsylvania,  September  1, 
1862;  prisoner  from  August  25  to  November  30,  186-4;  mus 
tered  out  with  company  June  1,  1864;  died  McAlevey's  Fort, 
1899. 

NATHANIEL  MILLER — August  22,  1863;  drafted;  transferred  to 
Company  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June 
1,  1865. 

HENRY  MILLAN — October  17,  1863;  drafted;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1, 
1865. 

DAVID  MARTZ — October  17,  1863;  drafted;  died  at  Milton,  Penn 
sylvania,  November  12,  1864. 

THOMAS  MORGAN — October  29,  1863  ;  substitute;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  Gj  53d  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865. 

SAMUEL  MOTTARN — October  1,  1863;  drafted;  discharged  by  Gen 
eral  Order  May  16,  1865. 

PATRICK  McEiNTYRE — Snow  Shoe,  Pennsylvania,  September  1, 
1862  ;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

LUKE  McAuEE — September  1,  1862;  missing  in  action  at  Spotsyl- 
vania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864. 

JOHN  McCoNNELL — August  22,  1863;  drafted;  transferred  to 
Company  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865. 

ROBERT  McCREARY — October  28,  1863;  substitute;  transferred  to 
Company  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865. 

MICHAEL  McGiNNESS — December  22,  1862 ;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865. 

JEREMIAH  McKiNLEY — Snow  Shoe,  Pennsylvania,  September  1, 
1862;  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863; 
discharged  by  General  Order  July  25,  1865. 

WILLIAM  A.  NICHOLS — February  29,  1864;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          987 

JACOB  E.  NICHOLS — October  18,  1863;  substitute;  transferred  to 
Company  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June 
1,  1865. 

HENRY  S.  NOLDER — June  1,  1863;  drafted;  transferred  to  Company 
G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865 ; 
lives  Petersburg,  Pennsylvania. 

DAVID  OLSWALS — Snow  Shoe,  Pennsylvania,  September  1,  1862 ; 
died  at  Falmouth,  Virginia,  April  3,  1863. 

WILLIAM  A.  PARKER — Snow  Shoe,  Pennsylvania,  September  1, 
1862;  wounded  Reams  Station,  Virginia  August  25,  1864; 
mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

WILLIAM  PERRY — Snow  Shoe,  September  1,  1862;  served  with 
pioneer  corps;  discharged  December  19,  1864,  for  wound> 
received  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863;  died 
since  the  War. 

JOHN  PENNINGTON — Potters  Mills,  Pennsylvania,  September  1, 
1862;  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863; 
transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  February  15,  1864; 
died  since  the  War. 

JOHN  B.  PROUDFOOT — Milesburg,  September  1,  1862;  transferred 
to  Company  G,  14th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps;  dis 
charged  by  General  Order  June  26,  1865  ;  died  since  the  War. 

JOSEPH  SENTMAN — Milesburg,  Pennsylvania,  September  1,  1862 : 
wounded  Five  Forks,  Virginia,  March  31,  1865;  discharged 
by  General  Order  June  2,  1865. 

JOHN  H.  SMITH — Cameron  County,  September  1,  1862;  missing  in 
action  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864. 

PHILIP  T.  B.  SMITH — September  1,  1862 ;  wounded  at  Petersburg, 
Virginia,  June  18,  1864;  mustered  out  with  company  June 
1,  1865. 

SIMON  SIPE — Xovember  2,  1863;  drafted;  transferred  to  Company 
G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

CHARLES  SMULL — October  6,  1863;  drafted;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1, 
1865. 

THOMAS  J.  SPENCER — February  4,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  G. 
53d  Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865. 

REGUS  W.  STEWART — January  28,  1864;  transferred  to  Company 
G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865. 

WILSON  L.  STEWART — January  5,  1864;  transferred  to  Company 
G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsvlvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865. 


988  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

GEORGE  M.  STEFFEY — Huntingdon  County,  September  1,  1862; 
killed  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  3,  1803. 

WILLIAM  O.  STEFFEY — Huntingdon  County,  September  1,  1862 ; 
captured  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863;  died  at 
Richmond,  Virginia,  January  17,  1864. 

DAVID  SPECHT — November  2,  1863;  drafted;  discharged  November 
1,  1864,  for  wounds  received  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House, 
Virginia,  May  12,  1864. 

JOSEPH  SUNDERLAND — 'September  1,  1862 ;  discharged  on  surgeon's 
certificate  March  5,  1863. 

EDWARD  SWAB — Milesburg,  Pennsylvania,  September  1,  1862;  mus 
tered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

JOHN  SWAB — Milesburg,  Pennsylvania,  September  1,  1862 ;  dis 
charged  by  General  Order  July  12,  1865. 

WASHINGTON  WATSON — Snow  Shoe,  September  1,  1862 ;  served 
with  pioneer  corps ;  absent  sick  at  muster-out ;  died  since  the 
War. 

DAVID  WHITE — Milesburg,  Pennsylvania,  September  1,  1862 ;  mus 
tered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

DAVID  WANDS — October  6,  1863;  drafted;  transferred  to  Company 
G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865. 

JOSEPH  WILSON — October  22,  1863;  drafted;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1, 
1865. 

WILLIAM  WATKINS — 'Milesburg,  Pennsylvania,  September  1,  1862; 
died  June  10,  1863,  of  wounds  received  at  Chancellorsville, 
Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

BLAIR  WOODCOCK — August  22,  1863;  drafted;  died  of  wounds 
received  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864. 

JACOB  WEAND — November  23,  1863;  drafted;  died  June  18th  of 
wounds  received  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia, 
May  12,  1864;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Arlington, 
Virginia. 

JOHN  WELCH — October  17,  1863;  substitute;  captured;  died  Salis 
bury,  North  Carolina,  January  17,  1864. 

HARRISON  ZEEK— August  22,  1863;  drafted;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  G,   53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June   1, 
'     1865. 

GEORGE  ZULINGER — February  10,  1864;  transferred  to  Company 
G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          989 


ROSTER  OF  COMPANY  G,  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOL 
UNTEERS. 

CAPT.  ROBERT  A.  MCFABLANE— See  Roster  of  Field  and  Staff- 
Lieutenant  Colonels. 

CAPT.  JAMES  J.  PATTERSON — Enlisted  August  5,  1862;  age  24; 
mustered  August  27,  1862,  as  First  Lieutenant;  promoted 
Captain  September  8,  1862;  wounded  June  16,  1864,  in  leg; 
honorably  discharged  by  Special  Order  No.  307,  Headquar 
ters  Second  Army  Corps,  December  3,  1864,  on  surgeon's 
certificate  of  disability;  address  when  enlisted  Boalsbur^r. 
Pennsylvania;  present  address  Shaver,  Boone  County,  Ar 
kansas. 

CAPT.  ISAAC  LYTLE — Enlisted  August  5,  1862;  age  20;  mustered  as 
First  Sergeant  August  18,  1862;  promoted  Second  Lieuten 
ant  September  8,  1862;  First  Lieutenant  November  15,  1863, 
and  Captain  December  22,  1864;  wounded  May  12,  1864, 
at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia;  honorably  discharged 
by  Special  Order  No.  24,  Headquarters  Second  Army  Corps, 
January  24,  1865;  died  in  New  Jersey;  buried  at  Harris- 
burg,  Pennsylvania. 

(.'APT.  JOHN  II.  HARPSTER — Enlisted  August  7,  1862  ;  age  20 ;  mus 
tered  Sergeant  August  18,  1862;  promoted  First  Sergeant 
September  8,  1862;  Second  Lieutenant  November  15,  1863; 
First  Lieutenant  December  22,  1864;  Captain  February  9, 
1865;  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  3,  1863; 
mustered  out  with  company  June  9,  1865 ;  address  when  en 
listed  Centre  Hall,  Pennsylvania;  present  address  Rajah- 
mundry,  India. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  JACOB  B.  EDMONDS — Enlisted  August  5,  1862 ;  age 
31 ;  mustered  Second  Lieutenant  August  29,  1862  ;  promoted 
First  Lieutenant  September  8,  1862 ;  transferred  to  Captain 
Company  C,  148th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  November  15, 
1863;  address  at  enlistment,  Boalsburg;  killed  at  Petersburg, 
Virginia,  June  22,  1864;  left  a  widow,  no  children. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  JOSEPH  Fox — Enlisted  August  11,  1862  ;  age  20  ;  mus 
tered  Corporal  August  18,  1862 ;  promoted  Sergeant  August 
28,  1863 ;  Second  Lieutenant  December  22,  1864;  First  Lieu 
tenant  February  9,  1865 ;  discharged  with  the  company  June, 
1865 ;  born  in  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania;  residence  at  en 
listment,  Center  Furnace;  was  twice  wounded;  killed  by  a 
locomotive  at  Bellefonte,  where  he  resided ;  left  a  widow  and 
sons  and  daughters. 


990  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

SECOND  LIEUT.  JOHN  W.  STUART — Enlisted  August  5,  1862,  age  IT  ; 
mustered  August  18,  1862;  promoted  to  Corporal  September 
8,  1862;  to  Sergeant  August  28,  1863;  to  Second  Lieutenant 
February  9,  1865,  acted  Adjutant  of  the  Regiment  from 
March  1st  to  March  25,  1865 ;  'acted  Quartermaster  of  the 
Regiment  from  March  25th  to  June  9,  1862 ;  wounded  at  Po 
River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  9,  1865  ;  resided  at  time  of  enlistment,  Boalsburg,  Penn 
sylvania;  now  resides  at  State  College,  Pennsylvania. 

FIRST  SERGT.  ROBERT  H.  PATTERSON — Enlisted  August  5,  1862  ; 
age  18;  mustered  as  a  private  August  18,  1862;  made  Cor 
poral  November  6,  1862 ;  Sergeant  January  15,  1863,  and 
First  Sergeant  November  15,  1863;  wounded  June  3,  1864, 
at  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia;  discharged  on  surgeon's  certifi 
cate  February  6,  1865 ;  was  previously  wounded  at  Gettys 
burg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863 ;  residence  at  enlistment, 
Peru  Mills,  Juniata  County,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  still 
resides. 

FIRST  SERGT.  WILLIAM  L.  TAYLOR — Enlisted  August  5,  186.2 ;  ago 
26;  mustered  as  Corporal  August  18,  1862;  promoted  Ser 
geant  July,  1864,  and  First  Sergeant  February  6,  1865; 
wounded  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  M'ay  3,  1863;  mus 
tered  out  with  company;  present  address  Harrisburg,  Penn 
sylvania. 

SERGT.  WILLIAM  McGuiRE— Enlisted  August  7,  1862;  age  26; 
mustered  Sergeant  August  18,  1862 ;  mortally  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863,  and  died  May  9, 
1863. 

SERGT.  LOT  E.  KETNER — Enlisted  August  4,  1862;  age  27;  mus 
tered  Sergeant  August  18,  1862 ;  wounded  at  Deep  Bottom, 
Virginia,  August  16.  1864;  mustered  out  with  company. 

SERGT.  WILLIAM  C.  HOLAHAN — Enlisted  August  5,  1862,  at  Boals 
burg,  his  home;  mustered  Sergeant  August  18,  1862;  trans 
ferred  to  Second  Lieutenant  United  States  Colored  Troops; 
wounded  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12, 
1864;  died  at  Renova,  Pennsylvania. 

SERGT.  JAMES  P.  ODENKIRK — Enlisted  August  12,  1862 ;  age  21 ; 
mustered  August  18,  1862,  as  a  private;  promoted  Sergeant 
January  15,  1863 ;  transferred  to  the  non-commissioned  staff 
of  the  Regiment  July  1,  1864;  home  when  enlisted,  "Old 
Fort;"  present  address  Warrensburg,  Missouri. 

SERGT.  SAMUEL  EVERHART — Enlisted  August  4,  1862  ;  age  21 ;  mus 
tered  Corporal  August  18,  1862;  promoted  Sergeant  January 
5,  1863;  transferred  and  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          991 

Company  C  October  1,  1864;  wounded  May  12,  1864;  killed 
April  30,  1865;  &ee  record  of  Company  C;  home  Boalsburg, 
Pennsylvania ;  buried  in  Spring  Creek  Cemetery. 

SERGT.  JAMES  P.  SHOOP — Enlisted  August  5,  1862;  age  21;  mus 
tered  August  18,  1862,  as  Corporal;  detached  August  9,  1863, 
for  duty  with  ambulance  corps,  where  he  served  with  efficiency 
to  the  end  of  the  War;  promoted  Sergeant  October,  1864; 
address  Canton,  Ohio. 

SERGT.  JOHN  MARTZ — Enlisted  August  5,  1862 ;  age  21 ;  home 
Shingletown;  mustered  Corporal  August  18,  1862;  promoted 
Sergeant  January  1,  1865;  mustered  out  with  company; 
address  Centre  Hall,  Pennsylvania. 

SERGT.  ITIIIEL  B.  SNYDER — Enlisted  August  8,  1862 ;  age  23 ;  mus 
tered  private  August  18,  1862 ;  promoted  Corporal  July  28, 
1864;  Sergeant  February  6,  1865;  mustered  out  with  com 
pany. 

SERGT.  DAVID  H.  HENNEY — Enlisted  August  12,  1862 ;  age  18 ; 
mustered  private  August  18,  1862 ;  promoted  Corporal  July 
28,  1864;  Sergeant  February  6,  1865;  wounded  at  Po  River, 
Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  home  when  enlisted  Centre  Hall, 
Pennsylvania;  died  Potters  Mills,  Pennsylvania;  buried  at 
Sprucetown,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  GEORGE  J.  DUFFY — Enlisted  August  4,  1862 ;  age  21 ;  mus 
tered  Corporal  August  18,  1862 ;  killed  in  battle  of  Spotsyl 
vania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  born  and  reared 
at  Shingletown,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  GEORGE  W.  WENT — Enlisted  August  7,  1862 ;  age  25 ;  mus 
tered  August  18,  1862 ;  by  his  own  choice  became  a  private 
November   15,    1862 ;   wounded   at  Deep  Bottom,    Virginia 
August  15,  1864;  born  and  reared  in  Perry  County,  Penn 
sylvania. 

CORP.  WILLIAM  H.  SWINEHART — Enlisted  August  5,  1862 ;  age  22  : 
mustered  August  18,  1862;  killed  May  10,  1864,  at  Po 
River,  Virginia ;  born  and  reared  near  Oak  Hall,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

CORP.  WILLIAM  I.  BERRY — Enlisted  August  13,  1862;  age  20;  mus 
tered  private  August  18,  1862  ;  detailed  as  hospital  steward 
First  Brigade,  First  Division,  Second  Army  Corps  i  promoted 
Corporal  January  5,  1863;  discharged  from  the  volunteer 
service  and  enlisted  as  United  States  hospital  steward  by  Spe 
cial  Order  !Nb.  252,  War  Department,  July  28,  1864*;  born 
and  reared  near  Lamont,  Pennsylvania. 


992  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

CORP.  JAMES  M.  KOYER — Enlisted  August  5,  1862 ;  age  22 ;  mus 
tered  private  August  18,  18 62  ;  promoted  Corporal  January  5, 
1863;  mustered  out  with  company;  home  near  Pleasant  Gap, 
Pennsylvania;  died  February  7,  1888;  buried  at  Kebersburg, 
Pennsylvania. 

COEP.  GEOROJE  W.  WARD — Enlisted  August  5,  1862;  age  24;  mus 
tered  private  August  18,  1862;  promoted  Corporal  January 
5,  1863;  killed  at  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  Virginia, 
May  3,  1863;  home  when  enlisted,  Centre  County,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

CORP.  WILLIAM  8.  VAN  DYKE — Enlisted  August  5,  1862 ;  age  18 ; 
mustered  private  August  18,  1862;  promoted  Corporal  Aug 
ust  1,  1863 ;  killed  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia, 
May  12,  1864;  home  when  enlisted,  Peru  Mills,  Juniata 
County,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  DANIEL  S.  KELLER — Enlisted  August  5,  1862,  from  his  home 
a.t  Boals-burg,  Pennsylvania ;  ag'e  18  ;  mustered  private  August 
18,  1862  ;  promoted  Corporal  September  1863 ;  transferred  to 
invalid  corps  on  account  of  wounds  received  at  the  battle  of 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863,  by  Special  Order 
JSTo.  57,  War  Department,  dated  February  15,  1864;  died 
and  is  buried  at  Belief onte,  Pennsylvania;  held  a  prominent 
place  at  the  Bellefonte  Bar;  was  Lieutenant  Colonel  and 
Assistant  Adjutant  General  N".  G.  P.  on  staff  of  General 
Beaver. 

CORP.  GEORGE  GLENN — Enlisted  August  5,  1862,  from  his  home 
near  the  Branch;  age  19;  mustered  August  18,  1862,  a  pri 
vate;  promoted  Corporal  September,  1863;  discharged  on 
surgeon's  certificate  of  disability  January  11,  1865;  buried 
at  Spring  Creek  Cemetery. 

Coin'.  DANIEL  KOYEK — Enlisted  August  6,  1862;  age  22;  mustered 
August  18,  1862,  a  private;  promoted  Corporal  May  13, 
1864;  mustered  out  with  company;  home  when  enlisted  near 
Pleasant  Gap;  present  address  Valley  Falls,  Kan. 

CORP.  WILLIAM  A.  JACOBS — Enlisted  August  6,  1862 ;  age  18 ;  home 
Shingletown;  mustered  private  August  18,  1862;  promoted 
Corporal  October  3,  1864;  wounded  May  10,  1864,  at  Po 
River,  Virginia ;  buried  at  Centre  Hall,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  JOSEPH  L.  HARPSTER — Enlisted  August  5,  1862;  age  19; 
home  at  Stormstown;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  promoted 
Corporal  February  9,  1865;  wounded  at  Chancellorsville, 
Virginia,  May  3,  1863,  and  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House, 
Virginia  May  12,  1864;  left  for  dead,  fell  into  enemy's 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          995 

hands,  was  exchanged  and  returned  for  duty ;  present  ad 
dress  Port  Matilda,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  JAMES  B.  IRVIN — Enlisted  August  5,  1862 ;  age  28 ;  hom^ 
near  Penna  Furnace,  Huntingdon  County;  mustered  Aug 
ust  18,  1862;  promoted  Corporal  February  9,  1865; 
wounded  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12, 
1864,  and  at  Fort  Gregg  October  27,  1864;  mustered  out 
with  the  company;  died  January  4,  1893;  buried  at  Steffis, 
Huntingdon  County,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  WILLIAM  L.  BOTTORFF — Enlisted  from  his  home  near  Center 
Furnace  August  5, 1862  ;  age  19  ;  mustered  a  private  August 
18,  1862;  promoted  Corporal  February  9,  1865;  mustered 
out  with  company;  present  address  Canton,  Ohio. 

CORP.  ANTHONY  KNOPF — Enlisted  from  his  home  at  Linden  Hall 
August  5,  1862 ;  age  31 ;  mustered  August  18,  1862,  a  pri 
vate;  promoted  Corporal  February  9,  1865;  wounded  at  Po 
River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864,  and  at  Adams  Run,  Virginia, 
April,  1865;  mustered  out  with  company;  present  address 
Oak  Hall  Station,  Pennsylvania. 

MUSICIAN  DANIEL  SCHREFFLER — Age  33;  drummer;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  8,  1862 ;  mustered  out  with  company ;  died  in  Illinois. 

MTSICIAN  MATHIAS  RIDER — Age  22;  fifer;  enlisted  August  11, 
1862;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  mustered  out  with  com 
pany;  present  address  Gatesburg,  Pennsylvania. 

WAGONER  ABRAHAM  M.  ROYER — Enlisted  August  5,  1862,  as  team 
ster,  but  served  in  the  ranks;  mustered  August  18,  1862; 
mortally  wounded  May  30,  1864,  at  Totopotomoy,  Virginia; 
died  August  15,  1864;  home  at  enlistment,  Boalsburg. 

PRIVATES. 

HENRY  C.  ALLEN — Enlisted  August  5,  1862 ;  age  19 ;  residence 
Pine  Grove;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  served  with  the 
approbation  of  those  in  command  and  was  discharged  with 
the  company  June,  1865 ;  present  address  Altoona,  Penn 
sylvania. 

JOHN  H.  ALLEN — Enlisted  August  8,  1862 ;  age  25  ;  residence  Pine 
Grove;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  detached  June  13,  1863, 
as  teamster  in  division  train ;  so  served  to  end  of  War ;  dis 
charged  with  the  company ;  a  good  soldier. 

WILLIAM  BAILY — August  2,  1862 ;  age  18 ;  mustered  August  18, 
1862;  served  faithfully;  engaged  in  many  actions  and  was 
discharged  with  the  company ;  present  address  Stormstown, 
Pennsvlvania. 


994  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

GEORGE  K.  BAKER — Enlisted  August  5,  1862;  age  20;  residence 
Oak  Hall;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  detached  as  provost 
guard  at  Philadelphia  January  14,  1864;  returned  to  the 
company  August  24,  1864;  served  with  credit  to  discharge  of 
company,  both  in  the  company  and  on  detail;  present  address 
Downs,  Osborne  County,  Kansas. 

BENJAMIN  F.  BEANS — Enlisted  August  5,  1862  ;  age  18 ;  mustered 
August  18,  1862  ;  wounded  at  Gettysburg  July  3,  1863  ;  killed 
at  battle  of  Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864;  a 
true  and  brave  soldier. 

NATHAN  E.  BEANS — Enlisted  August  5/1862;  age  18  (was  young 
er)  ;  mustered  August  18,  1862  ;  missing  in  action  June  16, 
1864,  near  Petersburg,  Virginia;  was  prisoner  of  war;  was 
released  an  invalid  and  discharged  with  the  company,  a  brave 
soldier ;  killed  in  Clearfield  County  by  tree  falling  on  him. 

VALENTINE  BENSKOTRE — Enlisted  August  5,  1862 ;  age  21 ;  resi 
dence  Potters  Mills;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  served  well 
until  winter  of  1863 ;  lost  his  health  and  was  long  in  hospital 
and  discharged  for  disability  February  11,  1865,  at  Phila 
delphia,  Pennsylvania. 

JOHN  BOWERS — Enlisted  August  5,  1862 ;  age  20 ;  mustered  Aug 
ust  18,  1862;  did  good  service;  was  made  prisoner  of  war  at 
Reams  Station  August  25,  1864;  reported  died  in  prison. 

BRICE  D.  BRISBIN — Enlisted  August  7,  1862;  age  20;  residence 
Old  Fort;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  wounded  at  Gettys 
burg  July  3,  1863 ;  prisoner  of  war  in  action  before  Peters 
burg,  Virginia,  June  22,  1864;  a  very  worthy  soldier;  dis 
charged  with  company ;  present  address  Centre  Hall,  Penn 
sylvania. 

BENJAMIN  D.  CONDO — Enlisted  August  8,  1862 ;  age  18 ;  residence 
Milheim;  mustered  August  18,  1862 ;  wounded  June  3,  1864 
at  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia;  died  of  his  wounds  June  17th  at 
Washington,  D.  C. ;  a  loss  to  his  company  and  friends ;  buried 
at  Traversburg,  Virginia. 

CHARLES  M.  CONDO — Twin  brother  of  the  above,  enlisted  at  same 
time;  drowned  in  the  Gunpowder  Creek  September  21,  1862 ; 
a  young  soldier  of  much  promise. 

JARED  CONDO — Enlisted  August  8,  1862;  age  19;  residence  Mil 
heim;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  detached  June  3,  1863,  as 
a  blacksmith  First  Division  Second  Corps  and  so  served  until 
the  end  of  the  War;  murdered  by  prisoner  in  Belief onte  jail 
while  serving  as  turnkey  July  29,  1904. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          995 

DANIEL  CONDO — Enlisted  August  8,  1862;  age  41;  residence  Mii- 
heim;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  detached  as  blacksmith  1/> 
First  Division  December  29,  1862,  and  served  to  the  end  of 
the  War  and  mustered  out  with  company;  he  and  his  sou 
Jared  (above)  were  useful  men;  died  February  11,  1869,  at 
Spring  Mills,  Pennsylvania. 

JOHN  DAVISON — Enlisted  August  5,  1862 ;  age  23 ;  residence  Boals- 
burg;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  served  with  credit  in  the 
company  until  detached  September  25,  1863,  to  be  a  teamster 
at  brigade  headquarters  ammunition  train  and  so  served  to 
end  of  War ;  mustered  out  with  the  company. 

WILLIAM  DEVORE — Enlisted  August  2,  1862;  age  19;  residence 
Champion  Hill;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  killed  at  battle 
of  Deep  Bottom,  Virginia,  August  16,  1864 ;  a  soldier  brave 
and  true. 

BENJAMIN  F.  DUNKLE — Enlisted  August  13,  1862;  age  22;  Potters 
Mills;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  wounded  August  25, 
1864,  at  Reams  Station,  Virginia,  and  discharged  by  reason 
of  same  January  16,  1865,  and  the  company  lost  a  good  sol 
dier;  present  address  Lattesburg,  Ohio. 

HENRY  ECKINROTH — Enlisted  August  5,  1862 ;  age  29 ;  residence 
Oak  Hall;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  lost  arm  at  battle  of 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863,  while  bravely  fight 
ing  in  the  line;  discharged  November  21,  1863. 

HENRY  FLEISIIER — Enlisted  August  11,  1862;  age  21;  mustered 
August  18,  1862 ;  discharged  by  reason  of  physical  disability 
January  16,  1865;  he  did  much  good  service;  present  ad 
dress  Huston,  Pennsylvania. 

GEORGE  W.  GILBERT — Enlisted  August  6,  1862 ;  age  31 ;  residence 
Boalsburg;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  wounded  at  Gettys 
burg  July  3,  1863;  missing  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House, 
Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  there  is  little  doubt  that  he  was 
killed  and  lost  sight  of  in  that  terrible  rush ;  he  was  a  No.  1 
soldier;  he  left  a  widow  and  children. 

JOHN  GILBERT — Enlisted  August  5,  1862;  age  24;  mustered  Aug 
ust  18,  1862 ;  detailed  saddler  at  division  headquarters  Jan 
uary  15,  1863,  and  thus  he  was  never  called  on  to  do  service 
in  battle;  discharged  from  Convalescent  Camp,  Virginia. 
July  17,  1863. 

JACKSON  HARTLEY — Enlisted  August  4,  1862  ;  age  21 ;  residence 
Boalsburg;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  fought  in  the  line  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May,  1863 ;  was  detached  to  the 


996  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

ambulance  corps  June  25,  1863,  where  he  served  with  credit 
until  the  end  of  the  War  and  then  returned  to  company  and 
was  mustered  out  with  it. 

FRANCIS  M.  HESS — Enlisted  August  7,  1862 ;  age  19 ;  residence 
Centre  Hall;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  did  much  good 
service  and  was  mustered  out  with  the  company. 

JONATHAN  HOFFNER — Enlisted  August  15,  1862;  age.  18;  mustered 
August  27,  1862 ;  detached  December  29,  1862,  to  ambulance 
train  where  he  served  to  the  end  of  the  War;  wounded  in 
the  line  of  his  duty  June  5,  1861 ;  discharged  with  the  com 
pany;  present  address  Cornprobs  Mills,  Pennsylvania. 

GEORGE  W.  ISHLER — Enlisted  August  10,  1862 ;  age  21 ;  residence 
Boalsburg;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  mortally  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  died  May  6,  1863; 
be  fell  bravely  fighting  in  the  line ;  buried  at  Boalsburg, 
Pennsylvania. 

WILLIAM  A.  ISHLER — Enlisted  August  10,  1862 ;  age  22  ;  residence 
Boalsburg;  mustered  August  18,  1862 ;  he  served  through  the 
term  as  bass  drummer  of  the  Eegimental  Band,  and  he  was 
a  good  man  in  his  place;  present  address  Bellefonte,  Penn 
sylvania. 

THOMAS  JOHNSTONBAUGH — Enlisted  August  9,  1862 ;  age  19 ;  resi 
dence  Oak  Hall;  mustered  August  18,  1862 ;  did  good  service 
and  was  discharged  with  the  company ;  present  address  Clear- 
field,  Pennsylvania. 

SAMUEL  KELLY — Enlisted  August  7,  1862 ;  age  42 ;  residence  Pot 
ters  Mills  ;  mustered  August  18,  1862  ;  always  ready  for  duty, 
industrious  in  camp  and  full  of  courage,  he  did  credit  to  the 
service,  and  his  native  Ireland ;  mustered  out  with  company ; 
buried  at  Sprucetown,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 

GEORGE  KOON — Enlisted  August  5,  1862;  age  23;  residence  Boals-- 
burg;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  wounded  May  10,  1864. 
at  Po  River,  Virginia,  and  October  27,  1864,  at  Fort  Gregg; 
an  excellent  soldier;  discharged  with  company;  present  ad 
dress  Pleasant  Gap,  Pennsylvania. 

WILLIAM  KOONSMAN— Enlisted  August  9,  1862 ;  age  19 ;  residence 
Potters  Mills;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  he  did  not  prove 
able  for  service;  discharged  March  6,  1863,  after  several 
months  in  hospital. 

DAVID  KOONFIER— Enlisted  August  11,   1862;   age   24;   residence 
Old  Fort;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  killed  at  Cold  Har 
bor,  Virginia,  June  2,  1864;  a  man  who  always  did  his  duty 
the  best  he  could. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          997 

THOMAS  J.  LEE — Enlisted  August  6,  1862;  age  23;  residence  Boals- 
burg;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  detached  December  4, 
1863,  to  be  brigade  bugler  and  so  served  to  end  of  War  and 
then  discharged  with  company ;  his  position  proved  his  worth. 

SAMUEL  T.  LYTLE — Enlisted  August  5,  1862 ;  age  33 ;  mustered 
August  18,  1862  ;  a  good  soldier  until  failure  of  health  ;  trans 
ferred  to  the  invalid  corps  April  15,  1864 ;  present  address 
State  College,  Pennsylvania. 

ISAIAH  W.  MARKS — Enlisted  August  7,  1862;  age  23;  residence 
Juniata  County;  mustered  August  9,  1862;  wounded  May 
10,  1864,  at  Po  River,  Virginia;  discharged  May  3,  1865, 
at  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania ;  was  a  neat,  tidy  soldier. 

JAMES  F.  MARTIN — Enlisted  August  5,  1862;  age  19;  mustered 
August  18,  1862  ;  scarcely  physically  strong  enough,  he  perse 
vered  ;  was  lost  several  times  in  action ;  did  considerable  duty 
and  was  finally  discharged  with  company. 

DAVID  McCooL — Enlisted  May  5,  1862 ;  age  22 ;  residence  Oak 
Hall;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  wounded  May  10,  1864,  at 
Po  River,  Virginia ;  was  a  good  soldier,  served  faithfully 
and  in  the  end  was  discharged  with  his  company ;  buried  at. 
Millroy,  Pennsylvania. 

DAVID  D.  MclLiiATTAN — Enlisted  August  5,  1862 ;  age  21 ;  resi 
dence  Center  Furnace;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  wounded 
May  10,  1864,  at  Po  River,  Virginia;  a  brave  and  cheerful 
soldier ;  discharged  with  company ;  present  address  Oil  City. 
Pennsylvania. 

GEORGE  W.  MC!LHATTAX — Enlisted  August  9,  1862;  age  22;  resi 
dence  Center  Furnace;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  wounded 
May  10,  1804,  at  Spoteylvania  Court  House,  Virginia;  died 
at  Frederick sburg,  Virginia,  of  wound  June  5,  1864 ;  brave, 
cheerful  and  the  life  of  the  camp. 

DAVID  W.  MILLER — Enlisted  August  4,  1862;  age  18  (really  16)  ; 
mustered  August  18,  1862;  residence  Shingletown ;  one  of 
the  youngest  of  the  Regiment  he  did  the  duty  of  a  man ; 
wounded  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  served 
with  credit  to  the  end  of  the  War  and  was  discharged  with 
the  company ;  lives  Pine  Grove  Mills,  Pennsylvania. 

WILLIAM  MITCHELL — Enlisted  August  6,  1862;  age  32;  mustered 
August  18,  1862  ;  detached  September  25,  1863,  to  be  a  team 
ster  in  Fourth  Brigade  train  and  so  served  to  end  of  War; 
discharged  with  company ;  buried  at  Waterstreet,  Hunting 
don  County,  Pennsylvania. 


998  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

JOHN  MOYER — or  Myer  or  Myers  as  variably  spelled;  enlisted  Aug 
ust  5,  1862;  age  21;  residence  Boalsburg;  mustered  August 
18,  1862 ;  served  a  good  soldier  through  the  War  and  was 
discharged  with  company ;  buried  at  Boalsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

JOHN  H.  MOYER — Enlisted  August  13,  1862 ;  age  23 ;  residence 
Boalsburg;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  wounded  at  Chancel- 
lorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  there  was  no  better  soldier 
in  the  company ;  mustered  out  with  company ;  present  address 
Hiawatha,  Kansas. 

ADAMS  T.  MURPHY — Enlisted  August  4,  1862;  age  18;  residence 
Champion  Hill;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  wounded  May 
10,  1864,  at  Po  River,  Virginia ;  no  man  in  the  company  did 
more  or  better  service  than  this  boy ;  discharged  with  the  com 
pany  ;  present  address  Grampion,  Pennsylvania. 

DANIEL  G.  MUSSER — Enlisted  August  4,  1862;  age  19;  residence 
Pine  Grove;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  died  of  congestive 
fever  at  Camp  Hancock,  Virginia,  January  11,  1863;  buried 
at  Pine  Grove  Mills,  Pennsylvania. 

AMOS  MYERS — Enlisted  August  5,  1862 ;  age  22 ;  residence  Boals 
burg;  miistered  August  18,  1862;  killed  at  Gettysburg,  Penn 
sylvania,  July  3,  1863 ;  in  him  Company  G  lost  one  of  her 
best  men. 

REUBEN  PAGE — Enlisted  August  5,  1862 ;  age  39 ;  residence  Center 
Hall;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  detached  December  28, 

1862,  to  serve  with  the  ambulance  corps  and  served  most  effi 
ciently  to  the  end ;  there  was  no  risk  he  would  not  run  to 
reach  and  carry  off  a  wounded  man ;   discharged  with  his 
company;  died  and  is  buried  at  Linden  Hall,  Pennsylvania. 

REUBEN  REED — Enlisted  August  9,  1862;  age  21;  mustered  Aug 
ust  18,  1862 ;  wounded  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  3, 

1863,  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864, 
and  at  Reams  Station  August  25,  1864 ;  an  excellent  soldier ; 
after  faithful  service  he  was  discharged  with  company;  died 
February  10,  1901;  buried  at  Pine  Grove  Mills,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

SAMUEL  REEL — Enlisted  August  5,  1862 ;  age  18 ;  residence  Boals 
burg;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  wounded  August  25,  1864, 
at  Reams  Station,  Virginia ;  discharged  with  company  after 
good  service ;  present  address  Tyrone,  Pennsylvania. 

JOHN  T.  RILEY — Enlisted  August  5,  1862;  age  20;  residence  Boals 
burg;  mustered  August  18,  1862  ;  did  much  good  service;  wa? 
also  sick  in  hopital  for  long  intervals ;  mustered  out  witli 
company ;  buried  at  Burmingham,  Pennsylvania. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          999 

ALEXANDER  B.  Ross — Enlisted  August  11,  1862 ;  age  24 ;  residence 
Pine  Grove  Mills;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  after  this  did  not 
do  much  field  duty ;  up  to  this  time  was  a  rugged  soldier. 

JOHN  H.  RUMBARGER — Enlisted  August  7,  1862;  age  18  (in  reality 
only  15)  ;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  transferred  to  the  in 
valid  corps  July  16,  1863;  transferred  back  to  company 
May  ^3,  Ib04;  missing  in  ac-tion  near  Petersburg,  Virginia, 
June  16,  1864;  was  prisoner  till  end  of  War;  this  was  an 
ambitious  and  intrepid  boy. 

GEOKGE  W.  SHAFFER — Enlisted  August  9,  1862 ;  age  27 ;  mustered 
August  18,  1862 ;  he  was  a  delicate  man  and  did  most  of  his 
service  at  hospital ;  mustered  out  with  company. 

DAVID  W.  SHIRES — Enlisted  August  12,  1862  ;  age  18 ;  residence 
Potters  Mills;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  died  of  typhoid 
fever  December  14,  1862 ;  buried  at  Sprucetown,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

THOMAS  SINGLETON — Enlisted  August  11,  1862;  age  18;  residence 
Center  Furnace;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  wounded  at  Po 
River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  brave,  cool  and  daring,  he 
was  one  of  those  who  helped  make  Company  G  what  she  was : 
mustered  out  with  company:  present  address  Kittaning 
Point,  Pennsylvania. 

SAMUEL  H.  SNYDER — Enlisted  August  6,  1862  ;  mustered  August 
18,  1862;  wounded  at  battle  of  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10. 
1864;  died  August  22,  1864  in  hospital  at  Washington  D.  C. 

DAVID  STOVER — Enlisted  August  7,  1862;  age  26;  residence  Boals- 
burg;  mustered  August  18,  1862  ;  wounded  May  10,  1864,  at 
Po  River ;  recovered  and  returned  to  company ;  a  fine  sample 
of  the  Christian  soldier,  true  and  brave ;  mustered  out  with 
the  company ;  address  Lincoln  Center,  Kansas. 

HIRAM  SWEET  WOOD — Enlisted  August  4,  1862 ;  age  23 ;  mustered 
August  18 ;  detached  October  2,  1863 ;  teamster  in  division 
wagon  train  to  end  of  War :  a  good  man  wherever  placed  : 
mustered  out  with  company. 

JAMES  A.  THOMPSON — Enlisted  August  5,  1862 ;  age  18 ;  residence 
Boalsburg;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  detached  as  courier 
at  corps  headquarters  to  end  of  War;  wounded  at  Gettys 
burg  July  3,  1863 :  a  model  soldier  in  every  line  of  'duty : 
mustered  out  with  company ;  present  address  James  A. 
Thompson,  M.  D.,  Stormstown,  Pennsylvania. 

WILLIAM  A.  THOMPSON — Enlisted  August  5,  1862 ;  residence  Pot 
ters  Mills:  mustered  August  18,  1862:  killed  June  1,  1864, 


1 000  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

near  Hanovertown,   Virginia  ;   he  did   all  lie  could  for  his 
country. 

SAMUEL  W.  WEBB — Enlisted  August  4,  1862;  age  19;  mustered 
August  18,  1862 ;  was  a  particularly  good  soldier  until  July 
8,  1863,  when  he  deserted,  to  the  surprise  of  all. 

JAMES  A.  WILLIAMS — Enlisted  August  8,  1862 ;  age  21 ;  mustered 
August  18,  1862 ;  killed  in  the  charge  at  Gettysburg  in  the 
very  front  July  2,  1863 ;  a  tidy,  brave  and  responsible  sol 
dier,  a  loss  to  his  country. 

WILLIAM  W.  WILLIAMS — Enlisted  August  11,  1862;  age  24;  resi 
dence  Lamonte;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  died  of  chronic 
gastritis  November  11,  1864;  a  worthy  man  and  excellent 
soldier;  buried  at  Spring  Creek  Cemetery. 

WILLIAM  WINGARD — Enlisted  August  12,  1862 ;  age  22 ;  residence 
Potters  Mills  August  18,  1862;  captured  August  25,  1864; 
died  in  Andersonville  prison ;  he  was  a  good  soldier. 

GEORGE  W.  YARLETT — Enlisted  August  11,  1862;  age  40;  mustered 
August  18,  1862;  captured  August  25,  1864,  at  Reams  Sta 
tion,  Virginia ;  died  in  Andersonville  prison  ;  he  did  a  large 
amount  of  good  service  before  capture. 

JOHN  E.  YOUTS — Enlisted  August  8,  1862;  age  21;  residence  Pot 
ters  Mills;  mustered  August  18,  1862;  wounded  at  Chancel- 
lorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  lingered  long  in  hospital 
and  was  transferred  to  the  invalid  corps  April  15,  1864,  and 
from  there  discharged ;  he  was  a  prime  soldier. 

RECRUITS    OF    COMPANY    G. 

WILLIAM  BETTS— Drafted  September  1,   1863,   Sixteenth  District 
Chambersburg ;  joined  company  November  19,  1863;  a  first- 
class  soldier;  his.  home  was  in  Bedford  County. 

HENRY  A.  BOTTORFF— Enlisted  at  Boalsburg  by  Captain  Patterson 
February  20,  1864;  mustered  February  25,  1864;  age  18; 
was  a  good  soldier;  discharged  with  company;  present  ad 
dress  Downs,  Kansas. 

JOHN  H.  BREON — Enlisted  November  25,  1862;  deserted  ;  was 
never  in  action ;  was  no  good. 

WILLIAM  IT.  FULTON — Enlisted  by  Captain  Patterson  at  Bellefonte, 
February  22,  1864;  age  19;  residence  Center  Furnace;  mus 
tered  February  26,  1864;  wounded  May  12,  1864,  at  Spot- 
sylvania  Court  House,  Virginia;  returned  for  duty;  dis 
charged  with  the  company  after  good  service;  present  ad 
dress  Dakota,  Illinois. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1001 

WILLIAM  H.  GARBRICK — Enlisted  at  Bellefonte  by  Captain  Patter 
son  February  25,  1864;  mustered  February  25,  1864; 
wounded  June  11,  1864,  on  picket  before  Cold  Harbor,  Vir 
ginia  ;  mustered  out  with  company ;  he  did  his  duty  well ; 
present  address  Tyrone,  Pennsylvania. 

THOMAS  J.  GATES — Enlisted  at  Boalsburg  by  Captain  Patterson 
February  22,  1864;  mustered  February  25,  1864;  did  good 
service  and  was  discharged  with  the  company;  present  ad 
dress  Mill  Creek,  Pennsylvania. 

PHILIP  GLESSNER — Drafted  September  1,  1863,  Sixteenth  District, 
Chambersburg ;  residence  Bedford  County ;  wounded  May 
13,  1864,  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  on  picket; 
after  a  time  returned  to  duty ;  was  a  superior  soldier. 

\\7iLLiAM  M.  GROSS — Drafted  Fourteenth  District  at  Selins  Grove; 
joined  company  Xovember  19,  1863;  killed  May  12,  186-i. 
at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia ;  he  was  an  exception 
ally  good  soldier. 

SAMUEL  HAMER — Enlisted  at  Boalsburg  by  Captain  Patterson  Feb 
ruary  22,  1864;  mustered  February  25,  1864;  killed  on 
picket  in  front  of  Petersburg,  Virginia,  October,  1864;  thus 
he  fell  in  the  line  of  his  duty. 

BENJAMIN  HOUSEL — Enlisted  by  Captain  Patterson  at  Bellefonto 

February  15th  and  mustered  February  25,  1864;  joined  for 

duty  with  company  April  15th;  sent  to  hospital  May  1st  and 

never  returned  to  company  for  duty  until  time  to  be  mus- 

.    tered  out  with  it ;  buried  at  Bellefonte,  Pennsylvania. 

FRANCIS  M.  MAY — Drafted  September  1,  1863,  Sixteenth  District, 
Chambersburg;  residence  Bedford  County;  joined  company 
November  19,  1863 ;  wounded  at  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia, 
June  3,  1864,  and  again  at  Adams  Run  April,  1865  ;  dis 
charged  with  company ;  record,  fine. 

JOHN  PITTMAN — Enlisted  as  a  substitute  at  Chambersburg,  place 
of  rendezvous  for  Sixteen th  District ;  age  18  ;  mustered  August 
28,  1863 ;  joined  Company  G  October  30,  1863 ;  his  home 
was  Mercersburg,  Franklin  County,  Pennsylvania  ;  ho  was  a 
very  enthusiastic  and  efficient  soldier;  discharged  with  the 
company. 

WILLIAM  PITTMAN — Drafted  August  28,  1863;  age  21;  Chambers 
burg,  the  point  of  rendezvous  for  Sixteenth  District;  joined 
Company  G  October  30,  1863;  wounded  (permanent  in 
jury)  May  10,  1864,  at  Po  River,  Virginia  ;  was  just  as  good 
a  soldier  as  his  brother  John. 


1002  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

SAMUEL  J.  RAGER — Enlisted  by  Captain  Patterson  at  Bellefonte 
February  10,  1864;  mustered  February  25,  1864;  wounded 
June  17th  near  Petersburg,  Virginia,  and  again  October  26, 
1864,  and  captured  by  the  enemy;  died  in  prison;  a  young 
man,  esteemed  by  all ;  a  brave  and  earnest  soldier. 

JAMES  C.  SELLERS — Enlisted  by  Captain  Patterson  at  Boalsburg 
February  22,  1864;  mustered  February  26,  1864;  discharged 
with  the  company  after  more  than  a  year  of  service;  present 
address  Sawpit,  Colorado. 

DIAS  SHOEMAKER — Drafted  September  1,  1863,  Sixteenth  District, 
Chambersburg ;  joined  Company  G  November  19,  1863; 
wounded  arid  captured  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Vir 
ginia,  May  12,  1864;  died  of  his  wounds  in  prison  August 
15,  1864;  a  brave  soldier. 

JAMES  STARLIPER — Drafted  August  28,  1863,  Sixteenth  District, 
Chambersburg;  age  24;  residence  Mercersburg,  Franklin 
County,  October  30,  1863;  a  first-class  soldier;  discharged 
with  the  company. 

WILLIAM  V.  STARLIPER — Drafted  August  28,  1863,  Sixteenth  Dis 
trict,  Chambersburg;  age  26;  mustered  same  day;  joined 
company  October  30,  1863;  residence  Mercersburg;  captured 
June  22,  1864,  near  Petersburg;  held  by  enemy  until  end  of 
War ;  discharged  with  company ;  he  did  his  duty  well. 

JOHN  WEYAND — Drafted  as  above;  not  a  very  able  man ;  he  did  what 
duty  he  could;  transferred  to  the  invalid  corps  April  15,  1864. 

GEORGE  WASSON — Enlisted  at  same  time  and  place ;  mustered  Feb 
ruary  26,  1864;  served  in  most  creditable  manner  to  end  of 
War ;  discharged  with  the  company. 

HENRY  H.  YARNELL — Enlisted  and  mustered  with  the  above;  he  was 
a  very  excellent  soldier ;  mustered  out  with  company ;  living 
at  Connellsville,  Pennsylvania. 

JOHN  T.  YOUNG — Same  as  above;  he  did  his  duty  acceptably  and 
was  discharged  with  the  company;  buried  at  Altoona,  Penn 
sylvania. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1003 


ROSTER  OF  COMPANY  H,  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOL 

UNTEERS. 

LIEUT.  COL.  GEORGE  A.  FAIRLAMB — Mustered  August  22,  1862,  as 
Captain  of  Company  H;  promoted  to  Major  September  7, 
1S62 ;  wounded  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ; 
promoted  to  Lieutenant  Colonel  November  15,  1863 ; 
wounded  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12, 
1864,  through  the  right  elbow  joint  and  left  shoulder  and 
captured,  remaining  a  prisoner  from  May  12,  1864,  to  Sep 
tember  22,  1864;  discharged  on  a  surgeon's  certificate  of  dis 
ability  February  24,  1865 ;  living  at  Bellefonte,  Pennsyl 
vania,  at  Bush  House. 

LIEUT.  COL.  GEORGE  A.  BAYARD — Mustered  August  22,  1862,  as 
First  Lieutenant  Company  H;  promoted  to  Captain  Sep 
tember  7,  1862 ;  wounded  in  the  face  by  a  minie  ball  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  captured  at  Straw 
berry  Plains,  Virginia,  June  22,  1864;  promoted  to  Major 
May  17,  1865 ;  commissioned  Lieutenant  Colonel  June  1, 
1865 ;  mustered  out  with  Regiment  June  1,  1865 ;  died  at 
Bellefonte,  Pennsylvania,  July  7,  1903,  aged  76  years. 

CAPT.  H.  H.  MONTGOMERY — Mustered  August  16,  1862,  as  pri 
vate;  promoted  to  Sergeant  September  7,  1862;  promoted 
to  Second  Lieutenant  October  30,  1863;  to  First  Lieutenant 
July  31,  1864;  to  Captain  May  6,  1865;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865 ;  living  at  No.  118  High  Street, 
Bellefonte,  Pennsylvania. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  JAMES  B.  COOK — First  enlisted  at  Rockford,  Illi 
nois,  in  Co.—  -  Illinois  Volunteers,  commanded  by  Col. 
W.  H.  L.  Wallace;  was  discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  of 
disability  resulting  from  typhoid  fever  contracted  at  Birds 
Point  near  Cairo ;  returned  to  his  home  at  Bellefonte,  Pennsyl 
vania;  enlisted  in  Company  H,  148th  Regiment  Pennsyl 
vania  Volunteers;  was  mustered  August  16,  1862,  as  third 
Sergeant;  promoted  to  First  Sergeant  September  7,  1862; 
to  First  Lieutenant  November  15,  1863  ;  wounded  at  the  bat 
tle  of  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1863,  by  minie  ball  in 
right  leg;  had  his  leg  amputated  at  the  Sixth  Corps  field 
hospital;  died  at  Armory  Square  Hospital,  Washington,  D. 
C.,  June  1,  1864;  buried  at  Bellefonte,  Centre  county,  Penn 
sylvania, 

FIRST.  LIEUT.  JOHN  L.  JOHNSTON — Mustered  as  First  Sergeant 
August  22,  1862;  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant  September 


1 004  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

7,  1862 ;  wounded  at  Chancellors ville,  Virginia,  May  3, 
1863;  promoted  to  Captain  of  Company  A  November  15, 
1863;  wounded  at  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia,  June  3,  1863; 
discharged  June  1,  1865 ;  entered  Regular  Army  -at  close  of 
War;  retired;  living  in  Philiadelphia. 

SECOND  LIEUT.  ALEXANDER  GIBB — Mustered  August  16,  1862,  as 
Fifth  Sergeant;  promoted  to  First  Sergeant  November  15, 
1863;  to  Second  Lieutenant  September  8,  1864;  in  charge 
of  detail  from  Company  II,  with  Capt,  Jeremiah  Z.  Brown, 
in  capture  of  Confederate  fort  October  27,  1864;  promoted 
to  First  Lieutenant  May  6,  1804 ;  mustered  out  with  com 
pany  June  1,  1865;  died  in  New  York  City;  buried  near 
New  York. 

CHAPLAIN  WILLIAM  H.  STEVENS — Mustered  August  22,  1862,  as 
Second  Lieutenant;  promoted  to  Chaplain  September  4, 
1862;  mustered  out  with  Regiment  June  1,  1865;  died  at 
Shelby,  Iowa,  June  10,  1901;  buried  at  Three  Springs, 
Huntingdon  County,  Pennsylvania;  see  Chaplains  Story. 

SECOND  LIEUT.  JOHN  A.  BAYARD — Lieutenant  in  Second  Pennsyl 
vania  Regiment  War  with  Mexico;  entered  1st  Cavalry  as 
Sergeant  August  12,  1861 ;  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant 
Company  E;  resigned  February  26,  1862;  mustered  August 
16,  1862;  promoted  from  Second  Sergeant  of  Company  H, 
to  Second  Lieutenant  September  2,  1862;  wounded  at  Chan- 
cellorsville,  Virginia,  in  the  side  May  3,  1863 ;  wounded 
through  the  thigh  July  2,  1863,  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania ; 
died  of  his  wounds  July  3,  1863 ;  buried  ja.t  Bellefonte,  Penn 
sylvania. 

SECOND  LIEUT.  JOHN  A.  J.  FUGATE — Mustered  August  16,  1862; 
promoted  to  Corporal  November  17,  1862 ;  to  Sergeant  Jan 
uary  1,  1863;  to  First  Sergeant  September  8,  1864;  com 
missioned  Second  Lieutenant  June  1,  1865 ;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865  ;  died  <at  Reynoldsville,  Jeffer 
son  County,  Pennsylvania,  1900;  buried  at  Reynoldsville, 
Pennsylvania, 

SERGT.  DARIUS  L.  SANDERS — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  promoted 
Corporal  January  5,  1863;  to  Sergeant  November  15,  1863; 
wounded  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  discharged 
by  General  Order  May  22,  1865;  living  at  Renova,  Clinton 
County,  Pennsy  1  vani  a . 

SERGT.  DANIEL  H.  BUMGARDNER — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  pro 
moted  Corporal  September  1,  1863;  to  Sergeant  December 
1,  1864;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865;  living 
at  Brookville,  JeffeTSon  County,  Pennsylvania. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1005 

SERGT.  SAMUEL  B.  WYLAND — Mustered  August  1G,  1862 ;  promoted 
to  Corporal  December  1,  1864;  to  Sergeant  January  1, 
1865 ;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865 ;  died  at 
Bellefonte,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania,  and  buried  in 
cemetery  there. 

SERGT.  JOHN  FREEZE — Mustered  August  16,  1^62;  promoted  Cor 
poral  November  1,  1864;  to  Sergeant  January  1,  1865; 
wounded  in  right  hip  at  Petersburg,  Virginia,  April  2, 
1865;  discharged  by  General  Order  July  27,  1865;  living 
in  Boogs  Township,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania, 

SERGT.  SAMUEL  McKiNLEY — Mustered  August  16,  1862 ;  promoted 
to  Sergeant  September  8,  1862;  killed  at  Gettysburg,  Penn 
sylvania,  July  2,  1863;  buried  at  Gettysburg  among  the 
unknown  dead. 

SERGT.  WILLIAM  WARD — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  promoted  to 
Sergeant  September  1,  1863;  captured  at  Petersburg,  Vir 
ginia,  June  18,  1864;  died  at  Millen,  Georgia,  December  1, 
1864;  buried  at  Millen;  grave  unknown;  he  saved  his  flag 
at  Petersburg,  June  17,  1864,  by  burying  it  in  the  sand  and 
suffering  himself  to  be  taken  prisoner. 

SERGT.  HERMAN  K.  MILLER — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  pro 
moted  to  Corporal  January  1,  1863;  to  Sergeant  November 
15,  1863;  captured  at  Petersburg,  Virginia,  June  17,  1864; 
prisoner  from  June  17,  1864,  to  April  28,  1865;  discharged 
July  llth  to  date  May  24,  1865  ;  living  at  No.  308  E.  High 
Street,  Belief onte,  Pennsylvania. 

SERGT.  THOMAS  JORDON — Mustered  October  10,  1862 ;  promoted 
Corporal  March  5,  1863;  to  Sergeant  December  1,  1864: 
captured  at  Petersburg,  Virginia,  June  17,  1864;  died  at 
Andersonville,  Georgia,  October  24,  1864;  buried  -at  Ander- 
sonville,  Georgia,  Grave  No.  11,430. 

CORP.  JACOB  SNYDER — Mustered  August  31,  1862,  as  Corporal; 
died  in  Finley  Hospital,  Washington,  D.  C,  of  typhoid 
fever  July  1,  1863;  buried  in  Military  Asylum  Cemetery, 
Washington,  D.  C. 

CORP.  EPIIRAIM  KLIXGER— Mustered  August  16,  1862;  promoted 
Corporal  September  1,  1863;  captured  at  Po  River,  Vir 
ginia,  May  10,  1864;  died  at  Salisbury,  North  Carolina; 
date  unknown,  grave  unknown. 

CORP.  JAMES  LUDWIG— Mustered  August  16,  1862;  promoted  to 
Corporal  November  18,  1863 ;  missing  in  charge  of  one  hun 
dred  men  of  148th  Regiment  under  Jeremiah  Z.  Brown. 
October  27,  1863,  on  Confederate  fort;  captured  by  them; 
probably  killed. 


1 006  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

Coup.  WM.  SNYDER — Mustered  August  30,  1862;  promoted  to  Cor 
poral  June  6,  1864;  captured  at  Strawberry  Plains  June  22, 
186-i;  in  prison  at  Andersonville,  Georgia;  died  at  Salis 
bury,  North  Carolina,  date  unknown,  grave  unknown. 

CORP.  GEORGE  W.  FARNSLER — Mustered  August  16,  1862 ;  pro 
moted  to  Corporal  January  1,  1865;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865 ;  living  near  Port  Matilda,  Centre 
County,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  HARDMAN  RICHARDS — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  promoted 
to  Corporal  January  1,  1865 ;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865;  living  at  Dubois,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  ROBERT  BLACKBURNE — Mustered  August  16,  1862  ;  wounded 
at  Spotsylvania  May  12,  1864,  in  the  left  thigh;  promoted 
to  Corporal  May  20,  1865 ;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865;  died  since  the  War. 

CORP.  WASHINGTON  G.  BRADY — Mustered  August  16,  1862  promoted 
to  Corporal  May  20,  1863 ;  mustered  out  witli  company  June 
1,  1865;  died  at  Fallen  Timber,  Cambria  County,  Pennsyl 
vania  ;  buried  there. 

CORP.  JOHN  D.  WAGNER — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  promoted  to 
Corporal  November  18,  1863;  wounded  at  Po  River,  Vir 
ginia,  May  10,  1864;  discharged  May  15,  1865,  for  wounds, 
received  at  Po  River ;  died  at  Martha,  Centre  County,  Penn 
sylvania;  buried  at  Williams  Cemetery. 

CORP.  W.  W.  MONTGOMERY — Mustered  August  16,  1862,  as  Cor 
poral;  discharged  February  28,  1863,  on  surgeon's  certifi 
cate  of  disability ;  died  near  Howard,  Centre  County,  Penn 
sylvania  ;  buried  there. 

CORP.  RICHARD  MILES — Mustered  August  16,  1862,  -as  Corporal; 
wounded  atl  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863,  by  gnu1 
shot  wound  through  upper  part  of  right  arm,  necessitating 
amputation  at  the  shoulder  joint;  discharged  July  13,  1S63/; 
died  at  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  in  1902. 

CORP.  GEORGE  H.  NEIMAN — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  promoted 
•to  Corporal  January  1,  1863;  wounded  through  the  hand 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  transferred  to  Vet 
eran  Reserve  Corps  January  15,  1864;  discharged  by  Gen 
eral  Order  July  5,  1865 ;  living  at  Fleming,  Centre  County, 
Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  PETER  FRANTZ — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  wounded  at 
'Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863,  in  shoulder;  pro 
moted  to  Corporal  September  9,  1863 ;  wounded  through 
right  wrist  at  Petersburg;  died  from  wounds  at  Philadel- 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1007 

phia,  Pennsylvania ;  buried  at  Port  Matilda,  Centre  County, 
Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  WM.  MCDONALD — Mustered  August  16,  1862 ;  promoted  to 
Corporal  November  15,  1863;  wounded  at  Po  River,  Vir 
ginia,  May  10,  1864;  died  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  June  20. 
1864,  from  wounds  received  at  Po  River;  buried  near  Wash 
ington. 

CORP.  SYLVESTER  SANDERS — Mustered  August  16,  1862 ;  promoted 
to  Corporal  September  1,  1863;  captured  June  22,  1864,  at 
Strawberry  Plains,  Virginia;  prisoner  from  June  22,  1864, 
to  1864;  died  at  Camp  Parole,  Annapolis, ' M.  D. ;  buried  at 
Annapolis. 

CORP.  SYLVESTER  HILL — Mustered  August  16,  1862 :  promoted 
Corporal  October  1,  1863;  captured  at  Petersburg  October 
27,  1864,  in  charge  under  Jeremiah  Z.  Brown,  on  Confeder 
ate  fort;  dfied  in  prison  January  1,  1865;  burial  place  un 
known. 

CORP.  MATTHEW  B.  LUCAS — Mustered  August  16,  1862 ;  promoted 
to  Corporal  January  1,  1863 ;  wounded  through  arm  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  killed  by  Confed 
erate  soldiers  after  having  been  captured  in  an  attempt  to 
get  water  for  himself  and  George  T.  Jones,  who  was  captured 
with  him;  buried  in  Wilderness  Burial  Grounds;  grave  un 
known. 

PRINCIPAL  MUSICIAN  ROBERT  A.  CASSIDY — Mustered  August  16, 
1862  ;  promoted  to  Principal  Musician  September  IS,  1862 ; 
transferred  to  19th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps;  dis: 
charged  by  General  Order  July  13,  1865:  living  at  Canton. 
Ohio. 

MUSICIAN  WILLIAM  YAGER — Mustered  August  16,  1862,  as  musi 
cian  ;  transferred  to  Company  E,  14th  Regiment  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps;  discharged  by  General  Order  July  28,  1865; 
dead. 

PRIVATES. 

SAMUEL  BUTLER — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  transferred  to  Vet 
eran  Reserve  Corps  February  15,  1864;  died  at  Bellefonte, 
Pennsylvania  ;  buried  in  cemetery  there. 

JAMES  E.  BEALES — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  wounded  at  Get 
tysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863;  died  of  his  wounds 
August  8,  1863;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Section  C, 
grave  85. 


1008  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

ROBERT  CASSADY— Mustered  August  16,  1802;  wounded  at  Spotsyl- 
vania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1804;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1805;  died  in  Missouri;  buried  in 
cemetery  there. 

JOHN  W.  CARLTON— Mustered  August  10.  1802;  killed  in  action 
at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia;  buried  in  Wilder 
ness  burying  ground,  grave  unknown. 

JOHN  C.  CRISSMAN— Mustered  August  10,  1802;  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  of  disability  April  15,  1863;  living  near 
Lock  Haven,  Clinton  County,  Pennsylvania, 

HERMANN  H.  CLAPP— Mustered  August  10,  1802;  killed  at  Cold 
Harbor,  Virginia,  June  3,  1804;  grave  unknown. 

W.  B.  COPENHAVER — Mustered  August  10,  1802;  deserted. 

MILES  CLARK — Mustered  August  10,  1802;  deserted. 

JOHN  DOLPII— Mustered  August  10,  1802;  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps  March  9,  1804;  discharged;  living  at  Phil- 
ipsburg,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 

ROBERT  ELDER— Mustered  August  10,  1802;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  K,  1st  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  February  14, 
1804;  discharged  'by  General  Order  July  14,  1805;  living 
in  California. 

XELSON  FLACK— Mustered  August  10,  1802;  on  detached  duty  as 
teamster  in  division  wagon  team  during  period  of  service; 
mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1805;  living  at  Belle- 
fonte,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 

DANIEL  G.  FARLEY— Mustered  August  10,  1802;  wounded  June  3, 
1804,  .at  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia;  mustered  out  with  com 
pany  June  1,  1805;  living  at  lloutzdale,  deal-field  County. 
Pennsylvania. 

JACOB  FRANTZ — Mustered  August  10,  1802;  wounded  at  Reams 
Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1804,  losing  the  last  two  fin 
gers  of  both  hands  by  minie  ball ;  discharged  on  account  of 
his  wounds  December  13,  1804;  living  near  Port  Matilda, 
Centre  County,  Pennsylvania, 

MICHAEL  FLINN — Mustered  August  10,  1802;  killed  at  Chanccl- 
lorsville,  Virginia,  May  2,  1803;  buried,  in  Wilderness  bury 
ing  ground,  grave  unknown. 

CHARLES  GAKRETT — Mustered  August  10,  1802;  teamster  at  corps 
headquarters  from  April  30,  1804,  to  June  1,  1805;  mus 
tered  out  with  company  June  1,  1805;  living  at  Bellefonte, 
Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 

JOHN  W.  GAHAGAN — Mustered  August  10,  1802;  wounded  , at  C'han- 
cellorsville,  Virginia,  through  the  left  arm,  section  of  arm 


Ill 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS          1009 

bone  removed;  discharged  May  30,   1803,  for  his  wounds ; 
died  in  New  York;  buried  there. 

SAMUKL  G  UN  SALIS— Mustered  August  16,  1802;  killed  at  Spotsyl 
vania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  buried  ii 
burial  ground  at  the  Wilderness  in  unknown  grave. 

JOHN  GI*EEN — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  wounded  at  Gettysburg 
through  the  body  July  2,  1863;  died  August  2,  1863,  of  his 
wounds;  buried  in  the  National  Cemetery,  Ixmdon  Park, 
Baltimore,  Maryland. 

THOMAS  GEPJIART — Mustered  August  10,  1802;  died  at  Camp  Han 
cock,  Virginia,  in  regimental  'hospital  March  5,  1803,  of  ty 
phoid  fever;  buried  at  Zion  Church  Yard,  Centre  County, 
Pennsylvania. 

DAVID  GOODE — Mustered  August  10,  1802  ;  deserted. 

ROBERT  HUDSON — Mustered  August  10,  1802;  detailed  as  division 
saddler  April  30,  1804;  mustered  out  with  company  June 
1,  1805 ;  living  at  Phillipsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

GEORGE  HAINES — Mustered  August  10,  1802;  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  of  disability  April  15,  1803;  died  near 
Howard,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania ;  buried  there. 

FRANCIS  J.  HUNTER — Mustered  August  10,  1802;  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  arm  amputated: 
discharged  for  wounds  July  20,  1863  ;  living  near  Axemann, 
Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 

REUBEN  HAGEN — Mustered  August  30,  1862  ;  deserted. 

LEWIS  W.  INGRAM — Mustered  August  16,  1862 ;  promoted  to  Com 
missary  Sergeant  September  5,  1802 ;  promoted  to  Quarter 
master  Sergeant  81st  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
June  27,  1804;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1805; 
living  at  Oregon  City,  Oregon. 

EDWARD  P.  JONES — Mustered  August  10,  1802;  wounded  at  Gettys 
burg,  Pennsylvania,  July  3,  1803 ;  mustered  out  with  com 
pany  June  1,  1805  ;  living  at  Port  Matilda,  Pennsylvania. 

GEORGE  T.  JONES — Mustered  August  10,  1802;  wounded  through 
tihe  left  leg  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1803 ; 
lay  for  fourteen  days  on  field  of  battle  without  attention ; 
discharged  for  his  wounds  February  9,  1804;  living  at  Phil 
lipsburg,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 

JOHN  JOHNSTON — Mustered  August  10,  1862 ;  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  of  disability  May  20,  1863;  died  at  Miles- 
burg,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania ;  buried  there. 

ROBERT  J.  KELLY — Mustered  August  16,  1862 ;  wounded  at 
Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864,  gun 


1010  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

shot  wound  through  the  right  elbow ;  discharged ;  died  near 

Port  Matilda;  buried  in  Williams  Cemetery,  near  Martha, 

Centre  County,   Pennsylvania. 
HIRAM  KNIPPENBURQ — Mustered  August  1C,  1862;  discharged  on 

surgeon's  certificate  of  disability  June  2G,  1863. 
DAVID  K,  KLINE — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  deserted. 
OSBORNE  LAMBERT — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  mustered  out  with 

company  June  1,  1865;  died  at  Bellefonte,   Pennsylvania; 

buried  there. 

GEORGE  H.  LONG— Mustered  August  16,  1862;  wounded  at  Chan- 
cellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1868,  through  the  foot;  dis 
charged  on  surgeon's  certificate  of  disability  January  18, 
1864;  living  in  Lewiston,  Mufflin  County,  Pennsylvania. 

WILLIAM  J.  LUCAS — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  wounded  at  Chan- 
oellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  wounded  at  Spotsyl- 
vania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  died  in  Har- 
risburg,  Pennsylvania. 

MICHAEL  LEBKICIIETI — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  wounded 
through  the  left  lower  arm  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia. 
May  3,  1863;  arm  amputated;  discharged  on  account  of 
wounds  September  18,  1863;  died  at  Bellefonto,  Pennsyl 
vania  ;  buried  in  cemetery  near  Unionville,  Centre  County, 
Pennsylvania. 

WILLIAM  LUDWIG — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  killed  at  Chancel 
lorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  buried  in  Wilderness  bur 
ial  ground,  grave  unknown. 

THOMAS  W.  MYTON — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863,  through  upper  left 
'arm  and  lower  part  of  nose ;  discharged  on  -account  of  wounds 
July  21,  1863;  living  at  310  Penn  Street,  Huntingdon, 
Pennsylvania. 

WYRMAX  S.  MILLER — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  killed  at  Chan 
cellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  buried  in  the  Wilder 
ness  burial  ground,  grave  unknown. 

W.  F.  MONTGOMERY — .Mustered  August  16,  1862;  wounded  and 
captured  at  Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864;  died 
in  prison  at  Salisbury,  North  Carolina,  December  10,  1864- j 
grave  unknown. 

SPENCER  MC!NTYRE — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865;  died  at  Philipsburg,  Pennsyl 
vania  ;  buried  there. 

WILLIAM  McKiNNEY — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  wounded  June 
3,  1864,  at  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia;  mustered  out  with  com 
pany  June  1,  1865. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1011 

JOHN  B.  NEWCOMER — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  promoted  to 
company  clerk  September  7,  1862;  discharged  by  General 
Order  May  25,  1865 ;  died  and  was  buried  in  Burnside 
Township,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 

WILLIAM  OLIVER — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  of  disability  July  6,  1863 ;  died  at  Philips- 
burg,  Pennsylvania. 

SAMUEL  II.  ORRIS — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  wounded  at  Chan- 
cellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863,  through  the  jaws;  dis 
charged  on  account  of  his  wounds ;  lives  at  Milesburg,  Centre 
County,  Pennsylvania. 

OSCAR  L.  RUNK — Mustered  August  16,  1862 ;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865;  lives  at  Philipsburg,  Centre  County. 
Pennsylvania. 

MATTHEW  M.  Ross — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  wounded  in  front 
of  Petersburg  June  17,  1861;  transferred  to  the  Veteran  Re 
serve  Corps —  —  1864;  discharged  by  General  Order 
June  26,  1865  ;  lives  in  Iowa. 

JOHN  K.  M.  RANKIN — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  died  at  Alexan 
dria,  Virginia,  July  1,  1863,  grave  872,  in  National  Ceme 
tery  at  Alexandria,  Virginia. 

FREDERICK  READER — Mustered  August  16,  1862 ;  died  of  wounds 
received  at  Ohancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  was 
shot  through  the  breast;  died  at  Potomac  Field  Hospital; 
dreaming  in  his  dying  moments  of  the  battle  he  repeated, 
uMajor,  we  will  stand  up  to  them,  won't  we." 

JACOB  SPOTTS — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  wounded  at  Chancel 
lorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  discharged  by  General 
Order  June  1,  1865 ;  died  and  was  buried  near  Martha,, 
Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 

DAVID  STINER — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  wounded  at  Chancel 
lorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1865,  and  at  Po  River,  Virginia, 
May  10,  1864;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865; 
living  near  Waddle,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 

THOMAS  B.  SANDERS — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  detailed  as  team 
ster  in  division  ammunition  train  April  30,  1864;  died  nenr 
Howard,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania,  in  1902. 

WILLIAM  H.  SHULTZ — Mustered  August  16,  1862  ;  discharged  by 
General  Order  May  30,  1865 ;  living  at  Milesburg,  Centre 
County,  Pennsylvania;  wounded  at  Gettysburg  July  2, 
1863,  Spotsylvania  May  12,  1864. 

JACOB  SHANK — Mustered  August  16,  1862  ;  discharged  on  surgeon's 
certificate  of  disability,  sunstruck,  September  28,  1863 ;  liv 
ing  near  Mount  Eagle,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 


1012  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

AMOS  SWEETWOOD — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  died  near  Fal- 
mouth,  Virginia,  April  1,  1863,  of  typhoid  fever;  buried  at 
Spence  Town,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 

ISAAC  SWEETWOOD — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  wounded  at  Get 
tysburg  July  2,  1863;  killed  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10, 
1864;  buried  at  Wilderness  burial  grounds,  grave  unknown. 

JAMES  STEWART — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  killed  at  Gettysburg, 
Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863;  buried  in  cemetery  at  Gettys 
burg. 

JAMES  M.  TEST— Mustered  August  16,  1862;  killed  at  Chancellors- 
ville,  Virginia,,  May  3,  1863;  was  the  first  man  killed  in 
Company  H,  had  his  head  shot  off  by  a  solid  shot  as  the  Regi 
ment  formed  in  line  for  'the  advance  into  the  woods ;  buried 
in  the  Wilderness  burial  ground,  grave  unknown. 

JOHN  G.  UZZLE — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  of  disability  September  8,  1863;  living  at 
Snow  Shoe,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 

SAMUEL  ULRICH — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  deserted. 

PHILLIP  WALKER — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  discharged  by  Gk4"- 
eral  Order  June  19,  1865;  living  at  Moshannon,  Centre 
County,  Pennsylvania. 

CHARLES  O.  WHIPPO — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  of  disability  March  9,  1864;  died;  buried 
at  Port  Matilda,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 

DANIEL  W.  WOODRING — Mustered  August  16,  1862 ;  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863,  in  the  left  arm,  in 
the  abdomen,  the  right  leg  and  left  shoulder;  was  carried  to 
the  Twelfth  Corps  Field  Hospital  and  left  on  the  ground 
without  any  one  to  care  for  him,  in  trying  to  crawl  off  the 
field  fell  into  a  hole  in  the  woods  from  which  he  could  not 
extricate  himself.  The  124th  Pennsylvania  going  into  line 
near  where  he  lay  he  was  by  order  of  Colonel  Hawley  of  that 
regiment  carried  to  the  road  and  put  into  an  ambulance  in 
which  he  was  hauled  to  Potomac  Creek  where  he  was  placed 
alone  in  a  large  hospital,  left  alone  and  remained  uncared 
for  until  May  10th,  when  his  wounds  were  for  the  first  time 
dressed  and  his  left  arm  amputated ;  living  at  Bellefonte, 
Pennsylvania, 

ULYSSES  WANTS— Mustered  August  16,  1862;  killed  at  the  battle 
of  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863;  buried  in  Wil 
derness  burial  ground,  Virginia,  grave  unknown. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1013 

HARRISON  YEAGER — Mustered  August  16,  1862 ;  killed  at  the  battle 
of  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  buried  in  Wil 
derness  burial  ground,  grave  unknown. 

ADONIRAM  J.  YOTHERS — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  wounded  at 
the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863, 
through  left  arm  necessitating  amputation  of  left  arm ;  died 
June  9,  1863,  of  wounds  received  at  Chancellorsville. 

BENJAMIN  ZIMMERMAN — Mustered  August  16,  1862;  wounded  in 
the  hand  at  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3, 
1863 ;  transferred  to  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  June  27, 
1865;  discharged  by  General  Order  June  27,  1865;  died: 
buried  near  Pine  Glen,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 

ROLL  OF  RECRUITS   AND  DRAFTED  MEN  AND  SUBSTITUTES  WHO   JOINED 
THE    COMPANY    AFTER   THE    ORGANIZATION    OF    THE    REGIMENT. 

CORP.  JOHN  A.  FLECK — Drafted;  mustered  October  29,  1863;  pro 
moted  bo  Corporal  January  1,  1865 ;  transferred  to  Campany 
G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

URIAH  K.  BROWN — Substitute;  mustered  October  23,  1863,  at  Hun 
tingdon,  Pennsylvania ;  received  into  the  company  October 
30,  1864:;  wounded  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House  May  12, 
1864;  transferred  to  Company  G,  53d  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers  June  1,  1865  ;  living  at  Johnstown,  Pennsylvania. 

JACOB  BRACKEN — Drafted ;  mustered  June  1,  1863,  at  Huntingdon, 
Pennsylvania;  received  into  C  Company  October  30,  1863; 
wounded  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864,  by  gun  shot 
wound  through  chin ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps 
December  13,  1864;  living  at  Johnstown,  Pennsylvania. 

JOHN  F.  BORING — Drafted ;  mustered  June  1,  1863,  at  Huntingdon, 
Pennsylvania;  killed  at  Petersburg,  Virginia,  June  18, 
1864 ;  buried  at  National  Cemetery  at  City  Point,  section  E, 
row  2,  grave  175. 

GEORGE  W.  CONSTABLE — Drafted;  mustered  October  24,  1863,  at 
Huntingdon,  Pennsylvania ;  received  into  company  October 
30,  1863;  transferred  to  Company  G,  53d  Regiment  Penn 
sylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865 ;  living  at  Johnstown, 
Pennsylvania. 

WILLIAM  M.  CAMPBELL — Drafted;  mustered  October  24,  1863! 
wounded  at  Spotsylvania,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  trans 
ferred  to  Company  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers  June  1,  1865;  wounded  at  Cold  Harbor  June  3,  1864: 
living. 


1014  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

ROBERT  CUSTARD — Drafted;  mustered  October  24,  1863;  wounded 
at  Spotsylvania,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  wounded  at 
Gravelly  Hun  March  31,  1SU5;  transferred  to  Co.  G,  53d 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

WILLIAM  11.  CLOSE — Drafted;  mustered  .February  23,  1864; 
wounded  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  May  12,  1864, 
through  the  jaws;  transferred  to  Company  G,  53d  Regimen^ 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865  ;  discharged  by  Gen 
eral  Order  of  June  8,  1865;  living  at  Oak  Hall,  Centre 
County,  Pennsylvania. 

JOHN  G.  DEIHL— -Drafted ;  mustered  October  22,  1863,  at  Sun- 
bury,  Pennsylvania;  received  into  company  October  30. 
1863;  wounded  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May 
12,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsyl 
vania  Volunteers  June  1,  1805;  discharged  by  General 
Order. 

ISRAEL  DEISHER — Substitute;  mustered  at  Sunbury,  Pennsylvania, 
October  22,  1863;  received  into  company  October  30,  1863; 
missing  in  action  Spotsylvania  May  12,  1863,  probably 
killed. 

JOHN  T.  FUNK — Recruit;  mustered  February  2,  1864;  taken  pris 
oner  at  Petersburg,  June  1,  18.64;  died  in  prison  at  Salis 
bury,  North  Carolina,  date  unknown ;  buried  there,  grave 
unknown. 

SAMUEL  M.  FUNK — Recruit;  mustered  February  2,  1864;  trans 
ferred  to  Company  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers,  June  1,  1865. 

ROBERT  FULTON — Recruit;  mustered  February  2,  1864;  wounded 
August  16,  1864,  at  Deep  Bottom,  Virginia,  through  the 
right  arm,  off ;  lives  in  Huntington,  Indiana. 

DENNIS  HUDSELL — Drafted;  mustered  August  31,  1863;  missing  in 
action  -at  Strawberry  Plains,  Virginia,  June  22,  1864; 
prisoner;  transferred  to  Comany  G,  53d  Regiment  Penn 
sylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

TILLMAN  JARVETT — 'Substitute;  mustered  October  21,  1863;  re 
ceived  into  company  October  30,  1863 ;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865  ;  lives  in  Turbotsville,  Northumberland  County,  Penn 
sylvania. 

HENRY  JOHNSTON — Substitute;  mustered  October  24,  1863,  at 
Huntingdon,  Pennsylvania;  received  into  company  October 
30,  1863;  wounded  at  Po  River  May  10,  1864;  transferred 
to  Company  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1015 

DAVID  B.  JONES — Drafted;  mustered  June  27,  1863,  at  Hunting 
don,  Pennsylvania;  received  into  company  October  31, 
1803;  died  at  Alexandria,  Virginia  March  30,  1864;  buried 
in  National  Cemetery,  grave  194. 

WILLIAM  H.  KELLERMAN — Recruit;  mustered  February  20,  1864; 
wounded  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864,  in  charge  on 
Confederate  fort  October  27,  1804;  lay  between  the  lines 
without  food  or  water  for  eight  days,  rather  than  be  cap 
tured  ;  died  at  Milesburg,  Pennsylvania,  buried  there. 

C.  KNUCKBRACKKN — Drafted;  mustered  August  19,  1863,  captured 
at  Strawberry  Plains,  Virginia,  June- 22,  1864;  died  af 
Petersburg,  Virginia,  September  16,  1864;  buried  at  Peters 
burg. 

IK  WIN  LOWREY — Drafted;  mustered  October  29,  1863;  wounded  at 
Po  River  May  10,  1864 ;  missing  in  action  October  27,  1863 ; 
transferred  to  Company  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Vol 
unteers  June  1,  1865  ;  in  Brown's  charge. 

JOSEPH  LAPE — Drafted;  mustered  November  1,  1863;  received  into 
company  May  10,  1864;  wounded  at  Po  River,  Virginia, 
May  10,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  G,  53d  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

STEPHEN  L.  LANKS — Drafted ;  mustered  August  19,  1863 ;  died 
January  9,  1864. 

JOHN  W.  MOORE — Drafted;  mustered  August  29,  1SG3,  at  Hunting 
don,  Pennsylvania;  received  into  company  October  30,  1863 ; 
wounded  at,  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  transferred 
to  Company  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865;  discharged  by  General  Order  July  20,  1865. 

HIRAM  G.  MOORE — Drafted;  mustered  August  13,  1863,  at  Hun 
tingdon,  Pennsylvania;  received  into  company  October  31, 
1863;  wounded  at  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia,  June  3,  1864, 
lower  left  arm  amputated ;  discharged. 

WILLIAM  H.  MERTZ— Drafted ;  mustered  October  23,  1863,  at 
Sunbury,  Pennsylvania;  received  into  company  October  30, 
1863;  was  one  of  the  detail  for  charge  by  100  men  of  the 
148th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  under  Maj.  Jere 
miah  Z.  Brown  on  Confederate  fort,  near  the  Jerusalem 
plank  road ;  missing  after  that  charge;  supposed  to  have  been 
killed. 

SAMUEL  W.  MOYER— Drafted ;  mustered  October  21?  1863,  at  Sun- 
bury,  Pennsylvania;  received  into  company  October  31, 
1863;  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10, 
1864;  transferred  to  Company  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsyl- 


]  0 1 6  THE  STORY  OF  O UR  REGIMENT 

vania  Volunteers  June    1,    1865;    discharged    by    General 
Order  July  20,  1865. 

JOHN  W.  MILLER — Drafted;  mustered  February  25,  1864;  missing 
after  the  battle  of  Spotsylvania  Court  House  May  12,  1864; 
probably  killed  in  that  battle. 

WILLIAM  H.  MAKIN — Drafted;  mustered  June  1,  1863,  at  Hunting- 
'don,  Pennsylvania;  received  into  company  October  31,  1863; 
wounded  May  29,  1864,  at  Four  Mile  Run  necessitating 
amputation  of  leg;  died  July  6,  1864,  of  wounds;  buried  in 
National  Cemetery  at  Arlington,  Virginia. 

ADAM  MAKIN — Substitute;  mustered  October  24,  1863,  at  Hunting 
don,  Pennsylvania;  received  into  company  October  30,  1863; 
died  March  28,  1864,  in  division  hospital. 

ABRAHAM  MILLER — Substitute;  mustered  October  21,  1863,  at  Sun- 
bury,  Pennsylvania,;  received  into  company  October  30, 
1863;  died  March  28,  1864,  in  Harwood  H)ospital,  Wash 
ington,  D.  C. ;  buried  in  Military  Asylum  Cemetery,  Wash 
ington,  D.  C. 

ANDREW  J.  MCCLELLEN — Drafted;  mustered  August  31,  1863,  at 
York,  Pennsylvania;  received  into  company  October  30, 
1863;  transferred  to  Company  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsyl 
vania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865  ;  discharged  by  General  Order 
July  20,  1865. 

HENRY  PJIILLIPS — Drafted;  mustered  June  1,  1863,  at  Harrisburg, 
Pennsylvania;  received  into t company  October  30,  1863; 
wounded  at  Deep  Bottom,  Virginia,  August  16,  1864;  trans 
ferred  to  Company  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers  June  1,  1865;  discharged  by  General  Order  July  20, 
1865. 

WILLIAM  PEARSON — Drafted;  mustered  June  1,  1863,  at  Hun  ting- 
don,  Pennsylvania;  received  into  company  October  30,  1863  ; 
wounded  at  Petersburg,  Virginia,  June  17,  1864;  died  of  his 
wounds  November  20,  1864;  buried  in  National  Cemetery 
at  City  Point,  Virginia. 

GEORGE  W.  RUGGLES — Drafted;  mustered  August  10,  1863;  re 
ceived  into  company  October  30,  1863;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865;  discharged  by  General  Order  July  20,  1865. 

JOHN  S HEELER— Substitute;  mustered  June  1,  1863,   at  Hunting 
don,  Pennsylvania;  received  into  company  October  30,  186? 
discharged  by  General  Order  May  13,  1865. 

FREDERICK  SHAFFER — Substitute;  mustered  October  19,  1863;  re 
ceived  into  company  October  30,  1863;  wounded  at  the  bat 
tle  of  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864 ;  died  of  his  wounds. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1017 

JACOB  STURTZ — Drafted ;  mustered  August  31,  1863,  at  Chambers- 
burg,  Pennsylvania;  received  into  company  October  31, 
186l'»';  missirjg  after  the  battle  of  Reams  Station,  Virginia, 
August  25,  18(54;  probably  killed  in  that  battle. 

JEREMIAH  STONEBRAKEE — Recruit;  mustered  February  10,  1804, 
at  Williamsport,  Pennsylvania;  wounded  at  the  battle  of 
Gravel  Run,  Virginia,  March  31,  1865;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865 ;  discharged  by  General  Order  July  20,  1865 ;  died  and 
buried  at  Bald  Eagle  Furnace,  G'livia,  Pennsylvania. 

ALFRED  SMITH — Recruit;  mustered  February  10,  1864;  transferred 
to  Company  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865 ;  wounded  at  Cold  Harbor  and  in  front  of  Peters 
burg,  Virginia,  June  17,  1864 ;  discharged  by  General  Order 
July  20,  1865 ;  living  at  Milesburg,  Centre  County,  Ponnsyl- 
vania. 

JAMES  A.  STEESE — Recruit:  mustered  February  10,  1864,  at  llar- 
risburg,  Pennsylvania;  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Spotsyl- 
vania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  transferred  to 
Company  G,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865;  discharged  by  General  Order  July  20,  1865;  re 
siding  at  Lake  City,  Minn. 

VALENTINE  STONEBRAKER — Recruit;  mustered  February  10,  1864, 
at  Williamsport,  Pennsylvania ;  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Po 
River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  discharged  by  General  Order 
May  16,  1865 ;  died  near  Olivia,  Blair  County,  Pennsyl 
vania  ;  buried  there. 

CHRISTIAN  STUCK — Drafted ;  mustered  August  31,  1863,  at  Cham- 
bersburg,  Pennsylvania;  received  into  company  October  31, 
1863;  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Spotsylvania  Court  House, 
Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  died  at  Camp  Parole,  Annapolis, 
Maryland,  November  15,  1864;  buried  there. 

GEORGE  A.  WILSON — Substitute;  mustered  June  1,  1803,  at  Sun- 
bury,  Pennsylvania ;  received  into  the  company  October  30, 
1863;  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Spotsylvania  Court  House, 
Virginia,  May  12,  1804:  transferred  to  Company  G,  June  1, 
1865;  discharged  by  General  Order  July  20,  1865. 

JOHN  WILLIAMS — Drafted;  mustered  June  1,  1863,  at  Sunbury, 
Pennsylvania;  received  into  the  company  October  30,  1863, 
captured  at  Petersburg  October  20,  1864,  in  Brown's  charge; 
died  at  Salisbury,  North  Carolina,  February  15,  1865; 
buried  there,  srrave  unknown. 


1018  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 


ROSTER  OF  T  COMPANY,  14STH  REGIMENT  PENNSYL 
VANIA  VOLUNTEERS. 

The  place  of  enrollment,  so  far  as  it  can  be  ascertained,  is 
given.  The  date  of  original  enlistment  cannot  be  secured,  inasmuch 
a?  neither  muster-in  nor  muster-out  roll  is  available,  and  the  date 
following  place  of  enrollment  is,  therefore,  the  date  of  original  mus 
ter-in  at  Ilarrisburg  and  elsewhere. 

CAPT.  SILAS  J.  MARLIN — Brookville,  Pennsylvania,  September  19, 
1862 ;  served  on  staff  of  First  Division  Second  Corps  as  Act 
ing  Assistant  Adjutant  General;  brevet  Major  December  2, 
.1864;  brevet  Lieutenant  Colonel  April  2,  1865;  commis 
sioned  Major  June  1,  1865  ;  not  mustered  ;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865  ;  died  since  the  War  at  Brookville, 
Pennsylvania. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  JOHN  A.  McGuiRE — Brookville,  Pennsylvania,  Sep 
tember  8,  1862;  died  at  Falmouth,  Virginia,,  May  15th,  of 
wounds  received  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  May  12,  1864. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  JUNIUS  F.  GRAIN — Brookville,  Pennsylvania,  Septem 
ber  1,  1862;  promoted  from  First  Sergeant  to  Second  Lieu 
tenant  January  1)3,  18(J4;  to  First  Lieutenant  August  2, 
1864;  commissioned  Captain  June  1,  1865;  not  mustered: 
mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

SECOND  LIEUT.  ORLANDO  IT.  BRQWN — Brookville,  Pennsylvania. 
October  8,  1862;  discharged  November  30,  1863;  died  since 
the  War. 

SECOND  LIEUT.  JOSEPH  E.  HALL — Brookville,  Pennsylvania,  Sep 
tember  1,  1862 ;  promoted  from  Sergeant  Major  August  2, 
1864,  to  Adjutant  183d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers 
September  7,  1864;  lives  Clatskanie,  Oregon. 

SECOND  LIEUT.  FRANK  W.  CLARK — September  23,  1862 ;  promoted 
from  Sergeant  to  First  Sergeant  -  — ;  First  Sergeant 

to  Second  Lieutenant  September  25,  1864;  commissioned 
First  Lieutenant  June  1,  1865  ;  not  mustered ;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865;  living. 

FIRST  SERGT.  THOMAS  W.  DOUGLASS — September  1,  1862;  pro 
moted  to  Corporal  October  7,  1862 ;  to  Sergeant  September 
23,  1864;  to  First  Sergeant  January  1,  1865;  commissioned 
Second  Lieutenant  June  1,  1865;  not  mustered;  mustered 
out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1019 

SERGT.  HENRY  CAREY — September  19,  1862;  to  Corporal  October 
18,  1862;  to  Sergeant  January  8,  1863;  prisoner  from  June 
4,  1804,  to  April  9,  1865 ;  discharged  May  27th  to  date  May 
15,  1865. 

SKRGT.  SIIELUM  SWINEFOBD — September  1,  1862 ;  promoted  from 
Corporal  January  17,  1865 ;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865 ;  lives  Brookville,  Pennsylvania. 

SKRGT.  BENJAMIN  F.  McGiFFiN — September  1,  1862 ;  promoted  to 
Corporal  September  25,  1864;  to  Sergeant  January  5,  1865; 
mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865. 

SEKGT.  JOIIIAL  VASTBINDEB — September  1,  1862  ;  promoted  to  Cor 
poral  March  1,  1865;  to  Sergeant  March  18,  1865;  mus 
tered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865;  lives  Brookville, 
Pennsylvania. 

SERGT.  ALEXANDER  McQuisxoN — September  1,  1862 ;  killed  at 
Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864. 

SERGT.  WILLIAM  DAVIDSON — September  1,  1862 ;  discharged  on 
surgeon's  certificate  March  2,  1864;  died  since  the  War. 

SERGT.  ROBERT  KISSINGER — September  7,  1862 ;  often  used  by  Col 
onel  as  scout;  unusually  cool  and  reliable;  discharged  March 
18,  1865,  for  wounds  received  in  action;  died  since  the  War. 

SERGT.  EDWARD  MURPHY — September  1,  1862 ;  promoted  to  Second 
Lieutenant  10th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  March  17, 
1864;  to  First  Lieutenant  February  10,  1865;  discharged 
November  15,  1867. 

CORP.  JACOB  B.  RUMBAUGII — September  7,  1862 ;  promoted  tr>  Cor 
poral  April  27,  1863;  prisoner  from  August  25,  1864,  to 
March  2,  1865  ;  discharged  by  General  Order  July  15,  1865 ; 
lives  Chicora,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  WILLIAM  H.  HARLEY — September  1,  1862 ;  promoted  to  Cor 
poral  December  27,  1864;  mustered  out  with  company  June 
1,  1865. 

CORP.  JOHN  M.  DAVIS — September  1,  1862 ;  supposed  to  be  the 
youngest  man  in  the  Regiment ;  promoted  to  Corporal  Janu 
ary  7,  1865  ;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865  ;  lives 
Brookville,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  LEWIS  DEIBLER — September  1,  1862 ;  captured ;  killed  at 
Salisbury,  North  Carolina,  November  26,  1864. 

CORP.  THOMAS  McCuLLOuGH — September  1,  1862 ;  died  August 
17th  of  wounds  received  at  Gettysburg  July  2,  1863 ;  buried 
in  National  Cemetery,  Section  A,  Grave  59. 

CORP.  ALEXANDER  DOUGLASS — September  1,  1862  ;  missing  in  ac 
tion  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  May  12,  1864;  since  dead. 


1020  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

CORP.  JOSEPH  EARNEST — September  19,  1862 ;  missing  in  action  at 
Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864;  since  dead. 

CORP.  HARRISON  CATTS — September  7,  1862 ;  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  February  1,  1863 ;  lives  at  Sigel,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

CORP.  JOHN  M.  LOVE — 'September  1,  1862;  transferred  to  Cojn- 
pany  C,  22d  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  December 
26,  1864;  discharged  by  General  Order  July  3,  1865;  lives 
Callensburg,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  RUSLING  S.  ADAMS — August  19,  1863,  drafted;  transferred 
to  Company  E,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers 
June  1,  1865. 

CORP.  RUSSEL  WEEKS — August  19,  1863 ;  drafted ;  transferred  to 
Company  E,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865. 

MUSICIAN  JOSEPH  ARTHURS — September  7,  1862 ;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865  ;  lives  Sigel,  Pennsylvania. 

PRIVATES. 

GEORGE  N.  ANTHONY — September  1,  1862 ;  discharged  on  surgeon's 

certificate  June  8,  1863 ;  since  dead. 
WILLIAM  ACKER — September  9,  1862;  discharged  June  8,  1865,  for 

wounds  received  in  action. 

ELI  BAILEY — September  1,  1862 ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps  April  14,  1864;  since  dead. 

JOHN  BANGHART — September  3,  1862  ;  discharged  on  surgeon's  cer 
tificate  March  20,  1863 ;  since  dead. 

EMORY  J.  BARR — September  19,  1862;  died  at  Potomac  Creek,  Vir 
ginia,  April  16,  1863. 

HUGH  A.  BARR — September  1,  1862;  captured;  died  at  Salisbury, 
North  Carolina,  November  26,  1864. 

WILLIAM  H,  BARR— September  7,  1862;  died  at  Washington,  D. 
C.,  June  15,  1863;  buried  in  Military  Asylum  Cemetery. 

JONATHAN  L.  BITNER — August  31,  1863,  drafted;  transferred  to 
Company  E,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June 
1,  1865. 

JOSEPH  W.  BOWLEY — April  9,  1864;  wounded;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  E,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1, 
1865. 

WILLIAM  C.  Bo  YD— September  1,  1862;  died  at  Falmouth,  Vir 
ginia,  June  7,  1863. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1021 

PHILIP  BOYER — September  1,  1802;  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  Penn 
sylvania,  July  2,  1863 ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps  March  3,  1864. 

JOHN  S.  BUZZARD — September  7,  1862 ;  wounded  at  Gettysburg, 
Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863;  transferred  to  Company  H, 
18th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps;  discharged  by  Gen 
eral  Order  June  24,  1865;  since  dead. 

ANDREW  J.  CLARK — August  19,  1863;  drafted;  deserted  June  8, 
1864. 

LEWIS  COBBS — 'September  19,  1862;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865;  lives  Brookville,  Pennsylvania. 

JAMES  COCIIRAN — September  1,  1862  ;  prisoner  from  August  25, 
1864,  to  March  13,  1865  ;  discharged  by  General  Order  June 
12,  1865;  since  dead. 

WALLACE  COON — September  1,  1862;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865 ;  lives  Sigel,  Pennsylvania. 

ISAAC  COREY— September  1,  1862;  deserted  April  28,  1863. 

ANDREW    CRAFT — September    1,    1862 ;    killed    at    Chancellorsville. 

Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 
PHILIP  S.  CRATE — September  1,  1862  ;  mustered  out  with  company 

June  1,  1865 ;  since  dead. 
HARVEY  CRISPIN — September  1,  1862;  die-d  at  Washington,  D.  C., 

June  15,  1864,  of  wounds  received  in  action ;  buried  National 

Cemetery,  Arlington,  Virginia. 

JOSIAII  T.  CROUCH — August  2,  1862  ;  transferred  to  Company  F, 
21st  Regiment,  Veteran  Reserve  Corps;  discharged  by  Gen 
eral  Order  August  29,  1865. 

ISAIAH  S.  DAVIS — September  1,  1862;  transferred  to  Veteran  Re 
serve  Corps  July  1,  1864;  discharged  by  General  Order 
June  29,  1865 ;  lives  Brookville,  Pennsylvania, 

JOHN  W.  DEMOTT — September  19,  1862;  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps  August  26,  1863 ;  lives  Brookville,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

ALONZO  DENNIS — August  19,  1863,  drafted;  died  at  Washington, 
D.  C.,  July  7,  1864;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Arling 
ton,  Virginia. 

DARIUS  DICKENS— August  19,  1863,  drafted;  deserted  June  8,  186-1. 

STEPHEN  E.  DICKENS — August  19,  1863,  drafted;  discharged  Feb 
ruary  21,  1865,  for  wounds  received  in  action. 

CALVIN  DIXON — September  1,  1862  ;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865;  lives  Dubois,  Pennsvlvania. 


1022  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

JOHN  EMMETT — April  28,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  B,  48th 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  date  unknown. 

DANIEL  FERRINGER — September  1,  1862 ;  killed  at  Cold  Harbor, 
Virginia,  June  3,  1864. 

WILLIAM  M.  FIRMAN — August  19,  1863,  drafted;  transferred  to 
Veteran  Reserve  Corps;  discharged  by  General  Order  Aug 
ust  24,  1865. 

ALONZO  FOWLER — September  1,  1862 ;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865. 

JAMES  J.  GALEY — September  1,  1862  ;  died  at  Annapolis,  Mary 
land,  October  23,  1864. 

JAMES  GARBON — April  9,  1864;  missing  in  action  at  Spotsylvania 
Court  House  May  12,  1864;  since  dead. 

CHRIST  C.  GEARIIART — September  19,  1862 ;  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  March  10,  1863 ;  lives  Troutville,  Penn 
sylvania. 

FREDERICK  GILLILOUSEX — September  1,  1862;  died  July  17th  of 
wounds  received  at  Gettysburg  July  2,  1863. 

ISRAEL  J.  GRENOBLE — September  19,  1862;  wounded  Po  River, 
Virginia,  with  loss  of  leg,  May  10,  1«04;  absent  in  hospital 
at  muster-out;  lives  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania. 

SAMUEL  K.  GROIL — January  7,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  E, 
53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865. 

ORIN  GUILE — August  19,  1863,  drafted;  missing  in  action  at  Spot- 
sylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  since  dead. 

ANDREW  J.  HAGERTY — September  7,  1862 ;  killed  at  Gettysburg 
July  2,  1863. 

ANDREW  HARP — September  1,  1862;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865  ;  since  dead. 

AUGUSTUS  HAUGII — September  19,  1862;  died  at  Falmouth,  Vir 
ginia,  February  19,  1863. 

JACOB  S.  HAUGII — September  1,  1862;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865;  lives  Brookville,  Pennsylvania. 

DAVID  M.  HILLIS — September  1,  1862;  discharged  on  surgeon's  cer 
tificate  September  17,  1863;  since  dead. 

GEORGE  HORNER — September  1,  1862;  discharged  on  surgeon's  cer 
tificate  June  15,  1863;  since  dead. 

JOHN  HOWARD — September  1,  1862;  transferred  to  71st  Company 
2d  Battalion,  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  June  16,  1864;  dis 
charged  by  General  Order  August  14,  1865. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1025 

SAMUEL  HOWARD — September  1,  1862 ;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865. 

BENJAMIN  F.  HULL — September  1,  1862 ;  discharged  on  surgeon's 
certificate  March  12,  1863 ;  since  dead. 

LAWSON  A,  JEARLS — August  19,  1863,  drafted;  killed  at  Po  River, 
Virginia,  May  10,  1864. 

MANASSES  KERR — September  19,  1862;  deserted  April  23,  1863; 
since  dead. 

JAMES  LABAR — August  18,  1863,  drafted;  transferred  to  Company 
E,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers;  discharged  by, 
General  Order  July  17,  1865. 

HARRISON  LONG — September  7,  1862 ;  died  August  17th  of  wounds 
received  at  Gettysburg  July  2,  1863;  buried  in  Xational 
Cemetery,  Section  A,  Grave  56. 

PETER  P.  LOVE — April  19,  1864 ;  transferred  to  Company  E,  53d 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865;  since  dead. 

REUBEN  LYLE — September  19,  1862 ;  wounded  Chancellorsville,  Vir 
ginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  transferred  to  Company  G,  18th  Regi 
ment,  Veteran  Reserve  Corps;  discharged  by  General  Order 
June  29,  1865  ;  lives  Brookville,  Pennsylvania. 

HENRY  MAPES — September  1,  1862;  discharged  on  surgeon's  cer 
tificate  March  12,  1863;  since  dead. 

LYMAN  E.  MAPES — September  19,  1862 ;  mustered  out  with  com 
pany  June  1,  1865 ;  lives  Howe,  Pennsylvania. 

DAVID  MATTSON — August  18,  1863,  drafted;  captured;  died  Peters 
burg,  Virginia,  June  30,  1864. 

FREDERICK  MILLER — Substitute;  October  29,  1863;  transferred  to 
Company  E,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865.' 

WILLIAM  F.  MILLER — Drafted;  August  31,  1863;  transferred  to 
Company  E,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June 
1,  1865.^ 

HARRISON  MOORE — September  19,  1862;  transferred  to  131st  Com 
pany,  2d  Battalion,  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  February  11, 
1864;  discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  April  12,  1865; 
since  dead. 

JACKSON  MOORE — September  19,  1862;  died  at  Philadelphia,  Penn 
sylvania,  August  6,  1865. 

THOMPSON  MOORIIEAD — September  1,  1862;  died  September  17. 
1864,  of  wounds  received  at  Petersburg,  Virginia. 


1024  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

STEWART  H.  MONTIER — September  1,  1862 ;  captured  Keams  Sta 
tion,   Virginia,   August  25,   1864;   died   at  Florence,   South 
Carolina,  January  13,   1865,  or  Salisbury,  North  Carolina 
January    15,    1865. 

BENJAMIN  F.  MULFORD — August  19,  1863,  drafted;  transferred  to 
Company  H,  24th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  April 
14,  1864;  discharged  by  General  Order  August  30,  1865. 

JAMES  A.  MURPHY — April  9,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  E,  53d 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865. 

JAMES  MCMANAGLE — September  1,  1862;  wounded  in  action;  trans 
ferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  July  1,  1864;  discharged 
by  General  Order  June  29,  1865  ;  since  dead. 

MOSES  W.  NEWTON — August  18,  1863,  drafted;  died  Washington, 
D.  (\,  May  27,  1864,  of  wounds  received  at  Po  River,  Vir 
ginia,  May  10,  1864;  burial  record,  died  at  Alexandria,  Vir 
ginia,  May  28,  1864;  Grave  1947. 

PETER  NULPII — September  1,  1862;  died  May  16,  1864,  of  wounds 
received  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  burial  rec 
ord  died  May  26,  1864;  buried  National  Cemetery,  Arling 
ton. 

NELSON   P.    O'CONNER — September   1,   1862;   mustered    out    with 

company  June  1,  1865;  lives  Hazen,  Pennsylvania. 
WILLIAM  O'CONNER — March  21,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  E, 

53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865  ;  since 

dead. 
ROBERT   OURSLER — September   19,   1862;   discharged    by    General 

Order  June  27,  1865  ;  since  dead. 

WILLIAM  J.  ORR — September  1,  1862;  died  at  Cockeysville,  Mary 
land,  October  26,  1862. 
EDWARD  PLYLER — September  1,  1862  ;  discharged  October  23,  1863, 

for  wounds  received  in  action ;  since  dead. 
BENJAMIN  POTTER — August  19,  1863,  drafted;  captured;  died  An 

dersonville,  Georgia,  January  18,  1865  ;  Grave  12,479. 
SAMUEL  RANSOM — September  1,  1862;  mustered  out  with  company 

June  1,  1865  ;  lives  Fisher,  Pennsylvania. 
HARRISON  RANSOM — April  9,  1864;  captured;  died  Andersonville. 

Georgia,  July  17,  1864;  grave  3,468. 
JAMES  W.  REA — September  19,  1862;  transferred  to  Signal  Corps 

April  1,  1864. 
ELI   RHINEHART — September   1,    1862;   discharged   with    surgeon's 

certificate  January  10,  1863. 
DAVID  D.  RHODES — September  1,  1862  ;  killed  at  Spotsylvania  Court 

House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1025 

ORSBMUS  RICE — August  19,  1863,  drafted;  discharged  on  surgeon's 
certificate  March  18,  1865. 

WILLIAM  ROGERS — September  7,  1862;  discharged  on  surgeon's  cer 
tificate  January  9,  1864 ;  since  dead. 

NOAH  RUGG — August  31,  1863,  drafted;  transferred  to  Company  E 
7th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  April  14,  1864;  dis 
charged  by  General  Order  July  22,  1865. 

EDWARD  M.  SAGE — September  19,  1862 ;  discharged  by  General 
Order  June  8,  1865 ;  since  dead. 

ABRAHAM  SANER — August  31,  1863,  drafted;  discharged  January 
26,  1865,  for  wounds  received  in  action. 

BENJAMIN  F.  SCANDRETT — September  1,  1862;  transferred  to  Vet- 
eran  Reserve  Corps  April  14,  1864 ;  transferred  by  General 
Order  July  19,  1865 ;  since  dead. 

PETER  SHANNON — September  2,  1862;  absent  sick  at  muster-out; 

since  dead. 
SAMUEL  SHAW — September  1,  1862 ;  killed  Gettysburg  July  2,  1863. 

JOHN  II.  H.  SHUSTER — September  1,  1862 ;  wounded  Gravelly  Run 
March  30,  1865  ;  discharged  by  General  Order  July  3,  1865  : 
since  dead. 

Lucius  A.  SIMPSON — Drafted ;  August  19,  1863  ;  missing  in  action 
near  Petersburg,  Virginia,  October  27,  1864. 

JOHN  W.  SMITH — September  1,  1862;  transferred  to  Veteran  Re 
serve  Corps  December  18,  1863;  lives  Knoxdale,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

TIIEOPHILUS  SMITH — September  1,  1862 ;  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps  February  11,  1864;  discharged  by  General 
Order  July  14,  1865. 

WILLIAM  H.  H.  SMITH — September  7,  1862  ;  wounded  Cold  Harbor 
June  5,  1864;  absent  in  hospital  at  muster-out;  lives  Brook- 
ville,  Pennsylvania. 

ALEXANDER  SNYDER — April  9,  1864,  drafted;  captured;  died  An- 
dersonville,  Georgia,  September  23,  1864;  grave  9,567. 

JACOB  SNYDER — Drafted  ;  August  18,  1863  ;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  E,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1, 
1865;  lives  Corsica,  Pennsylvania. 

RICHARD  SNYDER — September  7,  1862 ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Re 
serve  Corps  September  30,  1863. 

SANDERSON  P.  STACY — August  19,  1863,  substitute;  promoted  to 
First  Lieutenant  43d  Regiment,  United  States  Colored 
Troops  April  25,  1864;  mustered  out  October  20,  1865. 


1 026  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

LEWIS  R.  STAHLMAN — September  1,  1862;  captured;  discharged  by 
General  Order  May  24,  1865  ;  lives  Brookville,  Pennsylvania. 

JOHN  STAHLMAN — August  15,  1862 ;  transferred  to  Company  E, 
53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865;  since 
dead. 

JOSEPH  Y.  THOMPSON — March  8,  1864;  missing  in  action  at  Spot- 
sylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864 ;  since  dead. 

SAMUEL  TKY — September  1,  1862;  discharged  December  19,  1863, 
for  wounds,  with  loss  of  arm,  received  at  Gettysburg,  Penn 
sylvania,  July  2,  1863 ;  since  dead. 

ROBERT  M.  WADDING — September  1,  1862 ;  wounded  Gettysburg, 
Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863 ;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865 ;  lives  Brookville,  Pennsylvania. 

MARCUS  W ATKINS — August  19,    1863,   drafted;   died  Washington, 

D.  C.,  May  9,  1864;  buried  Military  Asylum  Cemetery. 
JOSEPH  WHITE — September  19,  1862;  mustered  out  with  company 

June  1,  1865. 
WILLIAM   WHITE — September   1,   1862 ;   died  Falmouth,    Virginia, 

June  14,  1863. 
F.   M.    WHITEMAN — September   19,    1862 ;    discharged  by  General 

Order  May  15,  1865  ;  since  dead. 
ELIJAH  WILLOUGHBY — Drafted;  August  19,  1863;  captured;  died 

Andersonville,  Georgia,  August  4,  1864;  Grave  4,702. 
SEBASTIAN   C.  WILSON — September  7,    1862;    deserted    July    31, 

1863;  since  dead. 
WILLIAM  P.   WOODS — September  7,   1862;  transferred  to  Veteran 

Reserve  Corps  April  14,  1864;  since  dead. 


ROSTER  OF  COMPANY  K,  148TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOL 
UNTEERS. 

CAPT.  THOMPSON  CORE — August  27,  1862,  three  years;  died  June 
1,  1864,  of  wounds  received  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10, 
1864. 

CAPT.  JEREMIAH  Z.  BROWN — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  pro 
moted  from  First  Sergeant  to  First  Lieutenant  September  8, 
1863;  to  Captain  July  7,  1864;  brevetted  Major  October  27. 
1864;  mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865;  received 
Congressional  medal ;  present  address  New  Bethlehem,  Penn 
sylvania,  R.  F.  D.  No.  1. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1027 

FIRST  LIEUT.  J.  B.  FERGUSON — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  dis 
charged  September  8,  1863 ;  resides  Lincoln,  Xebraska. 

FIRST  LIEUT.  ALEXANDER  C.  SLOAN — September  7,  1862,  three 
years ;  promoted  from  Sergeant  to  First  Sergeant  Xovember 
15,  1863;  to  Second  Lieutenant  July  7,  1864;  to  First  Lieu 
tenant  September  14,  1864;  mustered  out  with  company 
Juno  1,  1865;  resides  107  Twenty-first  Street,  Portland, 
Oregon. 

SECOND  LIEUT.  HENRY  11.  DOTTS — September  26,  1862,  three 
years;  discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  September  7,  1863; 
died  1900. 

SECOND  LIEUT.  WILLIAM  S.  MORTIMER — September  7,  1862,  three 
years;  wounded  at  Gettysburg  July  2,  1863;  promoted  from 
Sergeant  September  8,  1863 ;  wounded  at  Cold  Harbor,  Vir 
ginia,  June  3,  1864;  commissioned  First  Lieutenant  July  7, 
1864;  discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  September  13, 
1864;  resides  Lamartine,  Pennsylvania. 

SECOND  LIEUT.  JOHN  WARD — September  7,  1862,  three  years ;  pro 
moted  from  Sergeant  September  14,  1864;  wounded  at 
Auburn  Mills,  October  14,  1864 ;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865  ;  resides  5140  Butler  Street,  Pittsburg,  Penn 
sylvania. 

FIRST  SERGT.  HENRY  H.  HENRY — September  7,  1862,  three  years ; 
promoted  from  Corporal  to  Sergeant  December  9,  1862;  to 
First  Sergeant  October  31,  1864 ;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865  ;  died  February,  1902. 

SERGT.  ABRAM  S.  COURSIN — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  pro 
moted  from  Corporal  August  1,  1864;  wounded  at  Po  River, 
Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  mustered  out  with  company  June 
1,  1865  ;  resides  Curllsville,  Clarion  County,  Pennsylvania. 

SERGT.  JAMES  F.  McXoLDY — September  26,  1862,  three  years;  pro 
moted  to  Corporal  October  27,  1863;  to  Sergeant  August  31, 
1864;  taken  prisoner  at  Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  29. 
1864;  absent,  sick,  at  muster  out;  resides  711  Sixth  Avenue. 
Altoona,  Pennsylvania. 

SERGT.  JAMES  F.  GEORGE — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  pro 
moted  to  Corporal  Xovember  15,  1863 ;  to  Sergeant  January 
31,  1865;  wounded  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864; 
mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865  ;  resides  Brook- 
ville,  Pennsylvania. 

SERGT.  DAVID  R,  CRICK — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  promoted 
to  Corporal  Xovember  15,  1863;  to  Sergeant  May  19,  1865 ; 
mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865;  resides  Bennett, 
Allegheny  County,  Pennsylvania. 


1 028  THE  STORY  OF  O UR  REGIMENT 

SEKGT.  JAMES  F.  WEIDNER — September  26,  1862,  three  years ;  pro 
moted  to  Corporal  November  15,  1863 ;  to  Sergeant  October 
31,  1864;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  January  30, 
1865 ;  discharged  by  General  Order  June  29,  1865 ;  resides 
Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania. 

SEKGT.  ISAAC  N.  SLOAN — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  promoted 
Corporal  December  9,  1862 ;  to  Sergeant  September  15, 
1864;  to  Sergeant  Major  May  18,  1865;  wounded  and  taken 
prisoner  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12, 
1864;  died  in  1902. 

SERGT.  JACOB  F.  MAST — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  promoted 
from  Corporal  November  15,  1863 ;  killed  at  Po  River,  Vir 
ginia,  May  10,  1864. 

SEKGT.  WILLIAM  C.  SLOAN — October  2,  1862,  three  years;  pro 
moted  from  Corporal  November  15,  1863;  killed  at  Spotsyl 
vania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1804;  buried  in  Wil 
derness  burial  ground. 

COKP.  JOHN  FACKENDEK — -September  7,  1862,  three  years;  promoted 
to  Corporal  August  4,  1864;  taken  prisoner  near  Fort  Mor 
ton,  Virginia,  October  27,  1864;  absent  at  Camp  Parole, 
Annapolis,  Maryland,  at  muster  out;  resides  at  Clarion, 
Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  DANIEL  M.  HERSH — September  26^  1862,  three  years;  pro 
moted  to  Corporal  August  1,  1864;  discharged  by  General 
Order  May  15,  1865 ;  resides  421  South  Nineteenth  Street, 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  GEORGE  G.  WALTERS — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  pro 
moted  to  Corporal  August  15,  1864;  wounded  at  Reams  Sta 
tion,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864;  mustered  out  with  company 
June  1,  1865  ;  resides  266  Park  Avenue,  Pittsburg,  Penn 
sylvania. 

CORP.  WILLIAM  BARTLETT — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  pro 
moted  to  Corporal  October  31,  1864;  mustered  out  with  com 
pany  June  1,  1865 ;  resides  Brinkerton,  Clarion  County, 
Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  SAMUEL  H.  SLOAN — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  pro 
moted  to  Corporal  October  31,  1864;  wounded  at  Po  River. 
Virginia,  May  10,  1864 ;  mustered  out  with  company  June 
1,  1865 ;  resides  Ashland,  Ohio. 

CORP.  HENRY  SWARTZFAGER — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  pro 
moted  to  Corporal  January  31,  1865;  wounded  at  Po  River, 
Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  mustered  out  with  company  June 
1,  1865;  dead. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1029 

CORP.  DENNIS  CONNER — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  promoted 
to  Corporal  April  20,  1865  ;  mustered  out  with  company  June 
1,  1865 ;  resides  Clarion,  Pennsylvania. 

CORP.  ANTHONY  DIVINS — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  promoted 
to  Corporal  May  19,  1865 ;  mustered  out  with  company  June 
1,  1865;  dead. 

CORP.  Ross  C.  KIRKPATRICK — September  7,  1862,  three  years; 
wounded  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,^  May  2,  1863;  trans 
ferred  to  Company  D,  14th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps, 
February  15,  1864;  discharged  by  General  Order  June  27, 
1865;  dead. 

CORP.  JOHN  E.  CARSON — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  promoted 
to  Corporal  March  15,  1863 ;  died  at  Point  Lookout,  Mary 
land,  June  18,  1863. 

COKP.  LEVI  W.  GIBSON — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  promoted 
to  Corporal  August  13,  1863;  killed  at  Deep  Bottom,  Vir 
ginia,  August  15,  1864. 

CORP.  ISAAC  F.  SWARTSFAGER — September  7,  1862,  three,  years; 
promoted  to  Corporal  November  15,  1863 ;  wounded  at  Cold 
Harbor,  Virginia,  June  3,  1864;  died  at  Washington,  D.  C., 
April  15,  1865,  of  wounds  received  in  action. 

CORP.  HUGH  S.  XEAL — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  killed  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

MUSICIAN  ABRAHAM  R.  COURSIN — September  7,  1862,  three  years; 
mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865  ;  resides  Rivers- 
burg,  Clarion  County,  Pennsylvania  ;  resides  at  Rimersburg. 

MUSICIAN  JOHN  A.  LEE — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  died  of 
typhoid  fever  at  Falmouth,  Virginia,  March  15,  1863. 

WAGONER  HENRY  B.  Fox — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  mus 
tered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865  ;  resides  Xew  Bethle 
hem,  Pennsylvania. 

PRIVATES. 

CHRIST  ARMAGOST — February  26,  1864,  three  years;  transferred  to 
Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865  ;  resides  Reynoldsville,  Pennsylvania. 

JOHN  F.  BAIRD — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  absent,  sick,  at 
muster-out;;  resides  Btinkerton  Clarion  County,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

JOHN  BARTLEY — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  transferred  to 
Veteran  Reserve  Corps  February  15,  1864;  dead. 

JACOB  J.  BERKLEY — September  1,  1863,  three  years;  drafted;  died 
at  Stevensburg,  Virginia,  December  30,  1863. 


1 030  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

PHILIP  BOARTS — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  died  of  fever,  at 
Washington,  D.  C.,  February  15,  1864;  buried  in  Military 
Asylum  Cemetery. 

JOHN  BOTORF — October  20,  1863,  three  years;  killed  at  Po  River, 
Virginia,  May  10,  1864. 

OWEN  CULLENS — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  mustered  out 
with  company ;  resides  Leatherwood,  Clarion  County,  Penn 
sylvania. 

JOHN  C,  CLOVER — October  16,  1862,  three  years;  transferred  to 
Veteran  Reserve  Corps  March  3,  1864;  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  June  1,  1864;  dead. 

HIRAM  CARLE — October  29,  1863,  three  years;  substitute;  wounded 
at  Petersburg,  Virginia,  October  27,  1864;  transferred  to 
Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865 ;  resides  Turbotville,  Pennsylvania. 

BENNIVAL  CARLE — October  22,  1863,  three  years;  killed  at  Po 
River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864. 

WALTER  L.  CORBETT — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  killed  at 
Deep  Bottom,  Virginia,  August  14,  1864. 

MUNSON  CORBETT — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  died  at  Fal- 
mouth,  Virginia  December  28,  1862. 

HUGH  CARNATHAN — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  taken  pris 
oner  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  deserted 
from  Parole  Camp,  Maryland,  October  2,  1863. 

JOHN  DONAHUE — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865 ;  resides  Crater,  Clarion  County, 
Pennsylvania. 

JACOB  DERR — September  16,  1863,  three  years;  drafted;  wounded 
and  taken  prisoner  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864 ; 
transferred  to  Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Vol 
unteers  June  1,  1865;  resides  Millvale,  Pennsylvania. 

JOSIAH  DEIIIL — October  19,  1863,  three  years;  drafted;  taken  pris 
oner  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864: 
held  till  April  28,  1865  ;  transferred  to  Company  K,  53d 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865  ;  resides 
Watsontown,  Pennsylvania. 

WILLIAM  IT.  DIVINS — February  26,  1864,  three  years;  transferred 
to  Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
June  1,  1865;  dead. 

THOMAS  M.  DIVINS — February  26,  1864,  three  years;  transferred 
to  Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1.  1865;  resides  Brinkerton,  Pennsylvania. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1031 

JAMES  P.  DIVINS — February  26,  1864,  three  years;  transferred  to 
Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June 
1,  1865;  died  1901. 

DAVID  DIVINS — March  30,  1864,  three  years;  died  in  Xew  York- 
August  8,  1864;  buried  in  Cypress  Hill  Cemetery,  Long 
Island. 

WILLIAM  H.  DORWORTII — February  26,  1864,  three  years;  trans- 
to  Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865;  dead;  supposed  to  have  been  killed  at  Cold  Harbor, 
Virginia. 

WILLIAM  H.  DORWORTII — February  26,  1864,  three  years;  trans 
ferred  to  Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers  June  1,  1865 ;  resides  119  Rosewell  Street,  Akron,  Ohio. 

GEORGE  DONEY — October  22,  1862,  three  years;  drafted;  captured 
at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  died 
at  Andersonville,  Georgia,  December  1,  1864;  grave  Xo.  6568. 

JOHN  EVALIN — August  26,  1862,  three  years;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  G,  19th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps;  discharged 
by  General  Order  July  24,  1865. 

JACOB  Fox — September  7,  1862,  three  years ;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865 ;  resides  Pennsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

EDWARD  FAUL — September  26,  1862,  three  years;  wounded  at  Po 
River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  discharged  by  General 
Order  June  9,  1865;  resides  Sellersville,  Pennsylvania. 

JOHN  FLICK — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  died  at  Windmill 
Point,  Virginia,  January  30,  1863. 

JOHN  Fox — September  26,  1862,  three  years;  killed  at  Deep  Bot 
tom,  Virginia,  August  15,  1864. 

JOSEPH  GRIES — September  26,  1862,  three  years;  wounded  at  Spot 
sylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  absent,  in 
hospital,  at  muster  out ;  resides  Shamrock  Station,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

JAMES  GREEN — March  26,  1864,  three  years;  deserted  May  3,  1864, 
but  returned  under,  the  President's  proclamation  ;  transferred 
to  Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers;  re 
turned  to  that  company  and  mustered  out  with  it  June  30, 
1865  ;  dead. 

ROBERT  HUEY — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  taken  prisoner  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863  ;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865  ;  resides  Star  City,  Indiana. 

JOHN  HARRIGER — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  discharged  by 
General  Order  June  5,  1865  ;  dead. 


1 032  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

HENRY  HIKLEGRAS — September  26,  1862,  three  years;  wounded  at 
Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  discharged  by  General 
Order  June  5,  1865 ;  Gorysville,  Bucks  County,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

JOSEPH  HAMM — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  February  12,  1863;  resides  Curllsville, 
Pennsylvania. 

SILAS  W.  HARRINGTON — October  30,  1863,  three  years;  substitute; 
wounded  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12, 
1864;  transferred  to  Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsyl 
vania  Volunteers  June  1,  1865;  resides  Kearney,  Wyoming. 

THOMAS  J.  HOFFMAN — October  27,  1863,  three  years;  substitute; 
transferred  to  Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers,  June  1,  1865 ;  resides  Bloomsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

GEORGE  HESSET — September  26,  1862,  three  years;  wounded  at. 
Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps,  January  1,  1865 ;  resides  Frankport,  Phila 
delphia  County,  Pennsylvania. 

JOSIAH  IT.  JACOBS — September  26,  1862,  three  years;  wounded  ai 
Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  died  at  Washington,  D. 
C,,  June  16,  1864,  of  wound  received  in  action  at  Cold  Har 
bor,  Virginia,  June  3,  1864;  dead. 

EVANS  KEYS — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865. 

ENOS  KRAUSS — September  26,  1862,  three  years;  wounded  at  Spot 
sylvania,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  absent  in  hospital  at 
muster  out;  resides  East  Greenville,  Pennsylvania. 

PETER  RLUCK — October  22,  1863,  three  years;  drafted;  trans 
ferred  to  Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers,  June  1,  1865  ;  dead. 

DAVID  A.  KROTZER — February  26,  1864,  three  years;  wounded  at 
Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864;  transferred  to  36th  Com 
pany,  2d  Battalion  Veteran  Reserve  Corps ;  discharged  by 
General  Order  September  4,  1865;  resides  Chicora,  Butler 
County  5  Pennsylvania. 

ANDREW  J.  KIFER— September  7,  1862,  three  years;  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  2,  1863;  transferred  to  Vet 
eran  Reserve  Corps  February' 15,  1864;  resides  Reidsburg, 
Clarion  County,  Pennsylvania. 

HARRISON  LONG— October  28,  1863,  three  years;  substitute;  trans 
ferred  to  Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers,  June  1,  1865;  resides  Coats  Grove,  Michigan. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1055 

JOSIAH  LINTAMAN — October  29,  1863,  three  years;  substitute; 
taken  prisoner  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864 ;  trans 
ferred  to  Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun- 
teers,  June  1,  1865. 

JOHN  W.  LATIMOKE — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  promoted  to 
Corporal;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps  February 
15,  1864;  discharged  by  General  Order  July  25,  1865. 

JOHN  MYERS — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  wounded  at  Spot- 
sylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864 ;  mustered 
out  with  company  June  1,  1865  ;  dead. 

PRESTON  M.  MAGEE — September  7,  1862,  three  years ;  mustered 
out  with  company  June  1,  1865 ;  resides  Bayonne,  New 
Jersey. 

ANDREW  J.  MILLER — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  captured  at 
Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864;  discharged  by 
General  Order  July  20,  1865 ;  resides  JSTew  Bethlehem,  Penn 
sylvania. 

GEORGE  W.  MILLER — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  discharged 
on  surgeon's  certificate  February  2,  1863 ;  Fairmount  City, 
Pennsylvania. 

SOLOMON  MAHLE — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  discharged  on 
surgeon's  certificate  April  24,  1863 ;  dead. 

WILLIAM  MILLIGAN — February  26,  1864,  three  years;  wounded  at 
Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  dis 
charged  on  surgeon's  certificate  March  18,  1865  ;  dead. 

JOSEPH  MILLIGAN — February  26,  1864,  three  years ;  transferred  to 
Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June 
1,  1865 ;  resides  Brinkertown,  Clarion  County,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

SAMUEL  MERLEY — September  1,  1863,  three  years;  drafted.; 
wounded  and  taken  prisoner  at  Boydton  Plank  Road,  Vir 
ginia,  October  27,  1864;  transferred  to  Company  K,  53d 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1,  1865 ;  dead. 

LEANDER  MYERS — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  killed  at  Peters 
burg,  Virginia,  June  16,  1864;  buried  in  Poplar  Grove  Na 
tional  Cemetery,  Division  A,  Section  D,  Grave  75. 

ANTHONY  McKiNNEY — March  31,  1864,  three  years;  transferred  to 
Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June 
1,  1865;  died  1901. 

JONES  McCoRMiCK — September  24,  1863,  three  years;  prisoner  at 
Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864;  discharged  by 
General  Order  May  24,  1865 ;  resides  Limestone,  Clarion 
County,  Pennsylvania. 


1034  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

WILLIAM  McBRiDE — February  26,  1864,  three  years ;  transferred  to 
Company  I,  12th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  January 
1,  1865 ;  discharged  by  General  Order  July  21,  1865 ;  dead. 

DAVID  McCLURE — March  3,  1864,  three  years;  not  on  muster  out 
roll;  resides  Baldwin,  Pennsylvania. 

JOHN  D.  J^EIL — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865;  dead. 

ABRAHAM  W.  NULPH — February  26,  1864,  three  years;  discharged 
on  surgeon's  certificate  February  23,  1865 ;  dead. 

DAVID  POLLIARD — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  wounded  at 
Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  absent 
in  hospital  at  muster  out ;  resides  Riversburg,  Clarion  County, 
Pennsylvania. 

OLIVER  W.  PETTET — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  wounded  at 
Totopotomoy   Creek,   Virginia,   May   30,   1864,   three  years; 
absent  in  hospital  at  muster  out ;  dead. 

WILLIAM  E.  PYSHER — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  discharged 
by  General  Order  May  30,  1865 ;  dead. 

MICHAEL  PHILLIPS — March  31,  1864,  three  years;  missing  in  ac 
tion  at  Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864 ;  trans 
ferred  to  Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers  June  1,  1865;  dead. 

GEORGE  W.  PRITNER — October  30,  1863,  three  years;  transferred  to 
Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865;  Martins  Ferry,  Ohio. 

GEORGE  PRICE — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  died  May  21, 
1863,  of  wounds  received  in  action  May  3,  1863. 

REUBEN  QUILLMAN — September  7,  1862,  three  years ;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865;  resides  East  Texas,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

DANIEL  QUILLMAN — September  26,  1862,  three  years ;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865 ;  resides  East  Texas,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

JOHN  K  RATHFON — September  26,  1862,  three  years;  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863 ;  transferred  to  Vet 
eran  Reserve  Corps;  discharged  by  General  Order  June  27, 
1865. 

STERN  REYNOLDS — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  wounded  at 
Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864,  and  at 
Reams  Station  August  25,  1864;  discharged  by  General 
Order  July  8,  1865 ;  dead. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS       1035 

JAMES  RANDOLPH — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  taken  prisoner 
at  Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865;  dead. 

GEORGE  W.  REEDY — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  mustered  out 
with  the  company  June  1,  1865  ;  resides  Redcliffe,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

JOHN  W.  REICHART — February  26,  1864,  three  years;  transferred 
to  Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June 
1,  1865 ;  resides  Challenge,  Pennsylvania. 

DANIEL  REESE — October  28,  18(53,  three  years;  substitute;  cap 
tured;  died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia,  August  25,  1864; 
grave  6838. 

AM'B.  ROTHERMEL — October  21,  1863,  three  years;  substitute;  cap 
tured  at  Reams  Station,  Virginia,  August  25,  1864;  died  at 
Salisbury,  North  Carolina,  November  7,  1864. 

LAVINUS  W.  SHAFFER — September  26,  1862,  three  years ;  taken 
prisoner  at  Totopotonwy  Creek,  Virginia,  May  30,  1864 ; 
mustered  out  with  company  June  1,  1865 ;  resides  Allen- 
town,  Pennsylvania. 

JOHN  STEWART — September  26,  1862,  three  years;  sent  to  insane 
asylum  November  1,  1862;  absent  at  muster  out;  dead. 

W.  L.  SLAGLE — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  discharged  on  sur 
geon's  certificate  January  16,  1863;  dead. 

MARION  SMITH — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  transferred  to 
Company  E,  19th'  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  Novem 
ber  1,  1863;  discharged  by  General  Order  July  13,  1865; 
resides  Hazel  Ridge,  Tennessee. 

JAMES  H.  SWITZER — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  transferred 
to  Company  E,  19th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  Feb 
ruary  15,  1864;  resides  Emerick,  Madison  County,  Ne 
braska. 

JOHN  M.  STOUT — September  26,  1862,  three  years;  transferred  to 
Company  D,  19th  Regiment  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  March 
14,  1864;  discharged  by  General  Order  July  13,  1865;  re 
sides  Pennsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

WILLIAM  J.  M.  SLOAN — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  died  at 
Morrisville,  Virginia,  September  9,  1863. 

JOHN  SWITZER — October  29,  1863,  three  years;  died  at  Stevens- 
burg,  Virginia,  February  26,  1864. 

NAPOLEON  B.  SALYARDS — September  26,  1862,  three  years; 
wounded  at  Totopotomoy  Creek,  May  30,  1864 ;  died  at  City 
Point,  Virginia,  April  2,  1865,  of  wounds  received  in  action. 


1036  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

BENNIVAL  TSCHOPP — October  20,  1863,  three  years;  substitute; 
transferred  to  Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Vol 
unteers  June  1,  1865  ;  dead. 

DENTON  L.  THOMPSON — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  killed  at 

Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863. 
CHRISTIAN  THOMAS — /September  1,    1863,    three    years;    drafted; 

died  at  Stevensburg,  Virginia,  January  7,  1864. 

BENJAMIN  THOMPSON — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  killed  at 
Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864. 

JAMES  VAENER — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  discharged  on 
surgeon's  certificate  February  18,  1863. 

JOHN  VANHOUTER — February  26,  1864,  tihree  years;  transferred  to 
Company  H,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  June 
1,  1865 ;  dead. 

McCoMB  VANHOUTER — February  26,  1864,  tihree  years;  died  at 
Washington,  D.  C.,  October  30,  1864,  of  wounds  received  in 
action  at  Reams  Station ;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Ar 
lington,  Virginia. 

LEBBEUS  B.  WOODS — September  26,  1862,  three  years;  wounded  and 
captured  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12, 
1864;  discharged  by  General  Order  June  21,  1865;  resides 
Surprise,  Nebraska. 

ROBERT  H.  WILSON — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  mustered  out 
with  company  June  1,  1865  ;  resides  Wardner,  Idaho. 

URIAH  WILSON — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  mustered  out  with 
company  June  1,  1865 ;  resides  New  Bethlehem,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

DAVID  D.  WOODS — September  7,  1862,  three  years ;  absent,  sick,  at 
muster  out;  resides  West  Decatur,  Pennsylvania. 

HENRY  C.  WIANT — September  7,  1862,  three:  years;  discharged  on 
surgeon's  certificate  April  2,  1864;  dead. 

HENRY  W.  WENTZEL — February  26,  1864,  three  years;  wounded  at 
Cold  Harbor,  Virginia,  June  15,  1864;  transferred  to  Com 
pany  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  June  1, 
1865  ;  resides  Ridgeway,  Pennsylvania. 

GEORGE  F.  WIANT — February  26,  1864,  three  years;  wounded  at 
Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  trans 
ferred  to  Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers,  June  1  1865 ;  resides  New  Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania. 

WILLIAM  E.  WECKERLY — February  26,  1864,  three  years;  trans 
ferred  to  Company  K,  53d  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers,  June  1,  1865 ;  rsides  New  Bethlehem,  Pennvlvania. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS       1037 

MELCHER  WASSER — September  26,  1862,  three  years;  wounded  and 
captured  at  Gettysburg;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps  February  15,  1864;  discharged  by  General  Order 
July  14,  1865 ;  dead. 

WILLIAM  WIANT — September  7,  1862,  three  years;  wounded  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1864;  transferred  to  Vet 
eran  Reserve  Corps  February  15,  1864;  resides  Clarion, 
Pennsylvania. 

ABRAHAM  C.  WIANT — February  26,  1864,  three  years ;  wounded  at 
Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864,  and  at  Petersburg,  Vir 
ginia,  January  16,  1864;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps  January  15,  1865  ;  dead. 

JOHN  WOODS — September  7,  1862,  three  years ;  died  at  Stevens- 
burg,  Virginia,  March  8,  1864;  buried  in  Culpeper  National 
Cemetery,  Block  1,  Section  A,  Row  4,  Grave  119. 

ADAM  WONSETTLER — September  26,  1862,  three  years;  killed  at 
Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864. 

WILLIAM  ZEIGENFUSS — September  26,  1862,  three  years;  wounded 
at  Spotsylvania,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864;  absent,  in  hospital, 
at  muster  out ;  resides  Polo,  Illinois. 


1 038  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

CASUALTIES. 

KILLED  AND  MORTALLY  WOUNDED. 

(Compiled  from  the  rolls  and  arranged  in  alphabetical  order.) 

1.  Ammerinan,  William   C.,   Corporal,  B,  died  May  31,   1864, 

of  wounds  received  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House  May  12, 
1864;  buried  at  Arlington. 

2.  Ammerman,  David,  Private,  B,  died  of  wounds  received  at 

Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863;  buried  in  Na 
tional  Cemetery,  Section  B,  Grave  33. 

3.  Acker,  David,  Private,  D,   died  June  3,   1863,  at  Potomac 

Creek  Hospital,  of  wounds  received  May  3,  1863,  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia. 

4.  Allison,  Matthew  C.,  Corporal,  E,  May  19,  1864,  of  wounds 

received  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864. 

5.  Bierly,  Wesley  W.,  First  Lieutenant,  A,  September  2,  1864,  at 

Petersburg,  Virginia,  of  wounds  received  June  22,  1864. 

6.  Barr,  Isaac,  Private,  A,  August  16,  1864,  Deep  Bottom,  Vir 

ginia. 

7.  Boob,  William,  Private,  A,  June  16,  1864,  at  Richmond,  of 

wounds  received  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10th. 

8.  Byers,  John  F.,  Private,  B,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia, 

9.  Bible,  William  II.,  First  Lieutenant,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chan 

cellorsville,  Virginia. 

10.  Beck,  James  T,  Corporal,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

11.  Biddle,  Hiland,  Corporal,  C,  December  28,  1864,  of  wounds 

received  October  8,  1864,  at  Petersburg,  Virginia. 
(Burial  Record,  died  at  City  Point,  Virginia,  January 
28,  1865.) 

12.  Baird,  Jacob,  Private,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville,  Vir 

ginia. 

13.  Bible,  William,   Corporal,  D,  May  10,  1863,  of  wounds  re 

ceived  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

14.  Bloom,  Benjamin,  Private,  D,  June  11,   1863,  at  Potomac 

Creek  Hospital,  Virginia,  of  wounds  received  May  3, 
1863,  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia. 

15.  Brubaker,   Cyrus,  Private,  D,  May  12,   1864,   Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

16.  Byams,  George,  Private,  D,  June  5,  1864,  Cold  Harbor,  Vir 

ginia. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1059 

17.  Bush,  Emanuel,  Private,  E,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court 
House,  Virginia.  (Buriel  Record  died  at  Richmond, 
Virginia,  September  15,  1864.) 

18.  Burrell,  William  H.,  Corporal  F,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania;    buried    National    Cemetery,    Section    E, 
Grave  7. 

19.  Beans,  Benjamin  F.,  Private,  G,  August  25,  186-1,  Reams 

Station,  Virginia. 

20.  Bayard,  John  A.,  Second  Lieutenant,  H,  July  3,  1863,  of 

wounds  received  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania. 

21.  Beales,  James  E.,  Private,  H,  August  8,  1863,  of  wounds  re- 

eeived  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863  ;  buried 
at  National  Cemetery,  Section  C,  Grave  85. 

22.  Boring,  John  F.,  Private,  H,  June  18,  1864,  Petersburg,  Vir 

ginia;   buried  in  National  Cemetery,   City  Point,   Vir 
ginia,  Section  E,  Division  2,  Grave  175. 

23.  Botorf,  John,  Private,  K,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

24.  Conner,  Michael  F.,  First  Sergeant,  B,  May  3,  1863,  Chan- 

cellorsville,  Virginia. 

25.  Carter,  Abraham  G.,  Sergeant,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors- 

ville,  Virginia. 

26.  Campbell,  William,  Private,   C,  May  3,   1863,   Chancellors- 

ville,  Virginia. 

27.  Carver,  Joseph,  Private,  C,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania;  buried  National  Cemetery,  Section  F,  Grave 
27. 

28.  Cronamiller,  Reuben,  Private,  C,  June  4,  1863,  of  wounds  re 

ceived  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

29.  Confare,   Henry,  Private,   D,  March  25,   1865,   Petersburg, 

Virginia, 

30.  Creighton,  Alexander,  Private,  F,  July  3,  1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Section  A, 
Grave  4. 

31.  Cooney,  John,  Private,  F,  June  19,  1864,  at  Richmond,  Vir 

ginia,  of  wounds  received  May  10,  1864,  at  Po  River, 
Virginia. 

32.  Condo,  Benjamin  D.,  Private,  G,  June  17,  1864,  at  Wash 

ington,  D.  C.,  of  wounds  received  at  Cold  Harbor,  June 
3,  1864. 

33.  Cook,  James  B,  First  Lieutenant,  H,  June  1,  1864,  at  Armory 

Square  Hospital,  Washington,  D.  C.,  of  wounds  received 
at  Po  River  May  10,  1864. 

34.  Carlton,  John  W.,  Private,  H,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 


1040  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

35.  Clapp,  Herman  H.,  Private,  H,  June  3,  1864,  at  Cold  Harbor, 

Virginia. 

36.  Craft,   Andrew,   Private,   I,   May  3,   1863,   Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

37.  Crispin,  Harvey,  Private,  I,  June  15,  1864,  at  Washington, 

D.  C.,  of  wounds  received  in  action ;  buried  in  National 
Cemetery,  Arlington,  Virginia. 

38.  Core,  Thompson,  Captain  K,  June  1,  1864,  of  wounds  re 

ceived  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864. 

39.  Carle,  Bennival,  Private,  K,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

40.  Corbett,  Walter  L.,  Private^  K,  August  14,  1864,  Deep  Bot 

tom,  Virginia. 

41.  Crum,  William,  Private,  A,  wounded  at  Po  River,  May  10, 

1864;  died  at  Washington  of  s-ame. 

42.  Dale,  Solomon,  Private,  A,  May  12,  1864,  of  wounds  received 

at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia, 

43.  Davis,  Abel,  Private,  B,   July  2,   1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 

44.  Dorman,  Jacob,  Private,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

45.  Durst,  Franklin,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

46.  Durst,  John,  Private,   D,   October   6,    1863,  at  Harrisburg, 

Pennsylvania,  of  wounds  received  at  Gettysburg,  Penn 
sylvania,  July  3,  1863. 

47.  Duffy,  George  J.,  Corporal,  G,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

48.  Devore,  William,  Private,  G,  August  16,  1864,  Deep  Bottom, 

Virginia ;  buried  at  Milroy,  Pennsylvania, 

49.  Deisher,   Israel,  Private,  H,  May    12,    1864,    Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

50.  Dorworth,  John  C.,  Private,  K,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor. 

51.  Edmonds,  Jacob  B.,  Captain,  C,  June  22,  1864,  Petersburg, 

Virginia. 

52.  Everhart,    Samuel,  First  Lieutenant,    C,   March    31,     1865, 

White  Oak  Road,  Virginia;  buried  Spring  Creek  Ceme 
tery. 

53.  Earnest,  Joseph,  Corporal,  I,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 

54.  Fleck,  James  M.,  Private,  A,  May  7,  1864,  Wilderness,  Vir 

ginia, 

55.  Fullmer,    Isaiah,    Private,    A,    at   Petersburg,    Virginia,    of 

wounds  received  at  Po  River,  Virginia,  May  10,  1864; 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1041 

buried  at  Poplar  Grove  Cemetery,  Virginia,  Division  8, 
Section  E. 

56.  Fullmer,  William,  Private,  A,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

57.  Forster,  Robert  McKay,  Captain,  C,  July  2,  1863,  Gettys 

burg,  Pennsylvania. 

58.  Fraser,  Alfred  W.,  Private,  D.,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors- 

ville,  Virginia. 

59.  Frantz,    Peter,    Corporal,    H,     Philadelphia,     Pennsylvania, 

of  wounds  received  at  Petersburg,  Virginia;  buried  at 
Port  Matilda,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 

60.  Flinn,  Michael,  Private,  H,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

61.  Ferringer,  Daniel,  Private,  I,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor, 

Virginia. 

62.  Fox,  John,  Private,  K,  August  15,  1864,  Deep  Bottom,  Vir 

ginia. 

63.  Gilbert,  Noah,  Private,  A,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

64.  Gill,  Samuel,  Private,   C,  August  14,   1864,  Deep  Bottom, 

Virginia. 

65.  Gilbert,  George  W.,  Private.  G,    May    12,    1864,    Spotsylvania, 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

66.  Gross,  William  M.,  Private,  G,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

67.  Gnnsalis,  Samuel,  Private,  H,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

OS.  Green,  John,  Private,  H,  August  2,  1863,  of  wounds  received 
at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863 ;  buried  Na 
tional  Cemetery,  London  Park,  Baltimore,  Maryland. 

69.  Gillhousen,  Frederick,  Private  I,  July  17,  1863,  of  wounds 

received  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1863. 

70.  Gibson,  Levi  W.,  Corporal  K,  August  16,  1864,  Deep  Bottom, 

Virginia. 

71.  Harman,  Charles  C,  First  Sergeant,  C,  July  1,  1863,  at  Wash 

ington,  D.   C.,  of  wounds  received  at  Chancellorsville, 
Virginia,  May  3,  1863. 

72.  Harshberger,  Samuel,  Corporal,  D,  May  3,   1863,   Chancel 

lorsville,  Virginia. 

73.  Holloway,   Samuel,  Private,  D,   May  3,   1863,   Chancellors 

ville,  Virginia. 

74.  Hull,  Abraham,  Private,  D,  August  25,  Reams  Station,  Vir 

ginia. 

75.  Henry,  Robert  A.,   First  Sergeant,   F,  May  10,   1864,   Po 

River,  Virginia. 


1042  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

76.  llockenberry,   Benjamin,   Private,   F,    August   28,    1864,    at 

Washington,  D.  C.,  of  wounds  received  at  Deep  Bottom, 
Virginia,  August  16,  1864;  buried  in  National  Ceme 
tery,  Arlington,  Virginia. 

77.  Hanier,  Samuel,  Private,  G,  October,  1864,  on  picket  front 

of  Petersburg,  Virginia. 

78.  ITagerty,  Andrew  J.,  Private,  I,  July  2,   1863,   Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

79.  Imboden,  Palser  F.,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors- 

ville,  Virginia. 

80.  Trvin,  Martin  T.,  Corporal,  F,  May  10,  1863,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

81.  1  shier,  George  W.,  Private  G,  May  6,  1863,  of  wounds  re 

ceived  May  3,  1863,  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia;  buried 
at  Boalsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

82.  Jearls,  Lawson  A.,  Private,  I,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

83.  Jacobs,  Josiah  H.,  Private,  K,  June  16,  1864,  at  .Washing 

ton,  D.  C.,  of  wounds  received  June  3,  1864,  at  Cold 
Harbor,  Virginia. 

84.  Keys,  Thomas  C.,  Corporal,  C,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 

85.  Kooiitz,  Tsaiah,  Private,  C,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor,  Vir 

ginia, 

86.  Knarr,  William,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

87.  Kane,  Jacob  G.,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

88.  Koch,  Franklin,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville^ 

Virginia. 

89.  Klingensmith,   Sampson,  Private,   E,   July   2,   1863,   Gettys 

burg,  Pennsylvania. 

90.  Kunkle,  John,  Private,  E,  died  in  hospital  from  wounds  re 

ceived  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania. 

91.  Keniiolly,   Stephen,   Corporal,   F,  May  10,   1864,   Po   River, 

Virginia. 

92.  Kennedy,   David,  Private,  F,  May  31,  1864,  of  wounds  re 

ceived  May  12,  1864,  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House ; 
buried  National  Cemetery,  Arlington,  Virginia. 

93.  Koonfier,  David,  Private,  G,  June  2,  1864,  Cold  Harbor,  Vir 

ginia. 

94.  Lanich,  Jacob,  Corporal,  A,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 

95.  Lander,  Jacob  S.,  First  Lieutenant,  C,  June  3,  1864,  Cold 

Harbor,  Virginia. 


THE  I4&TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS         1045 

96.  Leitzcl,  Samuel,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Ohancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

97.  Long,  Henry,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville,  Vir 

ginia. 

98.  Law,  Joseph  H.,  Private,  E,  April  7,  1865,  Farmville,  Vir 

ginia. 

99.  Landers,  William,  Private,  E,  April  8,  1865,  of  wounds  re 

ceived  March  31,  1865,  at  White  Oak  Road,  Virginia; 
buried  in  National  Cemetery,  City  Point,  Virginia, 
Section  A,  Division  4,  Grave  65. 

100.  Luckhart,  David  F.,  Private,  E,  May  30,  1864,  at  Armorv 

Hospital,  Washington,  D.  C.,  of  wounds  received  Max 
10,  1864,  at  Po  River,  Virginia. 

101.  Little,   Benjamin,   Private    F,  May   12,   1864,   Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

102.  Ludwijr,  Jainc*.  Corporal,  H,  October  27,  1864,  Petersburg, 

Virginia. 

103.  Ludwis:,  William.  Private,  H.  May  3,  1863.  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

104.  Long,  ILnrnVm,  Private,  L  August  17,  1863,  of  wounds  re 

ceived  July  2,  1863,  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania;  buried 
in  National  Cemetery,  Section  A,  Grave  56. 

105.  MoMurray,  Tames  F.,  Private  A,  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  of 

wounds  received  June  3,  1864,  at  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia. 

106.  McCalmont,  William  T.,  Corporal,  C.,  July  2,  1863,  Gettys 

burg,  Pennsylvania, 

107.  McDowell,  John,'  Private,   C,  June  18,  1864,  of  wounds  re 

ceived  June  3,  1864,  at  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia;  buried 
in  National  Cemetery,  Arlington,  Virginia. 

108.  McAllister,   Henry  V.,  Private,   D,   at   Bellefonte,   Pennsyl 

vania,  of  wound?  received  June  3,  1864,  at  Cold  Har 
bor,  Virginia. 

109.  McAbeo,  Luke,  Private,  F,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court 

House,  Virginia. 

110.  McGuire,  William,  Sergeant,  G,  May  9,  1863,  of  wounds  re 

ceived  May  3,  1863,  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia. 

111.  MclLhattan,  Gieorge  W.,  Private,  G,  June  5,  1864,  of  wounds 

received  May  12,  1864,  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House, 
Virginia. 

112.  McKinley,  Samuel,  Sergeant,  H,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania ;  buried  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania, 
among  unknown  dead. 

113.  McDonald,  William,  Corporal,  H,  June  20,  1864,  at  Wash 

ington,  D.  C.,  of  wounds  received  May  10,  1864,  at  Po 
River,  Virginia. 


1044  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

114.  McGuire,  John  A.,  First  Lieutenant,  I,  May  15,  1864,  at 

Falmouth,  Virginia,  of  wounds  received  May  12,  18154, 
at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia. 

115.  McQuiston,  Alexander,  Sergeant,  I,  August  25,  1864,  Reams 

Station,  Virginia. 

116.  McCullough,    Thomas,   Corporal,    I,    August  17,     1863,     of 

wounds  received  July  2,  1863,  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsyl 
vania;  buried  in  National  cemetery,  Section  A,  Grave  59. 

117.  Mingle,   Elias,   Sergeant,  A,   July  31,  1863,  of  wounds  re 

ceived  July  2,  1863,  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania. 

118.  Miller,  Daniel,  Corporal,  A,  August  6,  1864,  at  Washington, 

D.  C.,  of  wounds  received  June  17,  1864,  at  Petersburg, 
Virginia. 

119.  Miller,  Aaron,  Private,  A,  July  2,  1863,  Gettvsburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 

120.  Meyer,  William  C.,  Private,  A,  August  14,  1864,  Deep  Bot 

tom,  Virginia. 

121.  Moon,   Charles,  Private,  B,  April  7,  1865,  at  Washington, 

D.  C.,  of  wounds  received  March  31,  1865,  at  White 
Oak  Road,  Virginia;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Ar 
lington,  Virginia. 

122.  Mattern,  John  G.,  Corporal,  C,  Mav  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

123.  Mayes,  Miles  M.,  Private,  C,  May  18,  1864,  of  wounds  re 

ceived  May  12,  1864,  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Vir 
ginia, 

124.  M-arkle,  Henry,  Private,  C,  June  6,  1863,  of  wounds  received 

May  3,  1863,  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia. 

125.  Mastly,  John  H.,  Private,  C,  May  11,  1864,  of  wounds  re 

ceived  May  10,  1864,  at  Po  River,  Virginia. 

126.  Matthews,   George  M.,  Private,  C,  M/ay  12,  1864,  Spotsyl 

vania  Court  House,  Virginia, 

127.  Murphy,  John  A,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

128.  Myers,  Adam  G.,  Private,  D,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor, 

Virginia. 

129.  Minich,  Andrew,  Private,  E,  March  31,  1865,  Gravelly  Run, 

Virginia. 

130.  Myers,  Amos,  Private,  G,  July  3,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 

131.  Miller,  John  W.,  Private,  H,  May  12,  1864,   Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

132.  Millor,  Wyrman  S.,  Private,  H,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors 

ville,  Virginia. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1045 

133.  Mertz,  William  H.,  Private,  H,  October  27,  1864,  Petersburg, 

Virginia. 

134.  Makin,  William  H.,  Private,  H,  July  6,  1864,  of  wounds  re 

ceived  May  29,  1864,  at  Four  Mile  Run,  Virginia; 
buried  National  Cemetery,  Arlington,  Virginia. 

135.  Moorhead,  Thompson,  Private,  I,  September  17,  1864,  Peters 

burg,  Virginia. 

130.  Mast,  Jacob  F.,  Sergeant,  K,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 
ginia. 

137.  Myers,  Leander,  Private,  K,  June  16,  1864,  Petersburg,  Vir 
ginia ;  buried  at  Poplar  Grove  National  Cemetery,  Di 
vision  A,  Section  D,  Grave  75. 

13S.  Norris,  William  H.,  Private,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors- 
ville,  Virginia. 

139.  Xewton,  Moses  W.,  Private,  I,  May  27,  1864,  at  Washington, 

D.  C.,  of  wounds  received  May  10,  1864,  at  Po  River, 
Virginia.  (Burial  Records  at  Alexander,  Virginia, 
May  28,  1864,  Grave  1947.) 

140.  Nulph,  Peter,  Private,  I,  May  16,  1864,  of  wounds  received 

May  10,  1864,  at  Po  River,  Virginia.  (Burial  Records 
died  May  26,  1864.)  Buried  National  Cemetery,  Ar 
lington,  Virginia. 

141.  Neal,  Hugh  S.,  Corporal,  K,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

142.  Osman,  George,  Private,  C,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania  ;  buried  National  Cemetery,  Section  B,  Grave 
53. 

143.  Osman,  Daniel,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863.   Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

144.  Pheasant,  George,  Private,  B,  July    2,    1863,    Gettysbuig, 

Pennsylvania. 

145.  Postlethwaite,  William  J.,   Corporal,  E,  May  11,   1864,  of 

wounds  received  May  10,  1864,  at  Po  River,  Virginia. 

146.  Pearson,  William,  Private,  H,  November  20,  1864,  of  wounds 

received  June  17,  1864,  at  Petersburg,  Virginia;  buried 
in  National  Cemetery,  City  Point,  Virginia. 

147.  Phillips,  Michael,  Private,  K,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 

148.  Price,  George,  Private,  K,  May  21,  1863,  of  wounds  received 

May  3,  1863,  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia. 

149.  Roop,  Jacob,  Corporal,  B,  May  9,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

150.  Ralston,  David  G.,  First  Lieutenant,  C,  August   25,   1864, 

Reams  Station,  Virginia. 

151.  Reed,  John,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville,  Vir 

ginia. 


1046  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

152.  Reeser,  Jacob,  Private,  D,  July  14,  18G4,  at  Richmond,  Vir 

ginia,  of  wounds  received  May  10,  1864,  at  Po  River, 
Virginia. 

153.  Royer,  Abraham  M.,  Private,  G,  August  15,  1864,  of  wounds 

received  May  30,  1864,  at  Totopotomoy,  Virginia. 

154.  Reader,  Frederick,  Private,  H,  at  Potomac  Creek  Hospital  of 

wounds  received  May  3,  1863,  at  Chancellorsville,  Vir 
ginia. 

155.  Rhodes,  Jacob  R.,  -    — ,  C,  Spotsylvania  May  12,  1864. 

156.  Rhodes,  David  D.,  Private,  I,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

157.  Spotts,  John,  Private,  B,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court 

House,  Virginia. 

158.  Sidell,  Joseph,  Private,  B,  March  31,  1865,  White  Oak  Road, 

Virginia. 

159.  Stevenson,   Francis,   Second  Lieutenant,    C,  May    3,     1863, 

Chancellorsville,  Virginia. 

160.  Swiler,   John  F.,   Sergeant,   C,   June  22,   1864,  Petersburg, 

Virginia. 

161.  Seese,  Jacob,  Private,  C,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor,   Vir 

ginia. 

162.  Segner,   Simon,  Private,   C,  May  3,   1863,   Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

163.  Swiler,  Smith,  Private,  C,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court 

House,  Virginia. 

164.  Seal,  George  W.,  Corporal,  D,   June  16,   1864,  Petersburg, 

Virginia ;  buried  at  Poplar  Grove  National  Cemetery, 
Petersburg,  Virginia,  Division  D,  Section  C,  Grave  148. 

165.  Stover,   John  J.,  Private,  D,  May  12,    1864,    Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

166.  Stover,   Cornelius,  Private,   D,   May  17,   1863,   at  Potomac 

Creek  Hospital  of  wounds  received  May  3,  1863,  at 
Chancellorsville,  Virginia. 

167.  Stayman,  Henry,  Private,  D,  July  11,  1864,  at  Philadelphia, 

Pennsylvania,  of  wounds  received  May  12,  1864,  at  Spot 
sylvania  Court  House,  Virginia. 

168.  Shofstall,   Joseph  J.,   Corporal,  E,  March  31,   1865,  White 

Oak  Road,  Virginia;  buried  Poplar  Grove  National 
Cemetery,  Petersburg,  Virginia,  Division  D,  Section  B, 
Grave  47. 

169.  Smith,  David,  Private,  E,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court 

House,  Virginia. 

170.  Sankey,  Jeremiah  A.,  First  Lieutenant,  F,  March  29,  1865, 

at  City  Point,  Virginia,  of  wounds  received  March  25, 
1865,  at  Petersburg,  Virginia. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS         1047 

171.  Smith,   John  II.,  Private,   F.,  May   12,   1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

172.  Steffey,  George  M.,  Private,  F,  July  3,  1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

173.  Swinehart,  William  II.,  Corporal,  G,    May    10,    1864,    Po 

Kiver,  "Virginia. 

174.  Shoemaker,  Dias,  Private,  G,  August  15,  1864,  while  a  pris 

oner,  of  wounds  received  May  12,  1864,  at  Spotsylvania 
Court  House,  Virginia. 

175.  Snyder,  Samuel  II.,  Private,  G,  in  hospital  at  Washington, 

D.  C.,  August  22,  1864,  of  wounds  received  May  10, 
1864,  at  Po  River,  Virginia 

176.  Sweetwood,  Isaac,  Private,  H,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

177.  Stewart,  James,  Private,  H,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Gettysburg, 
Pennsylvania. 

178.  Shaffer,  Frederick,  Private,  H,  died  of  wounds  received  May 

10,  1864,  at  Po  River,  Virginia. 

179.  Sturtz,  Jacob,  Private,  H,  August  25,  1865,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

180.  Shaw,  Samuel,  Private,  I,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 

181.  Simpson,  Lucius  A.,  Private,  I,   October  27,   1864,   Peters 

burg,  Virginia. 

182.  Sloan,  William  C.,  Sergeant,  K,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia ;  buried  in  Wilderness  Burial 
Ground. 

183.  Schwa rtzfager,   Isaac  F.,    Corporal,   K,   April   15,   1865^    at 

Washington,  D.  C.,  of  wounds  received  June  3,  1864,  at 
Cold  Harbor,  Virginia. 

184.  Salyards,  Xapoleon  B.,  Private,  K,  April  2,  1865,  at  City 

Point,  Virginia,  of  wounds  received  May  30,  1864,  at 
Totopotomoy  Creek,  Virginia. 

185.  Timblin,  George  F.,  Private,  E,  June  3,  1864,  at  Washing 

ton,  D.  C.,  of  wounds  received  May  10,  1864,  at  Po 
River,  Virginia ;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Arling 
ton,  Virginia. 

186.  Thompson,  William  A.,  Private,   G,  June  1,  1864,  near  Han- 

overtown,  Virginia. 

187.  Test,  James  M.,  Private,  H,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

188.  Thompson,  Joseph  Y.,  Private,  I,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 


1048  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

189.  Thompson,   Denton  L.,  Private,   K,   July   2,   1863,   Gettys 

burg,  Pennsylvania. 

190.  Thompson,  Benjamin,  Private,  K,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

191.  Van  Dyke,  William  S.,  Corporal,  G,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsyl- 

vania  Court  House,  Virginia. 

192.  Vanhouter,  Macomb,  Private,  K,  October  30,  1864,  at  Wash 

ington,  D.  C.,  of  wounds  received  August  25,  1864,  at 
Beams  Station,  Virginia;  buried  in  National  Cemetery, 
Arlington,  Virginia. 

193.  Weight,  John,  Private,  A,  July  24,  1863,  of  wounds  received 

July  2,  1863,  at  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania;  buried  at 
Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania. 

194.  Wolf,  Franklin,  Private,  A,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

195.  Witherow,   S.   D.,  Private,  B,  May  12,   1864,   Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

196.  Wilan,  Robert,  Private,  B,  June  16,  1864,  Petersburg,  Vir 

ginia. 

197.  Wood,  Lewis  A.,  Corporal  C,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

198.  Weaver,  William,   Corporal,  D,  May  3,   1863,   Chancellors- 

ville,  Virginia. 

199.  Whitsel,  Philip,  Private,   E,  June  6,   1864,   of  wounds  re 

ceived  June  5,  1864,  at  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia. 

200.  Wynkoop,  John  S.,  Private,  E,  May  23,  1864,  at  Fredericks- 

burg,  Virginia,  of  wounds  received  May  10,  1864,  at  Po 
River,  Virginia 

201.  Watkins,  William,  Private  F,  June  10,  1863,  of  wounds  re 

ceived  May  3,  1863,  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia. 

202.  Woodcock,  Blair,  Private,   F,   May   12,   1864,   Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

203.  Weand,   Jacob,  Private,  F,   June  18,   1864,   of  wounds  re 

ceived  May  12,  1864,  at  Spotsylvania  Court  House; 
buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Arlington,  Virginia. 

204.  Ward,  George  W.,  Corporal,  G,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors 

ville,  Virginia. 

205.  Williams,  James  A.,  Private,  G,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

206.  Wants,    Ulysses,    Private,    H,    May    3,     1863,     Chancellors 

ville,  Virginia;  buried  in  Wilderness  Burial  Ground, 
grave  unknown. 

207.  Wonsettler,  Adam,  Private,  K,  May  10.  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 


THE  i4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1049 

208.  Yarnell,  Nathan  M.,  Corporal,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors- 

ville,  Virginia, 

209.  Young,  Henry,  Private,  E,  May  20,  1864,  at  Fredericksburg, 

Virginia,  of  wounds  received  May  10,  1864,  at  Po  River, 
Virginia. 

210.  Yerger,  Harrison,  Private,  H,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsvilk, 

Virginia;  buried  in  Wilderness  Burial  Ground,  grave 
unknown. 

211.  Yothers,  Adoniram  J.,  Private,  H,  June  9,  1863,  of  wounds 

received  May  3,  1863,  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia. 

212.  Zufall,  Isaac,  Private,  B,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia 

WOUNDED. 

1.  Ammerman,  William  C.,  Corporal  B,  May  3,  1863,  Chan 

cellorsville,  Virginia. 

2.  Ammerman,  R.  Wesley,  Private,  B,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsyl- 

vania  Court  House,  Virginia. 

3.  Adams,   Nelson,   Private,    B,   March   31,   1865,   White   Oak 

Road,  Virginia. 

4.  Ammerman,  Joseph,  Private,  B,  May  10,   1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

5.  Ammerman,   John   Thompson,   Private,    B,    July     2,     1863, 

Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania. 

6.  Adams.  Albert,  Private,  C,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia 

7.  Allen,  Geo.  K,  Private,  C,  May  10.  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia  ;  transferred  to  \  eteran  Reserve  Corps. 

8.  Allen,   Geo.  W.,   Private,   D,  May  3,   Chancellorsville,   Vir 

ginia. 

9.  Andrew,  Setli,  Private,  B,  no  data. 

10.  Acker,  William,  Private,  I,  June  5,  1864,  Cold  Harbor,  Vir 

ginia. 

11.  Beaver,  James  Addams,  Colonel,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors 

ville,  Virginia;  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia; 
June  16,  1864,  Petersburg,  Virginia;  August  25,  1864, 
Reams  Station,  Virginia. 

12.  Beck,  Benjamin,  Corporal,  A,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia ;  March  31,  1865,  White  Oak  Road. 

13.  Beam,  Jeremiah,  Private,  A,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

14.  Bierly,   Solomon,  Private,   A,   June  3,   1864,   Cold  Harbor, 

Virginia. 

15.  Bierly  Charles,  Private,  A,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania  ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

16.  Boob,  Levi,  Private,  A,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station,  Vir 

ginia. 


1050  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

17.  Boob,  Nathaniel,  Private,   A,  Po  River,   Virginia  May   10. 

1864. 

18.  Boyer,  Adam,  Private,  A,  July  3,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania  ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

19.  Butler,  Sidney  J.,  Private,  A,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor, 

Virginia. 

20.  Barr,  Samuel  L.,  First  Sergeant,  B,  October  14,  1863,  Bristoe 

Station,  Virginia. 

21.  Barger,  Constans,  Sergeant,  B,  North  Anna  River,  Virginia; 

March  31,  1865,  White  Oak  Road,  Virginia, 

22.  Brown,  Michael  A.,  Private,  B,  May  3,  1863,   Chancellors- 

ville,  Virginia;  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania; 
transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

23.  Brower,   James  R.,  Private,   B,   July   2,   1863,   Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

24.  Bottorf,    Samuel,    Corporal,    C,    May    3,    1863,    Chancellors- 

ville,  Virginia ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corns. 

25.  Bathgate,   John   C.,   Corporal,   D,   May   30,   1864,  Bethesda 

Church,  Virginia ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

26.  Bullock,   Robert  G.,   Private,  D,  May  10,   1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

27.  Bear,   James,  Private,  E,   July  2,   1863,   Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 

28.  Barr,  Clarence  T.,  Private,  E,  in  front  of  Petersburg,  Vir 

ginia. 

20.     Bnrrell,  David,  Sergeant,  F,  August  14,  1864,  Deep  Bottom, 
Virginia. 

30.  Barmoy,  John,  Private,  F,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania  ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

31.  Beans,  Benjamin  F.,  Private,  G,  July  3,  1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

32.  Brisbin,  Brice  D.,   Private,   G,   July   3,    1863,    Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania, 

33.  Bayard,    Geo.   A.,   Lieutenant  Colonel,   IT,   Chanoellorsville, 

May  3,  1863. 

34.  Bayard,  John  A.,  Second  Lieutenant,  TT,  Mav  3,  1863,  Chan 

cellorsville,  Virginia. 

35.  Blackburne,   Robert,   Corporal,   H,   May  12,   1S64,    Spotsyl- 

vania  Court  House,  Virginia. 

36.  Brown,  Uriah  K,  Private,  IT,  May  12,   1864,   Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

37.  Bracken,  Jacob,  Private,  H,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia  ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

38.  Bowley,  Joseph  W.,  Private,  T,  no  details. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS         1051 

39.  Boyer,  Philip,  Private,  I,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 
sylvania  ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

•JO.  Buzzard,  John  S.,  Private,  I,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 
sylvania  ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

41.  Chestnut,  William  A.,  Private,  A,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Har 

bor,  Virginia. 

42.  Conaway,  Thomas  A.,  Private,  B,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsyl 

vania  Court  House,  Virginia. 

43.  Craig,  John,  First  Sergeant,  C,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

44.  Carner,  William,  Private,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

45.  Carson,  William,  Private,  C,  May  10,    1864,    Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

46.  Carter,  Jacob  L.,  Private,  C,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 

47.  Campbell,  Henry  C.,  Sergeant,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors 

ville,    Virginia;    May    12,    1864,    Spotsylvania    Court 
House,  Virginia. 

48.  Cross,  Allen  B.,  Sergeant,  D,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

49.  Cory,  Jacob,  Corporal,  D,  no  details. 

50.  Carter,  William  A.,  Private,  D,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

51.  Carbough,  Peter  L.,  Private,  D,  no  details. 

52.  Clark,  William  T,  First  Lieutenant,  E,  May  2,  1863,  Chan 

cellorsville,  Virginia. 

53.  Crissman,  Robert  J.,  Corporal,  E,  May  10,  .1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

54.  Cummings,  John  A.,  Private,  E,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia;  March  31,  1865,  Adams  Farm,  Virginia. 

55.  Cramer,  James  C.,  Private,  E,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

56.  Cooney,  John,  Private,  F,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

57.  Cassady,  Robert,   Private,   H,  May  12,   1864,   Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

58.  Campbell,  William  M.,  Private,  H,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsyl 

vania  Court  House,  Virginia;  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Har 
bor,  Virginia. 

59.  Custard,  Robert,  Private,  H,    May    12,    1864,    Spotsylvania 

Court  House,   Virginia;   March   31,    1865,   White   Oak 
Road,  Virginia. 

60.  Close,  William  H.,  Private,  H,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 


1 052  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

61.  Coursin,  Abram  S.,  Sergeant,  K,  May  10,  1864:,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

62.  Carle,  Hiram,  Private,  K,  October  27,  1864,  Petersburg,  Vir 

ginia. 

63.  Drowker,  Alexander  J.,  Private,  B,  May  9,  18 64-,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

64.  Davis,  Thomas  R,,  Private,  D,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 

65.  Davidson,  Lewis  II.,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors- 

ville,  Virginia;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

66.  Dunkle,  Jacob,  Private,   D,  May  3,   1863,   Chancellorsville, 

Virginia ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

67.  Dunkle,  Benjamin,  Private,  G,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 

68.  Deihl,  John  G.,  Private,  H,  May    12,   1864,    Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

69.  Dickens,  Stephen  E.,  Private,  I,  no  details. 

70.  Derr,  Jacob,  Private,  K,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

71.  Erhard,  Amos,  Corporal,  A.,  July  3,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania  ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

72.  Emerick  Jacob,  Private,  A,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

73.  Eymer,  William  D.,  Private,  A,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

74.  Edmiston,  William  A.,  Private,  B,  May  9,  1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

75.  Etters,  David,  Private,  D,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court 

House,  Virginia. 

76.  Evans,   Joseph  L.,   Private,   D,   June  — ,   1864.   in   front  of 

Petersburg,  Virginia. 

77.  Everhart,  Samuel,  Sergeant,  G,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

78.  Eckinroth,  Henry,  Private,  G,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

79.  Fairlamb,    George   Ashbridge,    Lieutenant   Colonel,   May    3, 

1863,  Chancellorsville,  Virginia;  May  12,  1864,   Spot 
sylvania  Court  House,  Virginia. 

80.  Forster,   Robert  Henry,   Major,   May   3,    1863,   Chancellors 

ville,  Virginia;  June  18,  1864,  Petersburg,  Virginia. 

81.  Furley,  Samuel  K,  Private,  A,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia  ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

82.  Flick,  Jacob,  Private,  B,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

83.  Fishel,  Henry,  Private,  B,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court 

House,  Virginia  ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1053 

84.  Funk,   Martin,  Private,   C,   May   3,   1863,   Chancellorsville, 

Virginia;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

85.  Fisher,  Charles  A.,  Private,  D,  no  details. 

86.  Friday,  Harmon,  Private,  E,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

87.  Freeman,   David   C.,   Second  Lieutenant,   F,   June  8J"  1862, 

Cross  Keys,  Virginia. 

88.  Fox,  Joseph,  First  Lieutenant,  G,  twice  wounded,  no  details. 

89.  Fulton,  William  H.,  Private,  G,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

90.  Freeze,  John,  Sergeant,  H.,  April  2,  1865,  Petersburg,  Vir 

ginia. 

91.  Frantz,  Peter,  Corporal,  H,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

92.  Farley,  Daniel  G.,  Private,  H,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harboi, 

Virginia. 

93.  Frantz,  Jacob,  Private,  H,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

94.  Fulton,  Robert,  Private,  H,  August  16,  1864,  Deep  Bottom, 

Virginia. 

95.  Faul,  Edward,  Private,  K,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

96.  Gilbert,  Manasses,   Corporal,  A,   July  2,   1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania, 

97.  Gilbert,   Moses,   Private,   A,   May    12,     1864,     Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

98.  Gilbert,  Samuel,  Private,  A,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

99.  Guiser,  Matthias,  Private,  A,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 

100.  Garbrick,  Amos,  Private,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

101.  Grater,  Robert,  Private,  C,  May  3,   1863,   Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

102.  Gemmill,  William,  Second  Lieutenant,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chan 

cellorsville,  Virginia. 

103.  Garret,   Thomas,  Private,  E,  May  12,    1864,    Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

104.  Gearhart,  David,  Private,  E,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

105.  Gearhart,  Samuel  R.,  Private,  E,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

106.  Groft,  George,  Private,  E,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 


1054  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

107.  Garbrick,  William  II.,  Private,  G,  June  11,  1864,  Cold  Har 

bor,  Virginia. 

108.  Gilbert,  George  W.,  Private,  G,  July   3,  1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

109.  Glessner,  Philip,  Private,  G,  May  13,    1864,    Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

110.  Gahagari,  John  W.,  Private,  H,  May  3,   1863,  Chancellors- 

ville,  Virginia. 

111.  Groh,  Samuel  K,  Private,  I,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

112.  Grenoble,  Israel  J.,  Private,  I,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

113.  George,  James  F.,   Sergeant,  K,  May  10,   1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

114.  Gries,  Joseph,  Private,  K,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court 

House,  Virginia. 

115.  Ilanly,  William  M.,  Private,  A,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

116.  Helnian,  Henry,  Private,  A,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

117.  Harper,  William  D.,  Captain,  B,  June  22,  1864,  Jerusalem 

Plank  Road,  Virginia;  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 
ginia. 

118.  Huston,  George  K.,  Sergeant,  B,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

119.  Hall,    George  P.,    Corporal,   B,    July    3,    1863,    Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

120.  Harris,  George  W.,  Private,  B,  March  31,  1865,  Five  Forks 

Virginia. 

121.  Huey,  William  C.,  Sergeant,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors 

ville,  Virginia;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

122.  Holloway,   William   P.,   Corporal,   D,  May   12,   1864,   Spot 

sylvania  Court  House,  Virginia. 

123.  Harshberger,  David,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors- 

ville,  Virginia. 

124.  Heberling,  William  F.,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors 

ville,  Virginia. 

125.  Hart,   Charles,   Private,   D,   May   3,   1863,   Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

126.  Huffmaster,  M.  V.,  Private,  D,  March  25,  1865,  near  Peters 

burg,  Virginia. 

127.  Harter,  Daniel  H.,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville; 

transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

128.  Holloway,  David   C.,  Private,  D,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1055 

129.  Homer,  Henry,  Private,  E,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

130.  Havener,   Christ  C.,  Private,  F,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

131.  Harpster,  John  II.,   Captain,  G,  July  3,   1863,  Gettysburg. 

Pennsylvania. 

132.  Holahan,  William  C.,  Sergeant,  G,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsyl- 

vania  Court  House,  Virginia. 

133.  Henney,  David  II.,  Sergeant,  G,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

134.  Harpster,  Joseph  L.,  Corporal,  G,  May  12,   1864,   Spotsyl- 

vania  Court  House,  Virginia. 

135.  Hoffner,  Jonathan,  Private,  G,  June  5,  1864. 

136.  Hunter,  Francis  J.,  Private,  H,  May  3,  1863,  Chanoellors- 

ville,  Virginia. 

137.  Ilillegras,  Henry,  Private,  K,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

138.  Harrington,  Silas  II.,  Private,  K,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

139.  Ilesset,  George,  Private,  K,  May  10,   1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia  ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

140.  Iddings,  Joseph,  Private,  B,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

141.  Irvin,  David,  Corporal,  F,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

142.  Irvin,  James  B.,   Corporal,   G,  May  12,   1864,   Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia;  October  27  1864,  Fort  Gregg, 
Virginia. 

143.  Johnston,  John  L.,  Captain,  A,  June  16,  1864,  Petersburg, 

Virginia. 

144.  Jackson,   John,   Private,   C,   May  3,   1863,   Chancellorsville, 

Virginia ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

145.  Jamison,  Jacob  II.,  Private,  E,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

146.  Jacobs,  William  A.,  Corporal,  G,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

147.  Johnston,  John  L.,  First  Lieutenant,  II,  May  3,  1863,  Chan 

cellorsville,  Virginia  ;  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor,  Vir 
ginia. 

148.  Johnston,  Henry,  Private,  H,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

149.  Jones,  Edward    P.,   Private,    H,   July   3,   1863,   Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

150.  Jon>es,  George  T.,  Private,  H,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 


1056  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

151.  Kreaimer,  Gideon,  Private,  A,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia, 

152.  Kline,  David,  Private,  B,  June  22,  1864,  Jerusalem  Plank 

Road,  Virginia,. 

153.  Knight,  William,  Private,  B,  March  31,  1865,  White  Oak 

Road,  Virginia. 

154.  Kriner,  Jacob,  Private,  B,  October  27,  1864,  Boydton  Plank 

Road,  Virginia. 

155.  Keyser,  Jacob  C.,  Private,  B,  May  9,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

156.  Kreps,  David,  Private,  C,  July  2,   1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 

157.  Kline,  Andrew  J.,  Private,  C,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

158.  Kerr,  David  L.,  Corporal,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors vi lie, 

Virginia. 

159.  Kepler,  John  M.,  Private,  D,  March  31,   1865,  White  Oak 

Road,  Virginia. 

160.  Keys,  David  S.,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Ohancellorsville,, 

Virginia. 
1()1.      Kooney,  James  A.,  Private,  D,  no  data. 

162.  Kenly,  John,  Second  Lieutenant,  E,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River: 

Virginia. 

163.  King,  Erastus,  Private,  E,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

164.  Ketner,  Lot  E.,  Sergeant,  G,  August  16,  1864,  Deep  Bottom, 

Virginia. 

165.  Keller,   Daniel  S.,   Corporal,  G,  May  3,   1863,  Chancellors- 

ville,  Virginia;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

166.  Knopf,  Anthony,  Corporal,  G,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia :  April  — ,  1865,  Adams  Run,  Virginia. 

167.  Koon,  George,  Private,  G,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia  ; 

October  27,  1864,  Ft.  Gregg,  Virginia. 

168.  Kellerman,  William  H.,  Private,  H,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia;  October  27,  1864,  Fort  Crater,  Virginia. 

169.  Kelly,  Robert  J.,  Private,  H.,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

170.  Kissinger,  Robert,  Sergeant,  I,  no  data. 

171.  Kirkpatrick,  Ross  C,,  Corporal,  K,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors- 

ville,  Virginia ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

172.  Krauss,  Enos,  Private,  K,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsvlvania  Court 

House,  Virginia. 

173.  Krotzer,  David  A.,  Private,  K,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

174.  Kifer,  Andrew  J.,  Private,  K,  May  2,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1057 

17:>.      Leitzell,  George  W.,  Sergeant,  A,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg, 
Pennsylvania;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

176.  Limbert,  Frederick,  Corporal,  A,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

177.  Long,  Daniel,  Private,  A,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville,  Vir 

ginia. 

178.  Lilly,  Jacob,  Private,  B,  March  31,  1865,  White  Oak  Road, 

Virginia. 

179.  Lowry,  Christian,  Corporal,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

180.  Lambert,  William,  Private,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

181.  Lee,  Joseph,  Private,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville,  Vir 

ginia. 

182.  Lansberry,  8.  P.,  Sergeant,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

183.  Law  Charles  M,  Sergeant,  E,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vii- 

ginia. 

184.  Luckhart,  David  F.,  Private,  E,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

185.  Luckhart,  Thomas  R.,  Private,  E,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

186.  Lucas,  John  D.,  Private,  F,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 

187.  Lytle,  Isaac,  Captain,  G,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court 

House,  Virginia. 

188.  Lucas,   Matthew  B.,   Corporal,   H,  May   3,   Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

189.  Long,  George  H.,  Private,  H,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

190.  Lucas.  William  J.    Private,  II,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia;  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Vir 
ginia. 

191.  Lowery,  Trwin,  Private,  H,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

192.  Lebkecher,  Michael,  Private,  H,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors 

ville,  Virginia. 

193.  Lape,  Joseph,  Private,  H,  May  10,  186-1,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

194.  Lyle,  "Reuben,  Private,  I,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville,  Vir 

ginia  ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

195.  McBath,  Thomas,  Private,  C,  August  14,  1864,  Deep  Bottom, 

Virginia. 

196.  McElwee,    Thomas,   Private,    E,   July   2?   1863,    Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

197.  MoKinley,  Jeremiah,  Private,  F,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 


1058  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

198.  McCool,  David,  Private,  G,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

199.  Mcllhatten,  David  1).,  Private,  G,  May  10,  1864,    Po  River, 

Virginia. 

200.  McKinney,  William,  Private,  H,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor, 

Virginia. 

201.  McManagle,  James,  Private,  H,  no  data;  transferred  to  Vet 

eran  Reserve  Corps. 

202.  Muffly,  Joseph  W.,  Adjutant  Field  and  Staff,  July  2,  1863, 

Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania;  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 
ginia;  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station,  Virginia. 

203.  .Miller,  John  A.,  First  Sergeant,  A,  no  data. 

204.  Miller,  Henry,  Sergeant,  A,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

205.  Meyer,  Henry,   Corporal  A,   May   3,  1863,   Chancellorsville, 

Virginia;  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

206.  Meyer,  William  C.,  Private,  A,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

207.  Moore,  Alfred  C.,  Sergeant,  B,  March  31,  1865,  White  Oak 

Road,  Virginia. 

208.  Matz,  Fabian,  Private,  C,  March  31,  1865,  White  Oak  Road, 

Virginia. 

209.  Morey,  William  R.,  Private,  C.,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

210.  Mosier,  William,  Private,  C,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

211.  Miller,  Daniel,  Private,  A,  June  17,  1864,  Petersburg,  Vir 

ginia. 

212.  Moorehead,  Joseph  II.,  Sergeant,  E,  June  4,  1864,  Cold  Har 

bor,  Virginia. 

213.  Milliron,  John,  Corporal,  E,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

214.  Meekens,  John,  Private,  E,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor,  Vir 

ginia. 

215.  Miller,  George,  Private,  E,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 

216.  Miller,  Jacob  W.,  Private,  E,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

217.  Mills,   John,  Private,   F,  August   25,   1864,  Reams   Station, 

Virginia. 

218.  May,  Francis  M.,  Private,  G,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor,  Vir 

ginia;  April  -  -  1865,  Adams  Run,  Virginia. 

219.  Miller,  David  W.,  Private,  G,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia;  at  Gettysburg,  July  3,  1863. 

220.  Mover,  John  II.,  Private,  G,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1059 

221.  Murphy,  Adams  T.,  Private,  G,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

222.  Marks,  Isaiah  W.,  Private,  G,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

223.  Miles,  Richard,  Corporal,  H,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

224.  Moore,  John  W.,  Private,  H,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

225.  Myton,  Thomas  W.,'  Private,  H,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors 

ville,  Virginia. 

226.  Moore,  Hiram  G.,  Private,  H,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor, 

Virginia. 

227.  Montgomery,  W.  F.,  Private  H,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 

228.  Moyer,  Samuel  W.,  Private,  H,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

229.  Mortimer,  William  S.,  First  Lieutenant,  K,  July  2,   1863, 

Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania;  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor, 
Virginia. 

230.  Meyers,  John,  Private,  K,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court 

House,  Virginia. 

231.  Milligan,  William,  Private,  K,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

232.  Merley,  Samuel,  Private,  K,  October  27,  1864,  Fort  Crater. 

233.  Northrop,  Fanton  L.,  Private,  A,  May  14,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps. 

234.  Xieman,  George  H.,  Corporal,  H,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors 

ville,  Virginia ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

235.  Otto,  Israel,  Private,  A,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Pennsyl 

vania;  June  3,   1864,  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia;  April  2, 
1865,  Sutherland  Station,  Virginia. 

236.  Osman,  Lemuel  II.,  Private,  C,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harboi, 

Virginia. 

237.  Orris,  Samuel  H.,  Private,  H,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

238.  Parkes,  John,  Private  A,  June  3,   1864,   Cold  Harbor,   Vir 

ginia. 

239.  Pennington,  Henry,  Private,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia ;  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

240.  Ports,  John  W.,  Private,  A,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

241.  Peters,  William  B.,  Private,  B,  May  4,   1864,  Wilderness, 

Virginia, 

242.  Potter,  Samuel  L.,  Private,  D,  no  data. 


1060  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

243.  Phillip,  Josiah,  Private,  E,  August  18,  1864,  Deep  Bottom, 

Virginia. 

244.  Pilson,  Samuel,  Private,  E,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

245.  Phelpe,  William  P.,  Sergeant,  F,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia, 

246.  Parker,  William  A.,  Private,  F,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 

217.     Perry,  William,  Private,  F,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 
sylvania. 

248.  Pennington,   John,    Private,    F,    July   2,    1863,    Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

249.  Patterson,  James  J.,  Captain,  G,  June  16,  1864,  Petersburg, 

Virginia, 

250.  Patterson,  Robert  H.,  First  Sergeant,  G,  July  2,  1863,  Gettys 

burg,  Pennsylvania ;  June  3,   1864,  Cold  Harbor,  Vir 
ginia. 

251.  Pittman,  William,  Private,  G,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

252.  Phillips,  Henry,  Private,  H,  August  16,  1864,  Deep  Bottom, 

Virginia. 

253.  Pearson,  William,   Private,   H,  June  17,   1864,  Petersburg, 

Virginia, 

254.  Plyler,  Edward,  Private,  I,  no  data. 

255.  Po'lliard,  David,  Private,   K,  May  12,    1864,    Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

256.  Pettit,  Oliver  W.,  Private,  K,  May  30,  1864,  Totopotomoy 

Creek,  Virginia, 

257.  Quick,  Thomas,  Private,  B,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor,  Vir 

ginia. 

258.  Rossman,  David,  Corporal,  A,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia;  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia. 

259.  Royer,  Thomas  E.,  Corporal,  A,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps. 

260.  Rupp,   George  M.,   Corporal,  A,  July   2,    1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania;  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court  House, 
Virginia;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

261.  Rosenberry,  Franklin,  Private,  A,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

262.  Roof,  John,  Private,  A,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

263.  Ray,  James,  Corporal,  C,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania  ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

264.  Reish,  Daniel  K,  Private,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1061 

265.  Rhinehart,  Alfred  A.,  Captain,  D,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

266.  Roto,  John  C.,  Corporal,  D,  October  14,  1863,  Auburn  Mills, 

Virginia;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

267.  Runkle,  Charles  D.,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

268.  Reed,  William  A.,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia, 

269.  Reeser,  Jacob,  Private,  D,  July  3,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania;  at  Spotsylvania,  May  18,  1864. 

270.  Richards,   Vincent,   Corporal,  E,  May   10,   1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

271.  Raybuck,  Emanuel,  Private,   E,  July   2,   1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

272.  Rhodes,    Malchia,   Private,    E,    July    2,    1863,    Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

273.  Roland,  John  G.,  Private,  E,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

274.  Rager,   Samuel  J.,  Private,  G,   June  17,   1864,  in  front  of 

Petersburg,  Virginia;  October  26,  1864. 

275.  Reed,  Reuben,  Private,  G,  July  3,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania;    May    12,    1864,    Spotsylvania    Court   House, 
Virginia ;  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station,  Virginia. 

276.  Reel,  Samuel,  Private,  G,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

277.  Ross,  Alexander  B.,  Private,  G,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

278.  Ross,  Matthew  M.,  Private,  H,  June  17,  1864,  Petersburg, 

Virginia. 

279.  Rathf  i  n.  John  M.,  Private,  K,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

280.  Reynolds   Stern,   Private,   K,   May   12,    1864,    Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia ;  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 
Virginia. 

281.  Spangler,    Simon  M.,   First  Lieutenant,   A,   May  12,   1864, 

Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia. 

282.  Sloan,  Isaac  K,  Sergeant  Major,  Field  and  Staff,  May  12, 

1864,  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia. 

283.  Sixes,  Josiah,  Private,  A,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor,  Vir 

ginia. 

2R4.  Swyers,  David  H.,  First  Lieutenant,  B,  May  9,  1864,  Po 
'  River,  Virginia;  March  31,  1865,  White  Oak  Road, 
Virginia. 

285.  Searson,  Edwin,  Corporal,  B,  July  3,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 
sylvania,  twice;  June  6,  1864,  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia. 


1062  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

286.  Swartz,  Christian,  Corporal,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia* 

287.  Sherwood,  James,  Private,  C,  October    27,    1864,    Boydton 

Plank  Road,  Virginia. 

288.  Shivery,  David  W.,  Private,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

289.  Smythe,  William,  Private,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

21)0.  Sowers,  John  C,,  Private,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 
Virginia ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

291.  Sowers,  Henry  A.,  Private,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

292.  Swiler,  Christian,  Private,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

203.  Speaker,  Charles  F.,  Corporal,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors 
ville,  Virginia;  May  30,  1864,  Totopotomoy  Creek,  Vir 
ginia;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

294.  Stover,  Thaddeus  D.,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors 

ville,  Virginia. 

295.  Smith,  Charles  J.,  Private,  D,  no  data. 

296.  Stull,  Jacob,  Private,  D,  no  data. 

297.  Shirk,  Joseph,  Private,  D,  no  data. 

298.  Swisher,  Peter,  Private,  D,  no  data. 

299.  Suttle,  William,  Private,  D,  no  data. 

300.  Stewart,  Charles,  Captain,  E,  May  2,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

301.  Sntton,  John  F.,  Captain  E,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 

302.  Sprankle,  Peter  D.,  First  Lieutenant,  E,  October  27,  1864, 

Fort  Crater,  Virginia. 

303.  Sntton,  James  M.,  Second  Lieutenant,  E,  May  10,  1864,  Po 

River,  Virginia. 

304.  Smith,  Daniel  W.,  Sergeant,  E,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

305.  Slitter,  Daniel  R.,  Corporal,  E,  October  27,  1864,  Ft.  Crater, 

Virginia. 

306.  Shilling,  Samuel,  Private,  E,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 

307.  Sloppy,  Philip,  Private,  E,  May  10, 1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

308.  Smith,  David,  Private,  E,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 

309.  Snyder,  John,  Private,  E,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

310.  Speedy,   Joseph   C.,  Private,  E,  July  2,   1863,   Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1063 

311.  Strayer,  Jacob  M.  R.,  Private,  E,  August  25,  1864,  Reams 

Station,  Virginia. 

312.  Stringfellow,  J.  W.,  Corporal,  F,  May  10,  1804,  Po  River, 

Virginia;  August  25,  1804,  Reams  Station,  Virginia. 
313      Specht,  David,  Private,  F,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court 
House,  Virginia. 

314.  Sentman,  Joseph,  Private,  F,  March  31,   1865,  White  Oak 

Road,  Virginia. 

315.  Smith,  Philip  T.  B.,  Private,  F,  Petersburg,  Virginia,  June 

18,  1864. 

316.  Stuart,  John  W.,  Second  Lieutenant,  G,  May  10,  1864,  Po 

River,  Virginia. 

317.  Singleton,  Thomas,  Private,  G,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

318.  Stover,  David,  Private,  G,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

319.  Sanders,  Darius  L.,  Sergeant,  H,  May  10,  1861  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

320.  Spotts,   Jacob,   Private,   H,   M>ay   3,   1863,   Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

321.  Stiner,   David,  Private,  H,  May  3,  1863,   Chancellorsville, 

Virginia;  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

322.  Shultz,  William  H.,  Private,  H,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania;  May  12,  1864,   Spotsylvania  Court  House, 
Virginia. 

323.  Sweetwood,  Isaac,  Private,  H,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 

324.  Stonebraker,  Jeremiah,  Private,  II,  March  31,  1865,  White 

Oak  Road,  Virginia. 

325.  Smith,  Alfred,  Private,  H,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor,  Vir 

ginia;  June  17,  1864,  front  of  Petersburg,  Virginia. 

326.  Steese,  James  A.,  Private,  H,  May  12,  1864,   Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

327.  Stonebraker,  Valentine,  Private,  H,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

328.  Stuck,   Christian,  Private,  H,  May   12,   1864,   Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

329.  Sauer,  Abraham,  Private,  I,  no  data. 

330.  Smith,  William  IT.  H.,  Private,  I,  June  5,  1864,  Cold  Harbor, 

Virginia. 

331.  Sloan,  Samuel  H.,  Corporal,  K,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

332.  Schwartzfager,  Henry,  Corporal,  K,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River. 

Virginia. 

333.  Tate,  Eli  P.,  Private,  C,  March  31,  1865,  White  Oak  Road, 

Virginia. 


1064  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

334.  Thomas,  John,  Private,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville,  Vir 

ginia  ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

335.  Transue,  Harvey  H.,  Private,  E,  May  13,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

336.  Taylor,  William  L.,  First  Sergeant,  G,  May  3,  1863,  Chan: 

cellorsville,  Virginia. 

337.  Thompson,  James  A.,  Private,  G,  July  3,  1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

338.  Try,   Samuel,   Private,   1,  July   2,   1863,   Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 

339.  Vanvalin,  Oliver  W.,  Corporal,  B,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

340.  Venada,  Simon,  Corporal,  13,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

341.  Vansickle,  Joseph,  Private,  D,  November  3,  1863. 

342.  Vancile,  Peter,  Private,  E,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor,  Vir 

ginia. 

343.  Weaver,    James   F.,   Lieutenant   Colonel,   May   9,    1864,   Po 

River,  Virginia. 

344.  Weaver,  Daniel,  Sergeant,  A,  August  14,  1864,  Deep  Bottom, 

Virginia. 

345.  Wcirick,  Thomas  G.,  Private,  A,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor, 

Virginia. 

346.  Weiser,  '  Charles  W.,  Private,  A,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

347.  Whipple,  Augustus  B.,  Private,  A,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Har 

bor,  Virginia. 

348.  Webb,  Jacob  D.,  Private,  A,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

349.  Wile,  Philip,  Private,  A,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 
?50.      Wolf,  William,  Private,  A,  May  10,   1864,   Po  River,   Vir 
ginia;  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor,  Virginia. 

351.  Watkins,  Benjamin  F.,  Private,  B,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsyl^ 

vania  Court  House,  Virginia. 

352.  Walker,  George  W.,  Private,  B,  May  9,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia ;  March  31,  1865,  White  Oak  Road,  Virginia. 

353.  Walker,  Mathias,  Private,  B,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

354.  Williams,  Thomas,  Private,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

355.  Wanoe,  David  H.,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellor sville, 

Virginia. 

356.  Wolf,  David  K,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1065 

357.  Wells,  James  K.,  Private,  E,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 

358.  Wynkoop,   John   S.,   Private,   E,   July  2,    1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

359.  Went,  George  W.,  Corporal,  G,  August  15,  1864,  Deep  Bot 

tom,  Virginia. 

360.  Wagner,  John  D.,  Corporal,  H,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

361.  Whippo,  Charles  O.,  Private,  H,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors- 

ville,  Virginia. 

362.  Woodring,  Daniel  W.,  Private,  H,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors- 

ville,  Virginia,  three  times. 

363.  Wilson,  George  A.,  Private,  H,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

364.  Wadding,  Robert  M.,  Private,    F,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

365.  Ward.  John,  Second  Lieutenant,  K,  October  14,  1863,  Auburn 

Mills,  Virginia. 

366.  Walters,  George  G.,  Corporal,  K,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 

367.  Woods,  Lebbeus  B.,  Private,  K,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia, 

368.  Wentzel,  Henry  W.,  Private,  K,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor, 

Virginia. 

369.  Wiant,  George  F.,  Private,  K,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

370.  Wasser,  Melcher,  Private,  K, Gettysburg.  Penn 

sylvania;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

371.  Wiant,  William,  Private,  K,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia. 

372.  Wiant,  Abraham  C.;  Private,  K,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia,   and  June  16,    1864,    Petersburg,    Virginia ; 
transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

373.  Yocum,  Frederick,  First  Sergeant,  C,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsyl 

vania  Court  House,  Virginia. 

374.  Yetters,  Joseph,  Private,  C,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville. 

Virginia ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

375.  Young,  David  H.,  Private,  D,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville. 

Virginia. 

376.  Youts,  John  E.,  Private,  G,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville, 

Virginia ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 

377.  Zerby,  Andrew,  Private,  A,  June  3,  1864,  Cold  Harbor,  Vir 

ginia. 

378.  Zimmerman,  Benjamin,  Private,  H,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellors 

ville,  Virginia ;  transferred  to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps. 


1066  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

379.     Zeigenfuss,  William,  Private,  K,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 
Court  House,  Virginia. 

PRISONERS  OF  WAR. 

1.  Ammerman,  John  Thompson,  Private,  B,  August  25,  1861, 

Reams  Station,  Virginia. 

2.  Alvord,  James,  Private,  1),  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court 

House,  Virginia. 

3.  Anderson,    William   It.,   Private,   E,   May   25,    1864,   North 

Anna,  Virginia. 

4.  Bayard,  George  Adams,  Major  Field  and  Staff,  June  22,  1864, 

Jerusalem  Plank  Road,  Virginia. 

5.  Bierly,  Wesley  W.,  First  Lieutenant,  A,  June  2  ,  1864,  Je 

rusalem  Plank  Road,  Virginia. 

6.  Butler,  Sidney  J.,  Private,  A,  Juno  3,   1864,  Cold  Harbor, 

Virginia. 

7.  Boob,  Nathaniel,  Private,  A,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

8.  Biddle,  John  W.,  Private,  B,  June  16,    1864,    in    front   of 

Petersburg,  Virginia. 

9.  Baker,  Benjamin  F.,  Private,  B,  no  details. 

10.  Brower,  James  R.,  Private,  B,  June  22,   1864,  Petersburg, 

Virginia. 

11.  Burdic,   Sylvester,  Private,  D,  May  12,   1864,   Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

12.  Boyer,  John,  Private,  E,  July  2,   1863,  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania;  also  June  22,  1864,  Petersburg,  Virginia. 

13.  Bush,  Emanuel,  Private,  E,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court; 

House,  Virginia. 

14.  Beans,  Nathan  E.,  Private,  G,  June  16,   1864,  Petersburg, 

Virginia. 

15.  Bowers,  John,  Private,  G,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

16.  Brisbin,   Brice  D.,  Private,   G,  June  22,   1864,  Petersburg, 

Virginia. 

17.  Barr,  Hugh  A.,  Private,  I,  no  details. 

18.  Corman,   George,    Corporal,   A,   July    2,    1863,     Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

19.  Carner,  James,  Private,  C,  near  Petersburg,   Virginia,  Fort 

Crater,  October  27,  1864. 

20.  Cooney,  John,  Private,  F,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia, 

21.  Carey,  Henry,  Sergeant,  T,  June  4,  1864. 

22.  Cochran,  James,  Private,  T,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

23.  Carnathan,  Hugh,  Private,  K,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsvillo. 

Virginia. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1067 

24.  Davis,  Thomas  R,  Private,  D,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 

25.  Dent,  James  G.,  Private,  F,  May,  1863,  Chancellorsville,  Vir 

ginia. 

26.  Deibler,  Lewis,  Corporal,  I,  no  details. 

27.  Derr,  Jacob,  Private,  K,  May  10,  1864,  Po  Kiver,  Virginia. 

28.  Demi,  Josiah,  Private,  K,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court 

House,  Virginia. 

29.  Doney,  George,  Private,  K,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court 

House,  Virginia. 

30.  Etters,  David,  Private,  D,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court 

House,  Virginia. 

31.  Fairlamb,  George  Ashbridge,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Field,  and 

Staff,  May"l2,  1864,  Spotsylvania  Court  House. 

32.  Frederick,  Leonard,  Private,  B,  no  details. 

33.  Fleming,  Jamies  E.,  Private,  F,  no  details. 

34.  Funk,  John  T.,  Private,  H,  June  17,  1864,  Petersburg,  Vir 

ginia. 

35.  Fackender,  John,  Corporal,  K,  October  27,  1864,  near  Fort 

Morton,  Virginia. 

36.  Gettig,  Samuel  R,  Corporal,  A,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,   Virginia. 

37.  Grim,  Adam,  Private,  A,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

38.  Hurto,   Charles  F.,  Private,  B,   June  22,   1864,   Jerusalem 

Plank  Road,  Virginia, 

39.  Hines,  James,  Private,  B,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 
-40.     Homer,  Cyrus,  Private,  B,  no  data. 

41.  Heiligstein,  Siegfried,  Private,  C,  no  data. 

42.  Harner,  Jacob,  Private,  D,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

43.  Harman,  John   S.,  Private,  E,  June  22,  1864,   Petersburg 

Virginia. 

44.  Havener,"  Christ  C.,  Private,  F,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,   Virginia. 

45.  Henry,  James,  Private,  F,  no  data. 

46.  Harpster,  Joseph  L.,   Corporal,  G,  May  12,   1864,  Spotsyl 

vania  Court  House,  Virginia. 

47.  Hill,  Sylvester,  Corporal,  H,  October  27,  1864,  Petersburg, 

Virginia. 

48.  Hudsell,  Dennis,  Private,  H,  June  22,  1864,  Jerusalem  Plank 

Road,  Virginia. 

49.  Huey,  Robert,  Private,  K,  May  3,  1863,  Chancellorsville,  Vir 

ginia. 


1068  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

50.  Jordon,   Thomas,  Sergeant,  H,   June  17,   1864,  Petersburg, 

Virginia, 

51.  Kraemer,  Jesse,  Private,  A,  October   27,   1864,  Ft   Crater,, 

Petersburg,  Virginia. 

52.  Keeler,  William,  Private,  B,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

53.  Keyser,  Jacob  C.,  Private,  B,  May  9,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

54.  Keely,  Oliver  F.,  Private,  B,  no  data. 

55.  Kline,  Andrew  J.,  Private,  C,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

56.  Kroh,  Elias  R.,  Private,  E,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

57.  Klinger,  Ephriam,   Corporal,  H,  May   10,   1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

58.  Knickenbracken,  C.,  Private,  H,  June  22,  1864,  Jerusalem 

Plank  Road,  Virginia. 

59.  Long,  Jesse,  Private,  A,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

60.  Long,  Daniel,  Private,  A,  June  22,  1864,  Petersburg,   Vir 

ginia. 

61.  Lucas,  George  W.,  Sergeant,  B,  June  16,  1864,  Petersburg, 

Virginia. 

62.  Leonard,  Frederick,  Private,  B,  died  in  prison. 

63.  Lord,  Albert,  Private,  F,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

64.  Lucas,  Matthew  B.,  Corporal,  H,  no  data. 

65.  Lintaman,  Josiah,  Private,  K,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Vir 

ginia. 

66.  McFadden,  Montgomery,  Private,  E,  August  25,  1864,  Reams 

Station,  Virginia. 

67.  McNoldy,  James  F.,  Sergeant,  K,  August  25,  1864,  Reams 

Station,  Virginia. 

68.  McCormick,    Jones,    Private,   K,   August   25,    1864,   Reams 

Station,   Virginia. 

60.     Meyer,  Thomas  P.,  Sergeant,  A,  October  14,  1863,  Auburn 
Mills,  Virginia. 

70.  Maze,  Israel.  Private,  A,  June  7,  1864,  North  Anna,  Virginia. 

71.  Mayes,  Lewis,  Private,  C,  October  27,  1864,  Ft,  Crater,  Vir 

ginia. 

72.  Milliron,  John,  Corporal,  E,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

73.  Milliron,  William,  Private,  E,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1069 

74.  Miller,  Eli  R,,  Private,  E,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

75.  Miller,  William,  Private,  F,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

76.  Miller,  Herman  K,  Sergeant,  H,  June  17,  1864,  Petersburg, 

Virginia. 

77.  Montgomery,  W.  F.,  Private,  H,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 

78.  Mattson,  David,  Private,  I,  no  data. 

79.  Montier,  Stewart  H.,  Private,  I,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 

80.  Miller,  Andrew  J.,  Private,  K,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 

81.  Merley,  Samuel,  Private,  K,  October  27,  1864,  Fort  Crater, 

Virginia. 

82.  Onstead,  Godfrey,  Private,  B,  no  data. 

83.  Oberlin,  William  P.,  Private,  E,  March  31,  1865,  Gravelly 

Run,  Virginia. 

84.  Parkes,  John,  Private,  A,  October  27,  1864,  Ft.  Crater,  Vir 

ginia. 

85.  Potter,  Benjamin,  Private,  I,  no  date. 

86.  Rhoads,  Jacob  R.,  Private,  C,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

87.  Riffle,  Abraham,  Private,  C,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

88.  Refsnyder,  John  C.,  Private,  D,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

89.  Reeser,  Jacob,  Private,  D,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

90.  Richards,  Vincent,   Corporal,  E,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River, 

Virginia. 

91.  Rising,  Joseph,  Private,  E,  October  27,  1864,  Fort  Crater, 

Virginia. 

92.  Roland,  John  G.,  Private,  E,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

93.  Rumbarger,  John  H.,  Private,  G,  June  16,  1864,  Petersburg, 

Virginia. 

94.  Rager,  Samuel  J.,  Private,  G,  October  26,  1864. 

95.  Rumbaugh,  Jacob  B.,  Corporal,  I,  August  25,  1864,  Reams 

Station,  Virginia. 

96.  Ransom,  Harrison,  Private,  I,  no  data. 

97.  Randolph,  James,  Private,  K,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 

98.  Reese,  Daniel,  Private,  K,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

99.  Rothermel,  Abram,  Private,  K,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 


1 070  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

100.  Sloan,  Isaac  1ST.,  Sergeant  Major  Field  and  Staff,  May  12, 

1864,  Spotsylvania  Court  House,  Virginia. 

101.  Shields,  Patterson  M.,  Private,  C,  June  16,  1864,  Petersburg, 

Virginia. 

102.  Sprankle,  Peter  D.,  First  Lieutenant,  E,  October  27,  1864, 

Fort  Crater,  Virginia. 

103.  Shall,  John  B.,  Private,  E,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station, 

Virginia. 

104.  Shilling  Samuel,  Private,  E,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 

105.  Sloppy,  Philip,  Private,  E,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,   Vir 

ginia. 

106.  Snyder,  John,  Private,  E,  May  10,  1864,  Po  River,  Virginia. 

107.  Stamm,  David  E.,  Private,  E,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 

108.  Staggers,  James  L.,  Private,  E,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 

109.  Steffey,  William  O.,  Private,  F,  July  2,   1863,  Gettysburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

110.  Starliper,  William  V.,  Private,  G,  June  22,  1864,  near  Peters 

burg,  Virginia. 

111.  Shoemaker,    Dias,    Private,    G,     May     12,     1864,     Spot  ay  1- 

vania  Court  House,  Virginia. 

112.  Snyder,  William,   Corporal,  H,   June  22,    1864,    Jerusalem 

Plank  Road,  Virginia. 

113.  Sanders,  Sylvester,   Corporal,  H,   June  22,  1864,   Jerusalem 

Plank  Road,  Virginia. 

114.  Stuck,    Christian,   Private,   H,  May   12,    1864,   Spotsylvania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 
315.      Snyder,  Alexander,  Private,   I,  no  data, 

116.  Stahlmau,  Lewis  R.,  Private,  I,  no  data. 

117.  Shaffer,  Lavinus  W.,  Private,  K,  May  30,  1864,  Totopotomoy 

Creek,  Virginia. 

118.  Troutman,  Martin,  Private,  A,  October  27,  1864,  Fort  Crater, 

Virginia. 

119.  Thompson,  Robert  P.,  Private,  E,  August  25,  1864,  Ream? 

Station,  Virginia. 

120.  Wolf,  Chas.  A.,  Private,  A,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Station. 

Virginia. 

121.  Walker,  William,  Private,  B,  no  data. 

122.  Welch,  George  D.,  Private,  E,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 

123.  Welch,  John,  Private,  F,  no  data, 

124.  Wingard,  William,  Private,  G,  August  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1071 

125.     Ward,   William,   Sergeant,   II,   June   18,    1864,   Petersburg, 

Virginia. 
l'2ti.     Williams,  John,  Private,  II,  October  27,  1864,  Fort  Crater, 

Virginia. 

127.  Wilcox,  Isaac,  C.,  Private,  A,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsyivania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

128.  Willoughby,  Elijah,  Private,  I,  no  data. 

129.  Woods,  Lebbens  B.,  Private,  K,  May  12,  1864,  Spotsyivania 

Court  House,  Virginia. 

130.  Wasser,  Melcher,  Private,  K,  -  -  Gettysburg,  Penn 

sylvania. 

131.  Yeager,  Samuel,  Private,  B,  no  data. 

132.  Yarlett,  George  W.,  Private,  G,  August,  25,  1864,  Reams  Sta 

tion,  Virginia. 

133.  Zimmerman,  Benjamin,  Private,  B,  no  data. 

DIED. 

1.  Allen,  John  Wesley,  Assistant  Surgeon,  Field  and  Staff,  died 

at  Altoona,  Pennsylvania, 

2.  Ammerman,  John  Thompson,  Private,  B,  died  at  Anderson- 

ville,   Georgia,   February   19,   1865.      (Burial  Records: 
died  at  Salisbury,  Xorth  Carolina,  February  7,  1865. 

3.  Alvord,  James,  Private,  D,  died  at  Richmond,  Virginia,  July 

15,  1864. 

4.  Abott,  James,  Private,  D,  died  near  Stevensburg,  Virginia, 

December  10,   1863. 

5.  Aden,  James,  Private,  E,  died  at  Morrisville,  Virginia,  Aug 

ust  17,  1863;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Arlington, 
Virginia,  Block  2,  Section  E,  Row  11,  Grave  83. 

6.  Andrews,  Jacob  B.,  Private,  G,  died  San  Jose,   California, 

December  11,  1899 ;  buried  in  soldiers'  plot  in  cemetery 
there. 

7.  Anthony,  George  N.,  Private,  I,  no  details. 

8.  Bayard,   George  Adams,   Major,   Field   and   Staff,   killed   at 

Bellefonte,  Pennsylvania,  July  7,  1903. 

9.  Bierly,  James  B.,  Private,  A,  died  near  Falmouth,  Virginia. 

February   24,   1863 ;   buried   at   Madisonburg,   Pennsyl 
vania. 

10.  Boob,  Levi,  Private,  A,  died  August  26,  1867,  by  accident; 

buried  at  Hartleton,  Pennsylvania. 

11.  Bressler.  David,  Private,  A,  buried  near  Penn  Hall,  Penn 

sylvania. 

12.  Butler,  Sidney  J.,  Private,  A,  died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia, 

July  22,  1864;  Grave  3808. 

13.  Barr,  Samuel  L.,  First  Sergeant,  B,  died  at  Bellefonte,  Penn 

sylvania. 


1072  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

14.  Beerly,   Nathaniel,   Musician,   B,   died   at  Milesburg,   Penn 

sylvania,  December  2,  1902. 

15.  Beerly,   Mesulam,   Private,   B,   died  at  Falmouth,  Virginia, 

February  8,  1863. 

16.  Bemiet,   George,   Private,   B,    died   at   York,     Pennsylvania, 

March  23,  1863;  buried  in  Prospect  Hill  Cemetery. 

17.  Bear,   Jacob,   Private,  B,   died  near  Stevensburg,   Virginia, 

March  21,  1864;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Culpeper 
Court  House,  Virginia,  Block  1,  Section  A,  Row  12, 
Grave  412. 

18.  Brubaker,  Emanuel,  Private,  B,  died  at  Washington,  D.  C., 

June  20,  1864;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Arlington, 
Virginia, 

19.  Brubaker,  Jacob,  -    — ,  D,  Tiffin,  Ohio,  no  data. 

20.  Baker,    Benjamin    F.,    Private,    B,    died    at   Andersonville, 

Georgia,  October  27,  1864;  grave  11566. 

21.  Brower,  James  R,  Private,  B,  died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia, 

October  18,   1864. 

22.  Beck,  David,  -    — ,  C,  Mercersburg,  Pennsylvania,  1879. 

23.  Benner,  John  F.,  Captain,  C,  died  in  California,  November, 

1902. 

24.  Bathurstv  Lawrence  B.,  Musician,    C,  died  since  War. 

25.  Baker,  D.  Webster,  Private,  C,  died  at  Plattsville,  Illinois, 

January  1,  1903. 

26.  Bailey,  Isaac,  Private,  C,  died  since  the  War. 

27.  Barmoy,  John,  ,  F,  since  the  War. 

28.  Bathgate,  Jno.  C.,  Corporal,  D,  no  details. 

29.  Bell,  Archibald  M.,  Private,  D,  died  at  Washington,  D.  C., 

October  17,  1863. 

30.  Bolin,  George  W.,  Private,  D,  died  January  12,  1864. 

31.  Burdic,     Sylvester,     Private,     D,     died      at     Andersonville, 

Georgia,   August   12,   1864. 

32.  Boyer,  Elias,  -    — ,  F,  since  the  War. 

33.  Boyer,  John,  Private,  E,  died  since  the  War. 

34.  Breon,  Jacob,  Captain,  F,  died  Altoona,  Pennsylvania,  April 

21,  1901. 

35.  Berger,  Jacob  J.,  Private,  F,  died  at  Baltimore,  Maryland, 

November  28,   1864. 

36.  Beans,  Nathan  E.,  Private,  G,  killed  accidentally  in  Clear- 

field  County,  Pennsylvania. 

37.  Blackburn,  Robert,  -    — ,  H,  Ichersburg,  Pennsylvania,  Julv 

25,  1904. 

38.  Bowers,  John,  Private,  G,  reported  as  died  in  prison. 

39.  Brady,  Washington,  G.,  Corporal,  H,  died  at  Fallen  Timber, 

Cambria  County,  Pennsylvania;  buried  there. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1075 

40.  Butler,  Samuel,  Private,  II,  died  at  Belief onte,  Pennsylvania, 

buried  in  cemetery  there. 

41.  Brown,  Orlando  H.,  Second  Lieutenant,  I,  died  since  the  War. 

42.  Bailey,  Eli,  Private,  I,  died  since  the  War. 

43.  Banghart,  John,  Private,  I,  died  since  the  War. 

44.  Barr,  Emory  J.,  Private,  I,  died  at  Potomac  Creek,  Virginia, 

April   16,   1863. 

45.  Barr,  Hugh  A.,  Private,  I,  died  at  Salisbury,  North  Caro 

lina,  November  26,  1864. 

46.  Barr,  William  H.,  Private,  I,   died  at  Washington,   D.   C., 

June  15,   1863;  buried  in  Military  Asylum  Cemetery. 

47.  Boyd,  William  C.,  Private,  I,  died  at  Falmouth,   Virginia, 

June  7,  1863. 

48.  Buzzard,  John  S.,  Private,  I,  died  since  the  War. 

49.  Boarts,  Phillip,  Private,  K,  died  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  Feb 

ruary  15,  1864;  buried  Military  Asylum  Cemetery. 

50.  Brown,  George  W.,  Private,  C,  died  at  Philipsburg,  Pennsyl 

vania,  August  20,  1904. 

51.  Bartley,  John,  Private,  K,  no  details. 

52.  Berkley,  Jacob  J.,  Private,  K,  died 'at  Stevensburg,  Virginia. 

December  30,  1863. 

53.  Grouse,  Henry,  Corporal,  A,  died  December  22,  1899;  buried 

at  Aaronsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

54.  Conser,  Henry  G,  Private,  A,  died  at  Valley  Falls,  Kansas, 

May,  1900. 

55.  Campbell,  Patrick,  Corporal,  C,  died  since  the  War. 

56.  Carner,  James,  Private,  C,  died  at  Salisbury,  North  Carolina, 

November  24,  1864. 

57.  Carner,  William,  Private,  C,  died  since  the  War. 

58.  Carson,  William,  Private,  C,  died  since  the  War. 

59.  Carter,  Jacob  L.,  Private,  C,  died  sinde  the  War. 

60.  Cline,  John  A.,  Private,  C,  died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia, 

December  8,   1862. 

61.  Cross,   Allen  B.,   Sergeant,   D,   died   since  the  War. 

62.  Campbell,  Henry  C.,  Sergeant,  D,  died  August  2,  1904,  at 

State  College,  Pennsylvania. 

63.  Carter,  William  A.,  Private,  D,  died  near  Pine  Grove,  Penn 

sylvania. 

64.  Close,  Able,  Private,  D,  died  at  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania, 

July  14,  1864. 

65.  Clarke,  William  T.,  First  Lieutenant,  E,  died  since  the  War. 

66.  Cochran,  Isaac  G.,  Private,  E,  died  since  the  War. 

67.  Crissman,  Robert  J.,  Corporal,  E,  Punxsutawney,  Pennsyl 

vania,  September  17,  1904. 


1074  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

68.  Oyster,  Amos,  Private,  E,  died  in  Hospital  at  York,  Penn 

sylvania,   February   3,    1863. 

69.  Older,  Solomon,  Private,  F,  died  at  Cockeysville,  Maryland, 

October  6,  1862. 

70.  Condo,  Charles  M.,  Private,  G,  drowned  in  the  Gunpowder 

Creek,  September  21,  1862. 

71.  Condo,   Daniel,  Private,  G,  died   at  Spring  Hills,  Pennsyl 

vania,  February  11,  1869. 

72.  Condo,   Jared,   Blacksmith,   G,  murdered  by  prisoners  July 

29,  1904,  while  in  line  of  duty  as  turnkey  in  Belief  on  te, 
Pennsylvania,  jail. 

73.  Cassady,  Robert,  Private,  H,  died  at  -         — ,  Missouri. 

74.  Cochran,  James,  Private,  I,  no  details;  died  since  the  War. 

75.  Crate,  Philip  S.,  Private,  I,  no  details ;  died  since  the  War. 

76.  Carson,  John  E.,  Corporal,  K,  died  at  Point  Lookout,  Mary 

land,  June  18,  1863. 

77.  Coursin,  Abraham  R.,  Musician,  K,  died  -         — ,   1901. 

78.  Clover,   John   C,   Private,  K,  no  details. 

79.  Corbett,   Mimson,  Private,  K,   died   at  Falmouth,   Virginia, 

December  28,'  1862. 

80.  Davis,  Uriah  Q.,  Surgeon,  Field  and  Staff,  killed  at  Milton, 

Pennsylvania,   in  railroad  accident. 

81.  Davidson,  William  J.  J.,  Corporal,  B,  died  at  Potomac  Creek 

Hospital,  Virginia,  May  2,  1863. 

82.  Deneen,  Henry  S.,  Private,  B,  died  near  Stevensburg,  Vir 

ginia,  April  21,  1864;  Burial  Records,  April  12,  1864; 
buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Culpeper,  Virginia,  Block 
1,  Section  A,  Row  7,  Grave  211. 

83.  Divelbiss,  Jacob  II.,  -    — ,  D,  in  prison  during  War. 

84.  Dresher,  James  J.,  Private,  D,  died  since  the  War. 

85.  Driver,  Daniel  P.,  Private,  E,  died  on  United  States  Trans 

port  on  James  River,  April  12,  1864. 

86.  Dunlap,  Alexander  R.,  Private,  E,  died  since  the  War. 

87.  Dolan,  Martin,  Captain,  F,   died  since  the  War. 

88      Dunlap,  Charles,  Private,  F,  died  at  Stevensburg,  Virginia 
January  4,  1864. 

89.     Davidson,  William,  Sergeant,  I,  died  since  the  War. 

00.     Deibler,  Lewis,  Corporal,  I,  killed  at  Salisbury,  North  Car 
olina,  while  a  prisoner  of  war,  November  26,  1864. 

91.  Douglass,  Alexander,   Corporal,  I,  died  since  the  War. 

92.  Dennis,  Alonzo,  Private,  I,  died  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  July 

7,  1864;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Arlington,  Vir 
ginia. 

93.  Dotts,  Henry  H.,  Second  Lieutenant,  K,  died  1900. 
04.     Divens,  Anthony,  Corporal,  K,  no  details. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1075 

95.  Divens,  David,  Private,  K,  died  at  New  York  August  8,  1864  ; 

buried  Cypress  Hill  Cemetery,  Long  Island. 

96.  Divens,  William  H.,  Private,  K,  no  details. 

97.  Divens,  James  P.,  Private,  K,  died  1901. 

98.  Doney,  George,  Private,  K,  died  at  Andersonville,   Georgia, 

December  1,  1864;  Grave  No.  6568. 

99.  Erhard,  Amos,  Corporal,  A,  died  at  -       -  1897;  buried  at 

Scalp  Level,  Pennsylvania. 

100.  Ed  lemon,  Elias,  Private,  A,  no  data. 

101.  Edmiston,  William  A.,  Private,  B,  died  at  Fillmore,  Penn 

sylvania. 

102.  Eddy,  Washington,  D.,  Private,  D,  died  at  Washington,  D. 

C.,  April  7,  1864. 

103.  Elliott,  Oliver  W.,  Private,  D,  died  at  Washington,  D.   C., 

April  27,  1864. 

104.  Earnest,  Joseph,  Corporal,  I,  no  data. 

105.  Forster,  Eobert  Henry,  Major  Field  and  Staff,  died  at  Harris- 

burg,  Pennsylvania,  May  2,  1901. 

106.  Fisher,  Calvin  P.  W.,  Assistant  Surgeon  Field  and  Staff,  died 

at  Boalsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

107.  Fisher,  Jacob  A.,  April  19,  1904. 

108.  Furney,  Nelson,  Private,  A,  died  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  No 

vember  24,  1864;  buried  at  Arlington,  Virginia. 

109.  Flick,  Jacob,  Private,  B,  no  details. 

110.  Frederick,     Leonard,    Private,    B,     died    at    Andersonville, 

Georgia,  August  26,  1864;  Grave  6884. 

111.  Freed,  Abraham,  Private,  C,  died  near  Falmouth,  Virginia, 

January  10,  1863. 

112.  Fortney,  John  II.,  Private,  D,  died  at  Tyrone,  Pennsylvania, 

April  3,  1887. 

113.  Fox,  Emanuel,  Private,  D,  died  at  Falmouth,  Virginia,  Jan 

uary  28,  1863. 

114.  Fisher,  William,  Private,  E,  died  at  Cockeysville,  Maryland, 

October  10,  1862. 

115.  Fleming,  James  E.,  Private,  F,  died  at  Salisbury,  North  Caro 

lina,  January  18,  1863. 

116.  Freeman,  David  C.,  Second  Lieutenant,  F,  since  the  War. 

117.  Fox,  Joseph,  First  Lieutenant,  G,  killed  at  Belief onte,  Penn 

sylvania. 

118.  Fugate,  John  A.  J.?  Second  Lieutenant,  H,  died  at  Reynolds- 

ville,  Jefferson  County,  Pennsylvania,  1900;  buried  at 
Reynoldsville,  Pennsylvania. 

119.  Funk,  John  T.,  Private,  H,   died  in    prison    at    Salisbury, 

North  Carolina,  date  unknown. 


1 076  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

120.  Flick,  John,  Private,  K,  died  at  Windmill  Point,  Virginia, 

January  30,  1863. 

121.  Garrett,  Griffith,  Private,  A,  died  at  Falmouth,  Virginia,  May 

11,  1863. 

122.  Guiser,  Matthew,  Private,  A,  died  July  23,  1904,  Kinmundy, 

Illinois. 

123.  Gilbert,  Samuel,  Private,  A,  no  details. 

124.  Grove,   Martin,  Private,  A,  died  near  Falmouth,   Virginia, 

February  17,  1863. 

125.  Graham,  William  E.,  Captain,  C,  died  in  Minnesota,  1902. 

126.  Gates,  George,  Private,  C,  died  since  the  War. 

127.  Gates,    Daniel,   Private,    C,    died  near  Falmouth,    Virginia, 

April  4,  1863. 

128.  Gable,  William,  Private,  D,  died  at  Cockeysville,  Maryland, 

November  14,  1862. 

129.  Gettis,  Robert,  Corporal,  E,  died  near  Falmouth,  Virginia, 

February  29,  1863. 

130.  Gearhart,  David,  Private,  E,  died  since  the  War. 

131.  Gearhart,  Samuel  R.,  Private,  E,  died  June  7,  1864,  at  York, 

Pennsylvania,  of  disease. 

132.  Glenn,  George,  Corporal,  G,  buried  at  Spring  Creek  Cemetery. 

133.  Gibb,  Alexander,  Second  Lieutenant,  H,  died  at  New  York 

City ;  buried  near  New  York. 

134.  Gahagan,  John  W.,  Private,  H,  died  at  New  York  City;  bur 

ied  there. 

135.  Gephart,  Thomas,  Private,  H,  died  at  Camp  Hancock,  Vir 

ginia,   March   6,    1863 ;   buried   at  Zion    Church  Yard, 
Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 

136.  Galey,  James  J.,  Private,  I,  died  at  Annapolis,  Maryland, 

October  23,  1864. 

137.  Garbon,  James,  Private,  I,  no  date,  died  since  the  War. 

138.  Guile,  Orin,  Private,  I,  no  date,  died  since  the  War. 

139.  Harper,  William,  Sergeant,  A,  died  February,  1901 ;  buried 

at  Bellefonte,  Pennsylvania. 

140.  Harper,   Simon,  Private,  A,   died  August,   1900 ;  buried  at 

Centre  Hall,  Pennsylvania. 

141.  Held,   Charles  H.,  Private,   A;  buried   at  Millheim,   Penn 

sylvania. 

142.  Harper,  William  D.,  Captain,  B,  died  at  Renova,  Pennsyl 

vania,  December  15,  1890  ;  buried  at  North  Bend. 

143.  Huston,  George  R.,  Sergeant,  B,  died  at  Gibbs,  Adair  County, 

Missouri,  March  16,  1904. 

144.  Hines,   James,   Private,   B,   died   at  Andersonville,   Georgia, 

February  27,  1865;  Burial  Record  December  9,  1864, 
Salisbury,  North  Carolina. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1077 

145.  Homer,  Cyrus,  Private,  B,  died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia, 

February  27,  1865. 

146.  Heiligstein,    Siegfried,    Private,    C,    died    at   Andersonville, 

Georgia,  December  8,  1864. 

147.  Holloway,  Daniel  C.,  Private,  D,  died  at  Aaronsburg,  Penn 

sylvania;  since  the  War. 

148.  Hallowell,  Joseph,  Corporal,  E,  died  since  the  War. 

149.  Harmon,  John,  Private,  E,  died  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  Feb 

ruary  11,  1863;  Burial  Record  April  30,  1863;  buried 
in  Military  Asylum  Cemetery. 
350.     Hallet,  Ininan  A.,  Private,  F,  died  since  the  War. 

151.  Henry,  James,  Private,  F,  died  January  1,  1865,  while  a  pris 

oner  of  war. 

152.  Hoi  lings  worth,  Isaac,  Private,  F,  died  at  Falmouth,  Virginia, 

April  1,  1863. 

153.  Howard,  John  W.,  -    — ,  F,  since  the  War. 

154.  Holahan,  William  C.,   Sergeant,   G,   died  at  Ren  ova,  Penn 

sylvania. 

155.  Henney,  David  H.,  Sergeant,  G,  died  at  Potters  Mills,  Penn 

sylvania  ;  buried  at  Sprucetown,  Pennsylvania. 

156.  Housel,  Benjamin,  Private,   G,  buried   at  Belief onte,  Penn 

sylvania. 

157.  Hill,  'Sylvester,   Corporal,  H,   died  January  1,   1865,  while 

prisoner  of  war. 

158.  Haines,  George,  Private,  H,  died  near  Howard,  Centre  Coun 

ty,  Pennsylvania ;  buried  there. 

159.  Harp,  Andrew,  -    — ,  I,  Akron,  Ohio,  September  14,  1901. 

160.  Haugh,   Augustus,  Private,   I,   died  at  Falmouth,   Virginia, 

February  19,  1863. 

161.  Homer,  George,  Private,  I,  no  data;  died  since  the  War. 

162.  Hillis,  David  M.,  Private,  I,  no  data;  died  since  the  War. 

163.  Hull,  Benjamin  F.,  Private,  I,  no  data;  died  since  the  War. 

164.  Harp,  Andrew,  Private,  I,  died  since  the  War. 

165.  Henry,  Henry  H.,  First  Sergeant,  K,  died  February,  1902. 

166.  Huey,  Robert,  Private,  K,  no  data. 

167.  Harriger,  John,  Private,  K,  no  data. 

168.  Iddings,  Joseph,  Private,  B,  died  at  Runville,  Pennsylvania. 

169.  Trwin,   Lewis  H.,  Private,  E,  died  September  18,  1864,  in 

hospital,  Washington,  D.  C. 

170.  Irvin,  James  B.,  Corporal,  G,  died  January  4,  1893:  buried 

at  Steffies,  Huntingdon  County,  Pennsylvania. 

171.  Johnston,  Ira,  Private,  F,  died  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  Feb 

ruary  19,  1865  ;  buried  in  Military  Asylum  Cemetery. 

172.  Jacob?.  Wiliam  A.,  Corporal,  G,  buried  at  Centre  Hall,  Penn 

sylvania. 


J  078  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

173.  Jordon,  Thomas,  Sergeant,  H,  died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia, 

October  24,  1864;  Grave  11430. 

174.  Johnston,  John,  Private,  H,  died  at  Milesburg,  Centre  Coun 

ty,  Pennsylvania. 

175.  Jones,  David  B.,  Private,  II,  died  at  Alexandria,  Virginia, 

March  30,  1864;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Grave 
194. 

176.  Kurtz,  John  G.,  Quartermaster  Field  and  Staff,  died  at  Mil 

ton,  Pennsylvania. 

177.  K reamer,  Gideon,  Private,  A,  buried  at  Rebersburg,  Penn 

sylvania, 

178.  Krape,   Samuel,   Private,   A,   died   at    Falmouth,     Virginia, 

April  14,  1863. 

179.  Kreps,  William  H.,  Private,  B,  no  data. 

180.  Kline,  David,  Private,  B,  died  at  Julian,  Pennsylvania. 

181.  Keyser,  Jacob  C,,  Private,  B,  died  at  Richmond,   Virginia, 

July  24,  1864. 

182.  Keeler,  Joseph,  Private,  B,  died  at  Falmouth,  Virginia,  April 

4,  1863;  buried  at  Roland,  Pennsylvania. 

183.  Killinger,  Abraham,  Private,  B,  died  at  Washington,  D.  C., 

September  16,  1863 ;  buried  Military  Asylum  Cemetery. 

184.  Keely,  Oliver  F.,  Private,  B,  died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia, 

August  6,  1864,  Grave  4895. 

185.  Kreps,  David,  Private,  C,  died  since  the  War. 

186.  Kline,  Andrew  J.,  Private,  C,  died  at  Annapolis,  Maryland. 

October  4,  1864. 

187.  Koch,  Jacob,  Corporal,  D,  no  date. 

188.  Koch,   Tasker  K.,  Private,  D,   died  at  York,  Pennsylvania, 

June  1,  1863. 

189.  Kenly,  John,  Second  Lieutenant,  E,  died  since  the  War. 

190.  Kramer,  Benjamin  F.,  Private,  E,  Burial  Records,  died  at 

Beverly,  New  Jersey,  September  29,  1864. 

191.  Keller,  Daniel  S.,  Corporal,  G,  died  at  Bellefonte,  Pennsyl 

vania. 

192.  Kelly,    Samuel,   Private,    G,   'buried   at   Sprucetown,    Centre 

County,  Pennsylvania. 

193.  Klinger,   Ephraim,    Corporal,   H,    died    at   Salisbury    North 

Carolina,  while  prisoner  of  war. 

194.  Kelly,  Robert  J.,  Private,  H,  died  near  Port  Matilda;  buried 

in  Williams  Cemetery,  near  Martha. 

195.  Kellerman,  William  H.,  Private,  H,  died  at  Milesburg,  Centre 

County,  Pennsylvania;  buried  there. 

196.  Knuckbracken,  C.,  Private,  H,  died  at  Petersburg,  Virginia. 

September  16,  1864;  buried  there. 

197.  Knippenberg,  Hiram,  Private,  H,  no  data. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1079 

198.  Kissinger,  Robert,  Sergeant,  I,  died  since  the  War. 

199.  Kerr,  Man  asses,  Private,  1,  no  data;  died  since  die  War. 

200.  Kirkpatrick,  Ross  0.,  Corporal,  K,  no  data;  died  since  the 

War. 

201.  Lipton,  Robert,  Adjutant  Field  and  Staff,  died  at  Milesburg, 

202.  Lanich,  Henry,  Private,  A,  buried  Loganton,  Pennsylvania. 

203.  Loose,  George  S.,  Private,  A,  died  at  Potomac  Creek  Hospi 

tal,  Virginia,  June  7,  1863. 

204.  Ixmg,  Daniel,  Private,  A,  died  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 

March,  1865. 

205.  Like,  John  B.,  First  Sergeant,  B,  died  at  York,  Pennsylvania, 

December  16,  1862;  buried  at  Milesburg,  Pennsylvania. 

206.  Lambert,   William,   Private,   C,  died  since  the  War. 

207.  Lee  Joseph,  Private,  C,  died  since  the  War. 

208.  Lyman,  Aim  N.,  Private,  C,  died  near  Stevensburg,  Virginia, 

April  10,  1864. 

209.  Leitzel,  Emanuel,  Private,  D,  died  at  Cockeysville,  Maryland, 

December  12,  1862. 

210.  Leitzel,  Jacob,  Private,  D,  died  at  Woodward,  Pennsylvania, 

December,  1862. 

211.  Long,  Joseph,  Private,  E,  died  January  5,  1864,  at  Douglass 

Hospital,  Washington,  D.  C.,   from  amputation  of  leg, 
buried  Xational  Cemetery,  Arlington,  Virginia. 

212.  Lytle,  Isaac,  Captain,  G,  died  in  Xew  Jersey;  buried  at  Har- 

risburg,  Pennsylvania. 

213.  Lucas,  Matthew  B.,  Corporal,  H,  killed  by  Confederates  while 

prisoner  of  war. 

214.  Lanks,  Stephen  L.,  Private,  H,  died  January  9,  1864. 

215.  Lambert,   Osborn,   Private,   II,   died   at  Belief  on  te,   Pennsyl 

vania. 

216.  Lucas,  William  J.,  Private,  H,  died  at  Harrisburg,  Pennsyl 

vania. 

217.  Lebkecher,   Michael,   Private,   H,   died   at  Bellefonte,   Peim 

sylvania;    buried    in   cemetery  near   Unionville,   Centre 
County,  Pennsylvania. 

218.  Love,  Peter  P.,  Private,  I,  no  data;  died  since  the  War. 

219.  Lee,  John  A.,  Musician,  K,  died  at  Falmouth,  Virginia,  March 

15,  1863. 

220.  McFarlane,  Robert,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Field  and  Staff,  died 

at  Bellefonte,  Pennsylvania. 

221.  McGarvey,  Charles,  Private,  B,  no  data. 

222.  Mclvason,   John,    Private,    C,    died    at   Falmouth,    Virginia, 

March  17,  1863. 

223.  McTntyre,  Spencer,  Private,  H,  died  at  Philadelphia,  Penn 

sylvania. 


1080  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

224.  McManagle,  James,  Private,  H,  no  data ;  died  since  the  War. 

225.  McKinney,  Anthony,  Private,  K,  died  1901. 

226.  McBride,  William,  Private,  K,  110  data. 

227.  Mayes,  William  H.,  Hospital  Steward  Field  and  Staff,  died 

since  the  War. 

228.  Miller,  John  A.,  First  Sergeant,  A,  died    May    14,    1900; 

buried  at  Millheim,  Pennsylvania. 

229.  Maze,  Israel,  Private,  A,  died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia,  Sep 

tember  22,  1864. 

230.  Matz,  Fabian,  Private,  C,  died  since  the  War. 

231.  Musser,  Andrew,  Captain,  D,  died  at  Potomac  Creek  Hos 

pital,  Virginia,  May  14,  1863. 

232.  Musser,  Israel  F.,  First  Lieutenant,  D,    died    at    Potomac 

Creek  Hospital,  Virginia,  May  26,  1863. 

233.  Miller,  Daniel,  Corporal,  A,  died  at  Washington  August  8, 

1864;  buried  at  Arlington,  Virginia. 

234.  Miller,  Daniel,  Private,  D,  died  on  his  way  home. 

235.  Miles,  Kichard,   Corporal,  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,   1902. 

236.  Moore,  David,  Private,  D,  died  April  11,  1864. 

2 37.  Mabon,  John  L.,  Sergeant,  E,  died  since  the  War. 

238.  Milliron,  William,  Private,  E,  no  data, 

239.  Miller,  William,  Private,  F,  died  at  McAlevey's  Fort,  1899. 

240.  Martz,  D'avid,  Private,  F,  died  at  Milton,  Pennsylvania,  No 

vember  12,  1864. 

241.  Mitchell,  William,  Private,  G,  buried  at  Waterstreet,  Hunt 

ingdon  County,  Pennsylvania. 

242.  Moyer,  John,  Private,  G,  buried  at  Boalsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

243.  Musser,  Daniel  G.,  Private,  G,  died  at  Camp  Hancock,  Vir 

ginia,  January  11,  1863 ;  buried  at  Pine  Grove  Mills, 
Pennsylvania. 

244.  Montgomery,  W.  W.,  Corporal,  H,  died  near  Howard,  Centre 

County,  Pennsylvania. 

245.  Makin,  Adam,  Private,  H,  died  March  28,  1864,  in  Division 

Hospital. 

246.  Miller,  Abraham,  Private,  H,  died  March  28,  1864,  in  Har- 

wood  Hospital,  Washington,  D.  C. ;  buried  in  Military 
Asylum  Cemetery,  Washington,  D.  C. 

247.  Montgomery,  W.  F.,  Private,  H,  died  at  Salisbury,   North 

Carolina,  December  10,  1864,  while  a  prisoner  of  war. 

248.  Marlin,  Silas  J.,  Captain,  I,  died  at  Brookville,  Pennsylvania. 

since  the  War. 

249.  Mapes,  Henry,  Private,  I,  no  d-ata ;  died  since  the  War. 

250.  Mattson,  David,  Private,  I,  died  at  Petersburg,  Virginia,  June 

30,  1864 

251.  Moore,  Harrison,  Private,  I,  no  data;  died  since  the  War. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1081 

252.  Moore,  Jackson,  Private,  I,   died  at  Philadelphia,  Pennsyl 

vania,  August  6,  1865. 

253.  Montier,   Stewart   II.,  Private,   1,   died   at  Salisbury,   North 

Carolina,  January  13,  1865. 

254.  Myers,  John,  Private,  K,  no  data. 

255.  Merley,  Samuel,  Private,  K,  no  data, 

256.  Neil,  Robert  C.,  Private,  C,  died  since  the  War. 

257.  Nichols,  Samuel,  Private,  C,  died  since  the  War. 

258.  Newcomb,  William  S,  Private,  E,  died  in  Hospital  at  Fal- 

mouth,  Virginia,  January  5,  1863. 

259.  Newcomer,  John  B.,  Private,  11,  died  in  Burnside  Township, 

Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 

260.  Neil,  John  D.,  Private,  K,  no  data. 

261.  Nulph,  Abraham  W.,  Private,  K,  no  data. 

262.  Otto,  Samuel  D.,  Principal  Musician  Field  and  Staff,  no  data. 

263.  Otto,  Israel,  Private,  A,  no  data. 

264.  Onstead,  Godfrey,  Private,  B,  died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia. 

265.  Odenkirk,  John  H.,  Corporal,  D,  died  at  Potters  Fort,  Penn 

sylvania. 

266.  Oberlin,  William  P.,  Private,  E,  died  since  the  War. 

267.  Olswals,  David,  Private,  F,  died  at  Falmouth,  Virginia,  April 

3,  1863. 

268.  Oliver,  William,  Private,  H,  no  data. 

269.  O'Connor,  William,  Private,  I,  no  data;  died  since  the  War. 

270.  Oursler,  Robert,  Private,  I,  no  data ;  died  since  the  War. 

271.  Orr,  William,  J.,  Private,  I,  died  at  Cockeysville,  Maryland, 

October  26,  1862. 

272.  Parsons,  Wilson  J.,  Private,  B,  died  February    23,    1865; 

buried  in  Poplar  Grove  Cemetery,  Petersburg,  Virginia, 
Division  C,  Section  D,  Grave  105. 

273.  Peters,   John,   Private,   B,    died  near  Morrisville,    Virginia, 

August  17,  1863. 

274.  Pennington.  Henry,  Private,  C,  died  since  the  War. 

275.  Polsgrove,  George  W.,  Private,  C,  died  near  Stevensburg,  Vir 

ginia,  December  31,  1863. 

276.  Polsgrove,  George,  -      -  D,  Brandy  Station,  1863-64. 

277.  Pringle,  William,  Private,  E,  died  August  24,  1864,  on  trans 

port  ;  buried  in  Cypress  Hill  Cemetery,  Long  Island. 

278.  Perry,  William,  -    — ,  F,  since  the  War. 

279.  Proudfoot,  John  B.,  -    — ,  F,  since  the  War. 

280.  Page,  Reuben,  Private,  G,  died  1903;  buried  at  Linden  Hall, 

Pennsylvania. 

281.  Pennington,  John  -     — ,  F,  since  the  War. 

282.  Plyler,  Edward,  Private,  I,  no  data :  died  since  the  War. 


1 082  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

283.  Potter,  Benjamin,  Private,  1,  died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia, 

January  18,  1865;  Grave  124:79. 

284.  Pettit,  Oliver  W.,  Private,  K,  no  data. 
2fe5.     Py  slier,   William  E.,  Private,  X,  no  data. 

280.  Hupp,  George  M.,  Corporal,  A,  buried  at  Aaronsburg,  Penn 
sylvania. 

2b7.     Roush,  J.  E.,  Private,  A,  no  data. 

288.  Richards,  Armor,  Private,  13,  died  at  Philadelphia,  Pennsyl 
vania,  November  17,  1864:. 

281).  Robinson,  John  G.,  Corporal,  C,  died  at  Boalsburg,  Pennsyl 
vania. 

21)0.     Kay,  James,  Corporal,  C,  died  since  the  War. 

2D1.     Reish,  Daniel  K,  Private,  C,  died  May  4,  1869. 

292.  Royer,  Henry,  Private,  C,  died  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  June 

30,  1863. 

293.  Royer,  James  M.,  Corporal,  G,  died  February  7,  1888 ;  buried 

at  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania. 

294.  Rankin,  Alfred  A.,  Private,  D,  died  at  Belief onte,  Pennsyl 

vania,  1878. 

295.  Reed,  William  A.,  Private,  D,  died  at  Reedsville,  Pennsyl 

vania,  1903. 

296.  Roland,    George   W.,    Corporal,    E,    died   at   York,    Pennsyl 

vania,  December  21,  1862 ;  buried  in  Prospect  Hill  Cem 
etery. 

297.  Roland,  Jacob,  Corporal,  E,  died  since  the  War. 

298.  Raylmck,  Enianuel,  Private,  E,  died  September  15,  1890. 

299.  Roland,  John  G.,  Private,  E,  died  February  6,  1865,  at  Salis 

bury,  North  Carolina. 

300.  Rager,  Samuel  J.,  Private,  G,  no  date;  died  in  prison. 

301.  Reed,  Reuben,  Private,  G,  died  February  10,   1901 ;  buried 

at  Pine  Grove  Mills,  Pennsylvania. 

302.  Riley,  John  T.,  Private,  G,  buried  at  Birmingham,  Pennsyl 

vania. 

303.  Rankin,  John  K.  M.,  Private,  H,  died  at  Alexandria,   Vir 

ginia,  July  1,  1863 ;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Alex 
andria,  Virginia,  Grave  872. 

304.  Ransom,  Harrison,  Private,  I,  died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia, 

July  17,  1864;  Grave  3468. 

305.  Rogers,  William,  Private,  I,  no  data ;  died  since  the  War. 

306.  Randolph,  James,  Private,  K,  no  data. 

307.  Reese,   Daniel,   Private,  K,   died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia, 

August  25,  1864;  Grave  6838. 

308.  Reynolds,  Stern,  Private,  K,  no  data. 

309.  Rothermel,    Abram,    Private,    K,    died    at    Salisbury,   North 

Carolina,  November  7,   1864. 


THE  i48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1083 

310.  Stevens,   William   Henry,    Chaplain  Field   and    Staff,    died 

Shelby,  Iowa,   June  10,   1901 ;   buried   Three  Springs, 
Huntingdon  County,  Pennsylvania. 

311.  Sloan,  Isaac  X.,  Sergeant  Major  Field  and  Staff,  died  Lar- 

caster,   Pennsylvania. 

312.  Shaffer,  Daniel  E.,  Second  Lieutenant,  A,  died  at  Madison- 

burg,  Pennsylvania,  September  12,  1864. 

313.  Strayer,  Levi,  Corporal,  A,  died  January  17,  1903;  buriei 

at  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania. 

314.  Shaffer,  Daniel,  Corporal,  A,  died  near  Falmouth,  Virginia, 

March  6,  1863;  buried  at  Madisonburg,  Pennsylvania. 

315.  Smith,   Levi   H.,   Private,   A,   buried   at  Mifflinburg,   Penn 

sylvania. 

316.  Stover,  Simon,  Private,  A,  died  at  Falmouth,  Virginia,  April 

9,  1863 ;  buried  at  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania. 

317.  Stevens,  John  S.,  Private,  A,  died  at  Stevensburg,  Virginia, 

March  17,  1864. 

318.  Swyers,  David  II.,  First  Lieutenant,  B,  died  at  Milesburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

319.  Shultz,  Jacob,  Private,  B,  died  at  Bellefonte,  Pennsylvania. 

320.  Strait,  Isaac,  Private,  B,  died  in  Fulton  County,   Pennsyl 

vania. 

321.  Sailor,  Benjamin,  Private,  B,  died  -at  Cockeysville,  Maryland, 

October  27,  1862;  buried  at  Roland,  Pennsylvania. 

322.  Shroyer,  James.  Private,  B,  died  at  Cockeysville,  Maryland, 

December  3,  1862. 

323.  Stone,  William,  Private,  B,  died  at  Falinouth,  Virginia,  Feb 

ruary  6,  1863. 

324.  Schroyer,  William,  Private,  B,  died  at  Potomac  Creek  Hospi 

tal,  Virginia,  May  29,  1863. 

325.  Shaffer,  John,  Private,  B,  died  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  March 

1,  1865  ;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Arlington,  Vir 
ginia. 

326.  Shuey.  Daniel,  First  Lieutenant,  C,  died  since  the  War. 

327.  Smith,  David,  -     — ,   C,  McConnellsburg,  Pennsylvania,   no 

date. 

328.  Sliders,   John,  -     — ,   C,   MeConnellsburg,   Pennsylvania,   no 

data. 

329.  Swiler,  Christian,  Private,  C,  died  since  the  War. 
Shannon,  Samuel,  Private,  D,  killed  by  accident  at  Carlisle, 

Pennsylvania,  January  5,  1865. 

330.  Sutton,  James  M.,  Second  Lieutenant,  E,  died  since  the  War. 

331.  Sloppy,  Philip,  Private,  E,  died  at  Richmond,  Virginia,  De 

cember  7,  1864,  while  a  prisoner  of  war. 


1084  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

332.  Snyder,  John,  Private,  E,  died  at  Richmond,  Virginia,  De 

cember  7,  1864,  while  a  prisoner  of  war. 

333.  Staggers,    James  L.,   Private,   E,   died   at  Salisbury,   North 

Carolina,  December  17,  1864,  while  a  prisoner  of  war. 

334.  Button,  Joseph  L.,  Private,  E,  died  May  25,  1863,  in  Division 

Hospital,  Falmouth,  Virginia. 

335.  Shaeffer,  Daniel,  Private,   F,   died   at  Potters  Mills,   Penn 

sylvania,  April  9,  1863. 

336.  Steffey,  William  O.,  Private,  F,  died  at  Richmond,  Virginia, 

January  17,  1864. 

337.  Shires,   David   W.,   Private,    G,    died   December   14,    1862; 

buried  at  Sprucetown,  Pennsylvania. 

338.  Snyder,  Jacob,  Corporal,  H,  died  in  Finley  Hospital,  Wash 

ington,  D.  C.,  July  1,  1863;  buried  in  Military  Asylum 
Cemetery,  Washington,  D.  C. 

339.  Snyder,  William,  Corporal,  H,  died  at  Salisbury,  North  Caro 

lina,  date  and  grave  unknown. 

340.  Sanders,  Sylvester,  Corporal,  H,  died  at  Camp  Parole,  Annap 

olis,  Maryland ;  buried  at  Annapolis,  Maryland. 

341.  Sanders,   Thomas,  -     — ,   II,  Howard,  Pennsylvania,  March 

1903. 

342.  Spotts,  Jacob,  Private,  H,  died  near  Martha,  Centre  County, 

Pennsylvania,  and  buried  there. 

343.  Sanders,  Thomas  B.,  Private,  H,  died  near  Howard,  Centrt, 

County,  Pennsylvania,  1902. 

344.  Sweetwood,  Amos,  Private,  H,  died  near  Falmouth,  Virginia, 

April  1,  1863;  buried  at  Spruoetown,  Centre  County. 
Pennsylvania. 

345.  Stonebraker,  Valentine,  Private,  H,  died  near  Olivia,  Blair 

County,  Pennsylvania;  buried  there, 

346.  Stonebraker,  Jeremiah,  -     — ,  H,   at  Bald    Eagle    Furnace, 

Olivia,  Pennsylvania. 

347.  Stuck,  Christian,  Private,  H,  died  at  Camp  Parole,  Annapolis, 

Maryland,  November  15,  1864;  buried  there. 

348.  Sage,  Edward  M.,  Private,  I,  no  data;  died  since  the  War. 

349.  Scandrett,  Benjamin  F.,  Private,  I,  no  data;  died  since  the 

War. 

350.  Shannon,  Peter,  Private,  I,  no  data;  died  since  the  War. 

351.  Shuster,  John  IT.  II.,  Private,  I,  no  data ;  died  since  the  War 

352.  Stahlman,  John,  Private,  I,  no  data;  died  since  the  War. 

353.  Snyder,  Alexander,  Private,  I,  died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia. 

September  23,  1864;  Grave  9567. 

354.  Schwartefager,  Henry,  Corporal,  K,  no  data. 

355.  Stewart,  John,  Private,  K,  no  data, 

356.  Slagle,  W.  L.,  Private,  K,  no  data. 


THE  i4STH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1085 

357.  Sloan,  William  J.  M.,  Private,  K,  died  at  Morrisville,  Vir 

ginia,  September  9,  1863. 

358.  Switzer,  John,  Private,  K,  died  at    Stevensburg,    Virginia, 

February  26,  1864. 

359.  Troutman,   Martin,   Private,   A,   died   at    Salisbury,     North 

Carolina,  November  22,  1864,  while  a  prisoner. 

360.  Thomas,  John,  Private,  C,  died  since  the  War. 

361.  Thomas,  J.  E.,  First  Lieutenant,  D,  died  at  Pinegrove  Mills, 

Pennsylvania,  1872. 

362.  Thompson,  Robert  P.,  Private,  E,  died  at  Salisbury,  North 

Carolina,  December  8,  1864,  while  a  prisoner. 

363.  Thompson,  Joseph,  Y.,  Private,  I,  no  data;  died  since  the 

War. 

364.  Try,  Samuel,  Private,  I,  no  data. 

365.  Tschopp,  Bennival,  Private,  K,  no  data. 

366.  Thomas,  Christian,  Private,  K,  died  at  Stevensburg,  Virginia, 

January  7,  1864. 

367.  Varner,  James,  Private,  G,  no  data. 

368.  Van  Houter,  John,  Private,  G,  no  data. 

369.  Wolf,  Simon  S.,  First  Lieutenant,  A,  died  January  1,  1875 ; 

buried  at  Centre  Hall,  Pennsylvania. 

370.  Weaver,    James  F.,    Colonel,    August   13,    1904,   Milesburg, 

Pennsylvania. 

371.  Woodling,  Philip,  Musician,  A,  died  April  9,  1863 ;  buried  at 

Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania, 

372.  Wolf,  Charles  A.,  Private,  A,  died  February  9,  1865,  Salis 

bury,  North  Carolina. 

373.  Wolf,  Henry,  Private,  A,  died  near  Falmouth,  Virginia,  Ma;y 

28,  1863 ;  buried  at  Rebersburg,  Pennsylvania. 

374.  Wolf,  Samuel,  Private,  A,  died  at  Falmouth,  Virginia,  Feb 

ruary  22,  1863. 

375.  Watkins,  Benjamin  F.,  Private,  B,  died  at  Snow.  Shoe,  Penn 

sylvania. 

376.  Wolf,  Henry,  Private,  B,  died  near  Stevensburg,  Virginia, 

April  16,  1864;  buried  in  National  Cemetery,  Culpeper 
Court  House,  Virginia,  Block  1,  Section  A,  Row  7,  Grave 
215. 

377.  Walker,  William,  Private,  B,  died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia, 

October  12,  1864;  Grave  10797. 

378.  Walker,  Matthias,  Private,  B,   died  at  Milesburg,  Pennsyl 

vania,  December  4,  1864. 

379.  Wertz,  Abraham,  Corporal,  C,  died  since  the  War. 

380.  Williams,  Thomas,  Private,  C,  died  since  the  War. 

381.  Weaver,  Henry  H.,  Private,  D,  died  at  Aaronsburg,  Pennsyl 

vania,  1903. 


1  086  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 


Wagner,  John  D.,  Corporal$  died  at  Martha,  Centre  County. 

Pennsylvania;  buried  Williams  Cemetery. 
883.      Williams,  George,  -    —  ,  D,  Tiffin,  Ohio,  about  1898. 

384.  Wolf,  Jonathan  E.,  Private,  D,  died  at  Falmouth,  Virginia, 

May  12,  1863. 

385.  Wells,  Isaiah  L.,  Corporal,  E,  died  at  Philadelphia,  Pennsyl 

vania,  June  5,  1864. 

386.  Wilkins,  William  B.,  Corporal,  E,  died  since  the  War. 

387.  Weamer,  John  S.,  Wagoner,  E,  died  at  Cockeysville,  Mary 

land,  November  30,  1862. 

388.  Welch,  George  1).,  Private,  E,  died  at  Salisbury,  North  Caro 

lina,  February  6,  1§65,  while  a  prisoner. 

389.  Welch,  Lewis  A.,  Private,  E,  died  February  19,  1902. 

390.  Whitacre,  Daniel  C.,  Private,  E,  died  July  7,  1863,  at  Gen 

eral   Hospital,   Alexandria,   Virginia;    Burial    Kecords, 
June  28/1863;  Grave  866. 

391.  Wilson,  William  P.,  Captain,  F,  Lieutenant  Colonel  United 

States  Army  August  6,  1886. 

392.  Welch,  John,  Private,  F,  died  at  Salisbury,  North  Carolina, 

January  17,  1864,  while  a  prisoner. 

393.  Watson,  Washington,  -    —  ,  F,  since  the  War. 

394.  Williams,  William  W.,  Private,  G,  died  November  11,  1864, 

of  disease  ;  buried  at  Spring  Creek  Cemetery. 

395.  Wingard,  William,  Private,  G,  died  in  Andersonville  Prison. 

Georgia. 

396.  Wyland,  Samuel  B.,  Sergeant,  II,  died  at  Bellefonte,  Penn 

sylvania;  buried  there. 

397.  Ward,  William,  Sergeant,  II,  died  at  Milieu,  Georgia,  Decem 

ber  1,  1864  ;  grave  unknown. 

398.  Whippo,  Charles  O.,  Private,  II,  died  -  -;  buried  at 

Fort  Matilda,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 

399.  Williams,  John,  Private,  H,  died  at  Salisbury,  North  Caro 

lina,  February  15,  1865,  while  a  prisoner;  buried  there, 
grave  unknown. 

400.  Watkins,  Marcus,  Private,  I,  died  Washington,  D.   C.,  May 

9,  1864;  buried  Military  Asylum  Cemetery. 

401.  White,  William,  Private,  I,  died  at  Falmouth,  Virginia,  June 

14,  1863. 

402.  Whiteman,  F.  M.,  Privaite,  I,  no  data  ;  died  since  the  War. 

403.  Willoughby,  Elijah,  Private,  I,  died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia, 

August  4,  1864;  Grave  4702. 

404.  Wilson,  Sebastian  C.,  Private,  I,  no  data;  died  since  the  War. 

405.  Wood,  William  P.,  Private,  I,  no  data;  died  since  the  Wa«. 

406.  Wasser,  Melcher,  Private,  K,  no  data;  died  since  the  War. 

407.  Wiant,  Henry  C.,  Private,  K,  no  data. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS       1087 

408.  Wiant,  Abraham  C.,  Private,  K,  no  data. 

409.  Woods,  John,  Private,  K,    died    at    Steveiisburg,    Virginia. 

March  8,  1864 ;  buried  at  Culpeper  National  Cemetery, 
Block  1,  Section  A,  Row  4,  Grave  119. 

410.  Yeager,  Samuel,  Private,  B,  died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia, 

February  27,  1865. 

411.  Yocurn,  Frederick,  First  Serge-ant,   C,  died  at  Philipsburg, 

Pennsylvania,  since  the  War. 

412.  Yarlett,  George  W.,  Private,  G,  died  at  Andersonville  Prison, 

Georgia, 

413.  Young,  John  T.,  Private,  G,  buried  at  Altoona,  Pennsylvania. 

414.  Yager,  William,  Musician,  H,"  no  data. 

415.  Zimmerman,   Benjamin,    Private,   B,   died   at   Andersonville, 

Georgia,  July  29,  1864;  Grave  4255. 

416.  Zimmerman,   Benjamin,    Private,   II,   buried   at  Pine   Glen, 

Centre  County,  Pennsylvania. 


ROLL  OF  THE  SURVIVORS  OF  THE  148TH  REGIMENT, 
PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS,  SO  FAR  AS  KNOWN, 
WITH  THEIR  PRESENT  POST  OFFICE  ADDRESSES, 
SO  FAR  AS  THEY  CAN  BE  ASCERTAINED. 

NAME.  COMPANY.  P.  O.  ADDRESS. 

Albert  Adams C .  .  .  . 

Charles  Allen B Sauk  Centre,  Minn. 

Henry  C.  Allen G Altoona,  Pa. 

Allen  S.  Animermaii B West  Decatur,  Pa. 

R.  W.  Ammerman B McAllisterville,  Pa. 

Christopher  Armagost.  .  .  .K Reynoldsville,  Pa. 

Joseph  Arthurs I Sigel,  Pa. 

William  Bailey G Stormstown,  Pa. 

John  F.  Bcaird K Brinkerton,  Pa. 

George  K.  Baker G Downs,  Kas. 

William  Baney F Philipsburg,  Pa. 

Constans  C.  Barger B Roland,  Pa. 

James  Barger. B Roland,  Pa. 

William  Barlet  . K Brinkerton,  Pa. 

Clarence  T.  Barr E Kingston,  N.  M. 

Simeon  Bathurst F Roland,  Pa. 

George  Baughman    E Sprankle  Mills,   Pa. 

Daniel  H.  Baumgardner.  .H Brookville,   Pa. 

James  A.  Beaver Field Bellefonte,   Pa. 

Benjamin    Beck A Wolfs  Store,  Pa. 


1088  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

NAME  COMPANY.  P.  O.  ADDRESS. 

David   Behers F Benore,  Pa. 

Charles  Bierly A Rebersburg,  Pa. 

John   W.    Biddle B Fleming,   Pa. 

Solomon   Bierly A Seligman,  Mo. 

George  Billet B Lamar,  Pa. 

George  M.  Boal D Centre  Hall,  Pa. 

Nathaniel   Boob A ....  •  •  Mifflinburg,  Pa. 

Henry  A.   Bottorf G Downs,  Kan. 

W.   L.    Bottorf G .  .  Canton,  O. 

Daniel  Bower A Rote,  I3a. 

Michael   Bower D Effing-ham,  111. 

Adam   Boyer A Abilene,  Kansas. 

Jacob   Bracken H Summerhill,  Pa. 

Jacob   Breckbill A Altoona,  Pa. 

B.    D.    Brisbin G Centre  Hall,  Pa. 

Austin  K.   Brower B Watkins,  Minn. 

Philip  B.   Brower B Wingate,  Pa. 

J.    Z.    Brown K New  Bethlehem,   Pa. 

Nathaniel    Brown D Farmers  Mills,  Pa, 

Uriah  K.  Brown H Johnstown,  Pa. 

Samuel   Bryan B Roland,  Pa. 

John  A.  Burchfield D Williamsburg,  Pa. 

E.  J.  Burkert A 1669  Barry  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 

Peter    Burket E.  .  .    .  .Penfield,  Pa. 

David    Burrell F Spring  Mills,  Pa. 

W|illiam    Byers E ......  Indiana,  Pa. 

Hiram    Carl K Turbotville,  Pa. 

Robt,  A.  Cassidy.  Field  and  Staff.  .Canton,  0. 

Harrison  Catts I ....  .  .  Clarington,  Pa. 

Henry    Clingenberger  ....  E ....  •  •  Indiana,   Pa. 

William   H   Close H .  .Oak  Hall  Station,  Pa. 

Lewis  Cobbs I ....  .  .  Brookville,  Pa. 

John  Coble C -  .Linden  Hall,  Pa. 

John  Confer F -  .White  Cloud,  Kan. 

Dennis  Conner K.  .  .  .  -  .Clarion,  Pa. 

George  W.  Constable H •  -500  Ohio  St.,  Johnstown,  Pa. 

Wallace  Coon I .  .Brookville,  Pa. 

Andrew  M.    Corbin C .  .  .  .  •  •  Hiram,  Pa. 

George  Gorman A ....  •  •  Freeport,  111. 

James  T.   Corman A Rebersburg,   Pa, 

Abram    S.    Courson K Curlsville,  Pa. 

John   Craig C Julian,  Pa. 

David  R.  Crick K Bennett,  Pa. 

John  A.  Crissman H Lock  Haven,  Pa. 

William  L.   Campbell.  .  .  .H Punxsutawney,  Pa. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1089 

NAME.  COMPANY.  P.  O.  ADDRESS. 

Owen  Cullens K Goheemville,  Pa. 

I.    S.   Davis I Brookville,  Pa. 

John  Davis G Downs,  Kan. 

John  M.  Davis I Brookville,  Pa. 

Josiah   Deihl K Watsontown,  Pa. 

A.  O.  Deininger A Hughesville,  Pa. 

John  W.  Demott I Brookville,  Pa. 

Samuel  B.  Dennis D Sherman  Heights,  Tenn. 

Jacob    Derr K Millville,  Columbia  Co.,  Pa. 

Wm.  C.  Devinney. Field  and  Staff.  . Wilkinsburg,  Pa. 
Leonard  W.  Divelbiss  .  .  .  .  D Aaronsburg,  Pa. 

Thomas   Divins    K .  .  .  .  .  .  Brinkerton,  Pa. 

Calvin  Dixon I Dubois,  Pa. 

W.  H.  Domworth K Akron,  O.,  119  Roswell  St. 

John   Donohoe K Crates,   Clarion  Co.,  Pa. 

B.  F.  Dunkle G Lattasburg,  0. 

George  W.  Dunkle F Spring  Mills,  Pa. 

Jacob  Dunkle D .  .  .  .  .  .  Aaronsburg,   Pa. 

L.   C.   Edmonds D Ford  City,  Pa. 

James  Ellenberger C Julian,  Pa. 

Jacob  Emerick A Milheim,  Pa. 

John  M.  English F .  .Driftwood,  Pa. 

Sylvester  A.  English F .  .  .  .  .  .  Benezette,  Pa. 

John  Fackender K ......  Reidsburg,  Pa. 

Geo.  A.  Fairlamb.  Field  and  Staff.  .  Belief onte,  Pa. 

Daniel  Farley H .  .Houtzdale,  Pa. 

George  W.  Farnsler H Port  Matilda,  Pa. 

Edward  Faul K Sellersville,   Pa. 

J.  B.  Ferguson K 138  S.  12th  St.,  Lincoln,  Neb. 

Henry  Fishel B State  College,  Pa. 

Nelson  Flack H.  .....  .Bellefonte,  Pa, 

John  A.  Fleck H Bellefonte,  Pa. 

Henry    Fleisher G Huston,  Pa. 

J.   J.   Fleming D Connellsville,  Pa. 

David  F.  Fortney D Bellefonte,  Pa. 

Henry  B.  Fox K New  Bethlehem,  Pa. 

Jacob  Fox K Pennsburg,  Pa. 

Michael  Fox F Belleville,  Pa. 

Jacob  Frantz H Port  Matilda,  Pa. 

John  Freeze H Milesburg,  Pa, 

Harmon  Friday E Tyrone,  Pa. 

Levi  H.  Fiillmer A Rebersburg,  Pa. 

Martin   C.    Funk C Port  Matilda,  Pa, 

Llewellyn  Fulton C Osceola  Mills,  Pa. 

Robert  Fulton H Huntingdon,  Pa. 


1 090  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

NAME.  COMPANY.  P.  O.  ADDRESS. 

W.  H.  Fulton G Dakota,  111. 

Amos  Garbrick C Belief onte,  Pa. 

W.  H.  Garbrick G- Tyrone,  Pa. 

William  Garis F Williamsport,  Pa. 

Charles  Garrett H Bellefonte,  Pa. 

Thomas  Garrett E< Dorrance,  Kan. 

Thomas  J.  Gates G Mill  Creek,  Pa. 

Christopher  Gearhart I Troutville,  Pa. 

William  Gemmill D Allen  wood,  Pa. 

James  F.  George K Brookville,   Pa. 

Samuel  R.  Gettig A.  .  .  .  .  .Rebersburg,  Pa. 

John   Gilbert G 

Manasses   Gilbert A Rebersburg,  Pa. 

Moses  Gilbert A Wolf's  Store,  Pa. 

George    Goodman E .  .  .     .  .  Tyrone,  Pa. 

Robert  Grater   C 7411    Susquehanna    St.,    Pitts- 
burg,  Pa. 

I.  J.  Grenoble I Gettysburg,  Pa. 

Adam    Grim A Smithfield,  Mo. 

John   Grim A Smithfield,  Mo. 

Henry    Grim    D.  .  .  . 

George  Groft E Indiana,  Pa. 

John  W.   Haffly A Aaronsburg,  Pa. 

George  P.  Hall B Fleming,  Pa. 

Joseph  E.  Hall.. Field  and  Staff.  .Clatskanie,  Ore. 

William  M.  Hallowell.  .  .  .E Julesburg,  Col. 

Dr.  A.  T.  Hamilton.  .  .Staff Lewistown,  Pa. 

Johnson   Hamilton E Luthersburg,  Pa. 

Joseph    Hamm K Curlsville,  Pa. 

William   M.    Hanly A Mahalasville,  Morgan  Co.,  Ind. 

John  H.   Harpster G .  Rajahmundry,  India. 

Joseph   Harpster G Port  Matilda,  Pa. 

WIT i    P.  Harpster. Field  and  Statf  .  .Houtzdale,  Pa. 

S.  W.   Harrington K Kearney,  Wyo. 

George  W.  Harris B Runville,  Pa. 

David    Harshberger D Hublersburg,  Pa. 

Jonas  Harshberger C.  .  .  .     .Scalp  Level,  Pa. 

Daniel  II.  Harter D.  .  ...  ,  .Rittman,  O. 

John   HaTtman E Hawthorn,  Pa. 

Jacob   S.   Haugh I Brookville,   Pa. 

Christ   Havener F Clinton  Co.,  Pa. 

Henry  Heaton F Yarnell,  Pa. 

W.  F.   Heberling D Benore,   Pa. 

David   K   Henry E Hamilton,  Pa. 

Daniel  M.  Hersh K 421   S.   19th  St.,  Philadelphia. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1091 

NAME.  COMPANY.  1'-  O.  ADDRESS. 

George  Hessert K Frankford,   Philadelphia,    Pa. 

Henry    Hilligas K Quakertown,  Pa. 

David  M.  Hillis I Reynoldsville,  Pa. 

Jonathan   Hoffner G Cornprobst  Mills,  Pa. 

J.   B.   Holloway D Burbank,  O. 

W.  P.  Holloway D Orangeville,  111. 

Robert    Hudson H Philipsburg,  Pa. 

Robert  Huey K Star  City,  Ind. 

Win.  C.  Huey C Xorth  Warren,  Pa. 

Thomas  J.  Huffman K 440  R.  II.  St.,  Bloomsburg,  Pa. 

Enoch  Hugg B Philipsburg,  Pa. 

Francis  J.  Hunter H Axemaim,  Pa. 

James   Huston B Tyrone,  Pa. 

Lewis  W.  Ingrain . Field  and  Staff  .  .Oregon  City,  Ore. 

W.  A.  Ishler G Bellefonte,  Pa. 

John   Jackson C Tyrone,  Pa. 

W.  A.  Jacobs F Snow  Shoe,  Pa. 

Jacob  H.   Jamison E Big  Run,  Pa. 

Tillman  Jarrett H Three  Rivers,  Mich. 

13.   J.   Johnson .A Easton,  Pa. 

John  L.  Johnston A Union  League,  Philadelphia. 

J.   C.  Johnstonbaugh C 703  Talbet  Ave.,  Braddock,  Pa. 

Thomas  Johnstonbaugh .  .  .  G Clearfield,  Pa. 

George  T.   Jones H Philipsburg,   Pa. 

Jared  I.  Jones A Hiawatha,  Kan. 

J.  C.  P.  Jones B Curwensville,  Pa. 

James  O.  Jordan F Driftwood,  Pa. 

WSlliam   Keeler B Roland,  Pa. 

J.   W.   Kennedy A Lake  City,  Mini!.     (Enlisted  un 
der  name  "John  Strong.") 

E.   D.    Kern D .  .  Catawissa,  Pa. 

David  L.  Kerr D .  .Centre  Hall,  Pa. 

Pfrans    Keyes K ......  Rimerton,  Pa. 

A.  J.  Kifer K .  .Reidsburg,  Pa. 

Aaron  Klinefelter A.  ....  .Altoona,  Pa. 

Anthony  Knoppf G .  .Oak  Hall  Station,  Pa. 

James  Knox C ......  Fillmore,  Pa. 

George  Koon G .  .Pleasant   Gap,   Pa. 

W.  B.   Krape D.  .  .  .  .  .Burnham,  Mifflin  Co.,  Pa. 

Enos  S.  Krauss K .  .  E.  Greenville,  Pa. 

J.   Luther  Kreamer D ......  Woodward,  Pa. 

Jesse  Kreamer A .  .Millheim,  Pa. 

David  A.  Krotzer K .  .Chicora,  Pa. 

Luther  D.  Kurtz D Mifflinburg,   Pa. 

Michael  Lamy A Millheim,   Pa. 


1092  THE  STORY  OF  OUR  REGIMENT 

NAME.  COMPANY.  P.  O.  ADDRESS. 

Geo.  W.  Lanich A Dublin,  Ind. 

John   W.    Latimore K New  Bethlehem,   Pa. 

Charles  M.  Law E Markton,  P.  O.,  Pa. 

D.   C.  Law E Lyons,  Iowa. 

Joseph   Lee C Irvona,  Clearfield  Co.,  Pa. 

Is  a  P.    Leightley F Yeagertown,  Pa. 

Geo.   W.    Leitzell A Altamont,  111. 

Wm.    H.    Lightner F Petersburg,  Pa. 

Fred  Limbert A Aaronsburg, .  Pa. 

John  Lingle F Poe  Mills,  Pa. 

Wm.  M.  Lohr B Cove,  Md. 

Harrison  Long K Coats  Grove,  Mich. 

Jesse  Long A Rebersburg,   Pa. 

Wm.   Long D Rebersburg,   Pa. 

Albert  Lord F Cameron,  Pa. 

John  M.  Love I.  ...  .  . Callensburg,  Pa. 

Christian   Lowry C Buffalo  Run,  Pa. 

J.   D.   Lucas F Howard,  Minn. 

John  G.  Lucas B Sauk  Centre,  Minn. 

Wm.   Lucas F Philipsburg,  Pa. 

Thos.  R.  Luck-hart E Plumville,  Pa, 

Jacob  L.  Lynn D .    .     •  •  Spirit  Lake,  Iowa. 

Reuben  B.  Lyle I ....  .  .  Brookville,   Pa. 

Ephraim  Lytle C.  .  .  .  •  •  Benore,  Pa. 

Samuel   Lytle G State  College,  Pa. 

Martin  H.  Mackey F Altoona,  Pa. 

Wm.  J.  Mackey F .  .  .  .  •  •  Altoona,  Pa. 

P.  M.  Magee K .  .  Care  Tidewater  Oil  Co.,  Bay- 

onne,  ~N.  J. 

Lyman  E.   Mapes I Howe,  Pa. 

John  Martz G •  •  Centre  Hall,  Pa. 

Frank  G.  Mattern D.  .....  Milesburg,  Pa. 

James  I.  Mayes C.  .  .  .  •  -Kansas  City,  Mo.,  or  Kan. 

John  D.  Meekans E ......  Cookport,  Pa. 

Leonard   Messimer D.  .  .  .  •  •  Penn  Hall,  Pa. 

Henry  Meyer A.  .  .  .  •  •  Rebersburg,  Pa. 

Joseph  K.  Meyer A ....  •  •  Rebersburg,  Pa. 

Thomas  P.   Meyer A ....  •  •  Lock  Haven,  Pa. 

Andrew  J.   Miller K .  .  .  .  •  •  New  Bethlehem,  Pa. 

David   L.    Miller D •  •  Pine  Grove  Mills,  Pa. 

David  W.  Miller G •  •  Pine  Grove  Mills,  Pa. 

Geo.  W.    Miller K •  .Fairmont,  Clarion  Co.,  Pa. 

Henry  Miller A.  ...  •  •  Millheim,  Pa. 

Herman  K.  Miller H •  •  Belief onte,  Pa. 

Joseph  Milligan K Brinkerton,  Pa. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS        1095 

NAME.  COMPANY.  P.  O.  ADDRESS. 

John  Milliron , E Richardsville,  Pa. 

John  Mills F Roland,  Pa. 

Samuel  R.  Mitchell B Philipsburg,  Pa. 

Joseph  Mock A Lock  Haven,  Pa. 

Morris  Mock A Lock  Haven,  Pa. 

H.  H.  Montgomery H Belief onte,  Pa. 

Alfred  C.   Moore B Harrisburg,  Pa. 

Joseph   Moorehead E Atwood,  Pa. 

Wm.   S.   Mortimer K Lamartine,  Pa. 

J.  H.  Moyer G Hiawatha,  Kan. 

Joseph  W.  Muffly Staff Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

Adams  T.  Murphy G Grampian,  Pa. 

Samuel  D.  Musser  Field  and  Staff  .  .  Scranton,  Pa. 

John  H.  Myers K ......  Bear  Lake,  Mich. 

Thomas  W.  My  ton H.  .  .  .  .  .Huntingdon,  Pa. 

Thomas  McBath C Peterson,  Clay  Co.,  Iowa. 

James  E.  McCartney B.  . .  .  .  .National  Soldier*'  Home,  Va. 

David  W.  McClure K Baldwin,  Pa. 

David  McCool G Downs,  Kan. 

Jones    McCormick K Limestone,  Pa. 

David  Mcllhatteai G Sligo,  Pa. 

Thomas  McElwee E Plumville,  Pa. 

B.  F.  McGiffen I Topeka,  Kan. 

Wm.  McKinney H Snow  Shoe,  Pa. 

James  F.  McNoldv K 711  Sixth  Ave.,  Altoona,  Pa, 

Geo.  H.  Neiman H Fleming,  Pa. 

Henry  S.   Nolder F Petersburg,  Pa, 

Jas.  P.  Odenkirk . Field  and  Staff.  . Warrensburg,  Mo. 

Nelson  P.  O'Conner I Brookville,  Pa. 

Samuel  H.  Orris H Milesburg,  Pa. 

Lemuel  H.  Osman C State  College,  Pa. 

Wm.   Otto A  ....  .  .  Cochranton,  Pa. 

Jas.  J.  Patterson G Shaver,  Boone  Co.,  Ark. 

R.  H.  Patterson G .Peru  Mills,  Pa. 

A.   S.  Paul C •  -North  Yakima,  Wash. 

Edward  Paul K .  .  Sellersville,  Pa. 

Wm.  B.  Peters B ......  Burtrum,  Minn. 

Allison  Pilson E Macedonia,  111. 

William  Pittman G Mercersburg,  Pa. 

David  Polliard K Rimersburg,  Pa. 

Edward   H.    Poorman  .  .  .  .  B Snow  Shoe,  Pa. 

James   Poorman B Linden  Hall,   Pa. 

Geo.  G.  Pottsgrove C Philipsburg,  Pa. 

Geo.   W.    Printner K Martin's  Ferry,  O. 

John  Pugh D Grey  Eagle,  Todd  Co.,  Minn. 


1 094  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

NAME.  COMPANY.  P.  O.  ADDRESS. 

Thomas    Quick B Runville,  Pa. 

Reuben   Quillman K East  Texas,  Pa. 

Chas.  A.  Ramsey. Field  and  Staff.  .Hillsboro,   111. 

Samuel  Ransom I Fisher,   Pa. 

Geo.  W.  Reedy K Redcleffy,  Pa. 

John  W.  Reich  art K.  .  .  .  .  .Challenge,  Pa. 

Samuel  T.  Reel G .  .  Tyrone,  Pa, 

Geo.   M.   Reeser D Windber,  Pa. 

Henry   Reybuck E .  .  .  .  -  •  Sprankle  Milk,  Pa. 

A.   A.    Rhinehart.  ......  .D.  ...  -  .Irving,  111. 

Hardman   Richards H.  .  .  .  •  .Dubois,  Pa. 

Vincent  Richards E.  .  .  .  •  •  Brookville,  Pa. 

Matthias  Rider G.  .  .  .  •  .Gatesburg,  Pa. 

Joseph  Risinger E.  .  .  .  •  .Indiana,  Pa. 

Andrew  B.  Roan B .  .  .  .  .  .  West  Decatur,  Pa. 

David  Ross C •  •  Buffalo  Run,  Pa. 

Wm.  D.  Ross D  .  -500   AT.   6th  St.,   Kansas  City 

Kan. 

David  Rossman A.  ...  •  -Pleasant  Gap,   Pa. 

John  C.  Rote D.  .  .  .  •  .Axenmnn,  Pa. 

Daniel   Royer G •  -Valley  Falls,  Kan. 

Thomas  E.  Royer A.  ...  •  •  Rebersburg,  Pa. 

Jacob  B.  Rumbaugh I ....  •  •  Chicora,  Pa. 

T.  C.  Rumberger C.  .  .  .  •  -Philipsburg,  Pa. 

Oscar  L.  Runk H.  .  .  .  •  .Philipsburg,  Pa, 

C.  D.  Runkle D •  -  Centre  Hall,  P<a. 

Darius  L.  Sanders H.  .  .  .  •  -Renova,  Pa. 

Edwin   Sear-son B.  .  .  .  .  .Grand  Island,  Xeb. 

James   C.    Sellers G .  -Sawpit,   Col. 

L.  W.   Shafer K Allentown,  Pa. 

John   B.    Shall E .  .Dayton,  Pa. 

Jacob    Shank H .  .  Mount  Eagle,  Pa. 

Samuel    Shilling E .  .Ringgold,  Pa. 

David  W.   Shivery C .  .State  College,  Pa. 

James  P.  Shoop. ' G .  -  Can-ton,  O. 

Wm.   H.   Shultz H .  -  Milesburg,  Pa. 

Thos.    Singleton G.  .  .  .  -  .Kittanning  Point,  Pa. 

A.   C.    Sloan K .  .  193  Larabee  St.,  Portland,  O 

S.   H.    Sloan K.  .  .  .  .  .Ashland,  O. 

Alfred    Smith H .  .  Milesburg,  Pa. 

Daniel  W.  Smith E .  .  Johnsonburg,  Pa. 

J-  W.   Smith I Knoxdale,  Pa, 

T*vi   0.  'Smith E Brookville,  Pa. 

Martin  Smith R Hazelridge,  Tenn. 


THE  I48TH  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS 

NAME.  COMPANY.  P    O.  ADDRESS. 

Ithiel  B.    Snyder G.  .  — ,  Kansas. 

Kichard  Snyder I Corsica,  Pa. 

Henry  Sowers C State  College,  Pa. 

John  C.   Sowers C State  College,  Pa. 

Simon  M.  Spangler A Newton,  Kan. 

Chas.  F.  Speaker D 426   Park   Ave.,    Williamsport, 

Pa. 

J).  S.  Specht F 110  Spruce  St.  Lewistown,  Pa. 

J.  C.  Speedy E Indiana,  Pa. 

P.  D.  Sprankle E Silver  Plume,  Col. 

Samuel   Stair F Newport,  P<a. 

Lewis  R.  Stahlman I Brookville,  Pa. 

J.  P.  Starliper G Fort  London,  Pa. 

Wm.  V.  Starliper G Chambersburg,  Pa. 

G.    W.    Steffey F -       —  Michigan. 

David  Steiner H Buffalo  Run,  Pa. 

Geo.  Stone B 309  Pine  St.,  Johnstown,  Pa. 

John  M.  Stout K Pennsburg,   Pa. 

David    Stover G Lincoln  Centre,  Kan. 

Elias  Stover A Rebersburg,  Pa. 

John  Y.  Stover D Wolf's  Store,  Pa. 

Thaddeus  D.    Stover D Smullton,  Pa. 

Samuel  Strayer A Shickley,  Neb. 

John  W.   Stringfellow F Peale,  Pa. 

John  W.  Stuart G .  .State  College,  Pa. 

Jacob  W.  Sunday B.  .  .  .  .  .Pennsylvania  Furnace,  Pa. 

Daniel  R.   Slitter E Lovington,  111. 

John  F.  Button E 

Edward  Swab F Mt.  Eagle,  Pa. 

Christian  Swartz C Belief onte,  Pa. 

Geo.  Sweeney D Centre  Hall,  Pa. 

Shelum  Swineford I Brookville,  Pa. 

J.  H.  Switzer K Eimerick,  Madison  Co.,  Neb. 

Eli  P.  Tate C Yeagerto'wn,  Pa. 

Thos.  T.  Taylor B Altoona,  Pa. 

Wm.  L.  Taylor G Ilarrisburg,  Pa, 

Jas.  A.   Thompson G.  .  .  .  .  . Stormstown,   Pa. 

Robert  A.  Travis E Tarentum,  Pa. 

Zach.    Truckemniller C Zion,  Pa, 

John  G.  Uzzle H Snow  Shoe,  Pa. 

Johiel  VastEinder I Brookville,   Pa. 

Simon  Vonada D Lewisburg,  Pa. 

James  W.  Van  Valin B Hiawatha,  Kan. 

Oliver  W.  Van  Valin B Johnson  burg.  Pa. 


1  096  THE  STORY  OF  O  UR  REGIMENT 

NAME.  COMPANY.  P.  O.  ADDRESS. 

R.  M.  Wadding  ..........  I  ......  Brookville,  Pa. 

Ira  Walker  .............  A  ......  Orangeville,  111. 

Philip   Walker  ..........  H  ......  Snow  Shoe,  Pa. 

Ezra  B.    Walter  .........  C  ......  Hillsdale,  Kan. 

G.   G.   Walters  ..........  K  ......  206  Park  Ave.  E.,  Pittsburg, 

Pa. 
David  H.   Wance  ........  D  ----  .  .  Philipsburg,  Pa. 

Jas.  K.  P.  Ward  ........  C.  .  .  .  .  .Washington,  Pa. 

John  Ward  .............  K  ----  .  .5140  Butler  St.,  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

David  H  Weaver  ........  D  ----  .  .Pine  Grove  Mills,  Pa. 

Daniel  Weaver  .........  .A  ----  .  .Wolf's  Store,  Pa. 

W  E  Weckerly  ..........  K  ----  .  .2000  G  Ave.,  Kearney,  Neb. 

James  F.  Weidener  ......  K  .  .  .  .  .  .  Bethlehem,  Pa. 

William   Weight  .........  A  ......  Rebersburg,  Pa. 

James  K.  Wells  .........  E  ____  .  .Plumville,  Pa. 

Thos.  G.  Weirick  ........  A  ......  Bureau     of     Public    Printing, 

Washington,  D.   C. 
Ohas.  W.   Weiser  ........  A  ......  Burbank,  O. 

Henry  W.  Wentzell  ......  K  ......  Ridgway,  Pa. 

Andrew    L.    Whitehill  .  .  .  .  C  ......  Lemont,  Pa. 

Geo.  F.  Wiant  ..........  K  ......  Piollett,  Pa. 

Geo.   A.   Wilson  .........  H  ......  118    Beaver    Ave.,    Johnstown, 

Pa. 
Robt.  H.  Wilson  .........  K  ......  Wardner,  Idaho. 

Uriah  Wilson  ...........  K  ......  New  Bethlehem,  Pa. 

Solomon   Wise  ..........  A  .... 

David  D.   Woods.  .  ......  K  ----  .  ..Sandy  Ridge,  Pa. 

Lebbaeus  B.  Woods  ......  K  ......  Surprise,  Neb. 

D.  W.  Woodring  ........  H  ......  Belief  onte,  Pa. 

Wm.    H.    Worte  .........  B  ......  Ehrenfeld,  Cambria  Co.,  Pa. 

Wm.   Wyant  ............  K  ......  Clarion,  Pa. 

Miles   Wynkoop  .........  E  ......  Vail,  Pa. 

H.   H.  Yarnell  ..........  G  ......  Connellsville,   Pa. 

Joseph  Yetters  ......  ----  C  .  .  .  .  .  .  Hannibal,  Mo. 

David  H.  Young  ........  D  ......  Aitch,  Pa. 

John  B.  Zeigler  .........  A  ......  Swengle,  Pa. 

Geo.  Zulinger  ...........  F  ......  Chambersburg,  Pa. 

Total,  407. 


UNIVERSITY 

Of 


1  1  S  62 


LIBRARIES 


